Rick Bellanger
Reviews By Author
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K5 (E) Railgun Detail in ActionPublished:
After the American Civil War, the railroad gun became a common weapon system throughout Europe. They provided a rapidly deployable heavy artillery gun that could defend a coastline or bombard enemy positions and fortifications. By the end of World War I, these guns grew in caliber and popularity. In the 1930s, Hitler initiated several programs to develop and procure more of these systems. Krupp initiated its own design and this program resulted in the" 28cm Kanone 5 Eisenbahngeschutz." The name is often abbreviated to 28cm K5 (E) (Eisenbahngeschutz means railroad gun) and 24 examples, the largest quantity of any rail gun, were produced. They were initially deployed along the English Channel to support the invasion of Britain. After this aborted event, they were deployed on all fronts… more |
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U.S. Navy Wheel Chocks, early versionPublished:
A couple of new products from Wheeliant are two sets of Early Wheel Chocks for the U.S. Navy. They are cast in grey resin and come with simple details to set them apart. The instructions are adequate for assembly but give no painting directions. Set 132-008, which is the "Blocks with Fixed Bar," comes with some small wire for the release fitting on the chocks. I had to drill and file the holes in the blocks to accommodate the bar. Only took a couple of seconds. Be sure you adjust the blocks to the wheel dimensions you are going to use them on before gluing the release cable and holder (piece # R-4). They are a sloppy fit and require a little more glue than you might expect, ultimately fixing the bar in place permanently. Set 132-007, which is the "Blocks with Nylon Rope… more |
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Iowa-Class Battleships on DeckPublished:
In the early 1980's, while on active duty in the US Navy, I was stationed at Harbor Clearance Unit One, Detachment, San Diego (or as we called it Harbor Cleaners San Diego). Our unit was tasked to handle ALL Diving, Repair and Salvage, on the West Coast of the USA from San Diego to Alaska. While assigned to this unit, we were tasked with some pretty exciting jobs. We handled everything from Ships Husbandry , Searches, Towing, Recoveries and Salvage. In 1983, I had the privilege to be tasked with one of the most unique jobs I ever did, I was be part of the Towing crew for the USS Missouri. The Battleship was just taken out of the mothball fleet (inactive ships placed in storage for possible reuse) in Bremerton, Washington and prepared to be towed to Long Beach Naval Shipyard in… more |
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Arado Ar-196A-3 Photo etch Sets and DecalsPublished:
Since all the sets and decals mentioned below go to one aircraft model, I decided to combine all the reviews into one. Hopefully making it easier to follow. I will not review the Revell Ar 196A-3, but this has to be one of the nicest models I have ever built. The fit was very good with minimal putty required for the ever present (all model airplanes have it) nasty fuselage seam. Detail throughout is very nice but by adding the Eduard Photo Etch Sets greatly enhances an already outstanding model. |
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F-4 Exhaust Nozzles USAF EarlyPublished:
I received this conversion set with great anticipation and look forward to installing it on my latest venture. I have built quite a few Tamiya, 1/32nd Phantom kits, since its debut. (a total of 77 to be exact.) I know this guy’s lying, but it's true. I used to build for a decal manufacturer that had over 100 decal sets for the F-4 and he wanted a model built for every one of them, all in 1/32nd. Well, he is out of business, so now I build for myself). I have used just about every aftermarket product out there for the F-4 and I'm always looking for something new. Eduard has come aboard with a very nice Exhaust Nozzle set. Opening the package revealed some nice protective foam and each assembly was in its own plastic bag. No damage or lost parts. You get direct… more |
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USS Chevalier (DD-805)Published:
History: (taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) The USS Chevalier was a Gearing Class Destroyer, the second ship to be named after Lcdr. Godfrey De Chevalier (1889-1922), a pioneer of Naval Aviation. She was launched 29 October 1944 at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. She was commissioned 9 January 1945 with Cdr. F. Wolsieffer in Command. She cleared her trials in June 1945 and reached Pearl Harbor on 9 July 1945. On the 24th she sailed to join the bombardment of Wake Island which occurred on 1 August 1945. Arriving in Eniwetok the next day she joined Task Force 38 (TF38). She sailed the next day for Honshu and arrived on 18 Aug 1945. TF38 entered Tokyo Bay on 26 Aug 1945 to take part in the Surrender of Japan and the end of WWII. She… more |
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Italian Regia Marina Motor Torpedo Boat M.A.S. 568 4a seriePublished:
Please read the in box review (published earlier) for the history and a parts break down of this interesting kit. The kit goes together without any problems. I followed the construction sequence as recommended with the following exceptions. I left the clear glazing (windows) off until final assembly. This made painting the bridge and deck house area a lot easier and I also left the life rings off until final detail due to them being an orange color and hard to paint with them installed. I decided to do the MAS 563 version because of the colorful paint scheme. I followed the recommended painting instructions and guide. Model Masters paint was used almost exclusively. Light Ghost was used for the majority of the hull and fittings and Gunship grey for the deck. I painted the… more |
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FIRST LOOK: Italian Regia Marina Motor Torpedo Boat, M.A.S. 568 4a seriePublished:
Brief History(taken from the photographic reference manual provided in kit). Original conceived in 1915, as a little torpedo boat early prototypes were a failure due to the heavy weight of the torpedo. Soon afterwards, Italy entered WWI and more of the boats were ordered. Development never ceased, and by the end of WWI over 244 MAS's were in service. The first true torpedo MAS gained considerable fame by sinking the Austrian Battleships Wien and Szent Istvan. Development of the boats continued thru the 20's and 30's. Speed was essential and improvements were made to the hull and more powerful engines installed. Finally the much sought after 40 knots was achieved in MAS 424 in 1928. Three 500 hp Isotta Fraschini Asso engines powered the boat.… more |
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German Kanonen und Flakwagen, Armored Rail CarPublished:
I don't know too much about the history of this vehicle, but being an avid model railroader, it looked like something fun and different to build. Now that the bug has bitten I want to collect the whole series of Armored Rail Cars and make a complete train. This is a typical Trumpeter kit: well packed, with each parts sprue in an individual bag. You get three sheets of photoetch and one sheet of decals. Also included is a section of track to place the finished model on. Assembly starts with the track section. You will have to make a couple of cuts to the end piece to cap it off. The whole assembly is designed to be added with other assemblies to make up as long of a display base as you need for the amount of cars you have. This is a very nice option. A little putty to smooth the… more |
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The "MUNSTERS" Living RoomPublished:
In September, 1964, a strange TV show appeared on our sets, The "Munsters". Using classic horror film characters as a base, the macabre humor of these frightening creatures with wise cracking dialogue, outrageous visual gags and fast motion cinematography made this show a hit. The show lasted 2 years (70 episodes) and was cancelled in May, 1966 due to an All New Color Batman taking all the ratings. It still can be seen in syndication and enjoyed by all. We have Herman (played by Fred Gwynne), Lily (played by Yvonne DeCarlo) as his loving wife, Grandpa (played by Al Lewis) and Eddie (played by Butch Patrick) as their son. Unfortunately Marilyn (the less fortunate member of the family) and Spot the family fire breathing dragon pet is not depicted in this kit. This is one… more |