Phil Pignataro
Reviews By Author
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21Published: September 5, 2014 I find it hard to believe the MiG-21 design is almost as old as I am and is still serving as a front-line fighter in several air forces around the world. I’m still pretty active, but no longer a “front-line fighter” by any stretch of the imagination. Since the end of WWII, in almost any conflict involving Western air forces, the adversary has been a Mikoyan-Gurevich designed aircraft: in many… more |
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U.S. Marines AV-8A Harrier DecalsPublished: April 20, 2014 When I purchased the new Airfix Harrier GR.1 kit in 1/72 scale, I did so with the intention of building it as the USMC AV-8A Harrier. I planned to cobble together suitable decals from my collection of spares, but didn’t have to when Caracal Models released a sheet just for this very purpose. The decal sheet is silk-screen printed by Cartograf of Italy, so you know the quality is… more |
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RAF Middle & Near East 1945 - 1979Published: January 30, 2014 This book is the latest release from AIRfile Publications and covers Royal Air Force operations in the Middle and Near East from right after WW II up to 1979. I had forgotten how involved the British have been in the Middle East in times past. They have had a long history there and played a significant part in the development of several nations. The turmoil and hostility in this region we read… more |
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Saab JAS-39 Gripen Pitot Tubes and AOA ProbesPublished: January 7, 2014 If you want to build a Saab Gripen in 1/72 scale, you currently have only one choice - the Italeri kits that include single-seat or two-seat versions. These kits have been around a little while, but are good representations of the early versions. One area of these kits that needs improvement is the sensor probes, both the pitot tubes and Angle-of-Attack (AOA) sensors. They are over scale and… more |
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Hawker-Siddeley/British Aerospace First Generation Harrier In Worldwide Service, Volume 1: 1960 - 2000Published: November 16, 2013 The Harrier is one of the most easily recognized modern jet fighters and has been so since its introduction into the RAF in 1969. It certainly is one of the noisiest, particularly when in VTOL mode. This excellent book is another of the ongoing AIRfile publications covering British aircraft. As in their other books, this volume is full of relevant information and color profiles, this time… more |
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RAF Trainers Volume 2: 1945-2012Published: September 28, 2013 I don't know if it's my preference for 1/72 scale models, but I have a lot of RAF subjects in my kit collection. When I look closer, many of these kits are trainers. When I saw this title, then, it immediately grabbed my attention. This particular AIRfile book is the second volume in a series covering RAF training aircraft and starts with the post-war period of 1945, continuing through 2012. I… more |
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Spitfire F.Mk.22 ExhaustPublished: August 25, 2013 The newly released Spitfire F.Mk.22 by Airfix in 1/72 scale is an excellent kit right out of the box. Of course, there is always room for improvement. Quickboost has already given us replacement cannons, correcting the only real deficiency in the kit. Here they offer resin, drop-in replacements for the exhaust stacks. What's the advantage of these? These resin exhausts closely mimic the shape… more |
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Spitfire F.Mk.22 Cannon BarrelsPublished: August 25, 2013 One of the criticisms I've read about the 1/72 scale Airfix Spitfire Mk.22 is the cannons are not quite the right shape or length. Apart from this deficiency, the Airfix Spitfire is an excellent kit and a great value for your money. If you want to improve this model's looks and accuracy, however, Quickboost has a remedy. Their replacement resin cannons are drop-ins for the original kit… more |
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B-18 Bolo Canopy MasksPublished: July 3, 2013 The idea behind these pre-cut masks is to save you time and frustration when painting your model and also to protect the clear areas under the masks. I think the B-18 could be a “poster child” for using pre-cut masks on a model. As a typical pre-war bomber, it sports lots of clear areas with lots of framework. I counted 74 individual clear window panels on the model. In addition to the large… more |
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Masks for the Hobby Boss F-5EPublished: April 28, 2013 Eduard has been producing model-specific masks for a while now, but this is only the second set I’ve used. This one is a die-cut set specifically designed for the HobbyBoss F-5E kit and contains masks for the canopy, windscreen, main wheels, and nose wheel. In the package is a single page of instructions and a small square (about 1.5 inches) of masks on Kabuki type tape. You have to look… more |