Pablo Bauleo
Reviews By Author
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L-29 Delfin Weekend EditionPublished:
Eduard Models has repacked the very good AvantGarde AMK L-29 in 1/48 scale. Eduard provides a striking Tiger finish, with decals for each stripe. It also offers a photoetch fret and masks, but these add-ons are not part of the original Weekend box. They are items FE903 and EX596. I had the opportunity to review the extra items together with the Weekend box, so I went ahead and review them all together. I really like that Eduard now is offering PE and Masks in the same month that they release a Weekend item. That truly allows the modeler to customize the level of detail he or she wants to use in finishing the model. In the box you find 4 sprues (one clear) of the recently released 1/48 AMK L-29. You find what you can expect of a brand new mold: no flash, sharp panel… more |
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Perforated Metal PlatePublished:
Croco Models from Latvia specializes in aftermarket detail sets and resin sets, mainly of armored vehicles. They sure know how to find unique and interesting subjects. Visit their webpage and you will see. Besides aftermarket details and resin kits, they release small generic detail parts, in this case a perforated metal plate, with very small circular plates in a diamond pattern. The size of the fret is about 2 inches by 1.25 inches and it can be used for detailing many different models, probably armor in 1/35 scale (engine covers), perhaps aircraft in 1/32 and 1/48 (air intakes filters). You can see how finely and homogenous the perforations are, as you can “see-through” them and still see the mini-ziploc bag behind it. Just think of it as a way to dress up… more |
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Royal Navy CorsairsPublished:
Fundekals has released a decal sheet covering Royal Navy Corsairs (F4U-1A) in WW2 for 1/32 scale. The sheet provides markings for 3 airframes; options are
all of them in HMS Victorious during October 1944 in the camouflage colors of Dark Slate Grey, Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky… or their American equivalents, making the actual colors to be a bit of a guess to say the least! By the way, all these airplanes had the “square wing tips” so you probably will have to modify either the Tamiya or Revell model to convert the F4U-1A into a Corsair MkII or MkIII. Research on these sheets is very comprehensive as the instructions (only provided as a download)… more |
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SBD-5 "Battle of Philippines Sea"Published:
Academy as re-boxed the very good Accurate Miniatures SBD-5 and it has added value to it by providing a mask set and a small photo-etch fret. Upon opening the box you find 7 plastic sprues -one of them clear-, plus a PE fret for minor details like seatbelts and a really nice mask set to take care of that greenhouse canopy. Please note that the mask set is customized to the open and closed canopy options, meaning you get a full spare set of masks for another SBD in your collection (and who does not have a few of them?). You are provided with markings for 3 Dauntless, one of them a Marine Corps one, with mission tally markings. Despite the years, the molds hold really well with no flash anywhere to be found and the panel lines remain sharp and well defined. … more |
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Axis Armored Fighting Vehicles of the Second World WarPublished:
Pen and Sword has released a new book on their series “Images of War”. This book is focused on Axis Armored Fighting Vehicles during War World Two. The book is divided on 4 main chapters
All chapters have a well-researched introduction to the type of vehicle being described –in the chapter- including development, main roles, tactics (including historical narratives and in some cases representative combat action for the vehicle type), plus sub-sections devoted for specific vehicles (of vehicle family) being described. Most of half of each chapter is devoted to pictures, including a great balance of period (B&W) wartime photographs of the… more |
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Bf-109F Overtrees and Overlept DetailsPublished:
Eduard Models has been releasing “Overtrees” and “Overlept” versions of their main boxings “Profipack” and “Weekend”. Let me cover the differences among the boxing types:
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American Woodies 1928 - 1953Published:
Veloce Publishing continues expanding its line “Those were the days…” this time with a book devoted to the American Woodies. While the book title says “1928-1953”, it does provide some history prior to those years, going all the way back to 1886. The first chapter describes the origin of the woodies or “station wagon”, a sort of railway station shuttle to your vacation hotel. The second chapter describes how Ford led the way on making the Woodies popular and the last two chapters covers the immediate pre-WWII years and the immediate post-WWII years. The book is not meant to be a detailed recount of every “Woodie” out there, nor a source of detailed information for a restorer. It is more of a gallery of pictures, some details and stories leading to how the Woodies became… more |
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FuG-220 Lichtenstein SN2Published:
Brengun continues to expand its line of accessories this time with the FuG-220 Lichtenstein SN2 antenna set for Luftwaffe Night Fighters. The fret includes 4 sets of dual antenna dipoles, including the dipole braces/frame and a set of re-enforcements to connect the brace with the nose (applicable for the Ju-88). This particular antenna set is appropriate for any 1/48 Ju-88C/R/G, Me-110G, He-219 or Ta-154V15. It should be noted that for the Me-110 and He-219 you will need to slightly modify the parts, only using the antenna dipoles. The fret design is very smart, locating all the attachment points at the end of the dipoles, making removal from the fret simple and preventing the dipoles or the dipole braces from having any minor blur that would need to be removed… more |
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Junkers Ju87R-2/B-2 StukaPublished:
Airfix has released a new-mold Ju-87B-2/R-2. Typical the recent releases of Airfix, you get state-of-the-art surface detail and fit, together with superb engineering that makes the construction of this model a very enjoyable experience. Like with most airplane models, construction starts with the cockpit. Being a two-seater, there is plenty of detail on it, including a radio, pilot and gunner seat, sidewall detail, extra ammo for the gunner, etc. Take your time and do some detailed painting, it will pay off later. Note that the instrument panel is provided as a decal (which looks very good) and no seatbelts are provided. I scratch-built the seatbelts being depicted in this model. Also note that there are a few ejection pin marks in the cockpit floor area, near the… more |
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T-34 - Russia's Armoured SpearheadPublished:
Pen and Sword has started a new series of publications related to Armored Fighting Vehicles (TankCraft Series) and this book is the fifth installment in the series. It covers one of the best WWII-era tanks: The Soviet T-34. The book is broken down in the following chapters.
The first 3 chapters tell the story of the T-34, going back to the origins of the design in the Christie Tank and its design evolution, culminating on the 3rd chapter where the tank is described… more |