Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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F-4B Replacement Landing GearPublished:
SAC continues its prolific output of gear to handle the loads on our models. This is yet another drop-fit set designed for an aircraft which can put it to good use, particularly if you load it down with resin aftermarket ordnance (guilty, Your Honor) like an F-4. Everything was a perfect fit. Main gear legs fit nicely in the resin gear wells (toldja I was guilty). The nose gear slid into place just as easily; the actuating ram also went right into place. And as usual, my favorite, most-best part…now I don’t have the concern of collapsing gear within a year after I finish the model. Highly recommended and well done to SAC for yet another winner! Thanks as usual to our friend Russ at SAC for providing IPMS USA this set, and IPMS for sending it to me for review. |
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A-10 Replacement Landing GearPublished:
Once again, SAC continues its prolific output of gear to handle the loads on our models. This set is perfectly suited for an aircraft like the A-10, particularly with its offset nose gear leg and one-sided wheel yoke. The plastic version will fold or break over time; you may be fortunate enough not to have this happen, but why chance it? Everything is a perfect fit. Main gear legs and the nose gear are duplicates (with crisp detail and more durable brake hoses – as you can see, the kit parts have a lot of flash on them). Note: This particular A-10 molding dates back to 1987; I first picked up one of these kits at the now-defunct downtown hobby shop in Montgomery, Alabama, while attending Squadron Officer School. That’s how I remember when it came out, as I walked from the base… more |
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USS IndianapolisPublished:
Once again, sincere to thanks Akiko at MRC for providing IPMS USA and this fortunate reviewer the opportunity to build and comment on a new kit… This was “a most excellent effort” and we appreciate it. (And thanks to Steve and Dick for sending the kit my way…hope I did it justice) This was a kit that I did not expect to do a review on; I was going to spend the cash and just chill on the build until I could collect all the requisite PE sets and all that nonsense, and then have an AMS fit for about a month. “We can’t have no’ut that!” cried the elves…and when I threw my hat in the ring to review the kit, I was surprised. My criteria: if nobody else volunteered to do it, I would. Now, I know ships take a lot more time than a snap kit. But the USS Indy? Whoa! A famous cruiser… more |
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F4U-4 Corsair Late Version with Propeller and Cowling UpgradesPublished:
Huge thanks as usual go to our friends at MMD Squadron for providing us these great kits and manufacturing the accessories to improve them. We at IPMS USA appreciate your support (and thanks, Dick and Steve, for trusting my questionable skills to execute a review!). This kit brings yet another Corsair to the stable. In the box is, of course, an excellent F4U-4 kit with minute, delicate surface detail. Multiple options such as antennas, folded or extended wings, and an open canopy are offered. A decal sheet with two Korean War marking options is provided, and a full-color “here’s what it should look like” paint leaflet is also there. All parts are… more |
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He-219 Uhu DecalsPublished:
Thanks first to Judy and Jerry Crandall of Eagle Editions for providing IPMS USA these great decals; as fellow IPMS members, we always appreciate your support by providing us review items! If you have never used Eaglecal decals before, now is your opportunity. The Revell Uhu is an absolutely fantastic build, and the kit decal sheet is comprehensive. However, Eaglecals has decided to provide more options, as usual…and very well done indeed they are! Three aircraft are included in this decal sheet: an He-219A-0 (which will require a bit of antenna scratchbuilding on the Revell kit to depict the additional radar array), an He-219A-7 with a bit of different camo on the upper side (RLM 76 mottling over RLM 75, with RLM 76 lower surfaces), and an He-219A-2 with RLM 76… more |
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He-219 Detail SetPublished:
Eduard continues to produce their prolific, super-detailed PE sets for upgrading already good kits into great kits; thanks to Jan Zdiarsky at Eduard for providing IPMS/USA these three sets. Your support of our organization is more than appreciated…and thanks to Dick and Steve at IPMS/USA for passing these on to me to review! I started with the seat belts; having painted… more |
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Pitot Tubes for SU-27, Sea Harrier FRS.1, and Harrier GR.3Published:
Iwona and Piotr at Master Model in Poland are a gifted team. Here’s to you and your efforts; we FINALLY have a source for detailed, strong, accurate pitot tubes (and other things like gun barrels) with exquisite detail! Thank you for providing IPMS USA with these review samples, which were passed to me. We appreciate and support you! OK, what I received from Dick and Steve at IPMS/USA were three little packets, one with an SU-27 pitot tube, one SHAR (Sea Harrier) FRS.1 pitot tube, and one Harrier GR.3 pitot tube and angle of attack (AOA) probe. I immediately pulled the requisite kits out from the slowly shrinking stash and started assembly.… more |
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PT-109Published:
If you were male, young, and interested in ships in the early 1960’s, you know all about President John F. Kennedy and his crew with the PT-109. The movie PT-109 was released in June, 1963, right before President Kennedy was assassinated. Read about it on the net… those of us of a certain age already know the story! It’s also a great book to read…and Revell released a 1/72nd scale model of the boat at that time. It’s still available from the Revell catalog; an unending legacy. Now, step up into big scale. Huge is a great moniker. Italeri’s PT-109 is the logical follow-on use of their previously released Elco PT-596. In 1/35nd scale, this is an absolutely massive model. Many in the R/C community have modified the basic kit with good results; as an electric-powered model… more |
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H-34 US Navy RescuePublished:
The first question on every rotorhead’s mind: Is this kit worth the time and money? The answer is assuredly “YES!” Making comparison to the previously released H-34 kit from Revell (which, BTW, was originally released in 1988), Gallery is far and above a better option. Shape is spot-on; the rotor head on the Gallery kit (not to mention the rotor blades) is dimensionally far and above that of the vintage Revell item. (Their rotor head and blades were approximately ¼ smaller than they should have been). There are many parts not used in this build, which indicate follow-on efforts; I don’t have the Marine version, but the parts include armor plating and weapons appropriate for other aircraft, so we’ll see how this goes. Construction begins with cockpit assembly. This includes seat… more |
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Sea King AEW.2 Falklands WarPublished:
I’ve built most of the major Sea King versions out there; this kit is a new release, not a re-pop of some other company’s work. Earlier in 2012, Cyber Hobby released this kit as an HC.4 troop transport in their Falklands theme; that kit was reviewed by IPMS/USA by Ben Guenther, IPMS# 20101, on 22 Sep 2012, if you would like to read about it (http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/sea-king-hc4-falklands-war). What you get in this version are the same parts, with the large radome as a major modification for the kit. Historical note: The purpose of the radome was to provide environmental protection to the retractable long-range search radar system used as a fast-fix to the lack of early warning for the Royal Navy… more |