Roger Rasor
Reviews By Author
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Air Modeller #34, February/March 2011Published:
Contents:
This publication has become a premier showplace for some wonderful model aircraft. The publication’s cover banner “SHOWCASING THE VERY BEST IN SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING” is an accurate promise. Everything David Goudie said in his review of Issue Number 32… more |
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Vital Storm: Early Hurricanes - Pt 2Published:
Aviaeology offers a variety of decal sets for model builders who build 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale WWII Aircraft flown by Commonwealth nations. Among them are two sets to finish early Hawker Hurricanes. Set #AOD480007.2 provides markings for 1/48 scale Hurricanes in service during the Battle of Britain and beyond. Obviously, since it is part 2, there also is a part 1 that will be reviewed elsewhere on this site. This set, like the others, appears to be based on considerable research, and the fact that it is produced for Aviaelology by Zotz assures model builders of high print quality. Full instruction sheets are included that provide complete black & white left and right profiles and plan views for each aircraft. And, full color PDF images of the illustrations on the instruction… more |
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RAF Fighter Pilot - Battle of BritainPublished:
Ultracast has added a 1/32 scale RAF Battle of Britain pilot to their growing line of resin figures. With the recent releases (and rereleases) of numerous 1/32 scale Spitfire kits, it’s not surprising that this manufacturer has chosen this time to offer a kit that builds into an appropriate figure for this aircraft. Five light cream-colored resin parts make up this kit and, as with all other offerings from Ultracast, the parts are beautifully cast and bubble free. As the photo below shows, the kit provides the main torso, head (with flying helmet and goggles), left and right arm and legs that are attached to pour blocks by thin connecting sprue that are very easy to remove and clean up. Overall, the details are crisp and the proportions are believable. The flight uniform, boots… more |
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Battle of Britain, The Fight for Survival in 1940Published:
When we hear the words Battle of Britain, those of us who build aircraft models, especially those flown in WW II, immediately think of Spitfires and Hurricanes fending off what was, during that summer of 1940, the best air force in the world. They were the icons of that aerial struggle, but they were only part of the story. The Battle of Britain was also the story of young fighter pilots who flew the Spitfires and Hurricanes, as well as those who piloted lesser-known RAF aircraft and those pilots and gunners of Coastal Command who protected convoys in aircraft bearing names like Hudson, Skua, and Roc. On the ground, the Battle of Britain also was the Home Guard training for the expected invasion; the aerial spotters with tin hats and binoculars; neighbors sadly picking through their… more |
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P-40 Wheels & Paint MasksPublished:
Aires now offers two types of resin wheels for detailing P-40 models built from 1/72 Academy kits (as well as those marketed by other kit manufacturers). By producing these two sets, Aires actually provides something for detailing all versions of the P-40 (and P-36) in 1/72 scale. Both sets also include pre-cut vinyl paint masks and painting instructions. The resin castings feature crisp details and are accurate representations of the real thing. Set #7257 provides a pair of wheels with straight tread tires on the later style eight-spoke hubs that Curtiss introduced with the N model P-40. They are more accurately detailed than the kit wheels provided in the Academy kit…that have a diamond tread pattern. These wheels, in reality, were actually smaller than the ones equipped on… more |
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P-47D Oil CoolerPublished:
Quickboost recently released a set of detail parts for the 1/72 Tamiya P-47D that shows their unique focus on accuracy. Set QB 72 282 provides model builders with a pair of oil coolers that will not only add an often-overlooked detail, but also correct a distortion that is molded into the kit fuselage parts. Tamiya’s practice of simplifying kit construction usually leads to molding as much detail as possible into major parts. This sometimes leads to less than perfect shapes here and there (such as those oval shaped rivet depressions along the mating surfaces of both fuselage halves). The oil cooler louvres molded into the kit’s fuselage halves are incorrectly angled upward so they will release from the molds. This inaccuracy becomes very obvious when the kit's parts are… more |
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Macchi C.202/205 Wheels & Paint MasksPublished:
Aires has release a number of resin detail parts for Macchi WWII fighters in 1/48 scale. Among them is a set of wheels (with paint masks) for the Macchi C.202/205. The wheels are molded in the familiar medium density gray resin that Aires uses and they come on a common casting block. The wheels can be removed easily from the casting block with an x-acto knife or a small saw blade. The detail is crisp, delicate and convincing. No clean up is required and there are no pinholes to worry about. If care is exercised when removing the wheels from the casting block, the subtle tread pattern can be preserved. The paint masks are a bit rigid and do not actually conform to the deep radius of the tire sidewall near the wheel hub. However, they do a good job of protecting the tires (that… more |
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French Tanks of WW IPublished:
Number 173 in Osprey’s NEW VANGUARD series provides a concise history of FRENCH TANKS OF WORLD WAR I. In this soft cover book, author Steven J. Zaloga focuses on the three main tanks developed by France during World War I. In ten chapters, Author Zaloga describes how an innovative military concept was brought to reality, perfected and effectively employed in its intended role, and how the most successful of them soldiered on after the war and on to the brink of WW II. Both France and Britain conceived and began developing the military tank at about the same time as an effective way of dealing with the virtual battlefield stalemate brought about by trench warfare. The book describes how France was the first to introduce the new weapon into combat and eventually fielded more of… more |
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Spitfire Mk IX Wheels and Paint MasksPublished:
Aires has added a set of 1/32 Spitfire resin wheels/tires (with paint masks) to their continually growing line of detail parts. Although labeled for Mk.IX Spitfires, these wheels are appropriate replacements for those found on most marks. The set features the early four-spoke wheels with typical smooth tires. They easily will fit the new Tamiya kits as well as the PCH kits and the earlier offerings from Hasegawa and Revell. Detail is exquisite…the hubs even exhibit the recessed valve stem and the tires have a realistic flat bottom with just the hint of a bulge. All appears to be spot on, as our friends in the UK might say. The wheels are cast in a soft gray resin and each comes attached at one point on a shared casting block. They can be clipped off the casting block with sprue… more |
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AFV Modeller, #55 November/December 2010Published:
Many military vehicle modelers look forward to each issue of AFV Modeller showing up in their mailbox or on the local hobby shop’s rack. A look at the contents of issue 55 will quickly tell you why. In this issue, there are seven featured multi-page articles, forty-two product and publications reviews and a showcase of inspirational models entered in the 2011 Euro Militaire. The first article in this issue documents Lars Richter’s build of the new Trumpeter 1/35 scale Russian T-62 Main Battle Tank kit. The eight-page feature covers everything from opening the box to adding the final weathering. In the end, Lars says the kit is highly recommended. The second article describes how Andy Guilden went about conceiving and building the late winter diorama featured on the… more |