Mike Hanson
Reviews By Author
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USS New Jersey & USS EssexPublished:
Two Tiny ShipsThe USS New Jersey and USS Essex by Aoshima
I like small models, so when I saw these two 1/2000 scale kits from Aoshima on the review list I quickly asked for them. Aoshima makes a whole series of ship kits in this scale, and I admit that I liked these review samples enough just upon opening the box that I went out and ordered a half-dozen more. The series includes American, English, and German subjects. There are unfortunately no Japanese ships included in this series so far. Since the kits are so small, and are very similar, I’ll be reviewing the two sample kits side-by side. These two kits represent a couple famous WWII US Naval subjects – the USS New Jersey BB-62 and the USS… more |
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Jungle Jim Rail DragsterPublished:
The Revell 1/25 scale “Jungle Jim” Rail Dragster is a re-release of a series of dragsters produced in the mid-1970s. This particular kit represents a car driven by “Jungle” Jim Liberman. If forum comments are correct, this is not a representation of any specific car or race, but rather a generic representation of one of his cars. If you want to build something specific, a bit of research will likely be necessary. The kit comes in Revell’s typical 9” x 7” model box, where you’ll find four sprues of white plastic, one chrome sprue, one black sprue with the rear tires, and a vinyl-type sprue for the front tires. The largest sprue contains the dragster’s body, seat, and wings. There are some heavy ejection pin marks, but fortunately they are on sides that are not visible. I… more |
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Sino-Japanese Naval War 1894-1895Published:
I enjoy looking at and reading about early military steam ships that participated in conflicts prior to WWII, such as the Spanish-American War or even the US Civil War. So when I saw this book up for review, I knew I had to read it. Piotr Olender’s book on the Sino-Japanese Naval War qualifies as an eclectic subject. I’m not sure there are any model kits that feature ships from this war, though there are kits of ships from this general era. That’s where this book really shines. It covers, in detail, nearly all of the ships from both sides that took part in this war. Additionally, if features period photographs and has some excellent line drawings. Where the text of some books of this type can be very dry and hard to read, this one is just the opposite. It’s very… more |
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Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Charger Funny CarPublished:
The Revell 1/16 scale Hawaiian Charger Funny Car is a re-release of a kit first available in 1988. The kit is a representation of Roland Leong’s 1973 Dodge Charger “Hawaiian” Funny Car. These cars were essentially a rail or tube chassis with a modified fiberglass body representing the car – by this point in racing history a Funny Car had little in common with the stock car it represented other than a vague similarity and a name. In fact, the origin of the name ‘Funny Car’ comes from the elongated wheelbase and stretched bodywork – far from looking stock, they looked ‘funny’ and the name stuck. This is a large, 1/16 scale kit, so it comes in an associated larger model box – this one measuring 11 ½ x 17 inches. It needs to be big, because the stretched Dodge Charger body is… more |
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AIRfile – Pearl Harbor to Coral SeaPublished:
After receiving this review sample, I have to say I have yet another favorite publisher. I have a particular interest in the Pacific theater of WWII, and this book succinctly discusses the history of the air war between the start of the conflict at Pearl Harbor through the battle of Coral Sea. It also discusses many of the battles in between. The book includes not just the US and Japanese forces, but also sections dedicated to Allied forces from Russia, England, the Netherlands, and the AVG in China. There are ten sections to the book:
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B-24 Liberator In ActionPublished:
The B-24 Liberator has long been one of my favorite aircraft from WWII. While it could never be considered an attractive airplane, and was very ungainly while on the ground, it did have a certain elegance once the wheels were up and the plane was in the air. I was pleased when I was selected to review the latest In Action book from Squadron-Signal Publications. It features the B-24 Liberator, and is chock-full of period photos in both black & white and color. It follows the typical format of this type of book, covering the entire range of B-24 variants. Starting with the XB-24, it tracks the development of the airframe to its final incarnation, the F7A. Along the way, there are sections dedicated to variants, with photos to show how one differed from the next. … more |
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Vought F8U-3 Crusader III "Super Crusader"Published:
The Vought F8U-3 Crusader III was thought by some to be “the best fighter never produced.” The Crusader III was an evolution of the F8U-1 Crusader, with a larger fuselage, more pronounced air intake, and a more powerful propulsion system. It retained the variable-aspect wing found on the earlier aircraft. The book follows the development of the Crusader III from conception to retirement. It is filled with period photos that would be invaluable to anyone wanting to replicate this aircraft. It also includes drawings that were used during the evaluation of the aircraft, comparing it to competitors’ aircraft, such as the F3H Demon. The first section of the book covers the development program, and it’s a fascinating glimpse into how a company like Vought approached bidding on… more |
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Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship YamatoPublished:
This publication is a Japanese-language magazine devoted to what the modeler might find interesting about the IJN Yamato. It was published by ModelArt, apparently to coincide with the release of the new 1/350 scale Yamato from Tamiya. While there is a short English translation of the operational history of the Yamato class, the bulk of the magazine is in Japanese. Unfortunately, I don’t read Japanese, but there are some great photos and drawings in the book that are informative in their own right. The first section of the book is devoted to the new Tamiya 1/350 Yamato, with some great photos of the built kit and an informative set of photos on how to complete the new “post and wire” railings included with this kit. It then goes on to cover previous model releases in 1/… more |
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Last Man Standing: The 1st Marine Regiment on PeleliuPublished:
There has been quite a bit of focus on WWII in the Pacific theater of late, driven in large part by HBO’s mini-series The Pacific, which was based on memoirs of some of the US Marines who fought and bled on small islands as the military pushed towards the Japanese homeland. I’ve always had an interest in this era, and have read many of the well-known books written by the guys who were there, such as Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie, and With the Old Breed by E. B. Sledge. Those books give an individual perspective on the fighting on these Pacific islands, but Dick Camp’s book Last Man Standing provides a much broader perspective. It begins with the history of the Peleliu islands, how they originally were German territories that were… more |