Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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Metal Landing Gear - Revell Germany Spitfire Mk IIPublished:
Thanks again to Ross at SAC for providing one more of his new metal gear for the new kits; The IPMS USA on the reviewer corps appreciates your continuing to provide us review items… and as usual, thanks to the IPMS leadership for sending it my way to review! This is an improved version of the kit’s gear; it is essentially a “form/fit/function” replacement, with the exception of the fact the SAC gear greatly improves on the kit parts…. Let’s review! This set is for Revell Germany’s new 1/32 Spitfire Mk II, 2014 release version. I say this, because there have been at least three Revell 1/32 releases of the early Spitfires: The original 1967 release (one of three kits at the time that made all us young modellers salivate: a Spitfire, a ME-109G, and a Warhawk)… these kits… more |
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Metal Landing Gear for Sword Lightning T4/5Published:
SAC … getting to be a household name among aircraft modellers by now.. IPMS USA and the reviewer corps appreciate your continuing to provide us review items… thanks also to the IPMS leadership for sending it my way to review. This set is comprised of 9 parts to replace the plastic parts provided in Sword’s excellent 1/72 Lightning T4/5 kit. On their website they don’t’ show it, but the scissors links are included. Sword’s kit is the two-seat “tub” version, and the metal gear provides not only strength but peace of mind… and improvement on the kit parts. Particular note: The nose gear. The kit would have you install the wheel/tire on the partial nose gear fork, and then glue/cement the other side of the fork to the wheel. Not SAC! You get a complete, sturdy fork assembly… more |
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Metal Landing Gear for Gallery CH-34 "US Army Rescue"Published:
SAC must have one heck of a new kit stash; they seem to have metal gear for every aircraft out there! We at IPMS USA on the reviewer corps appreciate your continuing to provide us review items… and thanks to the IPMS leadership for sending it my way to review! This is yet another “drop fit and direct replacement” metal gear for your models. This set is for the Gallery Ch-34 in 1/48. Note: This is for the two-part torque gear version like the Wessex, not the “A” frame on earlier H-34’s. That set is SAC #48216. They also have a set for the Italeri Wessex, #48196, which has the torque tube and shock strut cast as one piece. A note on the various CH-34 landing gear out there; My dad flew H-34’s out of Danang with the South Vietnamese as an advisor, and stated they had both… more |
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Dornier Do 335 B-2 "Pfeil" (Arrow) - Part 3Published:
Yet again: Sincere thanks to Neil at HK models for providing IPMS USA this pre-release kit for review; your contributions are of great value and we look forward to more releases from your company… … Part 3; final details! In The next step was to install the clear parts. These were truly “crystal clear”… no dip required in the floor wax. The windscreen was the later type with a sharp bow in the front center; it fit perfectly into place with a bit of Tenax. Next: The main canopy. This particular version has the “bug-eye” bubbles on the upper center section, which housed the rear-view mirrors. The kit did not provide these, which are possibly on the PE fret. I had no problem getting these to fit into place either; once again I used liquid cement and it worked well. As… more |
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Dornier Do 335 B-2 "Pfeil" (Arrow) - Part 2Published:
Continuing the sincere thanks to Neil at HK models for providing IPMS USA this pre-release kit for review; your contributions are of great value and we look forward to more releases from your company… … so here we are at part 2; putting the basic airframe together! First, a note about the surface detail. It is about as good as it gets; not obtrusive, subtile, but there! I used a bit of black wash on the left upper wing to highlight what is there… very nice. The previously assembled cockpit and engine/bomb bay/nose gear assembly was offered up to the left fuselage; and fit was perfect! Same for the inlet ducting for the cooling system… everything slid together and seam assembly was tight. The only gap I noted was the aft turtledeck; I can’t say it’s the kit or… more |
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Dornier Do 335 B-2 "Pfeil" (Arrow) - Part 1Published:
Thanks to Neil at HK models for providing the IPMS/USA with this pre-release kit for review. We appreciate and value your contributions and look forward to more releases from your company. Thanks also to the IPMS leadership for trusting me to get this thing done! As a pre-release kit, I received the HK Models Do 335 without instructions in a basic shipping box. This was a bit of a daunting challenge; could I do it? Of course I whined when I found out the engine compartments and some of the interior were a bit more complicated than I thought. I was subsequently sent a PDF of the basic instructions from the fearless reviewer corps leader, Dave, and I began to breathe again. Molded in light gray, along with clear parts and two metal weights for the nose, I held in my hands… more |
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Jas-39 Gripen Refueling ProbePublished:
Kitty Hawk’s 1/48 scale Jas-39 Gripen is a detailed, well-executed kit. It does require skill to assemble, and many of the details are simplified for various reasons. This is where Quickboost (Aires’ in-house brand) has stepped in to provide some added detail. Quickboost provides us with a better-detailed, very fine aerial refueling boom and probe. The nozzle head itself is literally perfect. The remainder of the boom is a worthy upgrade just so you don’t have to scrape the mold seam from along the sides of the kit’s boom. This can save a ton of time! Also included in the detail set is a well for the retracted boom and exterior door with actuator. Ultimately, the kit’s parts were best described as “meh,” and these Quickboost additions are just the thing to kick the build up a… more |
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Jas-39A/C Gripen Speed BrakesPublished:
Kitty Hawk’s 1/48 scale Jas-39 Gripen is a detailed, well-executed kit. It does require skill to assemble, and many of the details are simplified for various reasons. This is where Aires Hobby Models has stepped in to provide some added detail. This particular Aries resin set provides an upgrade to the Gripen’s speed brakes. Aires provides two fully-detailed brake wells and two speed brakes with fine, accurate rivet and internal bracing detail. The bays have no actuators or tubing to install, but have better detail featuring light riveting and embossed bits. They brakes and wells are truly drop-fit replacement items for the kit parts; the fit was excellent! Thanks to Aires for providing this set for review. Your continued support is more than valued, and we appreciate… more |
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Jas-39A/C Cockpit SetPublished:
Kitty Hawk’s 1/48 scale Jas-39 Gripen is a detailed, well-executed kit. It does require skill to assemble, and many of the details are simplified for various reasons. This is where Aires Hobby Models has stepped in to provide some added detail. In this case, Aires has created a very nice resin replacement cockpit. Opening the package reveals fine details that would take endless patience and hours of skillful work to deliver. The cockpit set provides sidewalls, a control column, a full lower cockpit tub, the forward instrument-panel coaming, and a world-class ejection seat. Etched details are provided for the seat harness, a few extra cockpit details, and an instrument panel. With practice and a steady hand, this cockpit will look fantastic in the finished model and will… more |
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R4D/Arctic C-47 Conversion SetPublished:
To start, I’d like to thank Mike West at Lone Star Models. I told him I was reviewing a C-47 kit for the IPMS/USA and wanted to use one of his Arctic ski sets on the model. He had it to me in two weeks, which is a really great delivery time for someone who makes his products “to order.” I also must say thanks to the IPMS/USA leadership for allowing me to present a review of this item. This R4D/Arctic C-47 Conversion from Lone Star Models was used on my review of the Revell reissue of the Monogram 1/48 scale C-47. I have long wanted to build an Arctic C-47, and when I received the box I was… more |