Mike Kellner
Reviews By Author
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USS. Skipjack, Nuclear-Powered Fast-Attack SubmarinePublished:
When I received this kit for the review, the box wasn't as big as I’d expected, and upon opening it I also discovered the kit was double-boxed. There’s a nice colorful outside box of typical smooth cardboard and a second inner box of fine white corrugated board. The reason for the smaller-than-expected box is that the hull comes in four pieces – top and bottom front half and top and bottom rear half. They were packed very well with a light foam between the pieces, then sealed in a plastic bag. One side of the box states that the model is 40 inches long and the other side says it’s 42 inches long. I measured the completed model at a little over 42 inches in length. I really liked the way Moebius handled their instructions. All the parts are named as to what they are, besides… more |
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T-28C TrojanPublished:
The North American T-28 was used by both the Air Force and Navy and was designed as a replacement for the old T-6/SNJ. It saw use in the American military from the 1950's until the mid 80's. In the end there were 4 variants, the A, B, C, and the counter-insurgency D models. Several other variants, such as the Fennec, were used in foreign service. The T-28C, the subject of this kit, came out in 1955 and was the same as the B model except for the tail hook installed for carrier training and a slightly shorter prop. The T-28C had a Wright R-1820 engine and a three-bladed prop. The kit came in a colorful box with the cover painting showing the scheme I decided to model, and with all three possible markings options on the back. Upon looking at the sprues, I was impressed. They… more |
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Mitsubishi A6M2a Zero Fighter Type 11 ComboPublished:
Called the most famous aircraft ever produced by Japan, the Zero fighter first appeared in 1939 and was arguably the best fighter aircraft – land- or carrier-based – in the world. It had great range and maneuverability, and its firepower was at least equal to any of its rivals. It had a wingspan of 12 meters and carried an offensive firepower combination of two 7.7 mm machine guns and two 20 mm cannons. Development of the aircraft started in May, 1937, and the prototype delivered a speed of 491 km/h with its 780 hp Zuisei engine. In 1940, the Japanese Navy adopted the Sakae engine for the aircraft – a 14-cylinder, 940 hp radial engine. What you get in the large box from Hasegawa are two complete kits; they have recessed panel lines, and there are decals for four airplanes… more |
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Academy B-17G 15th Air Force Special EditionPublished:
This Special Edition kit of Academy's B-17G comes in a large [12” x 18” x 2-½”] heavy cardboard box – this helps when storing a large stack of kits (but who has a stack of kits? Certainly not me). Inside, you’ll find a crisply-molded kit with finely recessed panel lines, along with several extra parts which aren’t needed since they’re used on the B-17C and D series. Besides the early model stabilizers, there are 2 types of props, cowls, top turrets, and nose glass – though not an E model one – and both a Cheyenne and stinger tail gun position. This special edition has been issued in honor of the 15th Air Force and comes with decals for 5 aircraft: Betty Lou, KWITURBITCHIN VI, Miss Prissy, Sleepy Time Gal, and hell’s angel, all of which are natural metal airplanes. The kit… more |
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Higgins PT Boat On DeckPublished:
The Higgins PT boat is lesser known than the Elco PT boat probably because a future president wasn't driving one that got cut in half by an enemy destroyer. There were only 209 Higgins PT boats built versus 326 Elco 80-foot PT boats, but it’s claimed by various sources that more Higgins 78-foot PT boats survive today. This soft-cover book measures 8 1/4 by 11 inches, the same as others in this "On Deck" series, and is 80 pages in length, with a good mix of vintage photos and other shots of some surviving restored boats. It is also available in a hardcover version for an additional nine dollars, as stock number SS66008. After a short introduction, the rest of the book is comprised of photos with detailed descriptions. When the author uses a picture of a restored boat,… more |
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B-17G Flying Fortress "Silver Fleet" Limited EditionPublished:
The B-17 was designed in 1935 and had, by 1943, evolved into the B-17G model, which comprised a production total of 8680 – 4035 by Boeing, 2395 by Douglas and 2250 by Lockheed-Vega. This issue by Hasegawa features a new set of decals, but the same basic moldings which this kit had 35 years ago: lightly raised panel lines, typical fit (good), and some sink marks which you might expect in an older kit. It has 97 parts and is advertised as a skill level 3. The box is of higher quality than usual, since it has a heavier hollow cardboard stock for the box bottom with glossy card stock for the lid. The props have sink marks near the hubs and, although the flaps have nice rib detail for the down position, I posed them up because there were four sink marks inside each one. I… more |
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Manned Submersible Shinkai 6500Published:
When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his underwater exploration, so when this kit came up for review, I was interested in learning more about it and building this kit. The submersible is named "Shinkai” and can dive to a depth of 6500 meters (ed note: 21,320’); as of 2011, it is the deepest-diving vessel of its type, having been completed in 1989 and starting operation in 1990. It is currently operated by JAMSTEC (Japanese Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology) which was founded on April 1, 2004, as a semi-government research organization. Shinkai has a crew of two, plus one scientist, for a 3-person total complement. That sounds good until you find out they fit into a 2-meter diameter, 73.5mm-thick sphere made of titanium alloy. … more |
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SA-16B AlbatrossPublished:
The Albatross was to be a replacement for the Grumman Goose; it began life as the XJR2F-1 Pelican with a Navy designation as the PF-1 and an Air Force designation of SA -16A. The SA-16B – the subject of this kit – was an upgraded machine which had 100 inches added to each wing in two separate plugs. A seventy-inch extension was grafted outboard of each engine nacelle, with a thirty-inch one near the tip. It also had a slightly wider horizontal stabilizer and a taller vertical fin. The B model had a wingspan of 96 feet 8 inches and was 62 feet 10 inches long with an empty weight of 22,883 lbs. It was powered by two Wright 1820-76A-94 engines of 1425 horsepower each, and boasted a speed of 236 MPH, with a range of 3465 miles. At least 19 other countries operated the Albatross besides the… more |
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RQ-1A PredatorPublished:
The Predator was developed between January, 1994, and June, 1996, as a medium-altitude-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. The complete Predator system has three components – the air vehicle, the ground control station, and the date dissemination system. One system is made up of 4 RQ-1A air vehicles. Each has a max weight of 2250 pounds, and is powered by a 115-horsepower Rotax engine, so no wonder it needs a 5000-foot runway to take off. The kit consists of 2 sprues with about 23 finely-molded and flash-free parts with recessed panel lines, and includes a nice decal sheet by Cartograf. To start, I removed the major pieces and was wondering what the pieces of cardboard around the stabilizers were for. Well, be careful – they’re to protect the fine protrusions which stick out of… more |
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USS FletcherPublished:
This is Revell's original Fletcher-class destroyer in “box scale” of 1/306. The first Fletcher to enter service, USS Nicholas, was commissioned on June 4, 1942, and was the first of 175 of the class to be built by war’s end. Revell's kit features the square bridge version, but gives the modeler the parts to update it with rocket launchers for a later version. The kit instructions are simple and easy to understand, and best of all---each part has a number and an identifying name as well. As a kid, this was how I learned a great deal about the ships and airplanes which I built. In fact, I built many of these kits in my youth, which was the inspiration to do this review. The parts weren't flash-free, but they weren’t bad for a kit of this age,… more |