Pablo Bauleo
Reviews By Author
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S2F Tracker Propeller with ToolPublished:
ReviewThe S2F Tracker needs no introduction. It has been in service for decades with Navies from all over the world. Kinetic has the only 1/48 injection molded kit in town and as such it is getting the attention from different aftermarket manufacturers. Quickboost has released a series of aftermarket details (wheels, pylons, radar, etc) including one for the propellers, which is the subject of this review. The addition of a “Tool” is a great idea to ensure all the blades have the same pitch and very easy to use. The resin parts are clearly sharper and finer than the plastic ones. Perhaps the main differences relates to size. The resin propeller hub is a tad longer than the plastic counterpart and the resin blades are a bit longer and narrower than the plastic… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Mk IB Early Type Cannons with Uncovered BarrelsPublished:
Master Model from Poland specializes in metal turned parts for aftermarket kits. In my personal option they are among the best in the market. I really like their products. This set is devoted to the weapons of the Hawker Typhoon. There are two options for that kit in 1/48 scale: Hasegawa and Monogram. This set can be used with all of the above, with different modifications in each case. For all the makers you are instructed to drill holes in the wings for the fairings and to replace the plastic parts with the metal ones. In the case of the Hasegawa model (see photo) it could be possible to modify the wing fairing and just use the cannon barrel. You’ll lose a bit of detail, but you “gain” less effort to modify the kit. You are also provided with a small photo-etch fret… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Mk IB Late Type Cannons with Covered BarrelsPublished:
Master Model from Poland specializes in metal turned parts for aftermarket kits. In my personal option they are among the best in the market. I really like their products. This set is devoted to the weapons of the Hawker Typhoon. There are two options for that kit in 1/48 scale: Hasegawa and Monogram. This set can be used with all of the above, with different modifications in each case. For each kit, you are instructed to drill holes in the wings for the fairings and to replace the plastic parts with the metal ones. You are also provided with a small photo-etch fret to dress up with wing area around the cannon fairing. Be aware that the outer and inward cannon fairings have different sizes and should not be used interchangeably. The instructions are very clear about which one… more |
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AK Interactive Primer and Thinner (60 ml bottles)Published:
Note on MSRP: Primer is $10.85, Thinner is $8.95. AK Interactive is clearly one of the specialty brands in the world of modelling. From high quality finishing and weathering products to high quality primers, they are all about “the perfect finish” for your model. The grey primer is an excellent all-round primer, which provides a smooth coverage to plastic parts and it airbrushes really well. Their thinner, to be used sparingly from my own experience as I had a few runs, improves airbrushing quality and it can be used to thin paints from other brands, like Tamiya, Vallejo or Lifecolor paints. I’ve personally tried with Tamiya and it thinned and improved the flow of the paint like a charm. A killer paint job starts with a good surface and a good… more |
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The Jetsons Capsule CarPublished:
Round 2 Models and Polar Lights have re-released The Jetsons Capsule Car with figures. This boxing only includes George Jetson and Astro. The figures are pre-painted and they look very nice. The clear capsule is very transparent and free of scratches due to careful packing. It does have a small “pimple” on the top, probably part of the molding process. This kit is a snap-together model, and the overall fit and ease of assembly is excellent. If you go OOB, and don’t want to paint it, you could have it ready for display (or playing) in less than 15 minutes. During assembly I found a few minor gaps in the capsule car ‘fins.’ It was a matter of 10 minutes with putty and sanding sticks to take care of them. I decided to paint the interior and exterior of the capsule… more |
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Dark Steel PigmentPublished:
AK Interactive has a selected set of pigments (sold individually) known as the “AK Pigment Colors. There are 9 colors and they are the most used pigment shades for weathering models. You still can get some other specific shade for that special project you have in your workbench, but most of the time, those 9 colors would suffice. (You can see the full list at https://ak-interactive.com/product-category/paints/ak-weathering-paints/). This series of colors are bottled in larger (35 ml) flip-top bottles with the expectation of being used as “regular” weathering supplies. One of them is the “dark steel” pigment, which will find its way into many vehicles, armor, ships and aircraft… more |
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Hungarian Fighter Colors Vol 2Published:
Mushroom Model Publication has released the second volume of the Hungarian Fighter Color series. You can find a review of volume 1 at http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/hungarian-fighter-colours-1930-1945-vol… The second volume continues the saga of authors Denes Bernad and Gyorgy Punka for what might become the definite reference books on the Hungarian Fighter Force during World War II. This volume covers the Re.2000, Bf-109G, Fw-190F in extensive detail (each one of their chapters is over 40 pages long). Plus it has other shorter, but still well detailed chapters on the Me-110, Me-210, He-112, captured examples of PZL.11c, Avia B.534 IV and an indigenous design, the WM-23, which did… more |
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Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1aPublished:
ReviewHobbyboss has released the main production variant of the Me-262: the A-1a version. The kit comes in 13 sprues, a clear sprue for the canopy and a metal nose wheel well to prevent having a ‘tail sitter’. The sprues are cleanly molded, free of flash and with well-defined recessed panel lines. The model has a full interior, consisting of a nose gun bay, fully detailed cockpit and main landing gear bay plus a nicely detailed back fuselage (with a radio set and a compass set). However the detail in the back fuselage is pretty much impossible to see once the model is finished. There is only one service panel and it is not large enough as to allow viewing all that detail. I’ve started construction with the cockpit tub and main landing gear well. Spend some… more |
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Hurricane Mk.I "Fabric Wings"Published:
Airfix keeps expanding their 1/72 scale airplane line up and their latest release is the Hawker Hurricane “Fabric Wings” model. It is nicely molded, with no signs of flash and clean recessed lines together with raised detail to simulating the fabric wings ribs. Construction starts with the wheel bay. At that point make sure you have parts A05 and A06 properly lined up, or you will struggle when installing the landing gear later. From there it moves to the cockpit which goes together very well. There are no issues to report there. The fit is positive all around and make a credible rendition of a front office for the scale. Closing the fuselage was simple however I had a small step on the nose which required some filler and sanding. Attaching the wings to the fuselage was… more |
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Bloody Biscay: The History of V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40Published:
KG 40 was the only long range maritime unit of the Luftwaffe. V Gruppe was the only long range fighter Gruppe within the unit. That alone makes the study of their operations an interesting topic. As part of the Battle of the Atlantic, U-Boats transiting the Bay of Biscay became pray of RAF bombers. As a response measure, KG 40 activated a heavy fighter unit (Junkers 88 C-6) to intercept the bombers. As a response the RAF deployed the Beaufighter and later, Mosquitos into the bay. The Luftwaffe counter the move by deploying single engine Fw-190 fitted with long range tanks (from 8/JG2), but eventually, the sheer number of the Allied aircraft established air superiority over the bay. The book has the following chapters
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