Pat Villarreal
Reviews By Author
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F-16 Big Mouth Integrated Intake (Tamiya)Published:
A new F-16 one-piece 3D printed resin intake in 1/48th scale is provided by Fab Scale for the Tamiya kit.This is a drop-in replacement for the Big Mouth intake for the GE F110 Engine. Sample comparison Tamiya kit is from Block 50. Note: There is no official website for Fab Scale, a business card was inside the box referencing Scalemates.com In The Package & Product NotesThe sample review came in a small plastic box and was wrapped in a Ziploc bag. There is one (1) 3D printed part made from white colored resin. This part will replace H5 & H9 from the Tamiya kit. The printed resolution of this intake is excellent and is an exact replica of the Tamiya parts but without the seam running horizontally on the sides. Review Process… more |
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F/A-18E/F Exhaust Nozzles (Early Version)Published:
A new set of 3D printed F/A-18E/F Super Hornet exhaust nozzles (early version) in 1/48th scale are provided by Detail & Wonder Studios for Hasegawa and Meng Kits. Note: There is no official website for Detail & Wonder Studios, but a Facebook page is available. In the Package and Product NotesThere are two (2) 3D-printed exhaust nozzles inside a small but very sturdy black box. Each nozzle is individually enclosed in a plastic Ziploc bag and cushioned with a foam insert. These are drop-in replacements for the Hasegawa and Meng kits. The printed resolution of the nozzle is immaculate and there are NO visible build-up layers. There is a lot of fine detail throughout the entire nozzle and some contrast color weathering will make them pop during… more |
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F/A-18E/F Exhaust Nozzles (Late Version)Published:
A new set of 3D printed F/A-18E/F Super Hornet exhaust nozzles (late version) in 1/48th scale are provided by Detail & Wonder Studios for Hasegawa and Meng Kits. Note: There is no official website for Detail & Wonder Studios, but a Facebook page is available. In the Package and Product NotesThere are two (2) 3D-printed exhaust nozzles inside a small but very sturdy black box. Each nozzle is individually enclosed in a plastic Ziploc bag and cushioned with a foam insert. These are drop-in replacements for the Hasegawa and Meng kits. The printed resolution of the nozzle is immaculate and there are NO visible build-up layers. There is a lot of fine detail throughout the entire nozzle and some contrast color weathering will make them pop during… more |
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P-47D Thunderbolt "Bubbletop" Vacuform CanopyPublished:
New P-47D Thunderbolt “Bubbletop” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144th scale Platz/Eduard kit. There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory. The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it. Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no space thus making it a closed canopy installation. Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in your hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will… more |
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P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback" Vacuform CanopyPublished:
New P-47D Thunderbolt “Razorback” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144th scale Platz/Eduard kit. There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory. The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it. Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no spacing thus making it a closed canopy installation. Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in you hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will… more |
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LAU-115 & 2X LAU-127 AdaptersPublished:
A new resin detail set from Brengun to add or replace 1/48 scale LAU-115 & LAU-127 missile rail launchers for all the variants of the F/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and Growler. In The BoxThere are six (6) resin-poured parts. Two (2) are of the LAU-115 rail launcher with ECP-422 jettison adapters molded in plus two mounting shackles. The other four (4) are the LAU-127 rail launcher. They are designed to be used to launch the AIM-9 Sidewinder or AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Paper instructions are printed on one side and very well illustrated. Review ProcessThe process starts by cutting away the pour stubs from the rails. This was done with a razor saw. Once detached, I wet sanded those areas to reduce any airborne resin dust. Next, I washed the resin parts in… more |
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German Gunsights - WWIIPublished:
A new photoetched detail set from Brengun to add WWII 1/48th gunsights to your German machine guns. In the PackageThere is one sheet of photoetched (PE) brass that includes four (4) different styles of gunsights. Paper instructions are printed on one side and very well illustrated. In the instructions, the style of gunsights is noted with the German term “Visiereinrichtung” which translates to “sighting device” in English. The gunsights noted are:
ConclusionsThis is a nice PE set from Brengun that… more |
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USN 150 Gallon Fuel TankPublished:
A new resin detail set from Brengun to add or replace 1/48th scale USN 150 gallon drop tanks for the A-4 Skyhawk. In the BoxThere are four (4) resin poured parts, two are of the tanks and the other two are of the tail and mounting shackles (supporting rings). A photoetched (PE) brass sheet includes tail fins. Paper instructions are printed on one side and very well illustrated. Review ProcessThe process starts out by cutting away the pour stubs from the drop tanks. This was done with a seam scrapper and hobby knife. Once detached, I wet sanded the surface to reduce any airborne resin dust. Next, I washed the resin parts in a bath of warm water with dishwash soap and used an old toothbrush to scrub away any remaining mold release agent. … more |
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F-16A/B Vipers of the CaribbeanPublished:
New decals of the F-16A/B Vipers of the Caribbean in 1/48th scale is available from TwoBobs Aviation Graphics. Markings are for the 156 FG/FW (1992-1997) based out of Muniz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico. In The PackageThere are two (2) decal sheets provided. One is for the F-16A version with the colorful 50th Anniversary tail markings. The second sheet has tail ID markings with F-16B stencils along with wing and engine stenciling. They are printed by Cartograf and have minimal excess clear film around the edges. Overall, this has markings for 20 aircraft with stencils to do two (2) complete aircraft. The colors are brilliant, and the registry is perfect. There are also two (2) 11” X 17” color marking guides to help you locate the… more |
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150 Gallon Fuel Drop Tank USN/USMC WWII/KoreaPublished:
A new resin detail set from Brengun to add or replace 1/72nd scale 150 gallon drop tanks for the USN/USMC aircraft for WWII/Korea era. In The BoxThere are two resin poured drop tanks and a photoetched brass sheet inside the packaging. Paper instruction is printed on one side and very well illustrated. Review ProcessThe process starts out by cutting away the pour stubs from the drop tanks. This was done with a seam scrapper and hobby knife. Once separated, I wet sanded the attached areas to reduce any airborne resin dust. Next, I washed both drop tanks in a bath of warm water with dishwash soap and used an old toothbrush to scrub away any mold release agent that may be left on the surface. Once dry, I proceeded to install PE parts. Note,… more |