Phil Pignataro

IPMS Number
17254

Reviews By Author

Cover

AMX Ghibli

Published:
Company: Italeri

Though it has flown operationally in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Libya, the AMX Ghilbi has been overshadowed by its larger counterparts: the SEPECAT Jaguar, the F-15E Eagle, and the Panavia Tornado GR.4. In the early 1980’s, Aeritalia, Aermacchi, and EMBRAER of Brazil collaborated to design and produce a light attack aircraft to meet requirements for the Italian Air Force (AMI) and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Planners called for 187 planes for Italy and 65 for Brazil. These numbers were later augmented by 51 Italian and 14 Brazilian two-seaters. These are the only two countries using the Ghibli for attack and reconnaissance missions, so its numbers are modest.

Modeling companies haven’t helped its obscurity and I believe this is the first 1/72 injection molded kit of this… more

Product

Luftwaffe Paints, Volume 2

Published:
Company: AMMO by Mig Jimenez

Looking through the reviews on the IPMS USA website, I saw several about “AMMO by Mig Jimenez” Acrylic Paints and all agreed with my own assessment of this product. Rather than rehashing those reviews, suffice it to say, these are high quality paints, come in a wide assortment of colors, provide excellent coverage, are relatively easy to use either with an airbrush or brush, and are easy to clean up afterwards.

To complement their “Modern Luftwaffe Vol.1” AIR SET which provides colors for the Luftwaffe’s green and black camouflaged aircraft, AMMO released another set for the gray camouflaged aircraft. This AIR SET, “Modern Luftwaffe Vol.2” provides the gray shades of paint used on the Mig-29, F-4F, and Typhoon II.

From viewing internet photos (very unscientific, I know), I… more

Product

F-4C "Air National Guard"

Published:
Company: Fine Molds

Way back in the 1960’s, McDonnell Aircraft had a winner with their F-4B Phantom II and it enjoyed a long production run in several versions. The plastic model manufacturers kept pace releasing and re-releasing many of these versions. Fine Molds is the latest modeling company to offer a line of F-4’s including several JASDF machines as well as the F-4E, F-4D, and F-4J. The F-4C is one of their latest releases and it is a winner.

Molded in light gray plastic, there are 13 runners of over 150 parts including clear parts for the optional open or closed canopies. The upper aft fuselage is in a separate bag. Fine surface detail is evident throughout. A very large decal sheet covers three Air National Guard fighters: two with the Michigan guard and one from the Oregon guard. All are… more

markers

Effects Brusher

Published:
Company: AMMO by Mig Jimenez

AMMO has added a new way to apply some products already in their extensive collection of “liquids” for weathering our models. The Effects Brushers come in an elongated 10 ml bottle 4.25” tall and 0.625" in diameter with a special cap 1.5” long. This cap houses a narrow, pointed brush 3.5” long and sports a painting tip with long bristles. My review samples are: Fresh Engine Oil (1800), Fuel Stains (1801), and Wet Effects (1802). There are currently 20 different effects supplied by these Brushers. Being enamel based, they allow the modeler a lot of time to “work” the effect. AMMO suggest using their Enamel Odorless Thinner to thin the product and clean up afterwards. Although these particular weathering effects are available in other containers, the advantage here is the built in brush… more

Cover

Solution Book 13 (How To Use Shaders To Create Weathering Effects & Other Techniques)

Published:
Book Author(s): José Luis López
Company: AMMO by Mig Jimenez

Mig Jimenez, over the past several years, has created a thriving business

based on model paints and eventually, his product line expanded into all aspects of plastic modeling. Significantly, AMMO has produced a plethora of weathering products. These have become so pervasive that words like pre-shading, post-shading, washes, filters, pigments, modulation, and pin-washes are now part of our every-day modeling vocabulary. Trying to navigate all these products and techniques can be daunting. Luckily, Solution Book 13 goes a long way to help you understand and use AMMO’s weathering system.

