Jim Pearsall
Reviews By Author
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VZ-9 AvrocarPublished:
The VZ-9 Avrocar is marketed as a “what if” kit, but to my surprise there actually WERE two of these things built and “flown”. The idea originated in the early 1950s as a U.S. Air Force project, built by AVRO Canada, for a high-speed, high performance fighter with high speed and maneuverability. The performance didn’t pan out, and the U.S. Army took over the project with the idea of having something like a high speed, highly maneuverable helicopter. The two prototypes were built in 1958 and 59. The project was abandoned in 1961. One of the prototypes is on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. For a more in-depth history, the Wikipedia page at https://en.… more |
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Carrier Tow BarPublished:
I recently built and reviewed Brengun’s USN Tow Tractor (BRL 144025) used on aircraft carriers. One thing that I said was missing was the tow bar to allow the tractor to move the planes around the deck. So here it is. The entire kit is a single resin cast and a single PE fret. The resin parts are the bars for the tow bar. The PE is the connectors to hook the assembly to the tractor at one end and the aircraft at the other. Assembly PreparationThe assembly is both easy and difficult. The easy part is that there aren’t a lot of parts, and they are logically set up. The difficult part is that the PE parts are all very small and easy to lose. One way I overcome this difficulty is using a jeweler’s apron, which anchors to my workbench at one end, and the other end… more |
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Hurricane Landing Gear, 2 pieces (Sweet kit)Published:
The most delicate parts on an aircraft are antennas and the landing gear. This accessory set doesn’t do anything for antennas, but it certainly makes the landing gear a LOT more durable. When you’re dealing with the skinny little legs provided by the kit manufacturer, you’re constantly in fear of destroying the gear just by setting the aircraft down. This is one of the reasons I put the canopy, gear, antennas and props on after I do the decals. The "Kit"You get two sets of landing gear for Hurricanes. This is great, because the Sweet kits are doubles, so you get to replace the gear on both planes. Or, if you’re thinking like I do, you’re going to replace the gear on another Sweet Hurricane from the other set. Sweet produces a “fabric wing” and a “metal wing”… more |
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F/A-18C (Revell) PhotoetchPublished:
Brengun has been bringing out more and more stuff in 1/144 scale, kits, accessories and detail sets. This is darned good, because those of us who do “Braille scale” need more and more help. Many of the older kits are so lacking in detail that any addition would be SO welcome. And this is one of those detail sets. So on to the adventure. The detail set is a single PE fret, approximately 3 ½ by 6 ½ inches. (9cm X 16.5cm). There is a single page instruction sheet which shows the Revell parts replaced by PE parts and the PE add-ons for some parts. The first steps are to detail the cockpit. A new control panel and side panels are provided. I painted these black and added white splotches where the gauges were. Then I had a bright idea, and used the kit panel decals on the… more |
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de Havilland Comet AirlinerPublished:
Round 2 Models has certainly come out with some interesting stuff in the last few years, including AMT, MPC, Polar Lights (Aurora), Hawk and Lindberg kits from yesteryear. As IPMS Historian, I also find it gratifying that the models that have disappeared from the shelves have reappeared for the newer modelers to enjoy. The PlaneThe de Havilland Comet was the first purpose-built jet airliner which first flew in 1949, entering service in 1952. The major overseas airlines of the early fifties were BOAC and Pan Am. BOAC ordered British made Comets, Pan Am bought American made Constellations, DC-4s and then 707s, DC-8s and Convair 880s. The Comets had only been in service a short time when trouble struck. There were unexplained crashes of Comets. And then there… more |
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MiG-15 Dual ComboPublished:
This is Eduard’s third release of their 1/144 MiG-15. The first was the Czechoslovak MiGs, the second was the MiG-15 bis, which used a different engine, but is generally the same. The MiG-15 has been used by 44 different countries, including the US Air Force (!) and such world powers as Albania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sri Lanka, and Yemen. The aircraft on the decal sheet this time are from North Korea, China, USSR, Poland, and two Czechs. I decided to do the Soviet MiG after checking out the histories of the aircraft. The pilot of this aircraft was Major Alexi Mikoyan. His uncle was Anastas Mikoyan, who was Khrushchev’s number 2 man for many years. His father was Artem Mikoyan, one of the founders of Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) design bureau. I think the pilot was… more |
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MD-3 USN Tow TractorPublished:
This is another of those Brengun kits that is SO useful when doing a diorama. In this case, the diorama is a USN aircraft carrier deck, and the kit is the MD-3 tow tractor. Actually, the kit is TWO MD-3 tow tractors. Better value for the money. While I was looking up the catalog reference for this kit, I found another useful item in the Brengun accessories catalog. How about a tow bar for this tractor? It’s item number BRL144115, $6.05. The KitYou get two of all the parts. There are two sets of resin parts to make two tractors. Also, the PE fret has all the (tiny) parts you need to make two tractors. The decal sheet has enough decals to make two tractors, as long as you don’t want the black warning stripes for the bumpers on the second kit. All of… more |
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Steel Containers (4 pieces)Published:
Brengun has been producing some interesting PE accessories to dress up the area around your model. I’ve seen examples of this type of container, lots of them. All painted Caterpillar yellow, in East Peoria, Illinois. The steel container is a standard item around any industrial plant. They’re used to hold parts, subassemblies, junk, recyclable materials, and anything else that needs storage around the plant. They’re usually stackable, about 2 or 3 high, and can be moved with a forklift or overhead crane. The boxes are tough, almost indestructible. Almost. The KitYou get enough parts to make 4 steel containers. Each one consists of the box body and 4 corner legs/supports. The instructions don’t match up with the boxes. There’s only one fold required for each… more |
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Gyro-CutPublished:
Matt Greenburg was at the Columbus IPMS Nationals with a new product. They were selling like hotcakes, and after seeing the demonstration, I bought one. As a Convention Special, Matt threw in a pair of extra blades. The knife is special because the blade rotates to follow the movement of your hand as it changes direction while cutting. This allows very good control of the curves and angles of the cut. The business card below was cut by Matt with one sweep of the Gyro-Cut. The trick is that you start the cut and move your hand along the line to be cut, and the blade follows. Because it is angled, the tip drags the blade into cutting position, even if the line cut is not straight. So it is possible to cut a curved or wavy line just by drawing the knife along the line,… more |
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Tru-Color PaintsPublished:
When I heard that Floquil railroad paints were being discontinued, I rushed out and bought several bottles of my favorites, Grimy Black and Reefer White. But knowing that these two or three bottles wouldn’t last forever, I asked the proprietor at my LHS (The Hobby Depot) if there was any replacement on the horizon. Dick replied that there was already a line of railroad paints which had been out for several years, and that he had just received a stock. Sometimes it’s good to go to a shop which carries supplies for other hobbies, like model railroading. I bought TCP005, gloss white, TCP009, grimy black, TCP800, flat white and TCP828 flat imitation aluminum. The PaintsThese are lacquer based paints, not enamels or acrylics. The list of ingredients is as follows: acetone… more |