Jeff Leiby
Reviews By Author
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USMC M60A1 RISE (P)Published:
GeneralI rarely build 1/72 armor now, but this is a kit of the M60A1, which I commanded while serving in the US Army. I never operated this version, but it will add another variant to my collection. Academy has produced a 1/72 version of their previous 1/35 USMC M60A1 MBT as deployed by the USMC in DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM in 1990/91. The sprues are arranged differently than their 1/35 version of the same vehicle. It is very nicely detailed, there was no flash, mold seams were minimal and easily removed as the plastic is easy to sand. Parts fit, with a few exceptions, such as the road wheel arms to the underside of the hull, is excellent and very little filling was required. Filling large gaps in the lower hull above the final drives and the underside of the fender mounted… more |
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Value Pack, Hawker Fury Mk-1 & Fairey FlycatcherPublished:
The KitsThe molds for these kits were originally produced by Impact in the early 60s as part of a series of British fighters that included the Bristol Bulldog, Fairey Flycatcher, Hawker Fury and the Gloster Gladiator. The molds have changed hands from Impact through Lifelike, Pyro and Lindberg and now are the property of Lindberg/Round 2. This double kit is a reissue by Lindberg Round 2 with improved instructions, one additional decal option per plane and two 36" lengths of rigging wire (not included in any of the previous issues). Included in the box are:
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M103 Heavy Tank, A Visual History of America's Only Operational Heavy Tank 1950-1970Published:
BackgroundDuring World War Two, the Allies encountered German tanks with heavier armor and more powerful guns than those the Allies possessed. The US initiated development and testing of heavy tanks in 1943 as the armor on the M26 was not thick enough to stand against the latest German guns. The war ended before the US Army could deploy a heavy tank in Europe, but a need was recognized for a heavy tank to counter the deployment of the IS-3 by the USSR. The T43, mounting a 120mm main gun and a new V-12 engine was selected as the new heavy tank. The T43 became the basis for the M103, America's only operational heavy tank. Contents
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USN 14in/50 (35.6cm) Gun Barrels for Turrets with or without Blast BagsPublished:
The US Navy's New Mexico Class and Tennessee Class battleships mounted the 14in/50 rifles as main armament. The Trumpeter/Pit-Road 1/700 kit of the 1941 version of the USS Tennessee provides injected gun barrels both with and without blast bags. The injected barrels are molded in relatively soft grey plastic. Removal from the sprue results in a large attachment point remnant. Additionally, the barrel muzzles are molded solid and the small diameter, in 1/700 scale, makes them hard to drill. Master-Model of Poland provides two aftermarket sets to replace the original kit barrels. Both sets provide 12 turned brass barrels with open muzzles. Set 700-050 is for turrets without blast bags and attach directly to holes drilled into the barrel openings in the turret faces. One advantage… more |
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German Commerce Raiders 1914-18Published:
This is the story of Germany's commerce raiders of World War I which were the surface ships that were supposed to starve the British Isles of the vast cargoes of vital resources being shipped from the furthest reaches of the Empire. To that end pre-war German naval strategists allocated a number of cruisers and armed, fast ocean liners, as well as a complex and globe-spanning supply network to support them This was known as the Etappe network. This book, drawing on technical illustrations and the author's exhaustive research, explains the often overlooked role that the commerce raiders played in World War I. Whilst exploring the design and development of the ships, it also describes their operational history, how they tied up a disproportionate amount of the British fleet on lengthy… more |
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The Douglas B-18 and B-23, America’s Forsaken WarriorsPublished:
BackgroundAs described in Crecy Publishing information paper, “What manner of aircraft pioneered airborne radar and anti-submarine warfare, almost replaced the immortal Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and yet disappeared from the annals of aviation history with not so much as a footnote in most authoritative histories of the WWII? The elusive B-18 bomber. The very few stories that have appeared since the end of the war invariably spoke of the aircraft in crude and disparaging terms including ‘the bomber that nobody wanted,’ but more than 30 surviving crew members who served aboard the aircraft had no such disparaging words. How could so many people be wrong? Developed in parallel to the DC-1, the B-18 and it’s obscure development, the handsome B-23 were… more |
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M6 Heavy Tank "Black Label Series"Published:
The KitThe 57-ton M6 was designed as a tank able to respond to Germany’s all-dominating Panzers that had previously swept through Europe in the Blitzkrieg, and approval to produce four prototypes was given in February 1941. The type proved unsatisfactory in testing, however, and in the end only eight M6, twelve M6A1 and 20 M6A2 tanks were built by Baldwin from 1942-44. The M6 had a crew of six and was armed with an M7 76mm gun, M6 37mm gun and no less than five machine guns. The M6 was distinguished by its cast hull. (From Dragon USA website). The parts for the M6/M6A1 kits are completely new molds and carry-over no parts from Dragon’s previous M4-family of Sherman kits. You will find the following inside the box:
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Waterloo 1815 - Mont St Jean and WavrePublished:
BackgroundAs described on the Osprey Publishing website, “Waterloo is one of the defining campaigns of European history. The name conjures up images of the terrible scale and grandeur of the Napoleonic Wars and the incredible combined effort that finally ended Napoleon's aspirations of power in Europe. Drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts, and using detailed illustrations, this comprehensive volume is the ideal resource for studying the intense fighting at the battles of Waterloo and Wavre, the final, decisive engagements of the Waterloo campaign. Those two battles are at the heart of this study, which explores the action at Mont St Jean where Wellington managed to hold the French at bay until the arrival of the Prussians under Blücher saw the Allies secure a hard-… more |
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Ottoman Navy 1914-18Published:
BackgroundThe website description of this title, “At the start of the 20th century the Ottoman Navy was a shadow of its former might, a reflection of the empire as a whole - the "Sick Man of Europe". Years of defeat, nepotism, and neglect had left the Ottoman Navy with a mix of obsolete vessels, whilst the list of prospective enemies was ever-growing. An increasing Russian naval presence in the Black Sea and the alarming emergence of Italy and Greece as regional Naval powers proved beyond all doubt that intensive modernization was essential, indeed, the fate of the Empire as a naval power depended on it. So the Ottoman Navy looked to the ultimate naval weapon of the age, the dreadnought, two of which were ordered from the British. But politics intervened, and a succession of… more |
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US Standard-Type Battleships 1941-45 (1)Published:
BackgroundThe website description of this title, “Written by US Navy expert Mark Stille, this book offers a unique insight into the Standard-type classes of US battleships. It provides a detailed investigation into the histories of each of the warships in the Standard-type battleship classes, the first three of which, the Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, formed the US Navy's main force in the inter-war period. The Standard-types reflected a new design philosophy: by designing each class to meet common standards of maneuverability and handling, vessels of different classes could operate as a single tactical unit without being limited by the performance of the slowest and least maneuverable ship. At the time of their construction, these ships incorporated the latest design… more |