Phil Peterson
Reviews By Author
|
B-25C/D Landing Gear & BallastPublished:
The B-25 came into the public eye in a big way when a guy named Doolittle lead an attack on Japan not long after Pearl Harbor giving America a major morale boost. This year Airfix released a new kit of the C/D version of the Mitchell and it looks like a very nice kit. Scale Aircraft Conversions continues to release new landing gear sets trying to keep up with the plethora of new kits coming out from all manufacturers. This set comes not only with replacement parts for all 3 gears in the new Airfix kit but also replacements for some of the floor and bulkheads in the nose to assist with trying to keep this bird on all three legs. The parts are direct replacements for the kit parts. There are the usual mold lines to clean up just like on the kit parts. The… more |
|
Phantom FG.1 Landing Gear & Ballast (Airfix)Published:
The Spey engined Phantom did stellar service for both the RAF and Royal Navy. Airfix finally released a new kit of the FG.1 version and while it is missing a few details, it builds into a neat model. Once again Scale Aircraft Conversions has released a new set of landing gear specifically for the Airfix kit. The Airfix kit gives multiple options for the landing gear as the British naval Phantom had an extended nose gear to help it get airborne off of the smaller decked British carriers. Airfix’s design breaks the nose gear into two parts. Normally SAC does direct replacements for the landing gear based on the kit parts but in this set they cast the nose gear so it is one main piece. The extended gear will need the scissor added which might be a bit tricky. This should make for… more |
|
Bf 109G-10 PosterPublished:
When you hear the name Eduard in modeling circles you immediately think of their superb photo etch parts, or maybe their mask sets or even their top of the line plastic kits. But you don’t usually think of Art. Oh sure, they have some great looking box tops but actual art? Yep, some of those box tops are actually available as large size posters such as this one. The overall size of the poster is 23 3/8” long by 16 ½” wide while the image itself is 21 5/8” x 11 ½”. A nice size to put up on your model room wall and would look good in a nice matt and frame. Print quality is first rate with the colors looking like the box art. One thing I was interested to see is the swastika as it is missing from the box top but is on the poster. If you like to collect… more |
|
25-degree Sprue CutterPublished:
If you build models you are probably very familiar with Micro-Mark. Not only do they carry a wide range of modeling tools but also offer several kits in different media. When starting a model getting the parts off the sprue cleanly helps lower the amount of clean up you need to do so finding a good sprue cutter is a great start. This product is manufactured by Fujiya out of Japan. I tried it out on a kit I am working on for a review and it did a great job. The 25-degree angle gives good control to get up next to the part no matter the placement on the sprue. The cut was clean, but you need to make sure you are even with the part edge or you will live a bit of the connection. They also advertise that this is a great tool for cutting soft wire but I didn’t have… more |
|
Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Hien (Tony) and Camouflage DecalsPublished:
The one thing all Japanese fighters in WWII had in common was a radial engine, except for one plane, the Ki-61 Hien which the allies named Tony. This was powered by a licensed built version of the Daimler-Benz DB601 and not only faced the allied fighters of the day but also had the performance to get to the B-29s altitude. Tamiya released a new tool of the Tony in 1/48th scale back in 2016 and now has finally shrunk it down to my preferred scale of 1/72nd and a beauty of a model it is. The 45 grey and 3 clear parts are beautifully molded with fine scribed details. The low parts count leads to a quick build. A lovely cockpit is included and the wheel wells look nice. Markings are included for 3 airframes. One from the 19th Air Group in Luzon, Philippines, 1945 and two from the… more |
|
F-16 & F-16XL Fighting Falcon GalleryPublished:
The F-16 is another fighter on my all time favorite aircraft list for not only it’s performance but also, it’s use by many countries around the world (yes, I love small air forces). The Montana Air National Guard received the Fighting Falcon to replace the 106s and they looked good with the C M Russell skull on the tail while I lived in Great Falls. Then I moved to Salt Lake City and was just south to the home of the 16 at Hill AFB so I have seen them in the air and close up many times. Richard Marmo once again gathers a bunch of great shots of this bird in it’s many forms and puts them together on one CD. The disc is in HTML format and while it does require an internet browser to open you do not need an internet connection. Richard has collected almost 900… more |
|
Lockheed P-38 Lightning GalleryPublished:
The P-38 is one of my all time favorite aircraft. From participating in the first US kill against a German aircraft (a FW-200 Condor along with a couple of P-40s) to the mission to Get Yamamoto (a good book) to flying over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and every other front during the war the Lightning did what no other US fighter could do, come home after losing and engine. The Fork-Tailed Devil was flown by the top two US Aces of all time and you can find some pictures of Bong’s Marge and many others in this nice collection. Richard Marmo has gathered a bunch of great shots of the Lightning in it’s many forms and put them together on one CD. The disc is in HTML format and while it does require an internet browser to open you do not need an internet connection.… more |
|
Swedish Jet Fighter ColoursPublished:
Not exactly sure where my interest in Swedish aircraft comes from. Could be because my Dad is from Minnesota and his relatives go back to Scandinavia including Sweden. But more than likely it is that cool splinter camouflage on the Viggen. No matter the reason this book is an excellent publication to wet that interest. This 200-page hardback book covers exactly what the title says it does, every jet fighter operated by the Swedish Air Force up to today. These are:
There are two chapters for… more |
|
M113 APC 1960-75Published:
When you think about armor in the Vietnam war you almost always think about the M113, especially in it’s ACAV fit. A vehicle designed to bring the troops close to the battle under some armor protection turned into a combat vehicle This 48-page soft cover book focuses on the use of the M113 during the Vietnam war not only by the US but also the ARVN and Australian forces. The book starts off with design and development that led to the M113 and the major variants of the vehicle which were many including versions equipped with a mortar, flame thrower and Vulcan 20mm cannon. They were also used as Fitters vehicles, Command centers and bride layers. The Combat History section covers operations by the South Vietnamese, US and Australia and ends with a brief section… more |
|
The SEPECAT JaguarPublished:
The SEPECAT Jaguar was an Anglo-French design for a ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1968. The French and English versions had their differences but both performed well and received a new lease on life when they were able to demonstrate their capabilities during Desert Strom giving them a new lease on life which has just recently come to pass. SAM Publications Modellers Datafile series gives a good overall history of the aircraft they present plus profiles, walkarounds and some model builds and this issue continues that trend. There are 200 pages in this softcover book and you get pretty much everything you want to know about the design, first flights, modifications, combat use and some good info for us modelers who want to create one or more of these in kit form. The… more |