Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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Yokosuka MXY7 "Okha"Published:
First: Extreme thanks to FineMolds for having dared to finally provide an injection molded kit of this famous weapon. If you have never built a FineMolds model, please understand that they are one of the top-notch short-run companies out there. The first FineMolds model I built was their all-resin and metal “Tony” kit, back in 1992; it heralded in all-resin kits for me, fit great, and cost (at the time) about $100. A very “Princely” price, but it lasted for 15 years after I built it. Not bad for a model to survive three military moves with the lowest-bidder moving companies… Enough talk, on to the “Okha”! This kit is not all resin, and retails out a bit pricy for what is in the box, but that is due to the limited-run nature of the kit. You can also add an upgrade kit with a… more |
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EA-18G GrowlerPublished:
First thanks go to our friends at Stevens International who provided IPMS/USA this kit, and thanks to Trumpeter for having (once again) stepped out and provided what the modeling community had only previously dreamed of; a 1/32nd scale F-18G! I can usually throw a kit of this size together in a couple of weeks; I started on 27 September, and here it is 28 October. Thing to remember: this is a large model, and the design has a couple of points to watch for. First, If you are like me, you like to hold a kit by the nose when dragging it around (learned that from ladies in my life; that’s how they lead me around). Come on, laugh. You can do that with this one, but there is a lot of moment arm going once you put the wings on, due to the weight of the model. The forward fuselage is… more |
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TSR 2 Pitot TubesPublished:
Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS USA this review item! I marvel at how these pitot tubes are manufactured; compare to the kit item in the picture, and tell me what technology and black magic are at use here! Not much to say except they QB pitot tubes are far better than the kit item; delicate and impressive when installed. Too bad they aren’t stainless steel! (One “Twang” and they disappear in resin, but I guess it’s better than stabbing a fellow club member in the eye with real metal). Good thing there is a spare on the pour stub! Another extremely competent and well done effort from Quickboost! |
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GSh-23 Twin-barrel GunPublished:
Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS USA this review item! Again, a simple upgrade to the Eduard Kit item; the gun muzzles are drilled out, extremely finely detailed, and the shell ejector chutes are hollow; you would almost have to make these out of aluminum foil to get this level of detail on your own (and they would not hold up on the way to a contest!) An excellent upgrade to an already fantastic kit,. Well done Quickboost! |
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Spitfire Mk Ixe Gun BarrelsPublished:
Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS USA this review item! Consider this a quick, easy upgrade to your Spitfire; The kit items are not as detailed as these in that the QB parts provide just a little bit of “Oompf” ; Why? The muzzles; included are a standard smooth version, with the bore already drilled out, and one with flats to simulate the location the armorer uses to fit the barrel wrench on (also with the bore drilled out). Magnificent! Same for the shrouded barrel; Finely detailed! Add to the set blanking plates for the leading edge to cover the unused outer gun barrels, and you have a worthy addition to your “Spit”. Highly recommended! |
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MIG 23 Flogger Air ScoopsPublished:
Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS USA this review item! At first you wonder “why” these have been developed… then look closer. The bases of all the air scoops have the diamond shaped mounting flange on them. The kit? Pah! NO! So, there is your answer. The kit air scoops are lacking! These are excellent additions to the basically excellent Trumpeter Flogger kit, and well worth acquiring! Great job Quickboost! |
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SR-71 High/Low Viz DecalsPublished:
Afterburner decal sheets are jammed, literally, with detail. In these sheets are all the schemes you could imagine for this jet. Also, proper, well-researched stenciling is provided for both high- and low-visibility jets. They even have the sled that was operational at my favorite perch, RAF Mildenhall, in the 1984-86 timeframe! Ah, the days of standing in the mist just after sunrise, watching and feeling the dual afterburners blasting everyone out of the rack early in the morning as the bird departed and climbed out at a ridiculous angle! Sheet 48-078 has markings for 11 jets from the mid-1990’s to retirement. Included are NASA and operational combat birds with mission markings/tail art. |
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HMS WarspitePublished:
This model is not a complex build, but it does have some details that are extremely small. Be forewarned: good tweezers, sprue cutters, and an extra fine razor saw blade are mandatory to release some of the over 650 parts of miniscule carpet-monster food that exist on the trees. An exploded diagram with two hull sides, 7 parts runners, one display base, a decal sheet with flags and early aircraft markings, and a PE sheet with crane structure are provided. I opted to do the kit without extra PE or rigging to show what a buyer gets for his money. In this case, a lot! Study the instructions first; as usual, since ships hold some pitfalls if you don’t. Small parts that fit in places which are hard to get to later are the norm. Paint the splinter camo as you go along; otherwise you… more |
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Railings 45-deg. 3-Chain Bars, ShortPublished:
Thanks as usual to Eduard for providing us the latest upgrades for our AMS builds. Eduard’s photoetch is world-class; so here’s a simple upgrade opportunity for the ship builders… the elusive railings for stairways! During my recent IPMS build of the new Academy “HMS Warspite”, I used a section of this railing for one of the stair sections to the upper fighting top area. Simple as can be; measure, cut, superglue in place. Worth every penny… Railing is always difficult to find, and I appreciate Eduard developing this set. 10 of 10! |
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Mig-29A with PE and Resin upgradesPublished:
Eduard continues to lead the pack in taking older kits and upgrading them with PE and resin upgrades. In this case, we have the Academy MiG-29A, which in its own right is an excellent kit, with several items added to bring the basic kit to the next level. In this case, Eduard’s own PE instrument panel and detail set, combined with their in-house “Brassin” resin upgrades. Oh yeah, there is also one outstanding decal sheet included with no less than five variants to finish your model; Two Soviet, one Polish, one Czech Republic, and one Iranian. All are in register, and make for quite a variety of color schemes. The decals also include a comprehensive stencil suite, including missile and launch rail details. Outstanding! Watchagit? First, the complete Academy kit, a… more |