Gino Dykstra
Reviews By Author
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Gloster Gladiator Mk. 2Published:
The Gloster Gladiator was one of the last biplane fighter aircraft to serve during World War 2, and despite its obvious obsolescence, served for the British air service surprisingly well on a number of fronts. It made a name for itself in the early middle eastern desert war, and went on to serve in Greece and even further with a number of foreign air services. I recently built and reviewed ICM’s excellent Gloster Gladiator Mark 1, so I will mostly be pointing out the differences between the two kits. The most noticeable is the new three-blade propeller replacing the rather clunky two-blade unit of the Mark 1. Other differences are more subtle, including a new control panel and front windshield. Only a small additional sprue is included to offer these differences, and you still… more |
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Bucker Bu 131D with German Cadets (1939-1945)Published:
The Bucker Bu131D “Jungmann,” which means “young man” or “cadet”, was developed in the 1930s as a light primary trainer for all Luftwaffe pilots. Extremely small and agile, it was mostly steel tubing with a fabric covering, and proved so popular that over 200 are flying in private hands to this day. I even found an entire scene in the European “Tintin” series of comics which shows this durable little aircraft in the less-than-capable hands of Thomson and Thompson, twin detectives (see the Tintin adventure “The Black Island”). This model set offers not only the aircraft itself, but a pilot and a couple of handlers to go with it. The aircraft: like the real deal, the model of this aircraft, even in 1/32nd scale, is pretty diminutive, and makes for a relatively fast build. However… more |
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Gunslinger Series Kit No. 3Published:
If you were ever a fan of the Saturday morning cowboy series back in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, or enjoyed the classic Sam Peckinpaw movies, this figure should be fairly familiar to you. Labeled as “Pedro Melgoza, bounty hunter”, the beautiful illustration on the box cover bears an unmistakable resemblance to Tom Selleck. As I’ve discussed before, Masterbox is unique in the modeling world for illustrating the products BEFORE sculpting them, and I believe this is a good example. On opening the box, you find both our bounty hunter figure as well as a very nicely done mount with two complete heads for some variety in the choice of poses. Sorry to say, ladies, but the figure within does NOT resemble Tom Selleck, but appears much more a typical Bandito figure to my eye. The figure… more |
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British Pilots in Tropical UniformPublished:
Following directly on the heels of the release of their truly lovely Gloster Gladiator biplane fighter in 1/32nd scale, ICM has released a figure set to create an instant diorama with the aircraft. Consisting of two pilots, clearly fresh from a flight, and a ground officer taking notes, the figures create a lovely tableau straight from the box. I suspect they’re discussing about exactly who shot down that last Italian fighter that day. Assembly of these figures is quite straight-forward, as they have little equipment or clutter associated with them. Both pilots have nicely molded separate life vests as well as oxygen masks along with the hoses. About the only modification you may need to make is to bend the hoses a bit to make them sit more naturally. It was… more |
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Chernobyl #1 - Radiation Monitoring StationPublished:
I don’t think it’s necessary for me to go into the details regarding the horrific Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster that shook the world in the 1980’s and created the largest uninhabitable radioactive region on the globe, ultimately costing hundreds if not thousands of lives. The Fukishima disaster may ultimately turn out to do more damage, but Chernobyl certainly stands out as one of the top examples of manmade blunders up to now. On that cheery note, it is with more than a little awe that I examine one of ICM’s latest and perhaps most ambitious products – the Chernobyl #1 diorama-in-a-box. Literally intended to be an entire scene in one package, this kit contains a command center truck, five new figures, a small hut and various bits and pieces to compose a radiation… more |
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Gloster Gladiator Mk. 1 in Foreign ServicesPublished:
Recently I had the pleasure of tackling ICM’s new Gloster Gladiator aircraft kit in 1/32nd scale. As is, the kit comes with a couple of British Air Service options for early World War 2 campaigns, but if you want something a bit more exotic, ICM has answered the call with a new decal sheet offering markings for four different nations which also used the Mk. 1 – China, Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands. All of the decal combinations offered are essentially fairly basic, with national markings and a few letters and numbers as well. Of these, only the Norwegian markings require some preparation, as the red of the marking bands needs to be painted on before decaling. The simplicity of this decal set permits you to easily add aircraft- specific details either from your… more |
Tank Battles in East Prussia and Poland 1944-1945Published:
Towards the end of World War 2 some of the most vicious tank battles were being fought on the Eastern Front as Russian forces pushed their way into the back door of the Third Reich. Although not on the scale of the Kursk campaign earlier in the war, these slugfests involved some of the heaviest, most sophisticated armored units the world had seen up to that point, and most engagements were hammered out between the opposing forces with no quarter given or taken. The atrocities that these two countries had inflicted on each other during the previous five years ensured that. My father was a professor of history, and he wrote a number of books relying on primary sources. Igor Nebolsin’s book on the subject of these brutal encounters likewise draws on a plethora of first-hand… more |
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French ZouavesPublished:
Zouaves were a branch of light infantry serving in the French Army from 1830 to 1962. Their flamboyant costumes were patterned after indigenous Algerian Berber troops, and were so popular that variations on this costume were adopted by countries worldwide, several zouave units serving with distinction in the American Civil War. The French units served in these outfits for a brief time at the beginning of World War One, changing out to a khaki uniform in 1915. ICM continues with its distinctive line of World War One infantry units with this new package of four zouaves, including three zouaves and an officer. All come in the distinctive Berber-style uniform. The kit also includes the comprehensive French equipment set released some time ago, so you’ll have a LOT of spare parts to… more |
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I-16 Type 10 WWII China Guomindang AF FighterPublished:
This Polikarpov fighter, developed in 1934, took a lot of its design ideas from the then-revolutionary Gee-Bee racing airplane of the same period – that is, the largest engine that could be fit into the smallest airframe. Adding retractable landing gear and four rifle-caliber machine guns and you had the miniscule I-16, a staple of the Soviet air force through the early part of World War 2, almost 10,000 being manufactured. These tough little aircraft served in other forces as well, most notably in the Chinese Guomindang, where they pitted themselves against the more nimble and far more numerous Japanese fighters of the period. How they fared is another story. ICM continue to broaden its I-16 stable by offering the Type 10 in Chinese markings. This is the version I was… more |
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Gloster Gladiator Mk.1Published:
ICM continues to floor me with the boldness of their release choices, and the Gloster Gladiator in the impressive 1/32nd scale range is certainly one of them that I never expected to see in my lifetime. The Gloster Gladiator was one of the rare biplanes to see combat service in World War 2 and was the last operation biplane fighter in British service, seeing service in most theaters of action via a number of air forces. Despite its obsolescence it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat, even making a couple of aces into the bargain. ICM’s Gloster Gladiator comes on a sturdy side-opening box with separate lid and features a somewhat soft gray styrene as well as clear parts. This plastic seems familiar, and in fact appears to be the type of choice for… more |