Pablo Bauleo
Reviews By Author
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Rotachute Mk.IVPublished:
Fly Models has released a multimedia kit of a very obscure subject: The “Rotachute”. This aircraft was a combination of an autogiro and a parachute, intended to deliver airborne soldiers to the battlefield in an alternative way to the parachute. From what I read online, the main reason behind this aircraft was due to a shortage of silk during the war. You can find some other interesting stories about this contraption online, including pictures of the prototypes being towed by different trucks (diorama anyone?). In a diminutive open-side box you get 14 injected plastic parts and 9 photoetch ones. There are no clear parts as the original aircraft had none. The decal sheet is miniscule. While the box calls this model “Rotachute Mk.IV”, it might be possible to build the… more |
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Revell 1/32 Fw 190A-8 Photoetch SetPublished:
Eduard Models has released a PE set to spruce up your Revell Fw-190A-8. Typical of the Zoom line, this set consists of one fret, focused on the instrument panel and a few other cockpit details. The instrument panel fret is pre-painted and would look very good with an open canopy. It will certainly enhance the looks of your Fw-190. The fret also includes all kind of switches, levers, oxygen regulator and rudder pedals. Please note that this set does not include seatbelts. You can get them on the sets 33227 and 33179 (steel version, which are very nice to work with). Given the small size of some of the parts, I will recommend this kit to modelers of all levels except the most novice. Highly recommended. I would like to thank Eduard Models and IPMS/… more |
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Shafrir 2Published:
Eduard continues to expand its Brassin line, this time with the release of the Shafrir 2 missile in 1/48 scale. These Israeli-built missiles have seen widespread service with the IDF, plus it has been exported to many countries in Latin America (I know of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and perhaps other countries as well). I have to say that I like the new packaging of the Brassin detail sets. Now they are released in a clear plastic hard blister instead of a thin cardboard box. This new packaging protects delicate resin parts from being bent in transport. This set provides you with two missile bodies, 8 fins, 2 pylon racks, clear resin for the IR sensor plus resin and photoetch parts for the sensor cover. Also a small decal sheet is provided. Resin parts… more |
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British Escort Carriers 1941-45Published:
Osprey Publishing just released a new book devoted to the Escort Carriers under British Flag during World War 2. Still this book has a few paragraphs devoted to the first two Escort Carriers under Dutch Flag. They had (Dutch) Fleet Air Arm Flights detached to them, under operational control of the British, so I think they count as ‘British’. This book is relatively short at 48 pages but don’t let the relatively small thickness of the book fool you. The book is packed with information. It clearly describes the need for air cover for convoys and how out of necessity many merchant ships were converted to operate as a ‘proof of concept’. Once the value of the Escort Carrier was proven, the larger US industrial capacity provided the vast majority of the Escort Carriers under British… more |
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ShachakPublished:
The Eduard Mirage IIIC is a well-known kit, first released in the mid-2000s. Despite being 15-yr old molds, they hold well the pass of time and it is nice to see it re-released. It sure builds into a nice replica of the French interceptor. The kit comes molded in light grey plastic, with a total of 167 parts in 8 sprues, plus a small sprue of clear parts. The decals are printed by Eduard, they are opaque, shiny and in register. This boxing also includes pre-painted photoetch and pre-cut masks. As an add-on, this kit also includes resin parts for the upgraded airframes which used the ATAR 9C engine. Construction, as usual, begins with the cockpit. The side consoles and instrument panel have raised detail and bode well for drybrushing. There is also the option of a decal… more |
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RP-3 60lb Rockets for Tempest Mk. VPublished:
As part Tempest release, Eduard Models has included different aftermarket sets. This one is for the RP-3 60 lb rockets, widely used by the Royal Air Force during WW2. The set in particular is recommended for the Eduard Tempest Mk V, as the rockets railings are meant to fit that model. I’ve believe the rockets could be used in other RAF models, if you can source your own railings. A total of 8 resin rockets and railings plus a large PE fret arrive inside a box. To prevent the parts from rattling, there is some packing foam in the box. That is good, but in my particular boxing, the parts were packed so tight, that it might have led to some of the resin parts to bend. Actually 6 of the 8 rockets had some level of bending or twisting. Not a lot of bending but noticeable under close… more |
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Tempest Mk V Series 2Published:
Eduard has released the long awaited Tempest Mk.V series 2 in their Profipack boxing and what a treat that is. The box includes a total of 7 sprues (two clear), plus pre-painted photo-etch cockpit details, detail pre-cut masks and cartograph-printed decals for 6 different airframes. Not only that, but you will end up with some extra parts for your spares box, as there are a few parts for the Mk.V series 1 and you also have some optional parts for different airframes. A comment is that some of the sprues seems to have been molded with a slightly different color of plastic (one is a tad bluer than the other sprues). Regardless the color, all sprues have the same ‘feel’ when removing parts or sanding parts. Construction starts -like most airplanes- in the cockpit. A superbly… more |
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Dunkelgrau, Dunkelgelb (x3) & RAL 7008 Gray GreenPublished:
I have heard of Tru-Color Paints probably a year ago by now. They have an extensive line of railroad and car paints and they are continuously expanding their military line (aircraft, naval, armor). I’ve heard good things about them and I was interested to try them out. But honestly, the price was putting me off a bit. When I had the opportunity to review a few free samples, I jumped to it. This review covers Tru-Paint TCP 1445 RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau, TCP-1446 RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb #1, TCP-1447 RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb #2, TCP-1448 RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb #3, TCP-1449 RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb #4 and TCP-1449 RAL 7008 Gray Green. The first thing you notice about these paints is that the bottles are larger than the standard hobby bottles; they come in 1 oz and 2 oz. That means their smallest… more |
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B-25 Mitchell Units of the CBIPublished:
Osprey Publishing continues to expand its “Combat Aircraft” series, this time with an installment on the B-25 Mitchel Units in the CBI. Like all the other books in this series, you can expect lots of period pictures, color profiles highlighting markings and main camouflages with excellent and detailed research. The book is broken down in chronological order, which sort of follows a geographical order as the priorities in the CBI front shifted between India, Burma, and China. These are the chapters and subsections on the book:
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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 |