Pablo Bauleo
Reviews By Author
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GAZ-MM Model 1941 1.5 Ton Cargo TruckPublished:
MiniArt has released a model of the 1941 GAZ-MM. These trucks are very similar to the Ford A and they were widely used in World War 2 by the Soviet Army. This model is not a limited run release. There was no flash at all, and the connector gates are small. There are few locating pins and the plastic is a bit soft, so be careful when removing parts from the sprues. I know that by experience, as I managed to damage and/or bend some very small parts when releasing them from the sprues. You get 14 sprues, including a small photo-etch fret for a total of 371 parts. There is a very small decal sheet, which only applies to one of the three finishing options. Instructions covers 35 steps, not counting sub-assemblies required within several steps. The instructions are a bit vague… more |
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Voices of the BulgePublished:
Authors Michael Collins and Martin King have written a well researched and historical account of the German attack in the Ardennes in December, 1944. What makes this book special is that it covers the human (but not necessarily humane) aspects of the battle. The book is a day-by-day narration of the main military actions that occurred during the Battle of the Bulge. Each chapter begins by describing the front situation and what different units were charged to do. So far, that is a ‘regular’ history book. But then the rest of each chapter has first person narratives from the soldiers (from both sides, but mainly American ones) and even support personnel like nurses, on how they managed to do what they were charged with. Most of the book covers the German thrust up to… more |
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Into the Vally – The Valentine Tank and Derivatives 1938 - 1960Published:
Mushroom Model Publications keeps expanding its “Green Line” (dedicated to armored fighting vehicles) and its latest installment covers the Valentine family of tanks, from the design in the late 1930s through its operational use during WWII and other uses in post-war years, up to the 1960s. The main sections of the book includes the development of the tank, technical description, description of each mark of the family, operational use, painting and markings, overseas use (Canada, New Zealand, India, USSR, among others), variants, and a walk-around. I found the historical pictures to be very valuable from a modeling point of view, as they provide details on the markings of the tanks plus the environment in which they operated. The picture of the Malta Valentines (with… more |
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Imperial Japanese Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45Published:
Osprey Publishing continues expanding its New Vanguard series. This is installment #187 and it focuses on the Japanese Light Cruisers (the 5,500 ton class). Even when the title refers to the WWII period, the book covers the development and modifications to that class since the early 1920s. The Light Cruisers were designed and launched as Destroyer Flagships or Submarine Squadron Flagships. As such, aerial reconnaissance, anti-aircraft protection, and space for squadron staff were specific requirements in this class, in addition to the standard offensive armament consisting mainly of torpedo tubes. As it played out, by the onset of WWII, several of these ships were outclassed – both in speed and offensive armament – by the destroyers they were supposed to lead. Therefore… more |
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Panzer VOR! 6Published:
The latest installment of the Panzer VOR! Series (#6) concentrates on the balance between armor and firepower among the AFVs used by the German army in WWII. Armored fighting vehicles need to have the proper balance between mobility, armor (protection), and firepower. Increasing or decreasing one would affect the other two. The book has a 3-page introduction on how the different parameters were modified during WWII for the Panzer I, II, III, IV, Panther, and Tiger tanks. It is clearly interesting to observe that with each mark (A,B,C, etc) there was an increase in fire-power and armor at the expense of mobility through the period 1939 to 1945. The book also briefly covers the same “gun vs armor” equation for the allied forces, including the Sherman, Matilda, and T-34,… more |
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MiG-21MF WeekendPublished:
Eduard Models from the Czech Republic has chosen its MiG-21 series to be one of the mainstays of its plastic model line. Reasons to choose the MiG-21 series abound: it has been flown by many different air forces on different continents, it has been finished in desert, tropical and natural metal finishes, and it is one of the icons from the Cold War. The kit comes in 9 sprues and a total of 464 parts. Don’t be scared by that number since about half of the parts are not used – mainly underwing ordinance that it is worth saving for other builds. There are many, many small parts in this kit. But Eduard has extra small sprue gate connectors attached to them, making it easy to clean them up before assembly. Being the “weekend” boxing, this model comes with no photoetch or… more |
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MiG-21MF Cockpit (Early)Published:
Eduard Models from the Czech Republic keep expanding its line of detail sets for its line of 1/48 MiG-21s. This time, they added a resin cockpit from their Brassin line for the MiG-21MF (early). As with most Brassin line sets, there are resin and some photo-etch parts. The photo-etch fret is pre-painted and includes many details, like instrument dials, besides the traditional seat belts. For some reason, there are two kinds of resin used in this set. One is darker than the other. I’m not sure what the difference is. Something that might be a first for Eduard (at least, it’s the first time I’ve seen it) is the inclusion of a part molded in clear resin for the gun sight. Another added value is the addition of a mask set for accurate painting of the interior detail. … more |
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Barbarossa 1941Published:
Kagero has published a series known as “Mini-Topcolors” oriented toward modelers. Each book includes color profiles and decals in several scales. “Barbarossa 1941,” the 25th title in the series, concentrates on armor involved in the invasion of Russia. As such, most of the profiles are of German tanks, but there are a couple of T-34/76 and a KV-2. There are a total of 18 color profiles in the book. A very neat detail is that, accompanying most of the profiles, there is a black and white picture which was used by the artist to create the profiles. Each profile also includes a small paragraph in English and Polish describing some details on the specific location or time that the reference picture was taken. This book includes a very large decal sheet with markings… more |
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Mig-21MF Mask SetPublished:
Eduard Models continues to expand its MiG-21 line, this time with an excellent addition that would save modelers time and grief: self-adhesive pre-cut masks. The mask set includes pre-cut masks for the canopy, the landing lights, and some details like the rudder and wing wooden panels (for radar and ECM). The mask for the canopy provides you only with the edges of the canopy, you are then expected to “fill-in the blanks”, but that is very simple and straightforward to do. It took me about 5 minutes to mask the canopy, the landing lights, and those fuselage details. Otherwise, it would have taken, probably, over half an hour and likely would have not been such a clean masking work. Recommended to modelers of all levels. I would like to thank Eduard and… more |
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P-47D Bubbletop "Tarheel Hal"Published:
This is a ‘teaser’ or preview of a full-length article to be published in the IPMS/USA Journal and in the IPMS/USA review website at a later date. Hasegawa’s rendering of the P-47D Bubbletop in 1/32 scale is impressive, both in size as well as in engineering of the kit. It provides you with 169 parts including optional clear parts for an open or closed canopy. Parts are free of flash without ejector pin marks in any external surface. The final size of the completed model is 346 mm length by 392.5 mm wide. You better make sure it will fit your shelf or display case before you buy it. Some of the best engineering features of this kit include main wing spars and interlocking tabs for the tail surfaces. That would help ensure perfect alignment of the wings and horizontal tail… more |