This publication is in a “magazine” format with lots of pictures, and text written in four languages: English, Spanish, German, and French. Although this volume is subtitled “How To Use… more

Product Picture

Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet - Kit Build 5

Published:
Book Author(s): Adrian Wolnicki, Sebastian Piechowiak
Company: Kagero Publishing

The F/A-18E Super Hornet is the US Navy’s truly ubiquitous aircraft. It’s their main fighter and attack platform as well as its electronic warfare aircraft, the E/A-18G Growler. Model manufactures followed the Navy’s lead and have produced numerous kits of this aircraft in all the popular scales. Consequently, Kagero recently released a publication in their “Kit Build” series about this fighter. The paperback chronicles model builds of two Super Hornet kits: Academy’s 1/72 scale and Eduard’s 1/48 scale F/A-18E’s. Color photos document progress of the build while short paragraphs of text offer further explanations. The last four pages of the book contain eight color profiles of “E” and “F” versions - four… more

Front Cover

Tupolev TU-22 Blinder Supersonic Bomber, Attack, Maritime Patrol, & Electronic Countermeasures Aircraft

Published:
Book Author(s): Sergey Burdin & Alan E. Dawes
Company: Pen & Sword

With both engines mounted astride the vertical stabilizer, the supersonic Tu-22 Blinder was unique among modern bombers. It entered Soviet Air Force service during the height of the Cold War in 1961 and was a contemporary of the USAF’s B-58 Hustler. Though a direct comparison between the two aircraft is close to the “apples and oranges” conundrum, the Tu-22 was not as fast as the B-58, but was more versatile. In addition to its conventional and nuclear bombing capabilities, it could fly reconnaissance, anti-shipping, and radar & comm jamming (ECM) missions.

The book was first published in 2005 and this volume is a reprinted soft-cover version. Burdin and Dawes (who is also the translator) document the development, system design, operations, and combat experience of this… more

Cover

Tupolev TU-22 Blinder Supersonic Bomber, Attack, Maritime Patrol, & Electronic Countermeasures Aircraft

Published:
Book Author(s): Sergey Burdin & Alan E. Dawes
Company: Pen & Sword

With both engines mounted astride the vertical stabilizer, the supersonic Tu-22 Blinder was unique among modern bombers. It entered Soviet Air Force service during the height of the Cold War in 1961 and was a contemporary of the USAF’s B-58 Hustler. Though a direct comparison between the two aircraft is close to the “apples and oranges” conundrum, the Tu-22 was not as fast as the B-58 but was more versatile. In addition to its conventional and nuclear bombing capabilities, it could fly reconnaissance, anti-shipping, and radar and comm jamming (ECM) missions.

The book was first published in 2005 and this volume is a reprinted soft-cover version. Burdin and Dawes (who is also the translator) document the development, system design, operations, and combat experience of this bomber… more

Saab 37 Viggen

Saab 37 Viggen - Flying with the Swedish Air Force

Published:
Book Author(s): Robert Pied and Nicolas Deboeck
Company: HMH Publications

Saab has a long history of producing excellent fighter aircraft that are often at the leading edge of technology. The AJ 37 Viggen is a prime example of that legacy. Pied and Deboeck tell the story of this potent fighter through pictures and their associated captions. This book is part of HMH’s “Aircraft In Detail” series that is now up to a dozen volumes of front line fighter aircraft with the exception being one about the C-130. Most of the photos are of the two Viggens flying with the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight.

The AJ 37 entered operational service with the Swedish Air Force in 1971 as an attack fighter with the photo-recce version, the SF 37, following in 1973. A more advanced interceptor version, the JA 37, was delivered to the Air Force in 1974. The… more

Front Cover

Macchi C.205 Veltro, Orange Series

Published:
Book Author(s): Przemysław Skulski
Company: Stratus

My take on the Italian aircraft industry during WW II was they were usually playing catch-up with the Allies. The main Italian fighter at the start of the war was the FIAT CR.42, a biplane even though by 1940, other air forces had moved away from them. As their aircraft designs modernized, the Italian industry had difficulties producing suitable engines. The answer was to import German engines, mainly from Daimler-Benz. Their DB601 engine with 1075 HP, powered the Reggiane Re.2001 and the Macchi C.202 Folgare. These designs were soon outclassed by Allied fighters, so new designs with more powerful engines were needed. Aeronautica Macchi answered the call by mating the newly available DB605 engine (1475 HP) to the C.202. The resulting aircraft was the Macchi C.205 Veltro (Greyhound).The… more