Scott retired from the commercial nuclear industry with over thirty years of experience in Maintenance, Engineering, and Training. Prior to that he served on two aircraft carriers during his time in the U.S. Navy. He has been building models for over 50 years with his first kit being purchased with money from his grandparents for his sixth birthday. With a stash that consists of more aircraft than anything else, Scott still enjoys building a little bit of everything (including but not limited to tanks, cars, show cars, military vehicles (aside from tanks), ships, figures, real space, and some science fiction), which keeps his stash growing. Scott and his wife Fern reside in southwest lower Michigan, not far from South Bend, Indiana, and have three adult children and currently three grandchildren as well as a small dog and a large cat.
Scott Hollingshead
Reviews By Author
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Micro Pyramid – Shanked Reamer RM (2.5mm)Published:
During the IPMS USA Nationals this year, John Vojtech was kind enough to provide several of his tools from Unique Master Models (UMM) to the IPMS Review Corps, and this was the item I was fortunate enough to receive. Consisting of an ergonomic plastic handle with pyramid-shaped reamer tip, with a built-in label identifying the reamer size for quick recognition. Measuring five inches in length, the reamer is quite comfortable to hold, and the pyramid-shaped tip is made of hardened tool steel. Useful for opening holes in kits used for attaching parts, opening existing holes, or cleaning the ends of tubing, there are many possibilities for using this reamer. The diminutive size will also allow for better control on smaller items. My hits with this release starts with the… more |
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F4F-4 Wildcat, Martlet V Landing Gear (Rev)(for 1/32 Revell)Published:
Scale Aircraft Conversions now has over thirty years of experience supplying resin and white metal parts to model builders, and their product listing continues to expand. This is the twelfth landing gear set from SAC that I have reviewed, and once again, they have provided an excellent metal option for kit-supplied landing gear. This set is intended for the 1/32 scale F4F-4 released by Revell and I happen to have kit 85-6876 that was released in 2004 in my stash. The purpose of this replacement set is to provide stronger landing gear that is adjustable, if necessary, to obtain the proper angles. Even with no previous experience in using white metal parts, this set will provide an upgrade that most modelers will have no issue installing. The beauty of the white metal used by… more |
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Dornier Do 335 Pfeil B: Top Drawings #103Published:
For fans of the Dornier 335 Pfeil (Arrow), this book will be an important addition to your library with a combination of 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale line drawings and color plates. Modelers will find the details provided in the drawings as valuable references, and aviation enthusiasts will also find particulars such as the cross-sectional views interesting. I would highly recommend this recent release from Kagero as an addition to your library. Written in both Polish and English, the book begins with a short introduction on the plane stating that the Do 335A did not meet all Luftwaffe requirements, specifically the thin cockpit armor prevented the plane from use as an interceptor. In the summer of 1944, the modified Do 335B was developed with improved cockpit armor and a new… more |
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F4F-4 Wildcat – Expert SetPublished:
While Arma Hobby has been in business since 2013, they are a newer company to me, and this was my first opportunity to build one of their wonderful kits. Their mission is to manufacture the highest quality plastic kits that offer both extreme surface detail and are easy to build. While I will agree on the fantastic surface detail, I am not certain that I would call this kit easy to build. While I do highly recommend this kit, I do recommend that the builder have some experience before taking on a project like this. As a follow-up to the F4F-3, the F4F-4 began to see service in 1942 and added the ability to fold the wings aboard ship along with two additional .50 caliber machine guns. Other changes included the “L” shaped pitot tube, a carburetor scoop and eight flaps on the… more |
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WWII US Paratrooper Uniforms Figures SetPublished:
