Robert Folden
Reviews By Author
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USS Arizona 1941Published:
Over the past year or so, we have seen a new supply of USS Arizona kits in all scales, from Trumpeter, Dragon, and Hobby Boss. A popular scale seems to be 1/700 scale, where we have also seen a kit of the USS Pennsylvania. While both ships had generally the same look up till Pearl Harbor, the Penn later underwent extensive changes. My great uncle had the privilege of serving his country with the United States Navy, and was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania. On December 7th, he was at Pearl Harbor while the Penn was in drydock. He survived Pearl and continued on the Penn through the entire war, and was still with her up until she was scuttled after being used as a target ship for nuclear tests. (My uncle was actually part of the skeleton/scuttling crew and was the fourth to last person… more |
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Introduction to USS Arizona Build for Eduard PE SetPublished:
Over the past year or so, we have seen a new supply of USS Arizona kits in all scales from Trumpeter, Dragon, and Hobby Boss. A popular scale seems to be 1/700 scale, where we have also seen a kit of the USS Pennsylvania. While both ships had generally the same look up till Pearl Harbor, the Penn later underwent extensive changes. My great uncle had the privilege of serving his country with the United States Navy, and was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania. On December 7th, he was at Pearl Harbor while the Penn was in drydock. He survived Pearl and continued on the Penn through the entire war, and was still with her up until she was scuttled after being used as a target ship for nuclear tests. (My uncle was actually part of the skeleton/scuttling crew and was the 4th to last person to… more |
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Sink the Bismarck Mini-DioramaPublished:
One of Dragon’s recent releases in their 1/700 scale ship series is a special edition reissue of the German DKM Bismarck. The special reissue pairs the Bismarck alongside a pair of Royal Navy Swordfish torpedo bombers. Now, having the original Bismarck, the first thing I did when I received this review was to compare the two and see what other goodies were added. The original issue was a premium kit and included a nice photo-etch set including railings [except the main deck]. The special edition includes, of course, two RN Swordfish, which are exceptionally crafted. Each Swordfish is a full model of its own, including PE. The modeler also has the option of plastic or PE wings. I opted for the plastic, as they have more depth and curve to them. The reissue also includes a new display… more |
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Eurofighter 2000A Typhoon Wheel BaysPublished:
For anyone building a 1/32 Eurofighter Typhoon, Aires’ latest release is a must-have. Anyone who has worked with Aires resin parts knows they are at the top of the industry for resin aftermarket parts. I recently had the opportunity with IPMS to review their resin cockpit set for the EF2000A, and the set was such a vast improvement that I jumped at the chance to see their new wheel bay set. Now, I should note, the set is recommended for the Revell EF2000 kit; however, I am comparing it to the Trumpeter kit. Now, Trumpeter kits are usually known for high detail and quality, but the Aires resin parts are far superior. The set comes in standard grey/beige resin and includes the nose and main gear bays and new door actuators. The bays are molded as one-piece, drop-in replacements for the… more |
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A6M5 and A6M5b Zero Cockpit setsPublished:
NOTE: Two cockpit sets are virtually the same, with only a few parts different. To go along with Aires’ new A6M5 Zero wheel bay set, Aires released two cockpit sets. The sets are virtually the same, and are intended for use with the same base kit. The differences are that one set offers an A6M5 Zero, while the second set is the A6M5b Zero. The -b Zero featured various upgraded avionics within the cockpit. Comparing the two sets, minor differences are seen, including different controls and avionics boxes. As with all Aires sets the castings are well done and are cast in grey and beige resin. While the casting in grey resin was excellent in my samples, the beige castings featured quite a bit of flash, and did not seem to have the crisp detail that Aires is known for. In my… more |
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A6M5 Zero Wheel BayPublished:
One of the leaders in resin detailing parts, Aires recently released a detail set for the wheel bay of the Tamiya 1/36 A6M5 Zero. Cast from resin, with no flash or flaws, the set comes with the two main gear bays, detail parts, and partial gear doors. As with all Aires sets the detail is superb. I did not have the Tamiya kit on hand to compare to, but a comparison to the 21st Century Zero kit showed a serious improvement over the kit bays. It is also noted that the Aires parts do fit the 21st Century kit (it was rumored that the 21st Century kit had detail copied from Tamiya). Once again, I am very impressed with Aires’ latest release. They have an eye for detail, and an amazing skill for casting resin parts. This is one highly recommended resin… more |
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Seahawk Pitot TubePublished:
When it comes to resin detail parts for aircraft, Quickboost is one of the top manufacturers on the market. One of their newest releases is a set of pitot tubes for the Trumpeter 1/48 Seahawk FGA Mk. 6. The set comes in finely cast resin and includes two pitot tubes and mounts. As with all Quickboost sets, the instructions simply list which parts from the kit to replace with the resin parts As with every Quickboost set I have worked with, the parts are free of defects and flash, and are easily removed from the pour plugs, with little clean-up. This is a must-have detail set for anyone working with the Seahawk FGA kit. My thanks to Quickboost for providing the review sample |
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EF-2000A Typhoon Cockpit SetPublished:
The EF-2000A Typhoon, otherwise known as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the one of the latest generations of advanced technology fighters. Since its debut, several kits have been released, including the Revell and Trumpeter 1/32 scale kits. While I have not yet seen the Revell kit, the Trumpeter version is a great kit, but sadly is lacking in the pilot’s office. Once again, Aires to the rescue! Aires has released a great cockpit set for the Typhoon. While the set is designed for the Revell kit, I found it also fits great in the Trumpeter kit. The set is cast resin with a high level of detail, and few, if any, casting defects. The set also includes a set of flexible cast oxygen hoses, a clear cast HUD glass, and a fret of photo-etched metal parts. Assembly of the resin cockpit is… more |
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Panzer Pz. 38T Light TankPublished:
Pegasus Hobbies is a small model company that, while geared mostly towards war gaming, has produced some very nice models over the past few years. I’ve built a few of their models, so when their new Panzer 38T came up for review, I jumped at the opportunity. The Pegasus Hobbies Panzer 38T kit actually contains two full kits. Each tank comes in 27 pieces on 4 sprues. Since the model is aimed at gaming, construction is very simple, with the entire suspension, road wheels and sprockets, and tracks molded as a single piece. Detail throughout the model is crisp, and while it may be a bit over sized, this helps later with weathering. The only real downfall to the molding is that the main and machine guns are solid and need to have the ends drilled. [Not the hardest task, yet the… more |
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SD.Kfz.223 Leichte Panzerspahwagen (Twin Pack)Published:
Dragon Models is fast becoming the standard for 1/72 armor. Recently I had the opportunity to review their new Sd.Kfz. 222 set for IPMS. That review can be found in the archives. Dragon has now released a new set for the Sd.Kfz. 223. The set is very much like the 222, featuring a detailed chassis, separately molded hull doors, intricate detail, and PE grenade screens for the turret. The new 223 kit comes with two complete models [like the 222 kit] and features the large “bed frame” radio antenna. The 223 kit also features and accurately shaped hull with the turret mounted off-center to the rear of the vehicle. Unlike the 222, the 223 features the 7.92 MG42 in the turret, with a flat grenade screen. Both are nicely represented on the model. Most of the construction of the… more |