Mike Kellner
Reviews By Author
Kawanishi H8K1 Type 2 Flying Boat Model 11Published: February 25, 2018 When I heard about a new Emily I was excited, as I had built the 1972 issue which had fit problems and a canopy that was too wide. I had sanded off most of the raised detail and scribed in new ones, but overall I remembered it as a tough build. However, the price of 149.95 for Hasegawa’s new issue seemed steep, and as I had already built one Emily,… more |
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Armstrong Whitworth Whitley MK VPublished: January 23, 2021 The Armstong Whitworth Whiley was a British twin-engined bomber that was in service at the start of WW2 and was the first to drop bombs on a German-held territory. Although it was slow and could only reach 15,000 feet loaded, it was a significant contributor at the beginning of the war. The kit comes molded in a light gray plastic that is somewhat soft, but has a sturdy box. Looking… more |
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B-17E, F, and Early G: Part II - The Finished ModelPublished: February 4, 2020 Beginning with the rest of the fuselage assembly (from Part I of my review), the fit of the two fuselage halves was good, but my alignment of the bomb bay catwalk and structure must have been a little off, since it’s slightly closer to one side. I installed most of the glass except for the radio hatch and nose; the waist and nose glass had to be sanded to fit. I used… more |
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B-17E, F, and Early G: Part 1 - First Look and InteriorPublished: February 3, 2020 When this huge box arrived, I was excited as it was large (26" x 14" x 6 ") and heavy. It came with no box art, instructions, or decals so I borrowed a set of instructions from HK’s first issue from a friend and also received a PDF file of the new, unfinished instructions. At first glance the kit looked impressive, but it has some of the same problems as the last issue. There were still many… more |
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P-47D & F-86E "Gabreski"Published: April 9, 2016 This is a dual kit of two famous aircraft flown by American Ace Francis Stanley Gabreski (nicknamed “Gabby”). Gabreski flew the P-47D in WWII scoring 28 kills, and flew the F-86 in Korea with 6.5 credited kills. He was one of only seven pilots to become an Ace in two wars. It was my pleasure to meet him in person at the IPMS/USA National convention in Chicago in 2001. Both the Academy… more |
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B-17G Flying Fortress "D-Day Doll" Limited EditionPublished: January 26, 2016 The B-17 Flying Fortress was one of the best-known bombers of World War Two. Being able to withstand large amounts of battle damage and still come home endeared the aircraft to its crews. This release by Hasegawa is an aged kit but still a joy to build. It features a new set of decals, overall good fit, and lightly raised panel lines. The light grey plastic has some sink marks, the… more |
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C-54D SkymasterPublished: February 3, 2020 The C-54D was a derivative of the DC-4, which was first designed in 1938. It had a 117 foot, 5 inch wingspan, was 94 feet, 3 inches in length, and was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-2000-25 engines of 1,450 HP each. By the end of production, Douglas had turned out 1,241 machines. They’re best remembered for their role in the Berlin Airlift where they became known as "Candy Bombers" for… more |
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B-47E Stratojet - Air Research and Development CommandPublished: February 18, 2015 Boeing's B-47, the first American jet bomber, was ordered in April 1946, and first flew in 1953. Although thought to be a good-looking plane, it had a few shortcomings that shortened its service life, including limited weight movement due to its landing gear configuration and uncomfortable crew conditions. Hasegawa's B-47E kit comes in a big box with a nice painting on the top, and it… more |
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USAAF B-29A "Old Battler"Published: December 8, 2014 The B-29 is probably best known as the aircraft that dropped the atom bomb, putting an end to WWII in the Pacific. The reissue of the Academy kit comes in a nice sturdy box, and is molded in a light grey plastic, with light recessed panel lines and good surface detail. The interior detail is very good for the scale, but unfortunately, you can’t see much of it. Crew bunks are even included for… more |
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U-Boat Type IX C (U-505 late)Published: February 3, 2020 The U-505 was a Type IX C late-war boat completed in 1942 and refitted in 1943. A “hard luck” sub from the beginning for the German Navy, the U-505 was damaged in action, had a captain commit suicide, and finally, was captured by the Americans in 1944…she is now a museum piece at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. I went and visited her for this kit build to check details, and found… more |