Timothy Gidcumb
Reviews By Author
|
F-104 Starfighter In ActionPublished:
From the Author: Born from encounters with capable Communist aircraft during the Korean War, the F-104 took shape on Lockheed's drawing boards in late 1952. Engineered by a team led by famed designer Kelly Johnson the aircraft, dubbed the Starfighter, first flew on 4 March 1954. Known variously as a 'missile with a man in it' and 'an engine with wings' the Starfighter soon captioned many speed and altitude records, some of which stand today. Through over 160 vintage photos, including more than 60 color shots augmented by color profiles and numerous line drawings, this new 80-page volume chronicles the remarkable 50-year military career of this aircraft, which was used by no less than 15 nations. David Doyle continues to impressive with the latest In Action book on the F-104… more |
|
B-17 Wing Intake UpgradePublished:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it… more |
|
B-17 Exhausts w/Glycol BurnersPublished:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it… more |
|
B-17 Late Model G ExhaustsPublished:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it… more |
|
B-17 Pilot and Co-Pilot SeatsPublished:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it… more |
|
Bf 108 Wooden PropellerPublished:
The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun was a German single-engine sport and touring aircraft developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) in the 1930s. Originally designated the M 37, the aircraft was designed as a four-seat sports/recreation aircraft for competition in the 4th Challenge International de Tourisme. The M 37 prototype flew first in spring 1934 powered by a 250 PS (247 hp, 184 kW) Hirth HM 8U inverted-V engine, which drove a three-blade propeller. Although it was outperformed by several other aircraft in the competition, the M 37's overall performance marked it as a popular choice for record flights. Particular among these traits was its extremely low fuel consumption rate, good handling, and superb takeoff and landing characteristics. The Bf… more |
|
Lockheed Blackbird Beyond The Secret MissionsPublished:
From the PublisherIn 1986 Paul Crickmore's first groundbreaking book about the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was published. At that time, the Cold War was at its height and the SR-71 was an integral element in securing crucial intelligence from all parts of the globe. The highly sensitive nature of its missions couldn't be compromised, and it wasn't until the end of the Cold War that the operational exploits of this incredible aeronautical masterpiece could be openly written about. I was given the opportunity by IPMS and Osprey Publishing recently to review this book on the Lockheed Blackbird. This book has excellent details from the beginning of the program to the final disposition of the aircraft. This book is well written with many details and tons of pictures that I… more |
|
T-33A Shooting Star Landing GearPublished:
Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Scale Aircraft Conversions adaption of the T-33A landing gear in white metal for the 1/48 Great Wall kit. The set contains the two main gear legs with the accompanying struts, a nose gear that incorporates the landing lights and the retraction strut and oleo scissor. A very nice addition to the set is the 20 gram forward fuselage ballast nose weight reproduced in metal. These are direct replacements for the parts that come in the Great Wall T-33A. Comparing the kit landing gear and the SAC landing gear side by side you will notice similarities between the two, but a little better detail in the SAC offering including brake lines. Overall this is highly recommended for stronger landing gear and added detail and is a great… more |
|
Messerschmitt Bf 109G Gun BarrelsPublished:
Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Aires Messerschmitt Bf 109G Gun Barrels for the 1/48 Eduard 109G series of kits. One of the first things to notice with this product is the excellent presentation of the packaging with the sealed flap on the back of package to allow for easy access to parts. The molding on the resin gun barrels is excellent and they come off of the resin block with little effort. You receive 2 sets in the packaging, one set is of the MG 151/20MM canon that was used on the Bf109G. The G series 109 was designed to accept a variety of field conversion sets that allowed the changes to be made in the field. These were numbered from R-1 to R-7 with the MG 151/20MM canon under each wing being labeled R-6. These barrels make a good addition to… more |
|
Messerschmitt Bf 109G FlapsPublished:
Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Aires Messerschmitt Bf 109G Flaps for the 1/48 Eduard 109G series of kits. One of the first things to notice with this product is the excellent presentation and packaging of the product. The contents of the package contains 1 right and 1 left flap for the Eduard Bf109G series of kits. The flaps are easy to remove from the resin base by simply scoring the flap with your hobby knife and sanding the area smooth with some fine sandpaper or a nail file. There are some small differences between the resin flaps and the flaps that come in the Eduard Bf 109G kit. The rivet detail on the Aires flap is a lot less pronounced and finer in detail than the kit part, and the fit is tighter to the wing right out of the package… more |