Roger Rasor
Reviews By Author
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Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #111 – Russian Aces of World War IPublished:
Volume 111 in Osprey’s Aircraft of the Aces series presents the interesting story of Russian Aces of World War I. The 96-page soft cover book is the result of author Victor Kulikov’s lifelong interest in Imperial Russian aviation in WWI. He is a recognized expert, having written articles on the subject for Windsock International, Cross & Cockade, Avions, Aero Journal and Over the Front, and co-authored Flying Machine Press’ massive hard cover book Imperial Russian Air Forces. In Osprey’s Russian Aces of World War I, Kulikov draws from recently sourced Russian military and private archives to detail the exploits of each of the aces in a thoroughly… more |
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US WWII Era Parachutes (2 types)Published:
MMD-Squadron has released two unique detail parts in their True Details line that 1/32 scale model builders should find very useful. True Details USAAF WWII Parachute #1 (#32508) is a highly detailed 1/32 scale replica of a Type AN-6510 parachute that is casually posed as an aircrew chute would appear in pre or post-mission repose with integral pack (upturned), cushion, harness and intricate hardware. It is molded in gray resin on a very thin amount of resin molding scrap. This is a perfect accent for any 1930s-WWII US aircraft model. It is posed in the way parachutes were typically placed on the wings or stabilizers of fighter aircraft prior to a mission so pilots could quickly ‘suit up’ for a takeoff. This unique detail part is sculpted with an amazing amount of detail and is… more |
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USAAF WWII National Insignia Decals (May, 1943 – June, 1943)Published:
This 1/48 scale decal sheet provides multiple sizes of the type of US Army Air Force national insignia specified for application to aircraft from May 1942 to June 1943. The insignia consisted of a white star on an insignia blue disk. The set includes 41 separate decals sized to scale diameters for 25”, 30”, 35”, 36”, 40”, 45”, 50” and 60” insignias, making them useful for most aircraft in service during that time period. These decals are manufactured for Squadron by Cartograf. They are crisply printed on thin film. The decals release easily from their paper backing after immersion in warm water for 15 - 20 seconds and should then be applied to a glossy painted surface that has been pre-moistened to allow repositioning. They will respond well to most decal setting solutions (but… more |
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German WWI Airspeed IndicatorPublished:
The cascade of kits, aftermarket details sets, and decals for WWI aircraft has given model builders reason to play in an appealing arena that only a few had the nerve to venture into in the past. Because most of these products have been conceived and produced in the last four or five years, current technologies have blessed builders with ever-improving quality. And, since the level of detail molded into today’s kit components – especially in 1/32 scale – is literally breathtaking, any aftermarket detail that is introduced into the fray must equal or surpass what will be found inside the kit box. GasPatch apparently has all this figured out. This new company’s growing line of aftermarket detail parts is about as high on the quality scale as anybody else has been able to climb.… more |
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Fokker D.VII F Decals – Fighting Fokkers Part 5Published:
Released simultaneously with the Fokker D.VII F kit, this decal set provides five alternative markings for the BMW IIIa-powered version of this famous fighter. It is the fifth in a series of decal sets that Wingnut Wings now offers for the different versions of their Fokker D.VII kits. This set includes two decal sheets, printed by Cartograf. The larger sheet contains the personal markings for each of the aircraft, with codes, national markings, and a variety of panel sections with bands and shapes that wrap around the fuselage. These panels have a number of indents and holes located within them that coincide with the location of openings for control lines, fuel filler ports, etc. The second sheet provides additional sizes of national markings, instrument decals, data plates, propeller… more |
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Hannover CL.II Part 1Published:
In 1917, the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte issued an official requirement for a high performance, two-seat fighter needed primarily for low-level tactical support of ground troops, and that also would be capable of serving as a two-seat escort fighter for reconnaissance aircraft. Hannoversche Waggonfabrik AG responded with a novel design for a lightweight multi-purpose aircraft that eventually became known as the CL.II. The company was a respected manufacturer of railway wagons that had secured licenses after the war began to build aircraft for Aviatik, Halberstadt, and Rumpler. The CL.II was their first indigenous design and one that had a distinctive appearance when compared to its contemporaries. It proved to be a success in multiple rolls, not the least of which was… more |
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WWII Russian Fighter Pilot, 1939 - 1943Published:
Ultracast’s line of miniature figures now includes a 1/48 scale Russian fighter pilot in the flight gear typical of the early years of WWII. He obviously is attired for summertime service, decked out in a smart-looking lightweight khaki tunic with decorative embroidery, and blue dress trousers tucked into non-insulated leather boots. He also appears to be ready to climb into the cockpit because he is wearing his helmet, goggles, and parachute. The original figure was sculpted by Mike Good. It is a nicely proportioned figure with extremely fine detail and very realistic facial features. The figure comes in Ultracast’s typical carded packaging with a color photo to aid modelers (additional photos can be found on Ultracast’s website). The kit consists of just five resin parts:… more |
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Windsock Worldwide Vol.29, No.1Published:
The Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Windsock Worldwide is the first issue of Volume 29, and it continues to deliver the best all-around information about modeling WWI aviation subjects to be found in any publication. The images on the cover clearly indicate that this issue focuses heavily on aircraft recently kitted by Wingnut Wings, but be assured, the publication does not slight other WWI aviation subjects. Inside, the first regular column, the Reader’s Gallery, presents photo coverage of a 1:6 scale electric-powered flying model of a Hansa Brandenburg D.1, and a Wingnut Wings RNAS Sopwith Pup. Then, following Front Line News and Logbook Entries (that reviews three new titles), Lance Krieg continues his WWI Modeling Master Class with Chapter… more |
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Supermodel International, No.3Published:
Model builders who have plans to build Tamiya’s 1/48 Dewoitine D.520, Pacific Coast Models’ 1/32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 or Hobby Boss’ 1/32 Spitfire Mk. Vb should obtain a copy of Kagero’s SUPER MODEL INTERNATIONAL, No.3. before they remove many parts from the sprues. That’s because number 3 in this series devotes the whole issue to building and finishing these three models. Expert model builders Tomasz Chacewicz, Michał Rosiak and Tomek Wajnkaim combine their rather impressive skills to show what can be achieved with these three kits. The 80 pages (including cover) of this all-color issue are divided into three sections in which each of these builders share how they created their respective masterpieces from these three kits in a modicum of text and a lot of photos…each one a… more |
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Eastern Front (Part 1)Published:
Model builders of military vehicles and aircraft have come to rely on Kagero Publications for well-researched reference books. Their Topcolors series provides builders with a pairing of detailed color profiles of specific military vehicles or aircraft in a softcover book packaged with decals needed to reproduce the subjects covered within the publication. Topcolors 12 Eastern Front (Part 1) focuses on the camouflage and markings of (drum roll please…) forty-four different military vehicles that the Polish People’s Army used on the Eastern Front from 1943 to 1945. This 26-page all color book is presented in a larger (landscape) format than most previous Topcolors books and, because of the number of subjects that are covered, it comes with a clear… more |