Jim Pearsall
Reviews By Author
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VZ-9 AvrocarPublished: December 4, 2015 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… more |
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Carrier Tow BarPublished: December 4, 2015 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… more |
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Hurricane Landing Gear, 2 pieces (Sweet kit)Published: October 27, 2015 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… more |
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F/A-18C (Revell) PhotoetchPublished: October 8, 2015 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… more |
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de Havilland Comet AirlinerPublished: October 3, 2015 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-… more |
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MiG-15 Dual ComboPublished: September 13, 2015 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… more |
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MD-3 USN Tow TractorPublished: August 19, 2015 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… more |
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Steel Containers (4 pieces)Published: August 19, 2015 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… more |
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Gyro-CutPublished: August 9, 2015 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… more |
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Tru-Color PaintsPublished: July 19, 2015 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… more |