John Lyons
Reviews By Author
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USS Saratoga CV-3 PE SetPublished:
The USS Saratoga was the US Navy's third aircraft carrier, being commissioned a few months prior to its class-lead, USS Lexington CV 2, in November 1927. USS Langley CV 1, Lexington, and Saratoga were instrumental in developing a new generation of fleet tactics that embraced the capabilities of airpower. Eduard has put together a really nice set of details for the USS Saratoga CV-3 Trumpeter kit. You get 2 sheets of PE that provide a lot of details that are not in the original kit, along with six pages of instructions to help you apply the parts to your kit. The details include upgrades for the turrets and island, upper deck safety rails & nets, stairway guide rails, and ladders. The set also comes with parts to upgrade the deck crane and the plane catcher net. The… more |
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Fw-190A JG 54 Grunherz Dual ComboPublished:
Short HistoryIn this kit, released also as a Limited Series edition, we are presented with the Focke-Wulf Fw-190A that flew combat with the well known fighter unit, JG 54 Grunherz. Jagdgeschwader 54 was formed through a very complicated process, but this only served to raise the level of significance of the unit later on. The foundation for the unit was laid in February, 1940, but its formation with three Gruppe (each with Stab and three Staffel, with each Gruppe fielding some forty aircraft) goes back to the summer of the same year. Its Kommodor (Geschwader Commanding Officer) from August 24th was Hannes Trautloft. The only original component of JG 54 can be considered I.Gruppe (I./JG 54). II./JG 54 was, up to July 1940, an independent unit… more |
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Lysander Mk.III PROFIPACK EditionPublished:
The Westland Lysander army co-operation, special operations, and liaison aircraft entered service in June 1938 to replace the Hawker Hector. With a high wing layout and large greenhouse view, the Lysander also featured great control at low speeds, as well as the ability to take off and land from small air strips and roads. The Lysander was cutting edge for its time; it played a vital role in getting supplies and personnel into remote locations quickly and efficiently. The Kit – What’s in the boxContents:
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M1114 Up-Armored (Heavy) Tactical VehiclePublished:
Short HistoryThe HMMWV was designed primarily for personnel and light cargo transport behind front lines, not as a front line fighting vehicle. Like the previous Jeep, the basic HMMWV has no armor or protection against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. Nevertheless, losses were relatively low in conventional operations, such as the Gulf War. Vehicles and crews suffered considerable damage and losses during the Battle of Mogadishu due to the nature of the urban engagement; however, the chassis survivability allowed the majority of those crews to return to safety, though the HMMWV was never designed to offer protection against intense small arms fire, much less machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. However, with the rise of asymmetric warfare and low intensity… more |
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StuG.III Ausf.F/8 Interior – Radio PE set in ZOOM editionPublished:
This kit comes with 12 pieces to upgrade the interior of your StuG.III F/8. The parts replace the 3 Dragon-supplied radio parts with highly detailed color face plates and radio boxes. It also comes with 2 headphones (a very nice addition) that have been pre-painted in black. Can’t wait to build my StuG.III, the parts are going to look great. I highly recommend this upgrade kit to all detail nuts like me (but still not a bolt counter). I would like to thank Eduard and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to conduct this review. |
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StuG.III Ausf.F/8 PE Interior Details SetPublished:
This upgrade PE kit comes with 2 sheets totaling over 100 pieces (part 99 has 12 pieces to it). The first sheet has parts 1-50. This sheet has most of the ammo box details. You also get a set of mud flap enhancements. You can’t go wrong with this very detailed upgrade kit for your StuG.III F/8. Also see my review for the StuG.III Ausf.F/8 Interior Radio PE set – the two really go well together. I highly recommend this upgrade kit to all detail lovers. I would like to… more |
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Bf-109F-4 Interior S.A. PE SetPublished:
Eduard has put together another nice PE kit. This kit comes with two PE sheets with a total of 77 parts. The first sheet has parts 1 to 36 for the cockpit control panels, foot pedals and seat belts. Each part has been pre-painted and has self-adhesive glue on the back. The etchings look sharp and the colors are correct for the scale. The second sheet has parts 37 to 77 that include the armor plating and side wall details, along with some of the small control handles and interior details. Altogether, the two sheets replace most of the interior of the cockpit with PE. Got to say, I wish I had this kit when I made my 109 a few months ago, it would have been a very nice upgrade. So I guess I have to build another one to take advantage of these items. Highly… more |
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Bf-109E-1/E-3 Weekend PE SetPublished:
This is a very nice PE set; it has 25 parts on the tree to enhance the cockpit of your 109E-1/E-3. The control panel and seatbelts are pre-painted. The details on the control dials are aligned and have the correct color. This would be a great upgrade to the Eduard Bf-109E-1/E-3 weekend kit. I would like to thank Eduard and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to conduct this review. |
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Russian ASU-85 Airborne Self-propelled Gun Mod.1956Published:
Short History Soviet Airborne Forces used the ASU-85 in airborne operations during the Cold War Era. Its primary role was light infantry support or assault, with limited anti-tank capability. The ASU-85 replaced the open-topped ASU-57 in service. It weighs approximately 13,780kg or 13.78 tons and has a very low silhouette of just 2,1 meters. It is powered by one V-6 six-in-line water-cooled diesel engine with 240hp. It was designed on the PT-76 tank chassis, but lost its amphibious capabilities. Armament consists of an SD-44 85mm gun carrying 40 rounds (4 rounds per minute) and one 7.62mm PKT co-axial machinegun. Effective range is around 260km (162 miles), and armor protection is up to 40mm. The vehicle was NBC-sealed and equipped with IR-sights for night… more |
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P-47N ThunderboltPublished:
Short History The P-47N - the last variant produced - was initially developed to escort B-29 bombers during air raids over Japan. The most distinguishing feature of the "N" variant was its in-wing 50-gallon (190-liter) fuel tanks, which extended the aircraft's range by 2,000 miles (3,200 km). What’s in the Box This looks like a reissue kit, the copyright marks on the underside of the wing show a 1997 date. The parts are separately packaged, the spurs are molded in grey styrene. Length: 9-1/8" Wingspan: 10-3/4" Parts: 105 Kit features recessed panel lines, a detailed radial engine, a detailed cockpit, weighted tires, complete under wing stores, a detailed pilot and markings to recreate P-47Ns flown by pilots Lt. Oscar… more |