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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USAAF Fighter Pilot WWII - 8th Army (European Battlefields)Published:
If you are looking to add a figure to your latest WWII fighter plane serving in the European theater, you may want to investigate the latest offering from the Aires Aerobonus line. The figure is posed climbing out of the cockpit of your plane of choice, with a thumb up to indicate a successful mission. With a little care in removing the parts from the pour plug, and some painting, this figure is an easy addition for most modelers to place in the plane of their creation. The packaging for this figure is simple with a clear plastic bag containing the figure parts (body, arms, and two optional heads) as well as a folded sheet of paper that provides drawings of the assembled figure with both heads, and painting recommendations. The build was quick and easy, as the arms and head are… more |
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Devil 501 & Devil 505 USN A-6E Intruders on the Big ScreenPublished:
If you enjoyed the movie "Flight of the Intruder" that was released back in 1991 (and now I feel old), AOA Decals now provides you with the ability to replicate the aircraft flown by the Squadron Commanding Officer, or by the main character. Commander Frank "Dooke" Camparelli (as played by Danny Glover) along with Bombardier Navigator Lt. Carl "Hero" Aldana flew in Devil 501 while Lt. Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton (played by Brad Johnson) flew Devil 505 with BN Lt. Morgan "Morg" McPherson (played by Christopher Rich), and later LCDR Virgil "Tiger" Cole (played by Willem Dafoe). Although the movie was not critically acclaimed, and did not make enough at the box office to offset the production costs, it remains an interesting movie to some of us, and it has plenty of scenes starring the A-6… more |
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Tie Down Points (Star Type) US Aircraft CarrierPublished:
For those unfamiliar with carrier aviation, when an aircraft is not actively in use, it is secured to the deck using a come-along device between attachment points on the aircraft and tie downs on the deck. The tie downs are dished out areas on the deck (flight deck and hangar bay) with a welded on set of metal rods that form a star shape. I became most familiar with a flight deck tie down during my shellback initiation as I blew the water out of one of the tie downs as I awaited the next station. When the flight deck or hangar bay has a fresh coat of non-skid applied, the tie downs are masked off. Depending on the era of the carrier you are modeling, you will find tie downs painted either white or a dark gray (I prefer Model Master Engine Gray to represent this). Although it is… more |
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MG–14/17 Parabellum WWI gunPublished:
Developed in 1917 as a follow up to the MG-14, the MG-14/17 Parabellum was a machine gun used on WWI German aircraft that was capable of firing 700 rounds per minute of its deadly 7.92 mm ammunition. In addition to use on aircraft, my internet research also located photos of the guns used by the infantry. The offset 3-power scope shown in many of the photos is included with this Eduard release. Eduard did a great job capturing the detail of the MG-14/17 with the gun itself, ammunition drum, and scope being cast in resin, while the ammunition drum faces and their details, barrel handle, front sight, scope mounts, scope ring, and trigger/guard being photo etched parts. The set includes 11 parts for each gun, with two guns contained in the kit, and a single sheet of paper with… more |
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MG–14 Parabellum WWI gunPublished:
Developed as a replacement for the Maschinengewehr 08, the MG-14 Parabellum was a machine gun used on WWI German aircraft that was capable of firing 700 rounds per minute of its deadly 7.92 mm ammunition. Although Anthony Fokker used this model gun in the development of the synchronizing gear for his aircraft, the gun was typically used in the flexible mounts of reconnaissance aircraft, bombers, and Zeppelins. The lighter weight of the gun (as compared to the MG-08), high rate of fire, and reduction in the size of the ammunition belt, set the MG-14 apart as a weapon of choice. Eduard did a great job capturing the detail of the MG-14 with the stock/receiver and ammunition drum being cast in resin, while the ammunition drum faces and their details, barrel jacket, front sight, and… more |
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US Navy Crew Chief (Modern)Published:
A relative newcomer to model accessories is the Italian company Videoaviation, which started producing items in 2012, and was recently picked up as a supplier of review items for the IPMS/USA Review Corps. The founder states that he was a former video producer of military aviation subjects, who has now turned to producing accessories for modelers. He mentions that development is performed using CAD (Computer Aided Design) and then printed with “rapid prototyping devices”, which allows for simultaneously producing an item in 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale. My review is the US Navy Crew Chief Set, which includes one saluting figure and one standing at ease. The figures are cast in a flesh colored resin that seemed to clean up more like a plastic than a resin. The saluting figure… more |
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Horton Ho 229 Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions celebrated their Silver Anniversary last year, and now have over twenty-five years of supplying resin and white metal parts to model builders. This is the seventh 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 Horton Ho 229 flying wing that was released by Zoukei-Mura last year (kit 3 of the 1/48 scale Super Wing Series). The purpose of this replacement set is to provide stronger landing gear that is adjustable if necessary to obtain 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… more |
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AIM-4DPublished:
A word of caution up front, if you read my previous review on the 1/72 scale AIM-4D release by Eduard, this is going to seem very familiar. If you missed this review, then please enjoy what follows. With development beginning in 1946, the Hughes AIM-4 Falcon, or more precisely, a version of a missile that would become the Falcon, was first launched for testing in 1949, and would become the first operational air-to-air missile of the U.S. Air Force. The AIM-4D, or GAR-2B, was the final version of the original missile, and around 4000 of these missiles were built with the first of them entering service in 1963. The missile had a less than spectacular combat record in Vietnam claiming five aircraft (four MiG-17’s and a single MiG-21) for 54 missiles launched, and by 1973, the AIM-… more |
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Bv P178 Tank Hunter w/ 'fliegerfaust' B Rocket SystemPublished:
Whether you are interested in German paper projects of World War 2, a fan of Luftwaffe ’46 planes, or just a builder of unique aircraft, allow me to direct your attention to this recent release from Bronco Models. The relatively low parts count (57 in all) allows for a quick build for modelers with only limited experience. The only challenge may be a few small items, but these are not too daunting with a good pair of tweezers. The beauty of a kit like this is that you cannot go wrong with any paint scheme or markings that you choose, as no one will ever have a photo of the real thing to prove you wrong. Blohm and Voss created the asymmetric BV-141 reconnaissance plane, first flown in 1940, which would be the start of the innovation that would lead to the design of the P178.… more |
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F4D-1 Skyray Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions celebrated their Silver Anniversary last year, and now have over twenty-five years of supplying resin and white metal parts to model builders. This is the sixth 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 1/72 scale F4D-1 Douglas Skyray that was released by Tamiya in 1998 (kit 41 of the 1/72 scale War Bird Collection). The purpose of this replacement set is to provide stronger landing gear that is adjustable if necessary to obtain 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 |