Phil Peterson
Reviews By Author
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M706 Commando Armored Car in VietnamPublished:
The M706 Commando was used in Vietnam mainly for convoy protection. They had a bit more protection than the makeshift gun trucks the troops had been converting with 2 .30 caliber machine guns in a turret. They sometimes had other guns mounted on them to supplement their firepower. TRUMPETER has released several different versions of the Commando in 72nd scale and Hobby Boss has done several in 1/35th scale. In fact, the box art for this kit is actually a build-up of the Hobby Boss kit and shows more details than what comes in the box. But let’s take a look at what is inside. There are 90+ parts molded on 2 sprues of gray plastic, a separate one-piece upper body, 4 rubber tires and decals. There are no clear parts included. The kit includes lots of… more |
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M983 HEMTT & M901 Launching Station w/MIM-104 Patriot SAM System [PAC-2]Published:
The Patriot missile system came into the limelight when it was deployed to allied bases during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. I remember a lot of footage of it being fired at incoming SCUD missiles, where it had some success. I have always wanted a Patriot system in my preferred scale, and Trumpeter has released the system with its prime hauler, the M983 HEMTT. You get over 150 parts molded onto 7 sprues of gray plastic, a sprue of clear parts for the cab, a few extra parts, 14 rubber tires, a die-cut masking set for the windows, and decals. The instruction booklet leads you through the 16 steps of construction, and there is a separate Painting & Marking guide in full color with color call-outs for several brands of paints. Unfortunately, there are no detailed painting… more |
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Bases by BillPublished:
If you have won an award at an IPMS contest and it was an engraved wooden plaque, chances are it was made by Bases by Bill. Bill and Wes Wedeward have been supplying custom awards to shows for several years including the 2018 and 2019 IPMS National Conventions. The awards are available in several sizes with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and special award options available. The bases are made out of the finest hardwoods and use laser engraving and can have hand painted color accents. Bill supplied us with 2 examples. The first is a 4” x 3” rectangular award and the other one is 8.5” at the base and 6.25” tall with a rounded top. The engraving is perfect with all words easily readable. He also sent me pictures of several other options they have done in the past. … more |
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F-16 Fighting Falcon Part 2: International VersionsPublished:
Phoenix Scale Publications is a new publishing company in the world of scale models consisting of several veterans of the business. They have released two modeling magazines, one on all types of models and this one just on the aviation side of builds. They also have released several aviation modeling books of which this one is the 2nd in their Real To Replica Series. As a lover of Small Air Forces the F-16 is one of my more popular aircraft as it is used by 25 nations besides the US and more are on the list. This book covers those in use by these 25 nations (book 1 covered US versions) by splitting them up geographically. Chapters cover European Falcons, Middle Eastern, Asian and African and finally Latin American F-16s. Full color pictures illustrate each nations aircraft and… more |
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Phoenix Aviation Modelling, April 2022, Issue 3Published:
Phoenix Scale Publications is a new publishing company in the world of scale models but the team is made up of several veterans of the business. They have released two modeling magazines, one on all types of models and this one which is just on the aviation side of builds. They also have released several aviation modeling books. Do we need another scale modeling magazine about aircraft? The more the merrier I say but Phoenix has put together a quality product that covers a lot in its 82 high quality, glossy pages. The first quarter of the book covers news and what’s new information starting with the Newsstand and the Czech News. In The Box looks at what comes in one kit in detail and then we have Accessories, Decals and Bookshelf. The end of the magazine has a section… more |
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The Marmo Method Modelbuilding Guide #9 From An E-Book To A Hard Copy (or How To Print A PDF)Published:
The 9th e-book from Richard Marmo has to do with turning an e-book into a hard copy to keep on your shelf. I relate well to this title as I am one of the old school who still prefers paper to pixels. While I am willing to read books on my phone when it comes to model related material, I would much rather have it flat on my desk to review rather than on a computer or phone screen. Richards smaller than usual e-book actually points to these concerns during his introduction. The Basics covers the different types of formats available and brings up copyright concerns. The then jumps into the meat of the topic with what is needed to print, namely a computer, printer, Adobe Reader and even discusses the different types of paper and using binders to store the… more |
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The Marmo Method Modelbuilding Guide #15 Building A 1/25th Scale Love’s Fuel Tanker TrailerPublished:
Richard Marmo’s 15th e-book is a build of the AMT Tanker Trailer kit but it goes a slightly different route and actually ends up with a What If even though he doesn’t say it. Is inspiration for this build is the Love’s Truck Stop bright yellow fuel trucks but what makes it a what if is that Love’s uses Beall tankers but the AMT kit is a Fruehauf design. This bit of knowledge just tickled me so what is in this e-book? This is a build he did back in 2013 and where things have changed as far as availability, he offers more modern options. I really like that in a build. Once he had his inspiration he needed to get more data, especially to make the decals so what did he do, he reached out to Love’s directly and they sent him a nice set of drawings so he could create… more |
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The Marmo Method Modelbuilding Guide #13 Building The Munsters Living RoomPublished:
Richard Marmo is one of the founding members of IPMS/USA, member #2, yep, 2. He has been creating ebooks on how to build kits, photo journals and other stuff for a while. This time for issue 13 what better project than the Munsters Living Room. Now you younger lads and lasses may not know The Munsters but those of us with a few more years under our belts are very familiar with this show that ran from 1964 to 1966 and then syndication. You can still find it on television today or watch it for free on Peacock. The Munsters Living Room kit was originally released by Aurora back in the 60’s and then rereleased by Polar Lights in the late 1990s. Round2 picked up the license after Polar Lights went under however it is not currently in production. As usual, Richard… more |
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Spooks From the Beach – USMC F-4B/F-4J Phantoms in the Vietnam WarPublished:
The United States Marine Corps were a major operator of the F-4 Phantom during the Vietnam war flying both the B and J versions. AoA’s very comprehensive set covers six Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons with more than 15 possible schemes. There is also a full set of stencils included for one aircraft. The squadrons are:
There are left side profiles and top views for all aircraft and multiple pages for the stencils which cover all sides of the aircraft… more |
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VF-154 Black Knights - USN F-4J Phantoms in the Vietnam War & Cold WarPublished:
The United States Marine Corps were a major operator of the F-4 Phantom during the Vietnam war flying both the B and J versions. AoA’s very comprehensive set covers six Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons with more than 15 possible schemes. There is also a full set of stencils included for one aircraft. The squadrons are:
There are left side profiles and top views for all aircraft and multiple pages for the stencils which cover all sides of the aircraft… more |