Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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Messerschmitt Bf 109 Landing Gear (Rev.)Published:
Thanks very much to Ross at SAC for doing the hard work for us on this gear. We at IPMS USA sincerely appreciate your contributions for review! If you have not built the new (2013) release of the BF-109G, may I recommend you try one. The detail is great, fit as well, and the engineering shows much concern for the modeler. This is not the original 1967-vintage model many of us remember. One weak area of the kit is the landing gear; Revell DE’s plastic is a bit softer than other companies, and this contributes to the lower cost but also means things like landing gear can bow or break over time. In the case of this model, the gear is also made up of three main parts, cemented together. It makes the fidelity to life that much better, but at the same time can contribute to… more |
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F-104G Avionics BayPublished:
True Details has created a 1/32 scale resin F-104G Avionics Bay that is designed to be a simple addition to Hasegawa’s kit. Simply clean up the casting block, paint and install. The detail is well defined, and will add just what is needed to this model. I have not checked to see if this set would work on the new Italeri F-104G/S, but in my opinion it probably would, however, you’ll want to check the fit yourself if you have one. In the end, very nicely done, and a full score for True Details. Thanks very much to our great supporters at Squadron for providing us yet another simple resin upgrade for our AMS (Advanced Modeler Syndrome). IPMS/USA appreciates the opportunity to review your products! |
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F-35A Lightning IIPublished:
Academy’s models have a great reputation these days. This 1/72nd scale F-35A is the most recent addition to the stable of excellence. This kit is a gem from the excellent packaging to the multi-color parts, which actually make it easier to build (as explained below). The decals are great, the plastic superb and crisp, and the appearance of the finished model is stunning. This is a lot of accolades, but they are accurate. In my opinion, this is the definitive new F-35 kit. A note on the color plastic parts: a lot of thought went into which color each part was molded in. For example, the white plastic is very opaque and used to excellent effect. Of particular note are the intake sections, the weapons bay, all three wheel wells, and the landing gear parts. The white needs… more |
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Speed Brakes, Gun Bays, Gun Barrels and Antennas for Jaguar 1Published:
Items Reviewed
These upgrades ramp-up the level of detail for the Kittyhawk Jaguar 1. Quickboost is a subdivision of Aires, so it’s the same manufacturer with the idea of simple, lower cost additions to upgrade things… more |
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Harrier FRS 1 Exhaust NozzlesPublished:
We continue to express sincere appreciation to our friends at Aires for providing us more of the prolific output of their company; In this case, Harrier FRS-1 nozzles. Nothing really to state about this upgrade other than “Buy it”. If you have a 1/72 Harrier of the FRS-1 Sea Harrier series, these are “must have” items. I show these items next to the kit items for clarity. Great external detail, and NO SEAM TO FILL! A drop-fit incorporation of the first order, 10 of 10, well done to Aires and thanks again to IPMS for the review items! |
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Weber F-101 Ejection Seat SetPublished:
Another beautifully cast set of resin parts to make our models better from our friends at MMD/Squadron; thanks very much to you for providing IPMS USA this review item! Another of Monogram’s better kits, the F-101B has been re-released in several different guises. Most recently it was released with a new decal sheet and markings, but it’s still the standby F-101B. As stated before, these seats really make a bid difference between the standard model seats with their molded-on harness. Although the kit seats were more than adequate, this set from True Details takes the illusion of reality a step further. Cast in Gray resin, the seats have fantastic harness detail (I much prefer these to Photoetch; they just look better to me) and the rest of the seat is also upgraded.… more |
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F-106 '0-0' Ejection Seat for Monogram KitPublished:
Another in a long series of resin parts to make our models better from our friends at MMD/Squadron; thanks very much to you for providing IPMS USA this review item! The venerable Monogram F-106 has been re-released several times, and is most recently in the Revell catalog. Still the only game in town in this scale, it is undoubtedly a great model of a great aircraft; it requires a bit of work for fit, but nothing that cannot be addressed by careful assembly and a bit of putty here at there. And the seat is an older version; read on. This kit was released with the earlier Weber “bang seat”; as such, this seat did not have the capability of the newer rocket-powered seats coming along in the late 1970’s and early ’80s. This was not the fault of the manufacturer, as seat… more |
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B-17G UndercarriagePublished:
This is the final stretch reviewing Eduard PE parts for the HK B-17 kit. Even more thanks to Eduard for providing us these sets! The landing gear set addresses an area frequently neglected by many modelers; the landing gear and wheel wells. Intended for the kit plastic gear, there are numerous straps, tow eyelets, and panels to apply to bring the struts to life. I Purchased and am using a set of SAC gear for strength. The review copy of this gear is to be reviewed by another IPMS member, so I’ll refrain from comment on these other than to say it is a drop fit for strength. In the interim, the kit gear will benefit greatly from Eduard’s efforts. The tail wheel well gets full treatment, adding brace, side and top panel and rivet detail where none existed on the… more |
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B-17G Exterior 1/32Published:
This is the final part in the long review of Eduard’s PE for the HK B-17G. We are sincerely and eternally grateful for their support; it’s been a long, rewarding couple of months doing these reviews! This final set is also a simple one; exterior details that make a noticeable difference in the appearance of the surface sections. Included are oil cooler intake screens, panels, and overwing fuel doors and hinges for the aircraft. Certainly you can modify and open all the refueling doors (remember to keep the cigarettes 50 feet away) to add a lot of life to the model, particularly in a diorama setting. Small point; the square latch always is toward the tail of the aircraft, in case the door latch failed or was not fully closed. This prevented the door ripping… more |
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Bomb Rack Details for HK B-17Published:
This set covers what is not included in the bomb bay set: the racks themselves, latches and placards in color etch, bomb carry racks, tail section cover plates for the bombs, fuse propellers (front and back), and some cats and dogs for the lift mechanisms. This was one of the more difficult sets to review, in that you must remove plastic side rails on the racks without destroying the racks themselves, and then fit the cover sheet metal plates over the bomb release shackles, (which also require modification before the PE will work). It took a while, but I got there, just no magnifiers when viewing, please. I will be installing the bombs toward the end of the build, but it’s pretty self-evident these parts will make a difference in the appearance of the bombs… more |