Pablo Bauleo

IPMS Number
46363

Reviews By Author

Front Cover

Case White - The Invasion of Poland 1939

Published:
Book Author(s): Robert Forczyk
Company: Osprey Publishing

Osprey Publishing has recently released a book by Robert Forczyk covering the Invasion of Poland. He is a well-known author and superb researcher of military topics. Certainly, this book is not an exception to his well-earned reputation.

The book is broken down in the following sections

  • Poland is not lost
  • Poland prepares for the next round
  • The Threat Emerges
  • Countdown to War
  • Opening Moves
  • Total War
  • Apotheosis
  • Occupation
  • Epilogue

Plus several appendices covering military ranks, glossary, etc.

I would argue that this book is two sub-books in one single binding. The first sub-book covers the political history of Poland during the 1920s and 1930’s (the first 3… more

Package

IDF F-CK 1C/D

Published:
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Scale Aircraft Conversions specializes in white metal replacement parts. Its line of replacement landing gear has been expanded to include a set for the Freedom Model F-CK 1/C/D.

The set is very comprehensive, including 12 parts covering the main landing gear, the nose landing gear and even the nose wheel well. These parts are drop-in replacements for the plastic parts. In addition to the actual landing gear, you get an nose landing gear wheel well. That should help with mitigating the chance of a tail sitter.

You can see from the pictures the parts are very cleanly molded and formed, without any visible molding lines (typical of plastic parts).

Recommended to modelers of all skill levels.

I would like to thank Scale Aircraft Conversions and… more

Package

Sea Vixen Faw.2 Landing Gear

Published:
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Scale Aircraft Conversions specializes in white metal replacement parts. Its line of replacement landing gear has been expanded to include a set for the Trumpeter 1/48 Sea Vixen.

The set is including 7 parts covering the main landing gear struts and fork. These parts are drop-in replacements for the plastic parts. Considering the size of the Sea Vixen, investing on a sturdy landing gear is likely to be a good idea.

You can see from the pictures the parts are very cleanly molded and formed, without any visible molding lines (typical of plastic parts).

In addition to the listed advantages, when using white metal landing gear you can always ‘tweak’ the landing gear strut for an improved alignment of the parts, which again in a large model airplane is an extra… more

Front Cover

The History of Toy Soldiers

Published:
Book Author(s): Luigi Toiati
Company: Pen & Sword

This book covers the history of toy and model soldiers for the last 2,500 years of human civilization. That is not a minor feat, considering that human civilization is about 6,000-year-old.

The book describes the religious and martial uses of scale toys in the past and how the model soldier became a toy in the late 1800s through the mid-1950 and a collectible in the 21st century. It includes the evolution from paper, to tin, to alloys and finally to plastic.

It also has a few chapters (listed as “Cameo”) where collectors tell very personal stories of how they got interested in toy soldiers, why they collect them and what aspect of collecting them gives them the most pleasure (it could be going “hunting” to an open market for that rare find or how the old memory of a… more

Product Picture

Italian Vittorio Veneto-Class Battleships

Published:
Book Author(s): Andrzej Perepeczko
Company: Kagero Publishing

Casemate Publishers bring us a book from Polish editorial Kagero, covering the Vittorio Veneto class of battleships (Littorio/Italia, Vittorio Veneto, Roma and an unfished hull Imperio). The book was written by Andrzej Perepeczko and he has done a great research job in his book.

The book is broken down in the following sections.

  • Origin
  • Design and Equipment
  • In Service

The first section covers the historical situation of the Italian Fleet in the interwar years and includes a high-level description of other contemporary battleships. That way you can understand better the relevance of this class within the Italian Fleet.

The second section describes all systems of the ship (hull, propulsion, defensive and offensive… more

Product Picture

Mirage III IAI Nesher/Dagger

Published:
Book Author(s): Salvador Mafe Huertas
Company: Kagero Publishing, Casemate Publishers

Casemate Publishers bring us a book from Polish editorial Kagero, covering the IAI Nesher / Dagger/Finger. The book was written by Salvador Mafé Huertas and his dedication and passion for the topic transpires in each page.

A little bit of history in the airframe names: The Israelis named Nesher to their Mirage V. When transferred to Argentina - with some electronic changes- they were renamed “Daggers”. After the Falklands War, almost all the Daggers were upgraded to have an electronic package like the Kfir and renamed again as “Fingers”. In Argentina, the Daggers and Fingers (an also ‘Maras’) often were referred to as “Mirages” or member of the Mirage family.

The book is broken down in the following sections.

  • From Nesher to Dagger, the fabulous story of… more

Box Art

Mirage F-1 CT/CR "Special Edition" with Tru-Color Paints

Published:
Company: MRC, Tru-Color Paint

The paints were provided by Tru-Color Paint. https://trucolorpaint.com/

This is a combined review of the 1/48 Italeri Mirage F.1 “Bye-Bye Mirage” and a selection of Tru-Color paints provided for the build review.

When you open the box you find a total of 5 sprues (one clear) with many parts marked as “not for use” -weapons for the most part. The overall look of the plastic parts is good. No flash, smooth surface, finely recessed panel lines and the transparent parts are free of scratches. You also get an excellent decal sheet with markings for 3 airplanes, all of them in the retirement scheme of the Mirage F.1

Based on my limited research the plastic parts were originally molded by ESCI back in 1978. Back in 2002 Italeri… more

Front Cover

L-19 Bird Dog

Published:
Company: Iliad Design

Illiad Design has recently released an aftermarket decal set covering Cessna L-19/O-1. The Bird Dog saw service with over 20 air forces so the choice of markings is very varied and this sheet does not disappoint.

This decal sheet covers a total of 6 aircrafts and you are provided with enough markings as to be able to model 5 of them (or all of them if you have some extra American markings). You have your choice of

  • O-1 Kansas Army National Guard, overall Olive Drab
  • L-19 Pakistan Army, overall weathered dark green
  • L-19 South Korean Navy, overall light grey
  • O-1 US Army Reserve, Olive Drab
  • L-19 US Army, Hawkeyes, weathered olive drab with Hawkeye profiles on the wings
  • L-19 Hoantai (predecessor of Japan’s Self… more

Package

FuG Antennas

Published:
Company: Brengun

Brengun continues to expand its line of photoetch aftermarket detail parts regarding all type of antennas used by Luftwaffe aircrafts during World War 2.

Typical of Brengun you get an unpainted fret of easy to bend brass. This review covers:

BRL 48099 covers the FuG200 antenna in use by Ju-88, Bv-138, He-177, Bv-222, Fw-200, Ju-290 and other long range reconnaissance types.

BRL 48100 cover the FuG 227, FuG10, FuBi2, FuG 101 used by too many different airplanes to list. Just to name a few: Ju-88, Me-100, Fw-190, etc.

While I have not used these sets, experience with other sets of the same manufacturer indicates that the small connection points of the parts to the fret will make removal and cleaning of the part very easy.

Given the small size of… more

Package

Soviet Naval Aviation (Pilot and Land Crew WW2)

Published:
Company: Reskit

ResKit from Ukraine has released a two-figure aftermarket set for the 48th scale aviation modelers. The figures are for a Soviet Naval Pilot and a Land Crew personnel, both of them in a military salute standing position in winter clothes.

You can see in the pictures that the figures as casted have superb surface details and all the folds in the clothing will render beautifully for shadows. There are no evident bubbles nor holes in the figures, showing the quality of the casting.

There are no instructions, but the assembly is straightforward and there is a color image on the box that guides how to paint the figures.

The casting blocks are somewhat large, but the casting block connectors are small and delicate and will be easy to remove and clean the… more