RP-Roll Rolling Set

Published: October 27, 2026
Book Author(s): N/A
Company: UMM-USA

The RP Toolz, RP-Roll Rolling Set, is a heavy-duty tool made for rolling and bending metal to make barrels, tubes, and loops out of brass, aluminum, and copper.

Constructed of heavy duty aluminum and stainless steel, this rolling set has a solid heavy feel to it. The aluminum base is machined for a close fit of the stainless steel rods. Each fits well in its assigned slot and they are clearly numbered for size.

In testing different material with the set, I found that obviously the thinner the material, the easier it was to shape. I had decent success with a .016 brass strip in making a loop, however the smaller diameter I tried to go, the more force was required. I will take a moment here to remind of the importance of reading the instructions… In my first attempts I used… more

Ki-21-Ia "Sally"

Published: October 27, 2026
Company: ICM

Designed in 1936 and entering service in 1938, the Japanese Ki-21 or Type 97 Heavy Bomber, would go on to see service in the war with China as well as World War II. The Ki-21-la was the first version of the aircraft and suffered from a lack of armament and self-sealing fuel tanks. These issues were later addressed in the Ki-21-lb variant.

ICM has produced a high quality scale model of this aircraft in 1/48 scale for those interested in Japanese WW2 bombers. Consisting of six light gray sprues and one clear sprue with very nice, finely recessed detail throughout. Builders should be aware that the plastic used is typical of newer molds and is slightly soft.

Assembly is straightforward and fairly quick. I did not encounter any issues with assembly other than when attempting to… more

Kings of Battle, US Self-Propelled Artillery, 1963-2023

Published: January 20, 2024
Book Author(s): David Grummitt
Company: Pen & Sword

In the thirteenth volume of Pen & Sword Books Land Craft series, Dr. David Grummitt provides an informative and detailed look US Self-Propelled Artillery from the post Korean War era to present. Having previously authored six other books for Pen & Sword, covering armored fighting vehicles and tanks, Dr. Grummitt now turns his attention to self-propelled artillery in his latest book: Kings of Battle, US Self-Propelled Artillery, 1963-2023. A professional Historian by trade, Dr. Grummitt is also an avid modeler and serves as the editor of Military Modelcraft International, which unique background combines to present a work that is both historically interesting and relevant to the scale modeler.

In this book the history of US Self-Propelled Artillery since 1963 is covered… more