Rob Benson
Reviews By Author
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Landing Flaps for the F2H-2 and F2H-2P BansheePublished:
Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. Overall SummaryThe polished brass photo-etch fret arrived in a standard cellophane envelope with the colorful Eduard label and cardboard backing. A color assembly guide was neatly folded inside, with bilingual labels. The fret is about 5.65 x 4 inches, hosting 8 major pieces and numerous hinges, pins, and ribs, with the larger parts crisply relief-etched. Kit areas to be modified are indicated in the instructions. Installing the… more |
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F2H-2 PhotoetchPublished:
Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what Eduard’s new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The photoetch frets arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. One cockpit fret is 2.75 x 1.6 inches on polished metal with color-etched laminated details, and the other fret is 3.1 x 2.75 inches on polished brass. Side consoles and instrument panel parts are provided for either a F2H-2 or F2H-2P. Internal and external details for one model are on these two frets. I particularly appreciate… more |
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USS Lawrence vs HMS Detroit - The War of 1812 on the Great LakesPublished:
Thank you to Osprey Publishing for providing a review copy of their new release, USS Lawrence vs. HMS Detroit, The War of 1812 on the Great Lakes, number 79 in the Duel Series. As always, I appreciate all those in the IPMS Reviewer Corps, whose work is critical to sharing new and exciting modeling products with the world. OverviewThe War of 1812 is often characterized by the epic and decisive battles between the USS Constitution and the HMS Java and Guerriere, resulting in the establishment of the upstart nascent US Navy as a dominant naval force. Yet while these battles were critically important to the outcome of the war, there are many smaller engagements that may arguably have had more influence on that outcome. The famous and well-known… more |
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WW1 Aircraft Photoetch DetailsPublished:
Thank you to the Hauler Brengun Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The photoetch fret arrived in good shape in a sealed plastic package with black paper backing and a folded black and white description page. The fret is 4 1/8 x 2 3/8 inches in size, on polished metal. The metal has a good balance of stiffness and workability. Virtually every bit of detail I can think of that might be on a Great War-era biplane can be represented by a detail found on this fret. The accompanying description sheet lists nearly… more |
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Seat Belts for the Kitty Hawk F2H-2 and F2H-2P BansheePublished:
Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The photoetch fret arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. The fret is 1 3/8 x 7/8 inches (34 x 23 mm) on polished metal with color-etched laminated details. Lap and shoulder belts are included, along with pads and buckle latches. A red “time-to-go” face curtain handle is provided to top off the seat. Eduard shaded the colors very nicely on the parts, giving them a sense of depth and wear. The… more |
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Cockpit Panel Details for the Kitty Hawk F2H-2 and F2H-2P BansheePublished:
Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The photoetch fret arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. The fret is 2.75 x 1.6 inches on polished metal with color-etched laminated details. Side consoles and instrument panel parts are provided for either a F2H-2 or F2H-2P. I worked up the –P version for this review. A color instruction sheet is included in the package, and Eduard also has the same instruction sheet available for… more |
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Canopy and Camera Port Masks for the Kitty Hawk F2H-2 and F2H-2P BansheePublished:
Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this masking accessory for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new innovations bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The 3 x 2.5 inch masking sheet arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. The yellow paper masking material is 3 mils thick with perfectly-cut mask outlines. The backing was not cut through at all, and none of the backing came up with the masks. A color instruction sheet is included in the package, and Eduard also has the same instruction sheet available for download on the product page… more |
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Sikorski JRS-1 Upgrade SetPublished:
Thank you to the great folks at Eduard for releasing an elegant upgrade set to enhance their kit of a unique Sikorsky flying boat. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us kits to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The Sikorsky JRS-1, or S-43, is similar in appearance to the famous Pan Am Clipper, the S-42. I did not know that several of these planes survived the Pearl Harbor attack, and went in search of the Japanese fleet immediately afterward. This upgrade is very nice supplement to the base kit. Overall SummaryThe upgrade parts are all on a thin brass etched fret 2.75 x 3.25 inches in size. A color instruction and accurate placement guide accompanies the parts. Additional details… more |
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Sikorski JRS-1 The Boat, Limited EditionPublished:
Thank you to the great folks at Eduard for reissuing and upgrading a kit of a unique Sikorsky flying boat for the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us kits to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world. The Sikorsky JRS-1, or S-43, is similar in appearance to the famous Pan Am Clipper, the S-42. I did not know that several of these planes survived the Pearl Harbor attack, and went in search of the Japanese fleet immediately afterward. Overall SummaryI enjoyed building this kit. It is a limited edition offering, with some unique challenges for the intermediate to advanced builder. A very nice set of marking options will allow you to complete a replica from nearly… more |
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Detail & Scale Series Digital Volume 6: F-102 Delta DaggerPublished:
Thank you to Bert Kinzey and Rock Roszak for continuing to bring back a tremendous resource for the modeler, exclusively in a digital format. Thank you to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to test out this new and exciting method of researching history, details, versions and markings of the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger. The official title is F-102 Delta Dagger in Detail & Scale, Digital Volume 6. OverviewThe review of an exciting new format of a familiar product will be in two parts; 1) content coverage, and 2) how effective and useful the digital e-book format is from a modeler’s perspective. I certainly would expect the first question a reader would ask is, "Why do I want an e-book format?" I like reading through traditional books as much as anyone else,… more |