Phil Peterson
Reviews By Author
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F-100D/F Super Sabre Pitot TubePublished:
Another turned brass replacement part from Poland, this one is for any 1/72nd scale F-100. According to the instructions, you need to cut the kit pitot off at the mounting base, drill a .5mm hole in the mounting base, and glue the replacement part. Then you mount the pitot on the airframe, simple. The pictures show it compared to the Revell of Germany kit part. The brass part needs no clean up and would be much more resistant to breakage during handling of the model. Definitely an improvement. These parts are highly recommended. Thanks to Master Model Poland for the pitot and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it. |
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Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller, Volume 23Published:
This is the second volume of this magazine I have read since they changed to a quarterly format and I do like the amount of detail crammed into it. This issue is made up of 13 articles focusing on kit builds, scratchbuilds, and other fun stuff, so let’s get to it. The first two builds are Bat-related kits by Polar Lights. These are the 1/25th scale Batboat from the old TV series and the 1/32nd scale Batmobile from the same show. These are basic, no frills builds resulting in two smart-looking vehicles. Next up is a new kit from Pegasus of Uncle Martin and his Spaceship. For those of you too young to remember, this is based on the My Favorite Martian TV show. This starts with some history regarding the kit development and behind the scenes info from the show. This is… more |
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B-17 Flying Fortress In ActionPublished:
I have been a fan of the B-17 Flying Fortress for as long as I can remember. Seeing the punishment many of these planes took and still brought back their crews is nothing short of amazing. The Fortress has also been a popular subject for the In Action series. I purchased #1012 back in 1973 and #1063 came out in 1984 and now we have a 3rd volume. However, this time you can get it in the normal soft cover or in hardback (which is my example). So what do we get with this new version? Once again we get a brief history of each version of the plane from the original Model 299 through the B-17G, including a few pages on the XB-38 and YB-40. Line drawings and pictures show the differences in each model and will help the modeler get these right. I did notice the line drawings… more |
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M41 Walker Bulldog Walk AroundPublished:
The M41 Walker Bulldog was a light tank developed after World War II, going into service in 1955. While the US never took it into battle, a few of the countries it was exported to did, notably South Vietnam, where it was the main tank until they got M-48s. This softcover book covers the subject in many full color detail photos and several drawings. If you are modeling one of these and want to know what the final drive adapter drain plug or the turret ammo storage area looks like, there are a picture or two included. This book is ideal for all you super-detailers out there, and pretty much every square inch of the vehicle is covered. The pictures are all of several preserved/restored examples, so are pretty much in very clean condition. The only issues I had with… more |
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Pan Am Orion Clipper MarkingsPublished:
Acreation is one of several aftermarket companies that offers Pan Am decals for the new Moebius kit of the Orion III Space Clipper. The small sheet is well printed and in register. It offers the Pan Am Globes, Pan American titles for the fuselage, and Pan Am titles for the wings. These last are not seen on the model used in the film but I have seen builds with them in the past. Also included are several small markings including "No Step" markings and some that are included in the kit decals, if you don't use them, to depict the panel lines. The sheet has a continuous carrier film so make sure you cut the images close, especially the globes. The only thing missing from this set are some instructions to tell you where to place the smaller markings. I even went to… more |
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Space ClipperPublished:
For years I have wanted to replace the old Aurora kit of the Orion III that I lost years ago but the cost was too high and the old Airfix kit has several accuracy issues. But now my wait is over as Moebius has released their second kit from the movie 2001 and it is a beauty. The new kit of the Orion III Space Clipper is very simple to build with only 12 white plastic parts and 5 clear parts (and that includes 2 pieces for the stand). The parts are well packaged with the tail parts extra protected for the tail prongs. Unfortunately, one of mine was bent but a little finger pressure put it back in line. The fit is pretty good though I still had a little trouble matching up the fuselage seams and there were gaps between the upper wings and fuselage. I used some styrene strip to… more |
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B-17G Flying Fortresses 353rd BS/301st BG & 401st BS/91st BGPublished:
The B-17 is one of my all-time favorite aircraft and with the new Revell kit out in 1/72nd scale I was very excited to get this sheet of decals to give me some additional options when I acquire the kit. I have used SSI decals before and they have always performed well for me. This sheet is printed in perfect registration and gives full markings for two B-17Gs including stencils and stars and bars for both aircraft. The only flaw I can see is the nose art on both planes lacks detail. The aircraft depicted are:
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E-Boat vs. MTBPublished:
While I have looked through a few of the "Duel" series in the book store, this is the first one I have actually read. Looks like it won't be the last one. The book is in the typical Osprey size but there are 80 pages in it. One thing I like about this series is besides some of the technical description of the combatants, it also gives you over 30 pages of combat stories and details which definitely make you want to pull out the old Airfix Vosper MTB and/or the Revell E-Boat and start building. There are several good pictures in the book and I didn't recognize any of them. OK, I am not really a big naval historian but I do like PT type craft and have looked at several books on the subjects. There are some detail pictures showing cabins, weapons, etc. that could help the… more |
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Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller, Volume 21Published:
Back in 1994, modeler Mike Reccia started editing a Science Fiction modeling magazine called Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models. I found these in my local Comics Shop and grabbed them whenever I could. The magazine started out bi-monthly, converted into Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models International and ending up as a monthly release. Unfortunately this ended in 2001 with Issue 53. About 5 years ago Mike resurrected the idea as a quarterly, larger format magazine under the new name Sci-fi & Fantasy Modeller. The issues are now 100 pages (counting covers) with a sturdier card cover and full color photos. The stories are still well done with a combination of modeling stories and behind the scenes articles. Let's take a look and see what is in the latest. Volume 21 contains 12… more |
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Hacks - Utility Planes of the Mighty EighthPublished:
Mention “hack” in today’s society and most people think of something to do with computers. Mention the same word to aircraft modelers and we think of utility aircraft such as Norsemans, Bobcats, Piper Cubs, etc. ”Hacks” is the story of those aircraft used by the Bases and Groups of the Eight Air Force in England during WWII. The book has a soft cover with the complete text in English and consists of 132 pages, 267 photos and 195 color profiles. Besides the more common utility type of aircraft, hacks included War Weary Thunderbolts and Mustangs, Bostons and Forts and many other types. These are details with at least one picture, a profile and a little bit of data. The book starts out with a numerical listing of the USAAF stations in the United Kingdom between 1942 and 1945.… more |