Matthew Cottrell
Reviews By Author
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North American P-51D MustangPublished:
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 canopy for enhanced visibility, it represents the ultimate wartime expression of the Mustang. Kit ContentsInside the box you’ll find 53 parts across three sprues, two in Airfix’s familiar blue-gray and one in clear, along with decals and instructions. The instructions are generally very clearly illustrated. However, the painting callouts are made using Humbrol-specific numbers only… more |
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F-14A Nose Tip and Angle of Attack ProbePublished:
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 than a #80 drill bit and tapers to sharp point. The nose probe is equally as beautifully crafted. ConstructionI picked Hasegawa’s newer-tool F-14A to try out these detail parts. Hasegawa includes two noses in the kit, an early-style and later-style, which differ only in having a shallow hole for the kit’s AOA probe at the tip of the later-style. You’ll want to use this later… more |
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M197 Three-Barrel Rotary 20mm CannonPublished:
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 lighter weight and stopping power gained with a 20mm round. The M197 is still in use today on the Cobra, specifically the AH-1W and AH-1Z operated by the USMC. Kit Contents More than just an aftermarket part to superglue in place, the Model Master M197 is a very detailed miniature model kit, with extra emphasis on the miniature! The kit is highlighted by three beautifully… more |
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F/A-18E Super Hornet VFA-147 Argonauts Limited EditionPublished:
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, as well as offering updated avionics. Visually, it’s distinguished from the “legacy” Hornet by large squared-off stealthy jet intakes replacing the previous oval-shaped intakes, as well as the aft fuselage and wings being bulkier and larger overall. Ultimately, the Rhino is positioned as a money saving jack-of-all-trades for the US Navy, replacing the roles served by venerable aircraft such as… more |
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F.4/F-86 Landing GearPublished:
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 construction with the weighted upper intake. After weighing both parts on my (perhaps imprecise) kitchen scale, I found that the replacement intake weighed only one gram more than the original. The instructions called for a total of three grams to be placed above the intake. Therefore, I added a bit of additional weight to be on the safe side. The upper intake adhered well to the lower portion… more |
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Operation Overlord, June-September 1944, Volume 2Published:
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. The book is divided into 3 sections. The first section begins with a general overview of the tactical situation in the lead-up to the invasion of Europe, and continues with a discussion of the various roles the 8th and 9th Air Forces would play, along with their various subunits. Attention is paid to the pre-invasion standard overall color schemes, as well as the standard group identification… more |
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EA-6B Prowler, VAQ-135 Black Ravens 2010Published:
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 ICAP III version. Today, the Navy has begun to replace their Prowlers with the EA-18G Growler. However, the Prowler is expected to continue to fly with the USMC until 2017. Kit ContentsInside the box, you’ll find the Hasegawa’s venerable EA-6B kit that dates back several years. Despite the age of the kit, the parts are nearly flash-free, the detail crisp, and featuring finely… more |