John King
Reviews By Author
|
Boeing 737-300 Wheels & AntennasPublished:
The 737 really needs no introduction, and the modeling community is blessed with everything from the 737-200 all the way up to the 737-800. Both Minicraft and Daco offer 737-300 and 737-400 kits. Daco also offers a 737-500. Brengun has released this little resin detail set primarily for the Minicraft 737-300. The detail set includes new, crisper wheels/tires, landing gear doors, and a plethora of antennas. The molding is very fine. The wheels and tires look very similar to the Minicraft parts, but they have a slightly finer edge between the wheel and tire, which makes painting much easier. The landing gear doors are very fine and thin. Take special care removing them from their pure stubs; I was trying to be careful and still broke one of the main landing gear doors. The set of… more |
|
MiG-15 ProfipackPublished:
The KitMany 1/72nd modelers have been chomping at the bit for Eduard to release its new tooled 1/72nd MiG-15 after the initial MiG-15 tooling was severely damaged. Now, we finally have the definitive 1/72nd MiG-15 and MiG-15bis! This review is for the MiG-15 Profipack. The sturdy, top-opening box includes three sprues of grey plastic, one clear sprue, a small photo-etch fret, canopy masks, and decals for five early MiG-15s. The parts are crisply molded with recessed panel lines, and the clear parts are very clear and fairly thin, with only a little distortion on the main canopy. Upon initial inspection, it may seem like you can build any mainline MiG-15 variant, ie early MiG-15 and MiG-15bis. However, there are some key differences between the MiG-15… more |
|
MiG-15 and MiG-15bis - Gun Barrels, Antenna Base & Pitot Tube SetPublished:
Following the release of Eduard’s spectacular 1/72nd MiG-15 and MiG-15bis kits, Master Model of Poland has released turned brass gun barrels for these kits. Included in the package are barrels to replace the kit’s 37mm cannon and two 23mm cannon. In addition, Master Model has included a pitot tube and antenna base, both out of turned brass as well. The 37mm cannon consist of two parts, one sliding into the other. The instructions make this clear and the two parts fit together flawlessly. I added these parts to my already in-progress Eduard MiG-15. However, I would highly recommend these parts be added before you start painting your model. It’s also not entirely clear, but the small antenna base replaces the small bump on the kit fuselage. The instructions show the location… more |
|
R.A.F. TSR.2Published:
The KitGreat Wall Hobby (GWH) has released a TSR.2 in 1/144 scale. This kit is actually an exact repackaging of the Pit Road TSR.2, which is evident from the “Pit Road” name molded on the sprues. The kit itself is very nice and it features engraved panel lines, optional position canopies, options to build it in-flight or on the ground, optional position speed breaks, and a plethora of weapons. Every sprue is packaged in its own bag. Decals are included for three anti-flash white RAF TSR.2s: XR219, XR220, and XR222 (XR219 was the only TSR.2 to fly). The decals are in good register with minimal carrier film. The kit is molded in white plastic that is hard, but easy to work with. GWH did a good job of planning the tooling on this kit as the sprue attachment points are… more |
|
Bf-110C/D/E/F Position LightsPublished:
The PartsThese resin position lights from Quickboost are intended for any of the 1/72nd Eduard Bf-110C/D/E/F models. There are a total of six resin parts, but two of those parts are extra “lenses” in case you lose one cutting it from the resin block; smart move Quickboost! The parts are exceptionally well molded and feature rivet detail like the kit’s parts. Of note, the Eduard kit has very subtle rivet details, whereas rivet detail on the Quickboost parts are a little more pronounced/deeper. Personally, I am a fan of the way Quickboost depicted the rivet detail as I feel the rivet detail on Eduard’s kit may get lost under some primer and paint. I used a new Xacto blade to remove the resin parts from their pour blocks. The parts were easy to remove and required very… more |
|
Leopard 2 A6/A6MPublished:
BackgroundThe Leopard 2A6/A6M is the newest of all currently fielded German Leopard tanks. This kit is one of three current Revell 35th scale Leopard tanks on the market. The other two kits available from Revell the Leopard 2A4/A4NL and the Swedish Leopard 2 (Strv 122A/122B). KitThe Leopard 2A6/A6M comes in the standard Revell end-opening box. Quite frankly, the box is a little too small for all of the plastic inside; more on this later. The 222 parts come in three separate bags on seven sprues molded in the standard Revell green plastic and black vinyl tracks. In addition, there is a piece of fine wire taped to the front of the instruction booklet. The 19 page instruction booklet is easy to follow but be forewarned that in the early steps the… more |
|
F-89 Landing GearPublished:
BackgroundScale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) produces white metal landing gear for various aircraft models in 1/144th, 1/72nd, and 1/48th scale. Most sets are direct replacements for the kit parts. The PartsThe Revell F-89D/J has been around since the early 1990s (my boxing has a copyright date of 1992). Revell of Germany has recently re-issued this kit, and no matter which boxing you get, it is a nice model of the F-89D/J. The SAC landing gear for the F-89 are direct replacements for the kit parts. The white metal parts have some mold lines that will need to be cleaned up, but are otherwise is great condition. Due to the nature of the material used, I do feel that some of the finer details of the landing gear are not as… more |
|
WC-130J HerculesPublished:
BackgroundThe C-130 doesn’t need much introduction. It’s the mainstay transport aircraft for numerous nations, and has been serving the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1957. The newest C-130 is the C-130J, which incorporates many avionics upgrades, and most notably newer engines with six-blade props. The WC-130J is the USAF’s newest Hurricane Hunter, specifically designed to fly into the eyes of hurricanes to gather potentially life-saving data. KitThis is Minicraft’s seventh iteration of their 1/144th C-130 series and is the first C-130J model. This kit comes molded in light grey plastic with very clear canopy and navigation lights. The majority of the plastic is the same as that which comes in all other Minicraft C-130 models. The only difference… more |
|
Fiat G.91RPublished:
HistoryThe Fiat G.91 was the winning design in a 1953 NATO competition for a light fighter-bomber. In 1957, it was decided to develop a light attack fighter reconnaissance version of the basic design, designated the G.91R. This version, used by Italian, German, and Portuguese squadrons, had three camera systems fitted in the nose. Variants of the G.91 were produced throughout the 1960s. KitThe new Meng Fiat G.91R is the third injection-molded kit of this small attack aircraft, the other two being the old Airfix offering and the Revell of Germany offering. However, it is most welcomed, as the other two manufacturer’s kits are either outdated or have shape errors. The new Meng kit comes in a sturdy cardboard box with each sprue of plastic in its own separate… more |
|
Santa Fe Skyway DC-3 Decals Part 2Published:
To follow up with the initial review of the decals, here is the completed model with the Vintage Flyer decals applied. As was stated in the initial review, most decals consist of either two or three layers. I did not need to coat the decals with Future or any other sealer as this was already done by Vintage Flyer. Be sure to cut the decals out close to the design to minimize carrier film. The first decals down were the white backgrounds. These went on the model well but did not seem to snuggle into the panel lines, even after applying decal solvents. Be sure to follow the instructions on which decals go next. In some cases, like the windows, the black decals go next, but that’s not the case with the registration decals. Layering the decals was not a difficult task, just… more |