Pablo Bauleo
Reviews By Author
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The Italian Folgore Parachute Division – Operations in North Africa 1940-43Published:
Casemate Publisher is distributing a book from Helion & Companion Publishers on “The Folgore Parachute Division, Operations in North Africa 1940-43”. The author has done extensive research on the topic and each chapter is profusely referenced. Each chapter describes a very clearly defined period of time of the Division and has the very logical breakdown, as follows:
It also includes two appendices covering the Order of Battle and a list of recipients of the Gold Medal for Military Valor. The main highlights on the history of the… more |
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He 111Z-1 Zwilling Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions specializes in white metal replacement parts. Its line of replacement landing gear has been expanded to include a set for the ICM 1/48 He 111Z-1 Zwilling. The set is including a total 20 parts covering the main landing gear struts, fork and tail wheel. I am not 100% sure, but most likely these parts can be used with any of the ICM (single fuselage) He 111. These parts are drop-in replacements for the plastic parts. To complete the landing gear, there is an extra plastic part that needs to be used. That part (c-10 from the instructions) does not carry weight; hence it makes sense to not replace that plastic part with white metal. Considering the size -and weight- of the He 111Z-1 Zwilling, investing on a sturdy landing gear is likely to… more |
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USAAF P-51 "North Africa"Published:
Accurate Miniatures P-51 has been released and re-boxed many times. This time Academy is re-releasing the Allison engine version of the P-51, with a nice decal set focused on the North Africa theater of operations with both RAF and USAAF service. I should point out that one of the marking options is for service over the European Theater of Operations. The molds date back to the mid-90s. Despite the vintage of the molds, the plastic is molded perfectly, with very sharp recessed panel lines and no flash anywhere to be found. I’ve assembled and detailed the cockpit as per instructions. Careful painting pays off, as the detail of the cockpit is among the best I’ve seen in injected plastic. A couple of things to mention are that the Instrument Panel is molded in clear… more |
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A-4 Skyhawk RATO Rockets for Multiple A-4 KitsPublished:
Brengun, from the Czech Republic, specializes in aftermarket details; for the most part releasing drop-in resin or photoetch replacement parts. This set is intended to enhance the 1/48 Skyhawk A-4 C/E/F/M. This set can be used with any of the 1/48 Skyhawk kits, like the Hasegawa, ESCI/AMT/Italeri, Hobbycraft, HobbyBoss, or Monogram. If I am missing any other maker in the list, it is an honest mistake on my end. Please note that the instructions list the variant of the airplane to be in 1/72. That is clearly a mistake, this set is molded in 1/48 scale. The parts are molded in grey resin, free of bubbles or imperfections and with great surface detail. The attachment points to the casting blocks are miniscule and removal and clean up should be an easy task. … more |
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Spitfire Mk.IX Wheels (4 spoke)Published:
Aires Models from the Czech Republic specializes in aftermarket details; for the most part releasing drop-in resin replacement parts. This set is intended to replace the wheels of the 1/48 Eduard Spitfire Mk. IX. The parts are molded in grey resin, free of bubbles or imperfections and with great surface detail, down to the manufacturer of the tires molded with enough raised detail that will take dry-brushing fantastically! The attachment points of the wheels to the casting blocks are miniscule and removal and clean up should be an easy task. In addition to the resin parts, they include painting masks which are super-handy to have and use. The masks are pre-cut so it is as simple as peeling, placing and you are ready to airbrush. Highly recommended.… more |
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The Continuation War 1941-44 Soviet Soldier vs Finnish SoldierPublished:
Osprey Publishing continues to expand its “Combat” line, this time with an installment of the Soviet Soldier vs Finnish Soldier during the so-called “Continuation War”, which lasted from 1941 to 1944. This conflict started a few days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, when Finland attempted to regain territories lost during the Winter War of 1940. Shortly after the fast advance of the Finnish Army, the military actions turned into trench warfare, with front lines mostly stable until the Soviet Army launched an offensive in 1944, in which the Finnish stopped the Soviet advance but were forced to seek an armistice and switch sides. This book covers in depth the recruitment, training and morale of the troops, weapons, training, tactics and even leadership… more |
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Yugoslav Fighter Colours 1919-1941 – Vol 1Published:
MMP Books continues its series of “Colours of…” Eastern European Air Forces. This time the Yugoslav Air Force in the 1919-1941 period is covered. The first volume covers the period immediate to the end of World War I up to a few years before World War II. In particular this book covers the following airframes
The book has chapters for each aircraft type in detail, including an introduction of how the airframe entered service. It finishes each section with a sub-chapter… more |
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Swedish Bomber Colours – 1924-1958Published:
MMP Books continues its series of “Colours of…” Smaller European Air Forces. This time, the Bombers of the Swedish Air Force in the 1924-1058 period are covered. This period cover the critical years of World War II when these aircraft performed a critical job of protecting Swedish neutrality. Don’t let the word “Colours… “ in the title fool you. This book is not just about color profiles and camouflages - a topic which is certainly covered extensively. This book also has plenty of historical facts, operational details, plus some stories like when a Ca.313 was being tested as a dive-bomber by the Swedish pilots and an Italian engineer came up crawling to the pilot to say: “Please, signor - I have a wife and ten children to provide for!” In particular this book… more |
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Sea Harrier FRS.1/FA.2 Exhaust NozzlesPublished:
Czech manufacturer Aires released a resin drop-in set for the Kinetic Sea Harrier in 1/48 scale. Parts are cast in a cream-colored resin, with good surface detail (including rivets and panel lines) and no part lines. The parts are free of any surface defects or bubbles. Attachment points of the pouring blocks are thin and easy to remove. More importantly, they are located in an area that will be hidden away when fully assembled, making any minor clean up error invisible in the final model. Parts are designed to be drop-in replacements to their plastic counterparts, so no concern about fit or modification of the receiving plastic. Please note that while the exhausts nozzles do look very similar, there are two that go in the front and to that… more |
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Sea Harrier FRS.1/FA.2 Wheel BayPublished:
Czech Manufacturer Aires Hobby Models has released an aftermarket set to replace the Sea Harrier FRS.1/FA.2 wheel bays. The Sea Harrier has two main wheel bays (nose and ventral) and this kit provides you parts for both. As an ‘extra’ you even get the interior part of the SHAR air intake -the area just behind the cockpit area- molded in resin. All parts are molded in cream-colored resin. The parts are free of surface defects and/or part lines. All parts are superbly molded, with a level of detail that plastic simply cannot replicate, including superbly detailed air compressed tanks, hydraulic fluid tanks and valves. You even get individual electrical wires molded into the resin. Detail painting will pay off. Pouring stabs are of moderate size and… more |