Gino Dykstra
Reviews By Author
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MiG-17PF (Fresco D) - 23mm gun barrels set & Pitot TubesPublished: October 30, 2014 Anyone who has tackled the old Trumpeter MiG-15 or MiG-17 can tell you that these are not models that fall together easily. They are quite challenging and need quite a bit of care to achieve something reasonably accurate. However, since they don’t typically cost an arm and a leg, they can be fun to tackle. Personally, I like the challenge. Master Model has taken a little of the pain… more |
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Sopwith Camel F.1 “First World War Centenary”Published: October 30, 2014 Many moons ago, long before Roden or Wingnuts, Hobbycraft made the first generally available, inexpensive plastic kit of a World War 1 aircraft in 1/32 scale. As an avid large scale aircraft enthusiast, I was thrilled to see the Sopwith Camel model hit the shelves and was delighted by the Nieuport 17 and Spad XIII that followed. Unfortunately, they didn’t pursue this line very far, ultimately… more |
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Russian ZiS-30 Self-Propelled Anti-tank GunPublished: October 23, 2014 This is a new one to me; a Russian subject produced by an Irish company and manufactured by a Chinese company. Corporate politics are beyond me. In any case, what we’re dealing with here is a conversion of the ubiquitous and trusty little World War 2 Komsomolets artillery tractor into a tank hunter, mounting a hugely oversize 57mm gun. Apparently only about 100 of these were made and… more |
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Somewhere in the Middle EastPublished: December 28, 2021 One of the things I find fascinating about Masterbox’s approach to figure modeling is the technique they use to arrive at a given product. For most companies, sculptors make the desired figures, then illustrators create the box art to match the sculpts. Masterbox reverses the process by permitting illustrators to paint scenarios (quite beautifully, I may add) then sculptors do their best to… more |
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Jungle PatrolPublished: December 22, 2021 This package represents a small unit in Vietnam, including a commander, M60 gunner and two riflemen, all in typical jungle fatigues as seen in the 1960’s. A second sprue provides additional equipment, with suitable weapons and an assortment of headgear, including covered helmets, two types of boonie cap, and Marine visored “covers” for each soldier. All figures feature additional arms and… more |
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Middle East DioramaPublished: September 21, 2014 I must confess at the outset of this review that I am not, for the most part, a fan of vacuform diorama buildings. I will always prefer ceramic which is far easier for me to assemble and paint. That being said, I was quite curious to tackle this kind of project and found myself quite impressed with this kit. My first impression of this kit came before I even opened the box. It was… more |
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R-35 Renault Light Infantry TankPublished: September 16, 2014 I’m old enough to remember a time when Heller was the only game in town if you wanted to reproduce some of the fascinating French armor of the Second World War. Now we seem to have been presented with a number of choices, each with their good and bad points. However, permit me to discuss this particular rendition of this lovely little two-man vehicle on its own merits. Hobby Boss has… more |
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OT-130 Flame Thrower TankPublished: September 12, 2014 During World War 2 the Russians created a large number of flamethrower-equipped vehicles, useful for burning Germans out of strongpoints. Some of them replaced a turret or hull machine gun position with the weapon. Others, such as the OT-130, replaced the main gun itself and made this a dedicated flame thrower tank. Like the original vehicle itself, Hobby Boss’ OT-130 tank is a… more |