For anyone painting WWII US Paratrooper figures, Ammo by Mig has delivered with a new set of acrylic paints in their Figures set to make finding your colors easier. The set includes six colors (Yellow Green, Khaki Grey, Green Violet, Light Ochre, Buff, and Military Green), which will take care of the uniforms, web gear, and helmets. I find the Figures Set paints to be a little thicker than the standard Ammo colors, which aids in applying them with a paint brush. I would highly recommend this set to any modeler or figure painter that is working on US paratroopers of this era. To try out my paints, I pulled out my “U.S. Army Airborne (Normandy 1944)” set of figures from DML (kit 6010) released back in 1991 as part of the 1:35 ’39 – ’45 series. While good for their time, the… more |
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Vought F7U-3/3M Cutlass Detail SetPublished:
If you are looking to spruce up your 1/72 scale Fujimi F7U-3/3M Gutless, I mean Cutlass of course, look no further than Obscureco Aircraft and their release this year of a detail set for this plane. The set includes a cockpit, two different ejection seats, a replacement nose gear well, under canopy shelf, and canopy interior bulkhead. While I would recommend some experience with resin before using this set, everything fits well, and it is not too great of a challenge to add to your plane. Chris Bucholtz should be a name familiar to my fellow IPMS/USA members as the Editor of our fine Journal, and he also runs Obscureco Aircraft, maker of resin detail items in 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale. Finding a web page proved to be a challenge, but I have read that he has a Facebook page or… more |
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SUPERglossPublished:
To start my review, I want to thank Phil Peterson for his efforts at the IPMS Nationals in reaching out to vendors for products for the IPMS Review Corps. As a result of his work this year, I can review for you the ScaleFinish SUPERgloss clear coat, which I had great results with, and would highly recommend. Spraying the product at 20 psi using my airbrush, I had no issues getting the results I wanted. Packaged in a plastic 2-ounce bottle, SUPERgloss only has the following instructions on the label, “pre-thinned” and “Shake well before use. Spray at 20-30 psi.” The product is an acrylic enamel, so it does have a mild aroma when used, but nothing too bad. I applied two coats of SUPERgloss to make dead flat paint glossy enough for decal application, and then sprayed an… more |
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F6F-5D/K Hellcat "Target Drone"Published:
Platz Hobby produces several kits in 1/144 scale (currently 394 to be exact), and I was fortunate enough to receive this two-plane kit for review. In addition to the parts for two aircraft, there are markings for four different planes included. Construction was quick, and the detail is very good for this scale. Modelers familiar with working with small parts should not have issues building this release, and I would highly recommend it. There have been many releases of the F6F in its variants over the years, so I probably do not need to mention much more on the history of a plane that had over 10,000 copies released during WWII. The dash 5K planes featured in this release were used following WWII as drones, drone controllers, and to tow targets. The final combat missions seen by… more |
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MiG-15 Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions now has over thirty years of experience supplying resin and white metal parts to model builders, and their product listing continues to expand. This is the eleventh landing gear set from SAC that I have reviewed, and once again, they have provided an excellent metal option for kit-supplied landing gear. This set is intended for the 1/48 scale MiG-15 released by Tamiya (I have kits 89535 (silver color plated) and 89573 (clear edition) in my stash while other releases include the original 61043, 61080 (clear edition re-release), and 89729 with GAZ-67B)). The purpose of this replacement set is to provide stronger landing gear that is adjustable if necessary to obtain the proper angles. Even with no previous experience in using white metal parts, this set will… more |
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German Medium Tank Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. G/H/JPublished:
For all fans of the most produced German Tank of WWII, the Panzer IV, Michaէ Kuchciak and the folks of Kagero have put out a wonderful book on the final three variants of the tank. The 80 pages are filled with line black and white photos, drawings, eight pages of color side view lithographs, and an enclosed lithograph of an Ausf. H vehicle. Filled with history and technical details, I can highly recommend this new offering from Kagero in their in-Combat line! With the recent releases of the Panzer IV in kit form, this well-timed publication will provide plenty of inspiration and information for those who build one of these kits. Starting with “Battaillonfűhrerwagen”, the book describes tank development following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 in the early 1930’… more |