Matthew Cottrell
Reviews By Author
North American P-51D MustangPublished: January 23, 2021 Aircraft HistoryAirfix has presented us with a newly-tooled 1/72 P-51D Mustang. Nearly everyone will be familiar with the venerable P-51 Mustang, the long-range WWII fighter that finally allowed US bombers to be escorted deep into the heart of Germany. Over 8000 of the “D” model variant were produced. Armed with 2 additional .50 caliber machine guns (for 6 total) and a bubbletop… more |
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F-14A Nose Tip and Angle of Attack ProbePublished: February 3, 2020 ContentsRepresenting the earliest production F-14As, before the addition of a nose-mounted Angle of Attack probe, Master Model provides you with a metal nose tip and fuselage Angle of Attack (AOA) probe. As with other Master Model products, I find myself astonished with both the quality and unbelievably small size of their detail parts. The AOA probe in particular starts out smaller… more |
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M197 Three-Barrel Rotary 20mm CannonPublished: November 7, 2012 Weapon History Developed in the late ‘60s to replace the M134 7.62mm mini-gun then in use on lightweight helicopter gunships, the M197 20mm 3-barrel rotary cannon is found primarily in the chin mounted turret of later AH-1 Cobras. A derivative of the M61 cannon found on nearly all US fighters since the F-104, the M197 trades 6-barrels and a higher rate of fire for… more |
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F/A-18E Super Hornet VFA-147 Argonauts Limited EditionPublished: October 17, 2012 Aircraft History The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a similar, yet fundamentally different, follow on to the F/A-18A-D “legacy” Hornets. Entering production in the late 90s, the Super Hornet, or “Rhino” as it is known in the fleet, improves upon many of the “legacy” Hornets’ shortcomings, most notably fuel capacity. The Rhino also increases power and payload over the Hornet… more |
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F.4/F-86 Landing GearPublished: October 5, 2012 Kit Contents Scale Aircraft Conversion’s F.4/F-86 Landing Gear for the Airfix kit contains four pieces, three landing gear struts and a weighted replacement upper intake piece, sealed in a blister pack. The pieces were all nicely molded and detailed; however, they had a bit more grain than the original kit parts. Construction I started… more |
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Operation Overlord, June-September 1944, Volume 2Published: September 20, 2012 AIRfile Publication’s Operation Overlord, Volume 2 presents a wealth of illustrated aircraft profiles featuring various 8th and 9th Air Forces assets. The volume covers how they appeared in the lead-up, action, and aftermath of D-Day, along with a general overview of the distinctive markings (or more colloquially the "invasion stripes”) found on the various aircraft in-theater. … more |
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EA-6B Prowler, VAQ-135 Black Ravens 2010Published: August 25, 2012 Aircraft HistoryThe EA-6B Prowler is an electronic warfare aircraft operated by the US Navy and Marine Corps since 1971. With a crew of 4, the Prowler can take on several roles, such as jamming and electronic intelligence gathering, or even an offensive role when equipped with the HARM missile. There have been several upgrades throughout the Prowler’s life, culminating in the current… more |