Pablo Bauleo
Reviews By Author
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Aces of the 78th Fighter GroupPublished:
Osprey Publishing continues to expand it series Aircraft of the Aces with the installment of the Aces of the 78th Fighter Group. The book covers the story from inception to disbanding of the 78th Fighter Group. Even when trained to fly the P-38, upon arrival in England their airplanes (and many of their pilots) were sent to North Africa, and the group had to convert to, at the time, the short-legged P-47, then it took the Thunderbolts all the way to Germany and it ended the war flying P-51s. The book has the following chapters:
The first chapter covers the first mission in which the… more |
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Wings of the NavyPublished:
Eric Brown has flown more aircraft types and performed more carrier landings than any other person, dead or alive. That alone makes him a unique individual. In addition to that, he is actually a good writer. I’ve read several other of his books and I have found them very interesting, easy to read, and almost in the category of “page-turners.” This book is no exception. This version is an extended edition of the original book, which was focused mainly in carrier-borne World War II airplanes. He added several carrier-based jet airplanes that he got to fly in his extended career, either in the post-war years or during his time at the US Naval Air Test Center. The book extensively covers the Swordfish, Skua and Roc, Albacore, Fulmar, Wildcat, Dauntless, Sea Hurricane,… more |
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Space Shuttle Tile DecalsPublished:
Warbird Decals is known for its aircraft decal line, and now it is making new strides into real space subjects. Upon opening the ziplock bag, you find two letter-size decal sheets which includes lower surfaces and upper surface/rudder tiles, and one single page with a 4-view drawing of the Space Shuttle with a decal map. The decal sheets provide extra decals, but the instructions do not tell you what for (more on this later). I built the Tamiya Space Shuttle a few years back. You can find a review of the kit at http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/space-shuttle-atlantis. It is a nice kit, but certainly has room for improvement, mainly due to the lack of tile detail in the lower surfaces. These… more |
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On-Target Battle of Britain Special #9Published:
The Aviation Workshop produces this special title on the Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary Edition. I should say that the book is more like “Camouflage and Markings - Western Front 1940”, because the book also includes multiple details and color profiles regarding the Battle of France and the Low Countries, plus a few selected profiles from the Invasion of Norway. These are the chapters in the book:
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German Dampflokomotive BR86Published:
Hobby Boss continues to expand it locomotive series in 1/72 scale by adding the German Br.86. There are over 220 parts on 7 sprues and an independently molded cab (probably with slide mold technology). One of the sprues is molded in clear for the cab windows. Along with the above-listed parts and sprues there is a display base. You have two marking options, a military one in field gray and a civilian locomotive in the typical red and black. The overall surface detail is excellent and very delicate. I was surprised to see how fine the steam pipes were in the boiler sides. Overall fit is superb and I did not need to use filler anywhere, except in a spot where I damaged the part (i.e., my own fault). Construction of this model begins with the chassis and wheels. Make sure… more |
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Schnellboot in ActionPublished:
The German Kriegsmarine developed the Schnellboot (or S-boot) as a weapon of war to be used by elite sailors. As a testament of their skillfully trained men and excellent design, the S-boot flotillas were able to deliver offensive actions as late as April, 1945. This book is devoted to the description of the main characteristics and features of the following classes: S-1, S-2, S-7, S-14, S-18, S-26, S-30, S-38, S-100, S-151, and the LS class, which was a “midget” S-boot used mainly from auxiliary cruisers. For each class, there are line drawings and pictures (most of them in half-page size, very clear and sharp) illustrating the characteristics of each class. There are sections dedicated to the power plant, offensive and defensive armament, radar and radio systems, and… more |
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3D Hand Grab BenderPublished:
Once, I heard that a “modeler can only be as good as his tools”. While I think some modelers can be better than their tools, I know that in my case my tools are the best I can get, which is why I try to get the best tools I can. This arrow-head shaped tool is extremely handy to create “hand grabs” (for an armor vehicle, an aircraft canopy, or maybe a ship ladder) which will all have the same size and dimension. This tool might find uses in trains and maybe for hydraulic lines in an aircraft, or for internal wiring inside an AFV or a car. The tool has 28 pre-set lengths, or notches, so you only need to choose which one to use and then simply bend the piece of wire or photo etch to the length you need. Simply brilliant design. Every single handle will have the same… more |
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TigerPublished:
Osprey Publishing has a series known as “General Military” which has one-off books on different topics. This one is dedicated to the Tiger tank, although reading the book also provides a good insight on armored vehicle operations, as it includes descriptions of how the Tiger tanks worked together with Panzer III and half-track armored carrier personnel. The book is divided into nine chapters. The first three chapters (Development, Organization, Mobility) basically evaluate the tank’s performance as a vehicle and how it was used in combination with other AFV. The following three chapters (Firepower, Armor, Combat), cover the combat experience of the tank, with specifics sections for combat in each front (Western, Eastern, and Africa), while the final three (Maintenance, Under… more |
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Pz.Kpfw.38(t) Variations in ActionPublished:
The Panzer 38 was probably one of the best designs for light tanks at the outbreak of World War II. It was originally designed by a Czech team, and the Germans took over production after the occupation of Czechoslovakia and pressed the tank into German service. They also extensively modified the basic chassis into many other armored fighting vehicles. The book is profusely illustrated with b&w photos, plus a few color profiles. It covers the light tank versions A to G, plus other variants like the PanzerJager series (tank-hunters – the Sd.Kfz 138/M, 139, Grille H/M, and Marder), the Flakpanzer Sd.Kfz.140, several reconnaissance versions, an ammunition carrier version, a recovery vehicle, and even late war tank hunters like the Hetzer. There are brief sections describing the… more |
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F-4EJ Kai "8SQ Panthers"Published:
Hasegawa has re-released their “J” mark (Japanese) F-4EJ Phantom II. And that is a great thing, as this model is a pleasure to assemble. The box has 8 grey sprues, one clear sprue (for a total of 132 pieces), and a very large decal sheet with markings for five 8SQ aircrafts, including stencils for one airframe. Regarding the stencils – they are the proper color. These airplanes were “hand-me downs” from other squadrons and they arrived in a two-gray interceptor camouflage. When transferred to a maritime strike squadron, their stencils were masked off and the aircraft were painted over, leaving a grey surrounding to the stencils –which are black. Only after the airplanes were sent for overhaul at the maintenance shop did they get re-painted and new stencils (in white) were… more |