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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Leather Color RangePublished:
For figure builders, or anyone who builds models that might have some leather (seat covers and the like), one of the latest releases from Ammo by Mig is a six-piece leather color range set. The colors vary from dark brown to rust ochre and should satisfy all your brown leather painting needs. The paints all have a stainless-steel mixing ball already contained in the bottles to aid in mixing, and the colors can be mixed to provide the base color, shadows, highlights, and even scratches and tears. I would highly recommend this set to any modeler looking to add some brown leather to their builds. This was my first experience with an Ammo Figures Set of paints, and I must say that it was an incredibly positive experience. For those who often use acrylic paints in 17ml containers, I… more |
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US Pilots with JHMCS Helmet Seated in a/cPublished:
If you are looking to add a little life to your modern 1/72 scale aircraft by including a pilot wearing the JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System) helmet, PJ Production has come to the rescue. This new release includes two pilot figures in slightly different poses and will look great in your F/A-18, F-15, F-22, or F-35. While also used in the F-16, the figures are seated at the wrong angle for the Falcon’s ejection seat but set 721124 will fulfill this need. For the detail created in these small figures, I would highly recommend this set as a great addition to the cockpit. From my research, this new style of helmet began to be ordered by Boeing in 2000, and by August of 2006, there were ten international customers ordering this system. The helmet is made to allow the pilot… more |
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The Fighter/Bomber Horten Ho 229Published:
For all fans of the Horten brothers’ all-wing jet of World War 2, Marek Ryś and the folks of Kagero have put out a wonderful book of drawings that will be a must have for rivet and screw counters, and of interest to those who have an affinity for this plane. Consisting of line drawings in 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scales, there are also four pages with color plates of the planes as well as two included foldout drawings in 1/48 and 1/32 scale. As a modeler and fan of the Ho 229, I can highly recommend this new offering from Kagero in their Top Drawings line! I have previously written that I have been a fan of the Horten Ho 229 since I first saw a built up 1/72 scale Pioneer 2 kit in a hobby shop located in Norfolk, Virginia, and immediately purchased one of the kits on their shelf (… more |
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Artillery Warfare 1939-1945Published:
For history buffs and modelers interested in artillery warfare during WWII, the folks at Pen and Sword have come through with an offering that provides extensive coverage of all manners of artillery. The different types of artillery, including the gun, howitzer, and mortar are covered in detail for all participants in the war as well as rockets that were used. Over 400 photographs and illustrations are contained in the book so that nearly every page contains one or more photographs or black and white drawing, all of which are well produced. In the Preface, Simon Forty mentions his late father-in-law Barry Hook, who was a gunner during the Second World War serving in France, North Africa, and Germany. The importance of Allied artillery in the European offensive is mentioned,… more |
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Essex Class Aircraft Carriers 1943-1991Published:
As a former carrier sailor, books on the history of these ships fascinate me, and both modelers and fans of the Essex-class carriers will enjoy this new release in the “Images of War” series from Pen and Sword in their Maritime line. There are some great photographs of the ships and their aircraft, along with some of astronaut recoveries. A total of 24 ships of the Essex-class were built and served well from World War II through Korea and Vietnam, with the last ship serving as a training carrier until 1991. After a single page of Abbreviations and a Note on US Navy Ship Designations, the Introduction discusses the needs of the U.S. Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was fortunate that by the time of the attack that the Essex design had been finalized and that five… more |
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Jet Fighters of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Part 2: Mach 1 and BeyondPublished:
Released in time to be added to Christmas wish lists, this latest offering from Detail and Scale covers every jet fighter aircraft used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the F-8 Crusader to the new F-35 Lightning II. This book contains 208 photographs (188 in color) and 10 full color aircraft profiles, and picks up where Part 1 left off. I would highly recommend this book to all fans of modern Naval/Marine Aviation, whether a modeler or not. IPMS members are likely familiar with Bert Kinzey, and have probably seen him in person when attending the Nationals, or some regional events. In his latest book, he covers what most would consider modern aircraft, starting with Vietnam-era planes and including everything up to the newest planes being flown today. Thirteen different… more |
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Schwinn Continental 10-Speed RacerPublished:
If you are looking for something a little different for your next build, want to have some fun, and even possibly remember your youth a bit, the folks at Round2 have released the kit for you! This Schwinn Continental 10-Speed is part of the MPC line of kits and follows their previous release of the Schwinn “Classic Krate” bikes. This was a quick build with no construction issues, and I would highly recommend it for modelers of all skill levels. First released in 1960 for an astonishing $86.95, the Schwinn 10-speed was produced for 22 years and was the American standard for this style of bike for many of those years. While the steel frame is now incredibly heavy when compared to the materials used today, for a generation, these were the gold standard. Available in an assortment… more |
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F-14D Super Tomcat Landing Gear (AMK)Published:
Scale Aircraft Conversions now has thirty years of experience supplying resin and white metal parts to model builders, and their product listing continues to expand. This is the tenth 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 F-14D Tomcat that was recently released by AMK (kit 88007). 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 Scale Aircraft Conversions for their gear is… more |
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AIM-9X SidewinderPublished:
For one of their latest releases, Brengun has issued a pair of AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles in 1/48 scale for arming your latest modern aircraft in this scale. This is a relatively easy upgrade for modelers that have some experience with resin and photoetched parts. Assembly is straightforward, which adds to the ease of using these replacement missiles. The AIM-9X is the latest development of the venerable Sidewinder missile, and manufactured by Raytheon, it is currently in use by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and more than two dozen NATO countries and U.S. allies. The missile uses infra-red tracking and actually maintains the rocket motor, warhead, and fuse of the predecessor AIM-9M. The big change with the X is the use of thrust vectoring to allow the missile to quickly change… more |
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Building the SpitfirePublished:
If you are in the market for a single, thorough modelers guide to the venerable Spitfire, this new offering from Model Aircraft Publications LTD would certainly fit the bill. With photos and text of scale model builds of the plane in 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, and 1/24 scale, this book covers 17 variants of one of the most famous fighter planes of WWII. For fans of the Spitfire looking to create their own in plastic, I would consider this a must-have book. While the company currently shows this as a pre-order item with a June 2020 release, I have recently seen it available through an online retailer here in the USA. The book begins with an eight-page introduction of the plane, and then moves into the 24 builds by various modelers, as compiled by Andy Evans. As mentioned, all four of the… more |
