Michael Reeves
Reviews By Author
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Lockheed P-38 E/F/G Lightning Photo Reference GuidePublished:
What’s InsideThis is my first exposure to this series of photo reference guides and I kind of like the format. There is a brief one page Introduction and explanation of the format- and a reasoning of why this particular volume- which ties in to Tamiya’s recent release of the P-38 F/G. From there we get right to the meat of the guide- the many photos. Mr. Marmo gives a brief explanation of how to navigate the photo thumbnails and then you’re set free. When you click on a thumbnail, you are brought to a whole page version of it, complete with a caption explaining what you’re seeing and a credit reference for where the photo originated from. Things begin, as do most aircraft kits, with the cockpit. The photos represent all of the listed variants and give you a… more |
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WWII German Light Radio Communication Car ReviewPublished:
Brief HistoryManufactured by the Stoewer Company, as well as BMW and Hanomag since 1936, the light uniform all-road car (leichten gelande Einhets Personen-Kraftwagen) possessed all-wheel drive, independent suspension, and a simplified open body. This particular body, the Kfz.2, was a three-seat communication car with a Torn. Fu.b1 radio set. The KitThe kit consists of 5 styrene sprues, one clear sprue, and a small sheet of decals that represent the four featured schemes in the kit. Construction begins with the chassis, and over the course of the first thirteen assembly steps, you’ve handled 45 parts. Everything goes together pretty smoothly however. The next thirteen steps have you assembling the engine and inserting it onto the chassis. It builds… more |
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German Infantry Set (Mid-WWII)Published:
Tamiya has really stepped up it’s game in the figure department in the last few years. Starting with single figures and sets in the re-boxing of the Marder III M, Hummel, and 38 (t), the new designs have really made assembly and posing easier than ever. There are notches and tabs that help align the shoulders, legs, and torsos (molded in front and back halves) to avoid any gaps. There are also molded indentations on the back of the torso and in the pouches to attach the extra equipment to so they appear to avoid them looking as if they’re simply resting on the torso and belt. The included facial details are also much more expressive and individualized than in the past. In one figure, there is a separate boot and another has a hand separate from the arm which is a bit odd. The drawback… more |
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FWD Type B WWI US Army TruckPublished:
I had heard that ICM vehicle kits were a bit of trouble and that care was needed in building them. I can honestly say though that they did pretty well with this kit, which went together smoothly with very little fuss. It makes an interesting looking addition to my WWI model collection. The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD) was one of the first American companies to develop and produce all-wheel drive vehicles. The U.S. Army ordered 15,000 FWD Model B three ton trucks, known as Truck, 3 Ton, Model 1917, during WWI with over 14,000 delivered. Additional orders came from the United Kingdom and Russia. What’s Inside the BoxThe kit comes as the standard ICM kit does - with a colorful box top that slides off of an enclosed brown cardboard box. Parts were packaged… more |
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P-51 D-5 Mustang Profipack EditionPublished:
Eduard has for a long time been releasing excellent aircraft kits in many forms- but the Profipack editions are easily my favorite ones as they usually include extras including color PE frets, masks, and sometimes bit of their Brassin products as well. This newer edition of their Mustang line contains no Brassin, but the included masks and color PE add immeasurable amounts of excellent detail to the kit build as we will soon see. What’s Inside the BoxThe kit contents come in a nice sturdy box and includes the following well-packed bits:
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Tanks in the Battle of the BulgePublished:
What’s InsideThis exciting new volume in the New Vanguard series from Osprey gives the reader a new analysis of the tanks from both sides of one of the last and most intensive battles of the European Theater of Operations- the Battle of the Bulge. Who better to offer up the analysis than one of the most acclaimed authors in military history in the present day- Steven Zaloga. His book gives a thorough survey of the principal tank and tank variants that took part in the Ardennes Campaign from December of 1944 through January of 1945. As per usual with the New Vanguard series, the book opens with an overview of the campaign including tables of Wehrmacht Panzerwaffe in the Ardennes (16 December, 1944) and US Armored Divisions in the Ardennes from the duration of the… more |
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Rommel’s Mammoth DAK AEC Armored Command VehiclePublished:
AFV Club kits for me have always been a bit of a challenge - multi-part assemblies that could easily be presented as lower part count builds are usually the norm for me. This particular build for the most part avoids this issue, except for the undercarriage. The only real issues encountered for me was in the order of assembly in some cases which will be outlined as we go. The kit is a rebox of the AEC Dorchester kit from 2012. Obviously these three examples were basically captured Dorchesters so the only changes were in the interior equipment and schemes of the three examples captured by the Germans as we will soon see. What’s Inside the BoxThe kit has an assortment of different media-plastic, resin, and PE, but not in overwhelming amounts. Inside we get: … more |
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M4A3(76)W ShermanPublished:
2018 seemed to be the year of the Panther from the start and there certainly was no shortage of releases of the variants from many of the big companies. As 2019 rolled around, Jagdpanthers and Bergepanthers seemed to continue the trend. However, about mid-year, there were whispers of the companies releasing their own version on the venerable US Sherman tank. Taska, now Asuka, certainly has set the bar high and we have seen as the summer rolled along that Rye Field Models and Meng have entered their own horses into the race. My focus here is on the M4A3(76)W release by Meng, complete with an extra added resin sandbag armor set SPS-070 ($57.00). What’s Inside the BoxThere are some definite perks in this kit that sets it apart-- one of the main ones being the twelve… more |
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Red Nose P-51D-5 Mustang AcesPublished:
I must admit, I am normally against ordering aftermarket products unless I am building a specific piece for a commission build or wanting to recreate a specific aircraft belonging to a specific pilot. I am usually content to stick with what’s in the box and adapt as needed. However, when I saw this set was available and was looking up the schemes, I jumped at the chance for something out of the ordinary. This particular set is available in the three major scales of 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32. Included in the zip-locked bag are schemes for four Italy-based 15th AF aces as follows:
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Tigers I and IIPublished:
Whether I am reviewing his armor books as now, or his aircraft books, like my previous review on the SBD, I am always finding David Doyle’s books to be tremendous additions to the reference bookshelf. I find myself referring to them numerous times, whether for my own projects or to check on something for friends asking advice. The best advice, of course, is to buy themselves their own copy of the book…and this Legends of Warfare volume on the Tigers is no exception. The book is not the end all or be all purchase that you’ll never need anything else to buy for the library. It is, however, a good place to start for someone transitioning to armor modeling for the first time, or just looking to build one of the various offerings of Tiger kits available. WWII buffs in general will… more |