Rob Benson
Reviews By Author
|
The Rice Paddy Navy: U.S. Sailors Undercover in Mainland ChinaPublished:
Thank you to John Tintera of Osprey Publishing and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to review this very intriguing aspect of U. S. Navy history. Author Linda Kush is a superb writer, bringing an excellent balance of engaging stories to historical facts. The Rice Paddy Navy is the unofficial name for the 3,000 or so USN sailors, officers, Marines, and a few other branch members detailed to the Sino-American Cooperative Organization, also known as SACO. Author Kush’s father was a SACO veteran, and this is the first description of this little known operation since the memoirs of the commanding officer, Captain Milton “Mary” Miles, were published in 1967. All aspects of SACO from startup in 1942 through post-war dissolution are described from many… more |
|
The Pointblank Directive: Three Generals and the Untold Story of the Daring Plan that Saved D-DayPublished:
Thank you to Bruce Herke of Osprey Publishing and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to review this in-depth and sobering history of the Army Air Corps’ operational role in the D-Day invasion. Author L. Douglas Keeney provides compelling descriptions of the challenges, dangers, and slim survival odds of European air operations. Keeney starts the bulk of his novel-like narrative in 1943, with thorough descriptions of dismal bombing effectiveness and tactics that were replaced with a much more effective and aggressive doctrine, the Pointblank Directive. Viewpoints from all aspects of the air war are described – the bomber crews, the fighter pilots, the maintenance crews, support staff, and others are included. Excellent background profiles of the major players… more |
|
USS Massachusetts On DeckPublished:
Thank you to Gary Newman of Squadron Signal Publications and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to review this excellent photographic tour aboard the USS Massachusetts in Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA. There is a wealth of detail contained in an astonishing number of color photos, all with great descriptive captions. The book contains no drawings or layouts of BB-59, but that is not the book’s intention. There is a brief introduction describing the ship’s history, a few data tables, and several excellent color renderings. But, in line with Squadron/Signal’s On Deck series theme, this book does indeed give you a virtual tour of the ship. I found myself casually taking notes using a scratch paper deck layout to see if any areas were missed in the photo… more |
|
Sopwith CamelPublished:
Thank you to Bruce Herke of Osprey Publishing and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to review this delightful description of the Sopwith Camel. This was a very enjoyable and informative read. I reviewed the book through the eyes of a rank novice (something I seem to be good at) when it comes to World War I aviation. I suspect many of us may have first heard of the Camel as the form-changing doghouse of Snoopy’s fantasies. This book strikes a very nice balance of good reading and historical data. Design and development, technical specifications and variants, and operation history are covered in separate chapters. Tables of technical and performance specifications are included, along with excellent color renderings of different aircraft markings and armament… more |
|
Gun Barrels for pre-‘42 Lexington and SaratogaPublished:
Thank you to Iwona and Piotr Czerkasow of Master Model and all those at IPMS Reviewer-OPS for providing me an opportunity to examine and apply some delightful parts for improving a ship model kit. Model Master’s recent addition to their Sea Master Series is very welcome. The aftermarket world is indeed enhanced with the products Master Model offers. While no kit is specifically recommended in the instructions or packaging, I chose to use these barrels to replace the molded equivalents in the armament included in the Trumpeter CV-3 Saratoga kit. I am modeling the Saratoga with a deck of yellow wings as she appeared in ~1936. Eight elegantly turned stainless steel eight-inch and 12 brass five-inch replacement barrels are provided in a small zip-lock package. Some very nice touches… more |
|
Curtiss F11-C/BFC-2 Goshawk Update SetPublished:
Initial ImpressionsThis upgrade and conversion set addresses inaccuracies in the venerable Lindberg kit No. 72544, the Curtiss Goshawk, and allows a conversion to a BFC-2 or a correction to the F11-C. The Lindberg kit is still widely available, although it is out of production. The parts are cast in light gray resin and include a replacement engine, one-piece cowling, cockpit parts, wheels and wheel pants/spats, propeller, gun sight, fuel tank, and vacuformed clear plastic windscreens and canopy. An excellent set of instructions accompanies this set and includes references, decals sources, and online extras, such as decal artwork and a rigging diagram. Everything is contained in a plastic bag. This set immediately got me fired up, unlike many conversion or… more |
|
Italeri Acrylic Paint: Red, Yellow, and Gloss Clear CoatPublished:
Packaging and Initial ImpressionThe paints are contained in 20 ml plastic poly bottles with flip caps. The clear gloss is contained in a 35 ml plastic bottle with a flip cap. The bottles are clearly labeled with simple instructions of “shake well” and “for airbrush dilute properly”. My sample bottles tended to spit paint a bit when “flipping” the cap open, but that may be a simple consequence of opening them at 7500 ft where I live. The dropper in the cap and a squeezable bottle provide a nice controlled dispensing of the paints and clear coat. Product/Stock #:
MSRP:
|
|
Carrier Deck EquipmentPublished:
The kit subject addresses a generally under-represented set of modern USN aircraft carrier details. While there is an abundance of aftermarket aircraft available for 1:350 carriers, with the exception of some resin offerings there is very little available for the ubiquitous utility vehicles that populate carrier decks. This under-representation has been lessened by MRC with the release of a carrier deck equipment kit. Packaging and ContentsEverything is in a double-blister pack with the interior blister pack designed as a tray to hold the sprues. For me, this interior pack or tray served well as a corral for very small parts. Two identical sprues are provided in the kit. All parts are crisply molded in light gray plastic. The sprue frames… more |
|
PV-1 Replacement ExhaustsPublished:
Thank you, Lone Star Models, for providing a very timely improvement to an excellent recent kit release. Thank you IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps for once again allowing me to evaluate a cool new product! This product replaces the Revell PV-1 exhaust pipes. The Revell PV-1 kit exhaust pipes seem a little thick-walled and awkward looking. The Lone Star exhausts are a direct replacement of Revell kit parts 40 and 41. The Lone Star parts come in a plastic bag with an instruction sheet and are cast in tan resin on pour plugs. The exhausts require a little bit of fitting to the kit engine nacelles. I found this fitting to be not too difficult. The interior of the exhaust was thinned just a little with a quick file pass. The resulting appearance on the kit is excellent! This is… more |
|
PV-1 Diamond Pattern Wheels with HubsPublished:
Thank you, Lone Star Models, for providing a very timely improvement to an excellent recent kit release. Thank you IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps for once again allowing me to evaluate a cool new product! This product replaces the Revell PV-1 main mount tires and wheels. The product is cast in tan resin, with no mold parting seam lines to be removed. This eliminated the need to rescribe the tread patterns, a common task when gluing together injection molded- wheel halves. The pour plug is in a great place, with minimal sanding required. The pour plug flat spot is eliminated by placing it on the ground contact point! The diamond tire tread detail is much more visible and realistic looking than the kit parts, as is the wheel and hub detailing. The axle holes needed to be deepened a bit… more |