Greg Wise
Reviews By Author
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F4F Wildcat vs. A6M Zero-SenPublished:
These are two of the most iconic fighter aircraft that came out of World War II. They’re the Mitsubishi A6M Zero-sen and the Grumman F4F Wildcat. This book covers the ways in which these two contemporaries, with very different design influences, each possessed its unique strengths and weaknesses. The book includes information on the pilots who flew them and technical data including performance specifications. The author explains in plain English how each of these aircraft was developed in a side-by-side chronology. He further explains how these two enemy aircraft existed in the harsh, war-ravaged Pacific Ocean and jungle island environments. The book itself is well printed with a hearty gum binding. The print is easy to read and the photographs are very clear. The artwork and… more |
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Battlestar Galactica PegasusPublished:
History BriefThe Pegasus is either a Mercury class Battlestar or a Pegasus class Battlestar, depending on where you source your information; she is newer, larger, and more powerful than Galactica. In the re-imagined series, the Beast, as she known by her crew, is a survivor unexpectedly found by Galactica in the 10th episode of the 2nd season. She’s almost twice the size of Galactica but only needs about half the support crew, relying on more advanced automation systems. Utilizing these automation systems, the Pegasus could manufacture her own Vipers and Raptors, plus replenish stocks for the Galactica. Her Captain, Admiral Helena Cain, and her crew were battle-tested and wanted payback after escaping the Cylon invasion. They were entirely motivated by… more |
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Battlestar Galactica Viper Mk IIPublished:
History BriefFrom the re-imagined television series, the Mk II Viper was a space superiority fighter/attack craft of the Colonial Fleet during the first Cylon War. It was then called back into service 40 years later onboard the aging Battle Star “Galactica” to defend against the more advanced Cylon fighter during the exodus from the holocaust of the 12 colonies. The ProductIt’s a prebuilt and fully finished kit ready to display. It’s packaged in a custom box that’s representative of the launch/flight tube. The model is accurate, nicely done, and looks pretty decent for a pre-built. It has a very nice old-school 2-piece display stand that needs assembly. “Husker,” the pilot figure, looks great and seems to be comfortable…check six! According to Moebius,… more |
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Battlestar Galactica Cylon RaiderPublished:
History BriefThe Cylon Raider is a space superiority fighter. This modern Raider is the CGI version designed by Eric Chu used in the re-imagined television series. Called Sparrow by the Colonial pilots, these were first encountered 40 years after the first Cylon War. This thing is a living biomechanical being, spacecraft and pilot rolled into one; truly a strange nemesis. The ProductIt’s a prebuilt and fully finished kit ready to display. It’s packaged in a colorful box that’s representative of space flight. The model is accurate, nicely done, and looks pretty decent for a pre-built. It has a very nice old-school 2-piece display stand that needs assembly. However, I found this type of display stand to be unbalanced and wobbly for this application. … more |
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Nakajima B6N1 Tenzan (Jill) Type 11 "601st Flying Group"Published:
History BriefThe Nakajima B6N1 Type 11 attack/torpedo bomber Tenzan, Allied code name “Jill”, was introduced in 1943 as a replacement for the B5N Kate. It was a big improvement over the Kate and, although faster and more maneuverable, it was still no match for the U.S. Navy’s carrier-based fighters. The losses were so great that only one Jill is known to be in existence today. There were two main production variants of the Jill – the earlier Type 11 and the later Type 12. The Type 11 had the more powerful Mamori Model 11 power plant, a 14-cylinder radial (rated 1870 hp at takeoff), but it proved to be unreliable. The Mamori engine was dropped in favor of the more dependable but considerably weaker Kasei powerplant in the Tenzan Type 12 design. The Product… more |
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F4U-4B CorsairPublished:
History BriefF4U-4: The last variant to see combat during WWII, the Navy took deliveries in late 1944 and had two fully operational squadrons by the end of the war. The type incorporated a lot of changes over the F4U-1D. Most notable is that it had a more powerful engine with a new four bladed prop. F4U-4B: Designation for F4U-4s to be delivered to the British Fleet Air Arm but were retained by U.S. for its own use. The British received no F4U-4s. The ProductMy sample came packaged in a large, sturdy corrugated box. The box art is very nice depicting a Marine Corsair circling the USS Point Cruz. Inside were 190 well packaged parts. My sample was near perfect and I couldn’t find any flash or blemishes, just a few very faint sink marks. The… more |
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A6M2b Zero Type 21 "Junyo Fighter Group"Published:
History BriefThe IJN aircraft carrier Junyo was a mighty warship at the outset of WWII. Her fighter groups were made up of Zeros, and they outclassed all other opposing fighter types at that time. The Junyo, however, would suffer heavy damage in the Battle of Guadalcanal and would never again regain her prior reputation. The carrier would repeatedly suffer damage at the hands of the US Navy, thus keeping her out of service for long periods of repairs. Her air crews carried on the fight despite being depleted on more than one occasion. By war’s end, the Junyo was nothing more than a floating derelict with irreparable damage and her aircrews wiped out. The ProductMy sample arrived in the standard Hasegawa box. On the boxtop is a… more |
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Aichi D3A1 Type 99 Bomber Model 11 Limited EditionPublished:
History BriefIn 1936, the Imperial Japanese Navy requested bid submissions for a carrier-based bomber prototype from Mitsubishi, Nakajima, and Aichi. With Mitsubishi dropping out early, the contest was narrowed down to the two remaining competitors. The Aichi prototype made its initial test flight in 1938 and despite several R&D problems was officially adopted in 1939 over the Nakajima prototype on the merits of its superior speed and maneuverability. The ProductMy sample arrived in the typical Hasagawa Limited Edition box. On the box top there is a photograph of the completed model versus the artwork found on the standard kit. I should mention this is not a new kit, but the addition of a limited edition photo etch fret is. It’s just what it needed to… more |
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P-61B Black Widow "Last Shoot Down 1945"Published:
History BriefThe Northrop P-61 was the US military's first operational aircraft designed specifically as a night fighter interceptor. Our subject, the P-61B, was the second major production variant derived from the type. The most noteworthy improvement to the already large and infamous twin engine beast was an upgraded radar necessitating an additional 8 inches of length to the forward fuselage. This was added just in front of the nose gear bay and behind the radome. The Black Widow depicted in the kit, “Lady In The Dark”, is historic in that it claimed the last aerial kill of World War II. The ProductMy sample came packaged in a large sturdy corrugated box featuring beautiful art work. All the plastic parts were well protected in poly bags. The… more |
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P-61 Black Widow In ActionPublished:
This is another fine addition to Squadron Signal's line of In Action books and is sure to complement your library. The book takes you to Jack Northrop's response to the Army Air Corps‘ call for a secret purpose-built night fighter, and follows it from the drafting table to wind tunnel testing, factory manufacturing, test flying, and finally to combat. The book also covers all production variants and prototypes. The book comes in either softcover or hardback; it's 80 pages that contain 30 vintage color and 164 black & white photographs plus 4 color plate profiles and a dozen detailed line drawings. It's well written, in-depth, and laid out keeping the modeler in mind. The photos alone are a wealth of information. With the old 1/48 Monogram kit looking better… more |