Phil Peterson
Reviews By Author
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F4F-4 Wildcat Control SurfacesPublished:
This set from Aires replaces the stabilizers on the new Airfix kit. The control surfaces are separate so you can easily model them deflected up or down. A quick check of pictures of the real plane shows them slightly deflected down, occasionally deflected up and just as often with no deflection at all so it is up to you. The detail on the parts is slightly higher than the Airfix parts but if you are planning to model your kit with them not deflected I would probably stay with the kit parts. I did a quick check and the engine fits inside the cowling with no modifications needed. No instructions are provided as they directly replace the kit parts. Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review kit. |
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Avro Vulcan Refueling Probe BoomPublished:
Many people don’t know that I am half English. I use that as an excuse to love some of the more interesting British aircraft. One such plane is the famous Avro Vulcan. Just something about that big bat shaped wing appeals to me. I have never had the good fortune to see one fly in person but I have seen video and have been able to view a few in the flesh. This, of course, means that I have the old Airfix 1/72nd scale kit in the stash. To say that this kit needs some loving attention to build right is probably an understatement based on some of the builds I have seen online but one day I will tackle her and mark her up in as one of the bombers used in the Falklands. One thing you may not know is that the Vulcan fleet had had their refueling probes removed… more |
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F-106 Delta Dart Landing GearPublished:
I grew up with my Dad working for SAC (Strategic Air Command) but that has little to do with this item from SAC (Scale Aircraft Conversions) except that the last base we were at was Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, MT and the Air Guard unit based at Gore Hill was flying F-106s at the time. And after that long lead in let’s see what we have. Scale Aircraft Conversions has been making replacement white metal landing gear since 1990. They started in the larger scales but have now released several items in my preferred scale of 1/72nd and even some in 1/144th. The set comes with replacement parts for all 3 gears in the new Meng kit. Comparing the parts these are direct replacements for the kit parts. There are some mold lines to clean up just like on the… more |
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P-38 Lightning Early ArmamentPublished:
Master Model has released three new gun barrel sets for the P-38 Lightning, one of my favorite aircraft. This one is listed as the early version with 4 x .50 cal. Brownings, with drilled cooling jackets & early and late 20mm cannon tips. These are mostly seen on early versions of the plane but the instructions have photos of some later birds sporting the drilled cooling jackets, so check your references. The detail is beautiful with drilled out jackets and barrel ends. The early 20mm also has some additional detail. Construction depends on which kit you are using. Many have separate barrels so these are just simple replacements. Other kits (like the Hobby Boss) will need to have the original barrels cut off and holes drilled for the barrels. Either way the detail on… more |
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P-38 Lightning Late ArmamentPublished:
Master Model has released three new gun barrel sets for the P-38 Lightning, a plane I love. This one is listed as the late version with 4 x .50 cal Brownings with covered cooling jackets & late 20mm cannon tips. These are mostly seen on J and L versions but pays to check your references. The detail is beautiful with drilled out barrel ends. Construction depends on which kit you are using. Many have separate barrels so these are just simple replacements. Other kits (like the Hobby Boss) you will need to cut off the original barrels and drill holes to put the barrels in. Either way the detail on these is much better than any of the kit guns I have. The instruction sheet shows a few period pictures of P-38 noses and a top view drawing showing the differing… more |
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Junkers Ju87B-1 StukaPublished:
The word Stuka raised much terror at the beginning of WWII, not the least because they had a siren in the landing gear that added a scream to their very accurate dive bombing. However, when they faced determined air defense during the Battle of Britain their days were numbered. They did manage to serve on other fronts throughout the war but were never quite the terror weapon again. As with a lot of early German warplanes, the Stuka was tested with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. While the early A models were mostly associated with this conflict there were several of the B-1 models as depicted in Airfix’s new kit that also saw action. I think this is the third time Airfix has released a Stuka in 1/72nd scale as I seem to remember building the… more |
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Statue of LibertyPublished:
On October 28th, 1886 a gift from France was dedicated in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty. I am sure most of you are familiar with it and those who want to read it’s fascinating history can find much more online than I can give you here. However, I can relate my personal experiences with the Lady of Liberty. In June of 2001, my family flew into JFK airport to start a 3 week trip that would cover 13 states and the District of Columbia including many famous battlefields, buildings, and some really fun amusement parks. We landed around midnight and finally got to our hotel in lower Manhattan around 1:30am. A coworker of mine had a sister who was a Park Ranger for Ellis and Liberty Islands and had made arrangements for us to see the Statue before the general… more |
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U.S.A.F. Fighter Pilot - Korean War 1950-1953Published:
Aero Bonus is the figure line from Aires. They do several figures ranging from 1/72nd to 1/32nd. This 72nd scale guy, as the name implies, is a USAF Fighter Pilot during the Korean War. You could also use it with any other USAF jet from the early 50’s and probably into the 60’s. He is depicted wearing khakis and what I think is a B-15 Flying Jacket. He is topped off with the standard Garrison Cap. The figure is cast in 4 grey resin parts on one mold block, a body, two arms and a separate head. The parts are perfectly molded with just a slight seam to be removed from the inside of the legs. There are no assembly instructions but it is pretty obvious where things go. A generic paint guide is provided basically telling you to paint him… more |
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Interstellar RangerPublished:
Interstellar came out in 2014 and was a decent movie about team of explorers who travel through a wormhole looking to find a new world to ensure humanity's survival. The ship the stars used was the Transgalactic Survey Craft, Ranger which was launched on top of a secret Saturn V rocket. Moebius recently released a 72nd scale kit of the Ranger based on the full scale prop, miniatures and CGI files used in the movie. As 72nd is my preferred scale, I was interested. The kit has 42 parts molded in white plastic which include 38 for the 72nd scale ship and 4 bonus parts to make the top of the Saturn launch vehicle with 2 Rangers. The parts for this should fit either the Airfix or Revell 1/144th scale rockets. The molding is Moebius… more |
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Viper Mark VIIPublished:
When they revamped Battlestar Galactica in 2003 they revamped many of the ships including the Viper fighters. They were retiring the Mk II as the new Mk VII was in service. Unfortunately, the Cylons had a way to disrupt the newer fighters rendering them powerless so the Mk II fighters had to be brought back into service to carry the fight. Later in the series the Mk VIIs were able to rejoin their earlier cousins and combat the Cylon tyranny. Moebius brought out very nicely detailed 1/32nd scale kits of both Viper versions as well as the new Cylon Raider but these kits didn’t really fit in with my collection of 72nd scale fighters so I was very excited to see them release new kits of all 3 of these fighters in my scale and to make things better, you get 2… more |