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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Zeppelin vs British Home Defence 1915-1918Published:
If you are a person interested in the Great War, you will likely enjoy this new release from Osprey as part of their “Duel” series of books. In this new offering from Osprey Publishing, author Jon Guttman writes about the attacks of the German Zeppelins on England from January 1915 through August 1918 as well as the British defensive actions against them. Illustrated by Jim Laurier, both the artwork and the photographs tell the history of the Zeppelin and the aircraft used to counter them. Following the Introduction, there are eight chapters, which are titled “Chronology”, “Design and Development”, “Technical Specifications”, “the Strategic Situation”, “The Combatants”, “Combat”, “Statistics and Analysis”, and “Aftermath”. There is also a “Further Reading” list of books and an… more |
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USS Constitution A Midshipman’s Pocket Manual, 1814Published:
For those interested in the early days of the United States Navy, and particularly the USS Constitution, this new release from Osprey is a fun an interesting read. Explained early on as a work of fiction, this book provides a “what if” look at how such a manual may have appeared during the War of 1812. Covering the early days of the Navy and more importantly, the history of “Old Ironsides” from her beginnings to her current status in the Boston National Historical Park, there is much to learn about the oldest ship in the U.S. Navy. Following the Introduction, the chapters of the book are as follows: Mister Midshipman, The Frigate Constitution, Manning Constitution, Matters Medical, Provisioning Constitution, Sailing Constitution, Boarding the Enemy, Of Prizes and Pensions, “Old… more |
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The Hindenburg Line 1918, Haig’s Forgotten TriumphPublished:
If you are a person interested in the Great War, you will likely enjoy this new release from Osprey as part of their “Campaign” series of books. In this new offering from Osprey Publishing, author Alister McCluskey writes about the late war offensive on what the Allies referred to as “the Hindenburg Line” on the Western Front. The story along with photos (both historical and of the landscape today), artwork, and maps helps to tell the story of the battles that raged from late September into early October 1918. This offering by Osprey is written in eight chapters, which are titled “The Strategic Situation”, “Chronology”, “Opposing Commanders”, “Opposing Forces”, “Opposing Plans”, “The Campaign”, “Aftermath”, and “The Battlefield Today”. There is also a “Further… more |
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A-4 Skyhawk Landing Gear (HB) (for 1/48 Hobby Boss)Published:
Scale Aircraft Conversions now has over twenty-seven years of experience supplying resin and white metal parts to model builders, and their product listing continues to expand. This is the ninth 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 A-4 Skyhawk that was recently released by Hobby Boss (kit 81764). 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… more |
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F-14A Cockpit SetPublished:
Let me begin by stating that the folks at Tamiya did a fantastic job with their release of an F-14A last year in 1/48 scale. The all-new kit is one of, if not the best Tomcat in this scale, with the typical engineering that applies to everything Tamiya produces. With that being said, some modelers want to add just a little something more to their projects, and once again Eduard comes to our assistance with the release of a cockpit set for the Tamiya kit. Everything that you would want or need up front is contained in one package with both resin and photoetched parts being included. I would highly recommend this set to any modeler who feels the need to have the extra detail in their Tomcat’s cockpit. Upon opening this set, you will find 31 gray resin parts, one clear resin part… more |
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Seatbelts USN WWII fighters STEELPublished:
If you want to add some great looking seatbelts to your next U.S. Navy fighter of the Second World War, you need to look no further than Eduard. This is my second review of Eduard Steel seatbelts, and I am still amazed at what the company is producing in photoetched products. The belts are easy enough to install for those with some photoetch experience, the only challenging part is installing the clasp on the left side seatbelt, but I would still highly recommend this set! The single photoetch fret for this release contains four full sets of seatbelts, which are pre-painted in khaki and green (there are two sets in each color) along with leather pads and clasps. The lap belt attaching to the left side of the seat (if you were in the seat) receives the leather pad and the clasp… more |
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F-14A Weapons SetPublished:
If you prefer the added level of detail provided by aftermarket resin items, Eduard has recently released a set that you will love for arming your F-14A Tomcat. Consisting of the AIM-9G/H Sidewinder, AIM-7E Sparrow, and AIM-54A Phoenix, this Big Sin set provides four of each missile in glorious resin detail. I would highly recommend the set, and if you have some experience fitting resin parts, and working with fine decals, you should have no problem building and marking these missiles for your Tomcat. The Phoenix has always been of interest to me as the missile was developed from the AIM-47 Falcon, which was being designed for use on the A-12 version of the SR-71 that never entered service, and the F-108 Rapier, which also never entered service. The start of the AIM-54 project… more |
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German Submarine U-Boat Type VIIC/IXC 'U-Boat Aces Part 2' (Limited Edition)Published:
One of the latest releases from the folks at Hasegawa is a re-release of the waterline Type VIIC and IXC U-Boats in a limited edition form that includes photoetch parts and decals for the markings of four “Aces”. The kit includes four submarines in all, two of each type, as well as the bow and stern sections of two sinking merchant ships. Basic assembly is quick and easy, but installation of the photoetch railings requires removing the kit’s plastic representations and forming the metal replacement parts, which could challenge less experienced modelers. I would still highly recommend this kit to those interested in adding some small U-Boats to their collection. The Type VIIC was the most produced submarine for the Kriegsmarine with some 572 being built during the war as a short… more |
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F-16 Pilot Seated in A/CPublished:
Are you looking to add a little life to your 1/32 scale F-16 Fighting Falcon? If so, you may want to consider the latest release in this scale from the folks at PJ Production. This is the third PJ Production figure that I have had the pleasure of reviewing, and like the other two, assembly was easy, with minimal part clean-up being required. The detail is reasonable for this scale, and the figure can be used with the Tamiya, Hasegawa, or Academy kit. The only modeling skill required involves painting a figure; otherwise, I would recommend this as an item manageable by modelers of nearly any skill level. There are a mere six parts for this particular figure, consisting of the body, arms, two optional heads, and a piece of tube for the oxygen mask. I found the resin easy to work… more |
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Littoral Combat Ships LCS-2 & LCS-4 Aerials, Masts, and Gun BarrelPublished:
For ship modelers looking to improve the look of their USS Independence (LCS-2) or USS Coronado (LCS-4) in 1/700 scale, the folks at Master Model now offer a set that includes aerials and a replacement gun barrel that look fantastic. The folks at Cyber-Hobby/Dragon did a great job of representing the kits in plastic, and these brass detail parts add a very nice touch. Modelers with experience handling small items should have no issues with utilizing this set. All of the items in this kit directly replace kit-provided parts, specifically parts 10, 26, 28, 31, and the gun barrel on part 27. All of the aerials will mount directly in place of the plastic ship parts, and the gun barrel will just require removing the plastic barrel and drilling a 0.3 mm hole to accept the replacement… more |
