Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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SU-27 Flanker Landing Gear (ZV)Published:
Thanks to SAC for developing a metal gear set for this new kit; and thanks to the IPMS leadership for sending it on! These SAC reviews may be the proverbial broken record; stronger, metal version of the kit’s gear, “form/fit/function” replacement. Bottom line is the SAC gear improves on the strength of the long kit legs. Continuing my line of full-build reviews so we could see how the gear actually looks on a final product. This new Zvesda SU-27M is a fantastic bit of engineering; particularly the intakes and exhaust augmentors. Attached is a photo of the turbine section and the flameholder grid - molding technology at its finest. No need for anything extra other than the metal SAC gear. Well, maybe a resin cockpit, but you get the drift. The Zvesda kit looks good out… more |
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US and German Paratroopers, South Europe 1944Published:
Thanks first to Dragon models USA for providing IPMS USA this interesting set of figures; your support is greatly appreciated…. And thanks also to IPMS USA’s leadership for the stream of things for me to work on! This set contains six figures; two U.S. GI’s in a semi-crouch, two Werhmact Fallschrimjaegers in a similar crouch, and two standing females who are the object of the military figures’ attention between the opposing forces; these are posed so one is pouring water over the other in a shower mode. A fanciful encounter, but interesting in that it could have occurred, and with what final outcome is yet to be known. The figures are all well molded, and sculpture is excellent; the facial features, in particular, are extremely well done. Each body is proportioned and… more |
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Kawanishi N1K2-J (George) Landing Gear (Has)Published:
The usual appreciation and applause to Ross at SAC for providing one more of his new metal gear for the new kits; and as usual, thanks to the IPMS leadership for sending it on! This is a stronger, metal version of the kit’s gear. It is essentially a “form/fit/function” replacement, with the exception of the fact the SAC gear improves on the strength of the long kit legs. For this build, I left the SAC items unpainted just to see how they looked. I may go back and change that later. This was a full-build review so we could see how the gear actually looks on a final product - as you can see, it looks pretty good (to my old eyes… at least)! The Hasegawa George goes together great, the interior took most of the time. I had a couple of areas requiring a bit of filler… more |
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F-14A “Danger Zone”Published:
Eduard’s “Danger Zone” release of the Hobby boss 1/48 F-14A with resin, Photoetch, and canopy mask embellishment, is a great package. Here’s why I think so:
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A3D-2 Skywarrior Big Ed Photo Etch and Mask Set - Part 3Published:
Once again, thanks up front to Eduard for sending us this set; It’s been a great upgrade, (as you will be able to see) and a worthy investment. Thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for entrusting such a massive endeavor to my feeble skills… Here’s the final two sets for the build!
The exterior detail set contains more sheet metal upgrades for the interior of the speed brakes, and the slats. Included are detail sheets for the inboard slat wells. These require annealing before you can bend them around the leading edge; I used pliers to hold the sheet, and a long-handled barbecue lighter was used to carefully heat up the sheet . Start at… more |
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A3D-2 Skywarrior Big Ed Photo Etch and Mask Set - Part 2Published:
Once again, thanks up front to Eduard for sending us this set; It’s been a great upgrade, (as you will be able to see) and a worthy investment. Thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for entrusting such a massive endeavor to my feeble skills… Here’s what’s was next in the envelope after I worked the interior sets…
The bomb bay was next; this was the most complex part of the build, but surprisingly only required a couple of days of effort. The sidewalls and end plates all fit perfectly (be careful… more |
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Blohm & Voss BV141 Landing Gear (HB)Published:
Thanks very much to Ross at SAC for providing IPMS USA this review accessory, and to the IPMS Review corps leadership for entrusting me to use it. Here is the latest in SAC’s line of gear to improve the kits we build. Consisting of two main gear, two retraction arms, two gear braces, and a replacement tail gear, it is a simple set with vastly improved strength. How do I know this? During my marathon building session over the Columbus Day holiday weekend, I was able to build the Hobbyboss BV 141 kit. And dropped it twice after installing the SAC gear. It stayed on, bent, but was bent back into shape. Resilience personified. This aircraft is an asymmetrical “odd duck” incorporating the radial engine off an FW-190, along with a side car arrangement (Observer and… more |
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Diorama: Here is Snickers, help yourself pleasePublished:
Thanks very much to Masterbox (MB) and Dragon USA for providing IPMS USA this review kit and to the IPMS Review corps leadership for sending this item my direction! OK, I’m not a figure guru. I tend to just build aircraft, but every once in a while, I get the urge to try my hand. Some day I may improve, sez I… This set is intended as a small vignette to show two allied Armor operators passing out Snickers ® candy bars to local kids, under the ever watchful eye of their mother. Hence the name of the kit… Depending on your experience if you have deployed overseas, this is either fanciful (Most of the time we were told to avoid any dealings with Middle Eastern families) or reality, depending on where you were sent. With that in mind, I take this build at face value… more |
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A3D-2 Skywarrior Big Ed Photo Etch and Mask Set - Part 1Published:
My thanks, up front, to Eduard for sending this set for review. It’s a significant investment, and I’ll try to do it justice. Eduard’s Big Ed set for the Trumpeter 1/48 scale A3D-2 Skywarrior arrives in a really heavy envelope containing seven individual sets:
Our fearless leader, Dave Morrissette, recently reviewed the individual Eduard A3D-2 cockpit and seatbealt sets that are also provided in this Bid Ed package. I’ll be reviewing these… more |
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E. E. Lighting Landing GearPublished:
Yet again, extreme thanks to Ross at SAC for providing one more of his new metal gear for improving our kits; The IPMS USA reviewer corps appreciates your continuing to provide us review items… Thanks also to the IPMS leadership for sending it my way to review! Once again, SAC improves an already great kit’s gear; it is essentially a “form/fit/function” replacement, with just a small tweak which shall improve the basic kit parts….Review switch on. This set is for Trumpeter’s English Electric Lightning kit. The basic aircraft uses the same gear on all marks, F1 through F6, and all the “T” (trainers)… and this is where the SAC gear shines. I have included a photo of the basic kit landing gear. Out of the box you get plastic gear for the whole aircraft, or you can… more |