Jim Coatney
Reviews By Author
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F.A.Q. 3 - Frequently Asked Questions of the Modern AFV Painting TechniquesPublished:
I’ve always been a big fan of the F.A.Q. books; while they are not cheap, they are packed with stunning pictures and high-quality modeling know-how. AK Interactive’s latest F.A.Q. release, version 3 by world-class modeler Ruben Gonzalez, focuses on modern armor. And just like its predecessors, it’s stunning. The soft-cover book is contains 463 pages on glossy paper. Each page averages six high-quality images and their accompanying descriptions, which means there are around 2500 beautiful images in the book. But this book is more than just pretty pictures…it’s a how-to book and provides stet-by-step methodologies on how to use the modeling techniques used in the images. If you really want to take your modern armor models to the next level, the ways to do just that are in this… more |
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McDonnell Douglass F-4C Phantom IIPublished:
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was also adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hard-points, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated an… more |
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Mig-31 BM/BSM Foxhound (Limited edition)Published:
The Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces. The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a replacement for the earlier MiG-25 "Foxbat"; the MiG-31 is based on, and shares design elements with the MiG-25. The MiG-31 has the distinction of being one of… more |
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Nakajima B5N2 'Kate'Published:
The Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' was the most numerous Japanese torpedo bomber of the Second World War, and while primarily operated from carriers, it also saw service as a land based bomber. A single engine monoplane, it was defended by just one rearward firing machine gun, operated by the radio operator, and its relatively low speed left it vulnerable to enemy fighters. Kates performed well at Pearl Harbor and went on to have success during the early battles of the war. Airfix’s B5N2 is a newly tooled release of a 1/72 Kate. Further versions based on the same kit will follow (a B5N1 is already announced). The kit comes in the standard Airfix , top-opening box, with a glossy image of a Kate over Battleship row and the USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack. Decals are included for… more |
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E-2C Hawkeye 2000, USS Ronald ReaganPublished:
The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye has been in service with the United States Navy since the 1960s, as well as serving in other nations’ militaries, including Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Egypt, and France. The distinct look of the Hawkeye, with its high-wing, twin turboprop engines, multiple vertical stabilizers, and most noticeably, 24-foot rotating radar dome, make it readily recognizable. The ‘C’ version of the E-2 was first operational in 1973, and further improvements to the version continued into the 21st century, most noticeably to the eight-blade propellers, which were incorporated to improve the harmonics with the critical electronics of the aircraft. Hasegawa’s 1/72 E-2C was first released in 1998, and has seen several subsequent re-releases, with different decals and… more |
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IJN Akagi Aircraft Carrier Full Hull Limited Edition and Super Detail SetPublished:
The Akagi is arguably the best known of Imperial Japan’s aircraft carriers. Like the American carriers Saratoga and Lexington, she was laid down as a battle cruiser, and then converted to carrier as a consequence of the Washington Naval Treaty. Commissioned in 1922, Akagi was Japan’s second aircraft carrier (after the diminutive Hosho). Initially built with three separate flight decks, Akagi was updated in the 1930s to handle larger and heavier aircraft. Gone were the three separate decks in favor of a single flight deck running the length of the ship, together with an island structure added to the port side. Akagi served as the flagship of the Kido Butai (Japan’s primary naval strike force) where she saw significant action in the opening months of World War II. Akagi took part… more |
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TRN1 Pistol Grip AirbrushPublished:
The NEO line is Iwata’s entry-level airbrush and is advertised as ideal for first-time airbrush users. Per Iwata, “Think you want to give airbrushing a try? Not sure you want to spend much to get started? The NEO is perfect for you…. AND you’ll have a great first experience! Iwata-Medea designed the NEO for the first time user.” The BasicsThe TRN1 is a gravity-feed, dual-action, internal-mix, pistol-grip brush. The paint cup is removable, and two sizes (10cc and 2cc) are included. The needle is .35mm. No air hose is included. ImpressionsThis is the first-pistol grip airbrush I’ve used, and I was surprised by how immediately it felt ‘right’ in my hand. It’s heavy enough to feel solid, but no too heavy to feel cumbersome. It is nicely balanced, so I… more |
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B-25H Mitchell GunshipPublished:
This is the third release, by HK Models, of their large-scale B-25, and in my opinion, the most interesting version. The B-25H was armed to the teeth, with fourteen .50 caliber machine guns (eight fixed forward and fired by the pilot) and a 75mm howitzer. The kit comes in a very large top-opening box, with another front-opening box inside. There are twenty-nine individually-packaged sprues, with a total of 563 parts. Slide molding is used to add nice details, like hollow barrels on the MGs and rifling on the 75mm gun. Molding is very crisp, with good detail and little flash. However, mold lines are prominent on most parts, meaning a lot of cleanup is required. The box boasts over 500,000 rivets are molded into the model. Most of the rivets look very good, but along the top and… more |
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Yamaha YZR500 'Sonauto Yamaha 1988' (OWA8)Published:
From 1973-2002, the Yamaha YZR500 led four 500 cc Grand Prix riders to ten separate world championships. One of the most famous riders to take the helm of the YZR500 was France's Christian Sarron. For the 1988 season, Sarron rode for the Sonauto-Yamaha team, scoring 149 points to earn a fourth-place finish overall. Hasegawa’s offering of the YZR500 is a re-box of an earlier release, as a limited edition with new decals and new brake parts. There are 139 parts included in the kit, including a clear windshield, two rubber tires, four metal screws, a metal spring, and two colors (black and clear) of rubber tubing. The body panels and wheels are molded in white, while the other sprues are in a medium gray. Ten of the parts are not used, and there are two options for brakes (steel… more |
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J2M3 Raiden ‘Jack’ Part 2Published:
Part 2: The BuildThis is the second part of my review of the Zoukie-Mura 1/32 J2M3 ‘Jack”. See Part 1 for images of the sprues and a general overview of what is included with the kit. Section 1The engine… and what an engine it is. There are forty-three parts broken over ten steps. Assembly begins by gluing the cylinder banks together. I was too aggressive in removing the sprue attachment points here so I had to fill some seams along the baffle plates. The cylinders were painted in Alclad aluminum and the crankcase hand-painted in gloss black. A dark wash was applied over the aluminum to make the details pop out. A lot of parts build off of the cylinders, so it is critical that everything aligns. Fortunately the instructions provide excellent detail as to… more |