Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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B-1B Main and Nose Wheel SetPublished:
Roy Sutherland has been around for a bit, providing resin details we never knew could exist, but now do because of his commitment to improving basic products. This set is one of four that I used on the new (but old) Revell B-1B… they are in Roy’s “Barracudacast” resin accessories branch of his company. On to the review! This set is comprised of eight Main wheel and tire assemblies, and two Nose wheel and tire assemblies for the B-1B. Sidewall letterngdetail is provided, and the tread is fantastic and deep like the actual high-speed radials used on the Bone. The original release of this kit back in 1983 contained styrene wheels with rubber tires. We know how well that works over time… so did Revell… so about 10 years or so ago, a couple of re-releases before this one, a set of… more |
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B-1B Cockpit FramingPublished:
Furball Aero design is one of the new companies that has been around for a few years, providing decals for many of the subjects we modelers of Modern Aviation subjects really want but rarely seem to get… Go to their site for details. This decal is a simple but elegant way to deal with canopy framing… On the 1/48 B-1B, this framing is very prevalent. Now, I know many have not or will not build this kit. It’s huge. It has presence. And it’s an accurate rendition of the “Bone”. For the most part. But with work, it looks great when complete. This model is now on display on the overhead desk of my pod in our B-1/B-52 System Program office, and has garnered a lot of attention… First, don’t do like I did and NOT bother to properly get the clear parts into their recesses… more |
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B-1B Engine Intake SetPublished:
Roy Sutherland has been around for a bit, providing resin details we never knew could exist, but now do because of his commitment to improving basic products. This set is one of four that I used on the new (but old) B-1B… they are in Roy’s “Barracudacast” resin accessories branch of his company. On to the review! This set is comprised of two sets of intakes, and four intake plugs used while the aircraft is on the ground to prevent Foreign Object Damage (FOD). It is relatively simple in use, but requires some mastery of measurement, installation, and Putty/filler work. Up front, this set does NOT address the intake trunking. It only corrects the inaccurate B-1B intakes at rest. To be fair to Revell, this kit was released around 1983. It represented the B-1B as it was to… more |
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B-1B Late Exhausts - No Turkey FeathersPublished:
Roy Sutherland has been around for a bit, providing resin details we never knew could exist, but now do because of his commitment to improving basic products. This set is one of four that I used on the new (but old) Revell B-1B… they are in Roy’s “Barracudacast” resin accessories branch of his company. On to the review! This set is comprised of four sets of exhaust augmentor tubes, four augmentor flame holders, four sets of exhaust nozzles without turkey feathers, and three sets of support arms sufficient to detail all four nozzles. It is relatively simple in concept, but requires some mastery of measurement, plastic removal on parts, and care with removal of the support arms from the casting block. Roy also offers PDF instructions for those who need larger versions on his… more |
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Seat Harnesses for Mossie Mk IVPublished:
Sincere appreciation to Eduard for providing yet another review item, and to the IPMS USA reviewer corps leaders for sending it to me! This set is a basic replacement of the Tamiya kit Seat harness with a better item. The Tamiya seat belts are steel, and a bit difficult to bend into position. You also have to paint them; not so with the Eduard set! Pre-painted, easy to install, and looks fantastic in the end. Careful installation paid off; I just followed the kit instructions, painted the plastic, and then installed the Eduard harnesses. Nothing difficult; just take your time and they fit great. See the pictures! The usual 10 of 10 for subject and performance on this simple set, well done Eduard! |
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MERPublished:
Sincere appreciation to Eduard for providing yet another review item, and to the IPMS USA reviewer corps leaders for sending it to me! This set continues Eduard’s effort to provide modelers with previously unavailable, well detailed resin sets. 69 parts make up this set; you can assemble three MER from it, with options for either early “unbraced” rack attachment, or later externally-upgraded braces for the rack. It’s simple to use; I removed the aft pour stub, drilled a hole in the back to use a wire to hold the rack for painting, (the actual rack has a recess, which doesn’t need filling when finished) Rattle-can for primer and final finish, and it was ready to detail up and install. The bomb mounts themselves require one to drill out the mounts for the sway… more |
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F-4J CockpitPublished:
Sincere appreciation to Eduard for providing yet another review item, and to the IPMS USA reviewer corps leaders for sending it to me! This set continues Eduard’s effort to provide modelers with previously unavailable, well detailed resin sets. Forty-one resin parts, and photoetch - both color and unpainted, make up this set. You can assemble one F-4J cockpit with late model Mark IV Martin Baker Ejection seats. F-4’s are the poverbial dog’s breakfast when it comes to cockpit configuration. All Naval aviation varieties have the provision for the aerial refueling probe taking up the upper starboard side of the radar navigator (GIB or “Guy in Back”) compartment, and therefore have lots of cobbled-together configurations as to black boxes, communication gear, controls, etc… more |
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"YOU'RE CLEARED IN HOT!" USAF OV-10A Bronco FACs in the Vietnam WarPublished:
AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: usually focusing on Marine Air, but in this case, on USAF OV-10A’s…We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. ) This sheet is a comprehensive delivery focusing on USAF Broncos from various units in country during the Vietnam war. Also included with this release is the Stencil set 32007 for the High-visibility OV-10’s flow by the USAF. Differences from others include the red turbine warning stripe on the nacelles, in addition to the prop warning stripe. That, and a lot of artwork on spinners including easter egg colors, white stars on a blue spinner, etc… From the AoA website: … more |
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Bronco Airframe Stencils (2) USAF OV-10A Broncos (High-Viz)Published:
AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: New on the block, and focusing on Marine Air … We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual sincere appreciation also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. ) This sheet is a comprehensive delivery providing stencil markings for USAF OV-10A’s; from their website, here’s what is on the sheet:
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Mk.81 Bombs SetPublished:
Sincere appreciation to Eduard for providing yet another review item, and to the IPMS USA reviewer corps leaders for sending it to me! This set continues Eduard’s effort to provide modelers with previously unavailable, well detailed resin sets. Consisting of 36 parts, you are presented with six forward bomb casings, six sets of low-drag standard fins, six fuse extenders, six fuses, and two different sets of six forward end caps for transportation or other situations where other fusing is used. Decals round out the presentation, including yellow stripes for the bomb noses and two types of stencil, yellow and white. Assembly requires careful sanding of the pour gates after you remove the parts, particularly if you don’t want “wonky” fins. You will have to ensure… more |