Keith Gervasi
Reviews By Author
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Short Sunderland Mk. IPublished:
HistoryThe Sunderland prototype first flew on October 16th, 1937, and the first of the production Sunderlands flew on April 28th, 1938. Production started in 1938 and was ended after 8 years. 777 Sunderland’s of all variants were built, and it served in the RAF from June, 1938 ,to May, 1959! Twenty-one years in frontline service for the RAF, and even later for France and New Zealand. (The last New Zealand Sunderland was retired in 1965!!) The Mk I was 85ft 8in. long and had a wingspan of 112ft 8in. Weighing in at 44,600lbs, it was powered by 4 Bristol Pegasus XXII engines rated at 1010hp each, allowing for a top speed of 210mph at 6500 ft.(cruising speed was 178mph). The Sunderland could fly over 1700 miles and was equipped with a galley, bunks, a sink for washing up (with a… more |
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Messerschmitt Bf-109F-2Published:
HistoryThe 109F variant was the 2nd major design change for this aircraft. It first appeared in 1940, the -2 in April of 1941. The -2 was similar to the -1 with the exception of a better cannon firing through the nose (mg 151/15). The KitA snap together kit!!! Now, that is my speed! This kit comes in an end-opening box. You are provided with two sprues of grey injected plastic, one clear single-piece canopy, one matte finish decal sheet with markings for two aircraft, and the instructions. The detail was crisp with fine panel lines and no flash. No noticeable pin or sink marks, either. ConstructionThe 2-page instructions open to show you have 8 steps for building this kit. The painting guide was questionable for me, as it calls for flat… more |
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Russian BTR-70 with MA-7 TurretPublished:
HistoryFirst made public to the West in 1980, the BTR-70 retained the same lines as the -60. Capable of carrying 8 troops, this eight-wheeled APC can motor along at 80km, or 50miles per hour. This vehicle is also amphibious and can enter the water on its own and move at 9km per hour. The MA-7 universal turret is being used for re-equipping APCs. The turret is fitted with the 12.7mm MG, 7.62mm MG, and smoke dischargers. This turret can also employ an AGS-17 30mm grenade launcher. KitThis kit comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a flip top. One problem is that the sprues are not in plastic bags and get rattled around, and a few parts were loose. With 230 pieces, there are some finely molded ones in this kit and they suffered some damage. Actually, both the… more |
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Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero Model 21Published:
HistoryThere is so much out there on the Zero that I will not take up too much time with the history of it. The A6M2 Model 11 went into operation in 1940. After a short production run it was modified in November, 1940, to have folding wings (Model 21). The KitThis kit is made up of 2 sprues of grey injected plastic and 1 clear. The parts are flash free and have very fine detail and I did not notice any sink marks. The decal sheet gives you markings for 3 different aircraft of the 2nd strike unit and was flawless. ConstructionThe 10-page instruction sheet unfolds to show 16 steps for the assembly of this kit. Starting with the cockpit (of which there are 19 pieces), the assembly is pretty simple and easy. The detail of the cockpit is… more |
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Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-5 “Nowotny”Published:
The Fw-190A-5 was different from earlier versions in that the nose was extended forward 6 inches to help change the center of gravity. This would help with a planned addition to the armament. The KitThis kit is made up of 108 parts. It has 5 injection molded grey sprues and 1 clear plastic sprue. The moldings are very crisp and the clear parts are also flawless. The decal sheet is not so flawless. My copy had nicely printed decals that were semi-gloss but had spots of very high gloss over them (like something spilled on it). This worried me just a bit. Looking at the parts, I noticed that Hasegawa supplies the wrong wheels and tires for this type. Resin aftermarket parts are easily available, though. ConstructionThe instruction sheet unfolds to show 13… more |