Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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Triple Ejector Rack (TER)Published:
Extreme appreciation from IPMS USA goes to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the Triple Ejector Rack, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it! This set contains 50 parts for five TER’s; the resin bodies, Sway braces with ejector pins, TER hanging lugs to put them on the aircraft carrying beams, and PE Switch plates to put in the hollow end of the TER itself. To finish, you are also provided with a small decal sheet. Detail on this set is, as usual, almost incomprehensible. Every rivet, joint, screw and bolt is on the set. This is not a time consuming addition to your kit; remove the end pour plug from the tail of the mer, gently sand the flash “bubble busters” and… more |
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SNIPER Targeting PodPublished:
Continuing our appreciation from IPMS USA goes to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the SNIPER Targeting Pod, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it! This set contains 7 parts for one SNIPER pod: the resin main body, the forward seeker head, three clear windows for the seeker, a mount with sway braces for the pod, the aft mounting brace and interface for later pods, a PE fret with details such as seeker eye vents, and aft plates, and small decal sheet. Detail on this set is stunning; you can show the pod head stowed or in operation, and every rivet, joint, screw and bolt is on the pod. This is not a time consuming addition to your kit. Remove the end pour plug from… more |
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CrusaderPublished:
Extreme appreciation to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the F-8E Crusader, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it! Behind the box art with a Marine F-8E with a sword and shield in the background, sits Hasegawa’s fast-selling 1/48 kit, with a perfect Cartograph decal sheet of six different markings, along with a resin ejection seat, and wheel set and masks to replace the kit items. Also included are the now-standard color and plain brass PE, a canopy mask set, and an excellent instruction sheet. Eduard has worked hard to become an industry leader. I believe they are, and probably will keep that title. Case in point. The instructions have a mistake: none of the aircraft… more |
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Crusader Exhaust NozzlePublished:
Extreme appreciation to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the F-8E Crusader, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it! This upgrade provides additional detail for the recently re-released Hasegawa F-8E crusader under the banner of Eduard, in the form of a detailed Exhaust nozzle for the afterburner section. I begin by spray priming all the parts with Tamiya spray gray primer to allow the color paints and weathering to commence. Installation steps: Paint the turbine blades and cone burnt iron, as well as the burner can and nozzle sections. I then like to weather and run a deep black wash into the turbine to bring out the detail. Remove the PE flameholder grid parts… more |
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Crusader Air Intakes (For Afterburner Cooling)Published:
Extreme appreciation to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the F-8E Crusader, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it! This upgrade provides additional detail for the recently re-released Hasegawa F-8E crusader under the banner of Eduard, in the form of a hollowed out intake with visible depth to the intake. Just four parts here; two very thin PE baseplates with rivet detail, and the scoops themselves. Installation steps: drill the two mounting holes in the afterburner position on the model at the pre-located drill hole wells from the inside, then carefully remove the PE baseplates from their fret. Dress the cut marks with your favorite method, then set aside. The resin… more |
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USMC F-4B/N VMFA-531 "Gray Ghosts"Published:
Extreme appreciation to Academy and their USA distributor Model Rectifier Corporation for sending out this new version of their venerable F-4B/N kit, and the usual cheerleading wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for sending it to me. This kit sat a while in the link. I’ve built two of the Academy F-4’s, a “B” and a “J”, and had impressive results from even MY feeble modeling skills. Kits like this take a bit of time to construct, but are well worth it in the end. What’s in the box are the same parts from the previous Academy Rhinos, with the exception of single color gray plastic, with no white, black, and gray parts. Yes, also clear parts. The decal sheet is new, for two plain-Jane gull gray over white F-4B’s from the Vietnam era for VMFA 531, The “Gray Ghosts… more |
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F-15C Idaho Air National GuardPublished:
IPMS USA appreciates Revell USA sending us this model, and I also give the nod to our leadership within the reviewer corps for forwarding me the kit to review. A personal note concerning the actual aircraft: To use an Eagle painted on an Eagle, what a great recruiting tool!!! Eye-catching and unique, interesting markings, and even this older version F-15C is still a viable Air Superiority weapon. When I first saw it I was skeptical, but having built this kit, I found the scheme rather well thought-out and not overbearing. Not just another gray airplane. The first picture will be the copyright on the interior spine of the Model: 1979. Back then this dates the kit as one of Monogram’s front-line kits being released with the modeling community in mind. Excellent (for the… more |
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MiG-25PD/PDS (Foxbat E) - Pitot TubePublished:
Product provided by: Piotr, of Master details To the Master Model metalworker of Poland, Piotr; Thanks again for sending IPMS USA another of your line of turned metal Pitot tubes, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on to me to review. This is a much improved upgrade to the kit plastic. Consisting of 2 metal parts directly replacing the kit pitot probe, this is an easy addition to improve the longevity of your kits’ appearance, and it has a GREAT instruction sheet! The simple upgrade follows: I used this Master item on the Barracudacast Mig 25 improved nose and radome upgrade to the Kittyhawk MIG 25 PD/PDM fighter. Mark and drill a .1mm hole in the extreme nose on the radome, about ¼” deep. This upgrade includes the extreme forward radome tip,… more |
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Turned Metal Pitot Tube for all Mig 25 except PD/PDM (Foxbat E)Published:
The master metalworker of Poland, Piotr, continues to deliver the best pitot and data probes available … Thanks again for sending IPMS USA another of your line of turned metal Pitot tubes, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on to me to review…. This is, once again, a much improved upgrade to the kit plastic. Consisting of 2 metal part directly replacing the kit pitot probe, and what appears to be a very delicate 3D printed data vane sleeve with all the various blades in micro detail. How does he do it , well, I don’t know, ask him. In any event,this is an easy addition to improve the longevity of your kits’ appearance… and by the way, the instruction sheet is fantastic as well! Another simple upgrade, this one... As on the PD/PDS nose, I used Master’s… more |
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Metal Landing Gear for Wingnut Wings 1/32 Sopwith CamelPublished:
Thanks to Ross at SAC for sending us improved metal landing gear for the new 1/32 Wingnut Wings Sopwith Camel, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it to me. This new set from SAC’s expansive line of white metal upgrades to the basic kit plastic is a must-have… The set consists of six parts: Two duplicate sets of main struts, one early and one late series strut, a spreader bar with axles in place, and a replacement tail strut for your Camel. Not much to say here for installation; while building your kit install the SAC gear instead of the plastic. Paint, add the painted wheels, rig with your favorite wire simulator (or wire if you prefer), and you are done. With the early WWI-era models, the fragility of the kits becomes readily apparent if you… more |