Keith Pruitt
Reviews By Author
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North American Aviation P-51B/C & F-6C Yellow Series #6143Published:
The book opens with the developmental history of the P-51 Mustang. In early 1940, as World War II was developing in Europe, the British approached North American Aviation in about building P-40s for the Royal Air Force under license from the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. North American countered with an offer to design and build an improved fighter aircraft. The next phase of history is well known, as the NA-73 design was accepted by the British and eventually the US Army Air Forces took notice. The original design utilised the same twelve-cylinder Allison engine as the P-40, but the laminar-flow wing and other aerodynamic improvements allowed the new aircraft to fly faster and with great range. However, the Allison-engined P-51A version had weaknesses at higher altitudes so the airframe… more |
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Ford Mustang II & Pinto 1970-1980Published:
Product provided by: Motorbooks International In the early to mid-1960s, the British Invasion forever changed music in America. In the late 1960s, the Japanese Invasion forever changed the cars that roamed the highways and byways in America. The cars were becoming smaller and more fuel-efficient, somewhat easier to maintain and, for the most part, more reliable. Since the 1950s, American automobiles had become larger and more garish in style, focusing primarily on luxury and high performance. Between the increasing insurance premiums and growing gasoline prices, that kind of car was becoming more expensive and more cumbersome to own. During this time, a new kind of American car came into being, the Subcompact. Marc Cranswick, the author, has been a car enthusiast for most of… more |
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Operation Linebacker I 1972Published:
The Air Campaign Series from Osprey Publishing covers several operations from World War II in the European (Battle of Britain, Operation Crossbow and Sink The Tirpitz) and Pacific (Rabaul) Theaters, as well as operations during the Vietnam War (Rolling Thunder, Linebacker I and Linebacker II). This volume explores the Operation Linebacker I from Spring of 1972 with the subtitle of “The first high-tech air war”. During early 1972, Peace Talks had broken down and the North Vietnamese were beginning to mass troops and supplies along the borders of North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in preparation for an invasion of South Vietnam. The Introduction covers the situation building up to the invasion, as well as the miscalculations of the PAVN (People’s Army of Vietnam) in having never… more |
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Dornier Do17Z Propeller w/ToolPublished:
For several years, Quickboost has been known for producing high quality, molded resin replacement parts for many model kits from most manufacturers. The current Airfix kits are produced from new molds, and are exceptionally well molded and nicely detailed on their own. However, with the limitations inherent in the injection molding process, some parts can be improved with resin parts, which can be molded with a greater level of detail and accuracy. Quickboost now offers a set of resin replacement propellers for the Airfix 1/72 Dornier Do17Z kit. The Dornier Do 17 was a light bomber used by the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. Designed in the 1930’s, they first saw combat with the Condor Legion in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Although it was eventually… more |
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Dornier Do 17Z Air IntakesPublished:
Quickboost is well-known for producing high quality, “drop in” resin replacement parts for many model kits from a variety of manufacturers. Many of the current Airfix kits are produced from new molds, and are exceptionally well molded and nicely detailed on their own. However, with the limitations inherent in the injection molding process, some parts can be improved with resin parts, which can be molded with a greater level of detail and accuracy. Quickboost now offers a set of resin replacement Air Intakes for the Airfix Do 17Z kit. The replacements are molded as four individual pieces, just as the kit parts, with two large intakes and two small intakes. The resin intake openings are noticeably thinner than the kit parts, which will nicely increase the scale accuracy. It… more |
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Dornier Do17Z ExhaustPublished:
Quickboost is well-known for producing high quality, “drop in” resin replacement parts for many model kits from a variety of manufacturers. Many of the current Airfix kits are produced from new molds, and are exceptionally well molded and nicely detailed on their own. However, with the limitations inherent in the injection molding process, some parts can be improved with resin parts, which can be molded with a greater level of detail and accuracy. Quickboost now offers a set of resin replacement exhausts for the Airfix Do 17Z kit. The replacements are molded as one piece, just as the kit parts, with engine mounting points and exhaust outlets. There is an obvious difference in the thickness of the exhaust openings, which allows the resin parts to increase the scale accuracy.… more |
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C-47 Skytrain Engines for Airfix KitPublished:
Quickboost is known for producing high quality, molded resin replacement parts for many model kits from most manufacturers. The current Airfix kits are produced from new molds, and are exceptionally well molded and nicely detailed on their own. However, with the limitations inherent in the injection molding process, some parts can be improved with resin parts, which can be molded with a greater level of detail and accuracy. Quickboost now offers a set of resin replacement engines for the Airfix C-47 Skytrain kit. The kit engines are three separate plastic parts, including the front and rear cylinder banks and the gear case (the propeller shaft is also a separate part, which fits inside the gear case). The Quickboost resin replacements are molded as one piece, with cylinder banks and… more |
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Mi-2 Hoplite Wheels & Paint MasksPublished:
The Mil Mi-2 is a light helicopter, produced in Poland, used for transport and close air support. Powered by two GTD-350 turbine engines, the aircraft would be armed for a variety of uses. Several specialized variants carried a 23 mm autocannon, machine guns, 57mm rocket pods, four 9K11 Malyutka anti-tank missiles or Strela-2 AA missiles. The Mi-2URP Gunship and anti-tank variant was one of these, and the Hobby Boss kit of this version is used for comparison. The Hobby Boss Mi-2 is the most common and most recent kit and is available in several different variants, although there are a few others like the Smer kit which was released in 2000. The Aires Wheels and Mask Set includes cast resin replacement wheels, two for the main landing gear and two for the nose gear, as well as a… more |
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Scale Aircraft Conversions F-4 Phantom II Landing GearPublished:
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was developed for the US Navy as a two-seat, twin-engine, supersonic jet fighter, entering service in 1960. It was eventually adopted for use by the US Marine Corps and the US Air Force. Capable of speeds over Mach 2, the Phantom could be armed with air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, a variety of bombs, and eventually an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Setting records for performance from the beginning, it held both the absolute speed record and the absolute altitude record for a time. Used extensively during the Vietnam War, the F-4 became the primary air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force. The Phantom served in the Gulf War in 1991 in reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles, and was eventually retired in 1996. The Revell-… more |
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USS Indianapolis (1945) ArmamentPublished:
HistoryI’ll have to admit a personal fascination with the story of the USS Indianapolis. I read a magazine article about the tragedy during my high school years, which was probably close to the 30th anniversary. In July of 1945, the Indianapolis, a Portland-class heavy cruiser, was tasked with the top secret mission of delivering parts for the first atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. On the next leg of her journey, the ship was struck by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. The ship sank within minutes, leaving almost 900 of her surviving crew stranded in the Pacific Ocean at the mercy of the elements, dehydration, and marauding sharks. After three days in the water, they were finally rescued, but only 317 of the men survived the ordeal. … more |