Roger Rasor
Reviews By Author
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Fabric Seatbelts for Luftwaffe WWII FightersPublished:
In this detail set, Eduard provides modelers with a unique way to add detailed seat belts to any 1/48 scale WWII Luftwaffe fighter. Unlike previous Eduard seatbelt sets, this one does not include solely painted photo-etch parts. Instead, the photo-etch components in this set are for the buckles and other hardware, and the belts are provided in a flexible, pre-printed fabric that comes on a paper backing. This multi-media combination promises realistic looking results because of the flexibility of the belt material. The drawings on the front of the small instruction sheet illustrate the somewhat complex assembly process, and the step-by-step instructions on the back describe how to do it. These cryptic instructions describe a process that proved to be more tedious than I had… more |
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Seahawk Paint MasksPublished:
The package says this mask set is designed for the Trumpeter Seahawk Mk. 100/101. However, it also can be used for masking the canopy in the Trumpeter Seahawk FGA.Mk.6 kit (if you are unable to find Mask set EX220), since these kits share the same clear parts. With a little adjustment here and there, set EX 374 may also be usable for masking the canopies in Classic Airframes1/48 scale Seahawk kits. Like other Eduard mask sets, this one is made of Kabuki tape (similar to Tamiya’s masking tape) and contains precut masks for the kit’s windscreen, canopy, gunsight, and wheels. The masks will adhere well to any flat or curved surface, so masking is easily accomplished, and the masks can be removed after paining is completed. A simple instruction sheet is included to guide the… more |
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Supermarine Attacker F.1Published:
It seems amazing to me that Trumpeter is the fourth model company to market a 1/48 scale plastic kit of the Supermarine Attacker F.1 (the others being Classic Airframes, Falcon, and Magna Models). Amazing because this aircraft’s single most significant reason for mention in the history of aviation is the fact that it was the Fleet Air Arm‘s first jet fighter. It was not particularly successful in that role…it was just the first. Conceived late in WW II from a previous RAF jet fighter project to satisfy Air Ministry Specification E.10 (1944), the Attacker was, in some ways, a jet version of the Supermarine Spiteful. It had a more portly fuselage, but it shared the same wing and the same undercarriage…all the way down to its tailwheel stance. The Attacker’s development progressed… more |
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Modelers’ Guide to the P-38 LightningPublished:
Modelers’ Guide to the P-38 Lightning is the third in a series of books published by Aero Research to aid modelers who want to build accurate models of specific aircraft. According to the first sentence in the book’s introduction: “This book is a guide to building any military variant of the P-38 Lightning, using existing kits.” That is not an understatement. The book will be a very useful reference for anyone planning to build any P-38. All variants, from prototype to the M model (and all photo-recon versions) are included. Author Jay Sherlock has done a thorough job of researching and organizing pertinent information that modelers usually find they need sometime during a project. As a matter of fact, the book will come in handy before starting the project – when deciding… more |
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Fokker D.VII (Albatros-built) Decals Part 2Published:
This is the second decal set released by Wingnut Wings with alternate markings for their new 1/32 Fokker D.VII kits. As noted in my review of Fighting Fokkers part 1, Fokker D.VII fighters were built by three manufacturers: Fokker, Albatros, and OAW, and this set (#30007) provides the unique markings for five of the Fokker D.VII fighters that were built by the Albatros…plus two bonus D.VIIs (as described below). The following comments mirror those in my previous review of set #30006 for Fokker-built D.VIIs: Set #30007 comes in the same large, clear zip-lock pouch as other Wingnut Wings sets. It includes the two sheets pictured below that provide the pilots’ personal markings for five aircraft (plus 2 bonus marking options). Decals for the upper and lower 5-color lozenge… more |
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Fokker D.VII (Fokker-built) Decals, Part 1Published:
With the recent release of Wingnut Wings’ multiple 1/32 Fokker D.VII kits, it’s not surprising that they also quickly offered a number of decal sets with markings for aircraft other than those provided in their kits. Fokker D.VIIs were built by three manufacturers: Fokker, Albatros, and OAW, and this set (#30006) provides markings for five Fokker D.VII fighters that were built by the Fokker works. There are two sheets in this set. They provide the markings that were unique to five individual aircraft. Decals for the upper and lower 5-color lozenge camouflage areas that were common to all five of these aircraft are not included in the set, but are available in lozenge sets from Wingnut Wings (see previous reviews on this site for more information). The decals, like all of the… more |
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Windsock Datafile 156, Early AVRO 504 BiplanesPublished:
Windsock Datafiles from Albatros Productions are very familiar to most of those who have been building WW I aircraft models for some time. And, a number of those who have been awakened to that era by the recent introduction of 1/32 scale kits from Wingnut Wings, Roden, Special Hobby, and others have discovering the value of collecting these publications. Number 156 in the series has just been published and it is the second Datafile about the AVRO 504. However, it is a companion to the earlier title because, unlike Datafile 28, this volume focuses attention on the types that preceded the 504K. In Datafile 156, author Colin Owers presents a somewhat rambling but very well-researched history of this iconic AVRO biplane. The text details efforts… more |
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Windsock Worldwide, Vol.28 No.6Published:
The Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Windsock Worldwide concludes Volume 28 and serves as further proof that Albatross Productions continues to publish the best WW I aircraft modeling magazine available anywhere. This issue of the bi-monthly publication provides a number of exclusives for WW I aircraft model builders and historians. The cover photos provide a look at two of them: Wingnut Wings’ new Fokker D.VII kits, and TVAL’s third full-size replica, an Albatros D.Va. Inside, the first regular column; the READER’S GALLERY, presents six featured models in 1/48 and 1/32 scale…with one, a Roland D.II cleverly constructed from LEGO pieces. Then, LOGBOOK ENTRIES reviews a new book titled Nachtflugzeug! German N-Types of WW I, and the latest issue of Cross and Cockade… more |
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Windsock Worldwide Vol.28, No.5Published:
After 28 years of publishing, Ray Rimell’s Windsock Worldwide should be a familiar periodical reference to any serious WWI model aircraft builder. It’s fair to say that any such builder who is not familiar with the publication has been missing a lot and has been pursuing the subject at a great disadvantage when compared to those who look forward to the mailing of each new issue. Windsock Worldwide is, without a doubt, THE reference on the subject. The September/October 2012 issue continues to deliver what can be best described as the bread and butter of WWI model aircraft news and information. This issue follows the now-familiar format…regular columns presented in order, with the center of the issue devoted to one or more featured subjects. This issue will be… more |
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J2M5/6 Type 33/31 RaidenPublished:
The J2M5/6 Raiden interceptors were introduced into combat in small numbers by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the last year and a half of the war and proved to be good defense against American B-29 missions over the Japanese homeland. There were less than 50 operational J2M5s and only two J2M6s, and they served in units along with J2M3s (since there were only two J2M4 prototypes). Sword’s new kit offers a better way of reproducing these aircraft in 1/72 scale than modifying one of the older Hasegawa J2M3 kits. The J2M5 and J2M6 were similar in appearance, with the same style of bulged top canopy, but they differed in a significant way…the J2M5 had a mechanical driven supercharger that decreased power by approximately 30%. The J2M5 did have a smaller under-cowl air intake scoop than the… more |