Sopwith Snipe (late)

Published: September 25, 2013
Company: Wingnut Wings, Ltd

This is without a doubt the best aircraft kit I have ever built. Wingnut Wings has produced an absolute wonder of a kit in this Sopwith Snipe.

Upon opening the sturdy box, one finds six grey sprues, one clear sprue, and a photo etch fret. In addition, there is a very colorful and complete 23-page book of instructions with color photos and actual WW I photos of several Snipes.

To… more

Mickey Thompson’s Challenger 1

Published: July 2, 2013
Company: Revell, Inc.

Back in 1960, I remember a guy named Mickey Thompson setting the land speed record of 406.6 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats. He did this feat with one of the most original cars ever seen. This was the Challenger 1. It was powered by four supercharged Pontiac engines, each powering a separate wheel. I remember at the time hoping that someone would make a model kit of this car. Well, Revell did… more

USS Gato Submarine

Published: May 6, 2013
Company: Riich Models

Ships are not something I normally model but I jumped at the chance to review this submarine. It is by a new company from Hong Kong and if this kit is a sample of things to come, I am surely looking forward to their future releases.

To begin with, I was thinking 1/700 or 1/350 scale when I asked to review this kit. It is in 1/200 scale and is rather long, 19 inches to be exact. The… more

U.S. Navy/Marine Fighter Pilot

Published: April 18, 2013
Company: Master Details

Here is another new company producing military figures. If this is their first offering, I am very impressed. Not only is the subject matter refreshing, but the figure is very well cast.

This pilot is in 1/32 scale which would make it ideal for any WW II Navy or Marine aircraft in that scale. The pose is rather casual, which is a nice change of pace. It’s cast in three grey… more

F9F-2 Panther Correct Nose with Gun Barrels

Published: April 11, 2013
Company: Quickboost

Quickboost has done it again. They have produced a terrific correction for the nose of an F9F-2 Panther. As per their usual, the resin casting is crisp and accurate. The nose is cast in tan resin and the guns are grey resin.

Care must be taken when removing the guns from the casting block as they are super fine and can snap easily.

The nose has the recesses for the guns that are… more

Pierced Steel Planking and Accessories

Published: April 9, 2013
Company: Italeri

This is a most unusual kit to review. It is of PSP – Pierced Steel Planking used during WW II to build runways quickly. It was also called Marsden Mat.

These runways were used mostly in the Pacific theatre of the war. They were assembled quickly by Seabees on the islands of the Pacific as the Allied forces got closer to Japan. They were usually painted olive or black and the steel… more

Avro Vulcan B.2

Published: February 9, 2013
Company: Great Wall Hobby

Great Wall is a company new to me. I have seen their wonderful P-61 in a much larger scale and was impressed. This kit of the Avro Vulcan B.2 is equally impressive, especially considering the small scale.

Upon opening the box, I was Impressed with the packaging. Everything was either wrapped in plastic or foam paper. The fuselage is broken in half horizontally. I really liked the one-… more

F-86D Sabre “Shark Mouth”

Published: February 2, 2013
Company: Hasegawa

I happen to love F-86s in any shape or form, and the “D” is one of my favorites. I have built a few in the past in most scales and welcomed this one by Hasegawa in 1/72 as I never built one in this scale.

With this kit, Hasegawa chose to do it in the unusual “Shark Mouth” markings. This is a pleasant change from the usual marking as seen on most “D” models.

Upon opening the box,… more

Stalin and Co.

Published: January 7, 2013
Company: ICM

I have always been a fan of historical miniature figures, especially if I happen to know who they represent. IMC from Ukraine hase produced a set of figures that are right up my alley. This five figure set is called Stalin and Co., and consists of Joseph Stalin and some of his bad guys. Those represented are Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, Commissar Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev, Minister… more

Hawker Hunter Landing Gear

Published: December 28, 2012
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Well, Scale Aircraft Conversions has done it again. The have been very prolific in the past couple of years and this new release is no disappointment. It is for the 1/72 Revell Hawker Hunter.

I realize that the Hunter is a small aircraft for a modern jet, but I didn’t realize that the landing gear would be that small. I have about 10 1/72 Hunters that I can use this landing gear on.… more