Roger Rasor
Reviews By Author
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Fokker D.VII (Fok) - Part 2Published:
I had decided in the beginning to finish the model I was building in the markings of Fritz Oppenhorst’s Fokker D.VII 4301/18 (Option D in the kit’s painting guide), so I carefully followed the steps in the instructions to confirm which parts should be used in this build. WNW provides comprehensive information to guide the builder, but there are subtle differences between some of the parts, so it is important to double-check most steps to make certain the correct ones are clipped off the sprues. I found it helpful to remove only those parts I would need from the trees, clean up the attachment points (tagging parts if necessary with a piece of numbered masking tape) and bag everything in a zip-lock bag to avoid using any wrong parts down the road. To continue the build, the wings… more |
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Lewis Mk.II WW1 GunPublished:
In this BRASSIN detail set, Eduard provides modelers with everything needed to build a pair of highly realistic Lewis Mk.II machine gun that will add detail to any 1:32 scale model of a WWI Allied aircraft that carried one or two of these iconic weapons. The set consists of 14 resin and 4 photo-etched brass parts. Each gun is made up of five resin parts and one photo-etched part. The additional resin parts provide a pair of spare ammunition magazines and the additional photo etch parts are extras of the little one that folds up into the gun barrel site (because Eduard expects some of these very small parts will find a way to disappear in the carpet monster…as mine did). The level of detail in each component is impressive. A folded full-color instruction sheet (pictured below)… more |
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Forgotten Aerodromes Of World War IPublished:
The growing interest in World War I aircraft among model builders and aviation history buffs has fostered an increase in the variety of publications offering information about the subject. Among them is a well-researched hard cover book recently published by Crecy Publishing (and distributed in the US by Specialty Press) about the military airfields that populated the British landscape during and after WWI. The Brits referred to these facilities as Aerodromes, and they were numerous. In FORGOTTEN AERODROMES OF WORLD WAR I, author Martyn Chorlton documents a total of 502 RFC and RNAS sites by country and county. Many began as nothing more than a grassy field with a simple structure or two. Most have been lost to other uses in the nearly 100 years since they were constructed, but some… more |
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Wires & Stretchers PhotoetchPublished:
With the ever growing number of 1/32 scale rigged aircraft kits on the market, Eduard now offers a generic photo-etched set of 1/32 scale flying wires and stretchers (AKA Turnbuckles). Metal flying wires are a logical and much desired aftermarket detail set for model builders wishing to accurately replicate the metal wires used on most Allied aircraft built after 1915/16. Unlike the majority of other p/e sets cataloged by Eduard, a specific aircraft type (or kit) is not specified. Instead, the fret includes 33 anchoring rings, wires of differing lengths with a stretcher near one end and others including stretchers with tabs that may be used as attachment points to fit a variety of aircraft (see the photo of the fret below). Model builders will need to determine if this set fits their… more |
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Nieuport 24/27 At WarPublished:
By 1916, the little Nieuport 11, also known to the French Militaire by its initials BB (which the French pronounced bébé), had succeeded in putting an end to the Fokker Scourge and therefore gaining the respect of ally and foe alike. A higher horsepower version, known as the Nieuport 17 followed and built on that legacy, becoming the preferred mount for many of the Allies’ first generation Aces. But subsequent efforts to continually improve upon Nieuport’s basic Vee-strutter design fell short of expectations with the introduction of the 24, 24bis and later the 27. Failing to match the performance of a new generation of fighters, these Nieuport designs generated little enthusiasm among French pilots who instead looked forward to flying the much-desired new SPAD. Unfortunately, SPAD… more |
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Venturas in Canada 3Published:
Aviaeology’s Venturas in Canada 3 provides complete decal markings for eight individual late-production Ventura GR.Vs in Royal Canadian Air Force, Western Air Command service in the last two years of WWII. An 8-page black & white documentation/instruction booklet is supplied in the set describing the subjects in great detail and providing painting and decal application instructions based on photographs of the actual aircraft. It’s worth noting that several of the Venturas in this set were featured on the silver screen during the filming of the movie Son of Lassie at RCAF Station Patricia Bay in 1944. Documentation includes markings placement and painting instructions for all subject aircraft, plus a good number of reference photographs. A detailed article… more |
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Spitfire Mk.V Five Spoke Wheels & MasksPublished:
Aires has added a pair of detailed Spitfire Mk.V 5 spoke wheels/tires to their aftermarket parts line that can be used to replace the ones that come in the new Airfix 1:48 scale kit. The wheels have excellent hub detail and fortunately none of the bulged and flattened look popular with other brands. The tires are smooth with no discernable tread. They also have an opening on the backside of the hub with a recess that matches the locating tab on the Airfix landing gear so everything will align correctly. The wheels are cast in a very smooth gray resin that will polish up nicely after removal from the casting block. Parts can easily be separated from the block with a razor saw or xacto blade and smoothed with sanding sticks. Because the material is resin, it will be necessary to… more |
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Spitfire Mk.V Gun BarrelsPublished:
Quickboost has added a pair of detailed Spitfire Mk.V cannon barrels to their aftermarket parts line that can be used to replace the ones that come in the new Airfix 1:48 scale kit. The barrels have a slightly more delicate profile than the ones in the kit and no seam lines to clean up. They also have open ends so there’s no need to break out the pin vice and # 76 drill bit. The base of the Quickboost barrels are molded to match the shape of the Airfix barrels so they will fit into the leading edge recesses as drop-in replacements. (see the comparison photo below of the Quickboost parts and the kit parts). The detail closely mirrors the kit parts, but the Quickboost barrels capture the look of the prototype with crisp and more refined recoil springs that appear less pronounced. With… more |
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Zeppelin RammerPublished:
Brengun offers model builders a way to spend a few enjoyable hours assembling a pair of miniature examples of a German WWII secret weapons that never was…well, not beyond a single prototype to be accurate. Kit BRL 72013 provides two small sprues of 16 grey plastic parts, a pair of clear canopies, a very small photo-etched fret of 20 parts and a little wisp of a decal sheet that provide enough components to build a pair of Zeppelin Rammers…one more than the Germans actually had. The Rammer (German: Rammjäger) was one of the projects for a German 'secret weapon' by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin. It was designed primarily for aerial ramming against the allied bomber fleets that by 1944 were effectively leveling cities throughout Nazi Germany…and, maybe bringing the pilot back to earth… more |
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Windsock World War Centenary Vol.31, No.1Published:
Windsock WWC Spring 2015 is the first edition of Volume 31. The cover carries a banner celebrating 30 years of this publication. This edition provides readers with what has come to be expected…a variety of expert information on WWI aviation history, aircraft modeling, articles by expert aircraft model builders, technical references and up to date information on recently announced hobby products related to the Great War. The Spring 2015 edition’s diverse content includes the first of two feature articles documenting Lance Krieg’s many early steps in scratch building (well…semi-scratch building to be exact) a two-place Bleriot X1-2. The ‘100 Great Warplanes series continues with an illustrated plans feature on the Brandenburg W.20 fighter flying boat…one of the first collapsible… more |