Marc K. Blackburn
Reviews By Author
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Sd.Kfz.231 Schwerer Panzerspahwagen (8-Rad)Published:
The iconic Sd.Kfz.231 has joined the fleet of Dragon’s 1/72 German vehicles from World War Two. Like its cousin, the 231 served in every theater of action. With dual driving positions, it served the Wehrmacht until 1943 when the production run came to end. The kit has five sprues and the two halves of the vehicle each molded separately, for a total of 93 parts. There is a small decal sheet and color schemes for five vehicles. The quality of the molding is very good. The sprues were loose in the box, though each sprue is individually bagged. Despite being knocked around during shipping, none of the pieces were damaged or separated from the sprue. AssemblyAs with most vehicles, assembly begins with the undercarriage and suspension. The parts are very delicate, so be… more |
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British Forces Land Rover Twin SetPublished:
The KitThis 1/48th scale kit offers two vehicles for the price of one (both are available as single kits, too). Airfix has released several kits of vehicles, troops, and helicopters deployed to Afghanistan. Both vehicles are derived from the Land Rover Defender. The Snatch is a patrol vehicle with supplementary armor, “suitable for armored patrols in potentially hostile environments.” The WMIK serves as a Special Forces vehicle. Unlike its brother, the cab is replaced with a roll bar and is open to the air. The models are shipped in one plastic bag so several of the WMIK parts were damaged during shipping. Most of them could be repaired. It would be nice if Airfix could do a better job protecting parts during shipping. There are four sprues in light blue plastic (two for… more |
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PLA PTL-02 Wheeled Tank DestroyerPublished:
Bronco continues to release interesting subjects from the People’s Liberation Army. From the kit, “The PTL-02 wheeled assault gun system was based on the ZSL-92 wheeled armored vehicle, integrated with matured weapon technologies including the Type 86 100mm towed anti-tank gun and the Type 88 MBT. The vehicle was designed to engage armored vehicles, bunkers, fortifications, and other stationary or moved targets. The PTL-02 has been fielded along with the ZSL-92 IFV and ZSL-92A APC in the PLA rapid reaction wheeled mechanized infantry troops. The PTL-02 is powered by a BF8L413F 4-stroke, 8-cylinder, turbo-charged, air-cooled diesel engine with a standard power of 320hp. The vehicle uses a mechanical gear box, with 9 forward gears and 1 reverse. Power assisted steering, independent… more |
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German Army Simca 5 Staff CarPublished:
In a surprise offering, one of Tamiya’s newest models is the Simca 5 Staff Car (German Army). Henri Theodore Pigozzi, an Italian-born Frenchman, founded a car company that had a close relationship to Fiat. The Simca 5 was the French version of the best seller, the Fiat 500. Production figures (65,000 manufactured from 1936 until the fall of France), indicate that this was a very popular car. Once French industry was absorbed by the German war machine, small scale production continued until 1944. In typical German fashion, given their dearth of staff cars, the Wehrmacht adapted many of these diminutive automobiles as staff cars. The KitThe kit has only three sprues, composing fifty parts. One sprue of clear parts features both open and closed passenger windows. There… more |
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Israeli Merkava Mk. IIIPublished:
The Merkava began development in 1973 and entered service several years later, in 1978. Since it was originally fielded, it has gone through several iterations. Trumpeter has chosen to model the Mk. III which entered service in 1989. This model of the Merkava has several improvements from earlier models, notably the addition of a 120 mm gun produced in Israel, a larger diesel engine, and modular armor, just to name a few. Trumpeter’s kit goes head-to-head with Revell’s Mk. III which is the only other Merkava in Braille scale. The KitThe kit is modeled in light grey plastic and consists of three sprues, including a two-part hull, two assembled track runs, and the lower turret. Decals are for one vehicle. The tracks are interesting. They are not rubber band tracks or… more |
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Boeing 747 Owner’s Workshop ManualPublished:
For the past several years, Zenith Press has been producing “owner’s manuals” of famous planes, tanks, automobiles, and I suppose space ships (there is one on the space shuttle). With the familiar Haynes logo in the upper right-hand corner, they appear to be genuine owner’s manuals. It’s a great marketing technique and I am sure many hobbyists and fans find it appealing. The volume reviewed here is on the Boeing 747, the iconic jumbo jet that has been flying for over forty years. The book is beautifully illustrated with color photographs of the various makes of the 747, though the book mostly concentrates on the 400 series. The book starts with a brief overview of the 747 model from its inception to the latest incarnation, the 747-8 series. From history, the book delves into… more |
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Archibald WavellPublished:
This is my first opportunity to look at the relatively new Osprey series called Command. As the name suggests, this series doesn’t look at hardware or military units, but the commanders. As with most Osprey books, this series provides a broad overview of the commander’s life, command responsibilities, leadership abilities, and legacy. I jumped at the chance to see how the Osprey formula works with personalities. Unlike George C. Patton, Omar Bradley, Erwin Rommel, or Bernard Montgomery, Archibald Wavell is not a person who has the reputation or personality of the men who would dominate the Allied armies later in the war. At a time when British strength was at its nadir, Archibald Wavell was given command of the Middle East and Mediterranean, the only theater where the Allies… more |
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World War Two US Cavalry Groups – European TheaterPublished:
Osprey Publishing is without a doubt one of the most prolific publishers of military history on the face of the planet. Whether you build models, teach history, or are an armchair historian, Osprey has something for you. This new release is part of their Elite series which tend to focus on particular units or armies. This title has a tight focus – the US Cavalry Groups that fought in the European Theater of Operations during World War Two. The author makes it clear at the beginning of the book that this title provides a focus on the thirteen cavalry groups that fought in the ETO. The coverage does not include the two that served in Italy or Southern France or remained in the states. What is a Cavalry Group? These are not the organic reconnaissance units that were included in… more |
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Russian ChTZ S-65 TractorPublished:
Trumpeter has continued to add to its growing line of Soviet prime movers. The recently released ChTZ S-65 tractor is just that, a tractor. The vehicle’s history from the side of the box: “The STALINETZ S-65 (or Starlinze-65) was basically an improved design based on the S-60 and succeeding it on the production line from June 20 1937, it has a 65-75 hp M17 diesel engine. As of 1941 the STALINETZ S-65 was the most numerous type of full-tracked artillery tractor with in the Soviet Army. The exact figure how many of the 37,626.” The kit includes eight sprues of approximately 200 parts and thirteen sprues of track; approximately 234 parts. There’s a small sheet of PE, clear headlight lenses, and decals for the instrument cluster. AssemblyThe kit is relatively… more |
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Acrylic Paint – Russian GreenPublished:
As many modelers know, Italeri has recently released their own line of model paints. These are not formulated by another company and packaged under the Italeri label. Since I was working on a review with the Trumpeter Russian ChTZ S-65 Tractor kit, it seemed like a nice fit. The paint comes in plastic bottles that hold 20 ml of paint. The paint is very thick, almost like craft paint, so it brushes on well, but I was interested in how it would airbrush. I thinned it down with water to about the consistency of milk and, for the most part, it seemed to airbrush well and evenly, but each person will have to use their best judgment on how thin the paint should be. In terms of the color, there are differences. I took three Russian vehicle models that I have assembled and… more |