Mark Aldrich
Reviews By Author
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Guard StandPublished:
Plusmodel is expanding their super line and branching out! This is good news. Along with their EASY Line of simple resin kits, they are starting to release all-wood kits. This is a fine example of the art. This is designed to represent a simple wooden guard stand. Wood is always handy, and making a guard stand to keep the guards dry is something every soldier looks forward to doing – staying dry! The kit consists of nine small laser-cut wooden “sprues”. The rear and side supports are made of a single unit and thicker than the sides, floor, roof, and accessories. The three outside walls all have nail stud marks in them. The roof. However. is missing this feature. The instructions are a simple two-picture diagram and are pretty simple to follow. The laser cutting process… more |
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British Anti-Tank Gun QF 6-Pdr MK-IIPublished:
The old adage Things get better with age may old true to a number of items but this is definitely not one of them. This kit started life way back in the old days! It was part of the Max Peerless line and was hitched to their 15CWT and released as kit 3508. Then, Italeri released the gun as a 6 lb. Gun M-1, kit 323. That version included a nice base with fence and ammunition and ammunition crates. Testors added their name to the box and titled it Anti-tank Gun M-1 and changed the kit number to 781. This latest incarnation by Zvezda is nothing new, neat, or improved. It is just the gun. It has suffered from time, as the kit has never had the molds touched up or maybe even redesigned. The parts are riddled with ejector pin sink holes and raised bumps, as well. Some are located on… more |
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T-34/85Published:
The T-34/85 is one of the most widely recognized tanks in the world. Over 18,000 were built before the end of WWII. Then, in 1951, Poland received marketing approval and continued production, re-manufacturing, and improving the T-34/85 series. Kagero has done a great job on this book. Like most of their Top Shot series, this book is only 44 pages long and contains 180 color pictures. Also included, free of charge, is a four-page folded Top Shot catalogue. The pictures are great and definitely designed with the modeler in mind. The color pictures (180 of them), are nice, crisp, and provide a wealth of useful ideas. An example would be the one picture that shows a station-keeping light mounted at the rear deck where the electrical wires for the smoke cans exit the rear. I am not… more |
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GAZ-67BPublished:
Kagero has been publishing for as many years as I can remember. Their books (the ones that I have) are dog-leafed and spine-flattened from pulling them out often to look over their pictures. Kagero’s Topshot series is designed explicitly for the model builder. These books are usually about 44 pages and filled with pictures of the vehicles covered. This particular tome is 44 pages long and contains 180 pictures (all in color), several line drawings, and a set of Techmod decals for the GAZ-67B (in both 1/35 and 1/72). This book is written in both English and Polish. The English text is easy to understand and well written. The little book is packed with numerous up close and personal shots. These will definitely aid the model builder in super-detailing his build. All the… more |
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U.S. Ammunition Boxes, VietnamPublished:
This is a neat set! You get enough resin ammo cans, laser-cut wood, brass wire, and decals to make three crates. You can also build the crates empty and use the ammo cans separately to fill an even wider scene or vehicle load. The laser-cut wood is well defined and even has engraved sections describing what is contained inside. Construction began with removing the resin ammunition cans from the pour lugs; a small swipe of a sanding stick and they were ready. Like all resin, it is best to give the parts a good soap and brush cleansing to ensure all mold release agents are removed. Remember that resin particles are hazardous and you should always complete these tasks using water to keep the dust down and wear a cheap doctor’s mask to keep the particulates out of your lungs. … more |
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U.S. F-105 PilotPublished:
Dateline: February 11: Review package from IPMS/USA (Dick Montgomery) arrives. After looking at the items, I realized there was an item in the box that I had not wanted. I immediately fired off an email to the Review Delivery Man… "Dick, His quick and concise reply… "Mark, DOH… more |
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Fire ExtinguisherPublished:
Sometimes in the model building universe that most of us live in, the planets align just right and a little glimmer of satisfaction shines through. This is the case with these fire extinguishers. I am currently building a conversion of an M3 IDF Sandwich Car. When the review list made its second round and no one had laid claim to the Plusmodel items, I volunteered to do the ones that no one wanted. When they arrived, I thought where and how I could use them instead of just painting and showing them off. Looking over my reference material, I noticed that many of the different Sandwich vehicles and the M3 in particular had fire extinguishers mounted on the right front panel in front of the engine access panel! How neat is that? WooHoo!!!! Confetti everywhere, and too bad not all modeling… more |
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Box for U.S. FlamethrowerPublished:
Plusmodel has been making resin aftermarket items for as long as I can remember. Many moons ago, I purchased their GI Rats, thinking it was meals and finding out they were actually 1/35 resin rats. The items I have purchased and received since then have been nothing short of excellent. Their line has continued to grow and expand and they offer a wide range of items for the aircraft, armor, and figure modeler in several of the popular scales. Plusmodel offers item number 375, which is the U.S. Flamethrower M2-2, which contains a backpack, two 5-gallon fuel cans, the flamethrower box and the flamethrower itself. Their Easy Line is new to me and I must say it is impressive. This particular kit uses two boxes from kit number 375. Most of their Easy Line items require little to no… more |
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IDF M51 Sherman Crew – Ammo - StoragePublished:
Verlinden Productions continues to be on the front line releasing many items for Middle East War model builders. This set is just another offering in their LONG line of items directly designed for the IDF modeler. This set is designed for the newly released Tamiya M-51 kit! Other than a couple issues, you could cover your M51 with period gear plus get a three piece crew set. All the items are well cast and bubble free. The detail on all the parts is quite incredible. The figure faces have some great detail as well. What is included in the set is the following:
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Lioness and Lion of the Line Volume 2Published:
Doctor Robert Manasherob just keeps making our day for those of us that are into the Israeli Defense Forces! His many in-depth books covering the armored vehicles of the IDF are nothing short of spectacular! His books often contain personal insights and stories that help bring the books to life. The inclusion of never before seen pictures and color walk arounds of the actual vehicles are a modeler’s dream come true. The only better way to research these topics would be for you to go to the Latrun Museum yourself. Lioness and Lion Volume II is a continuation of his first book. While this publication mostly covers the M50 the author has also thrown in some beautiful period photos of the M51 “Dagem Alef”. This was the first production M51 vehicle. These were the… more |