Tom Moon
Reviews By Author
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Auto Modeling Magazine No 32 January 2016Published:
BackgroundAuto Modeling is a high quality Japanese language magazine from publisher ModelArt. Each edition features models of cars, mostly racecars, from various race series and eras. Many of the previous editions focused on Formula One cars in different time periods. The magazine has Japanese text, but some of the titles and headings are in English. The photographs are numerous and very high quality. ContentsThis issue, Volume 32, December 2015, has the following sections:
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Pz.Beob.Wg. V Panther mit 5cm KwK.39Published:
This kit is a model of a proposed vehicle to build a Panther Reconnaissance tank mounting a turret under consideration for the 8 wheeled PanzerSpahwagen using the 5cm KwK 39 gun. A project was started in January 1942 by Krupp & Rheinmetall with a projected delivery of Oct/Nov 1942. The project was not pursued and the painting schemes are pure conjecture. This kit has approximately 288 styrene parts, DS tracks, no photo etched parts, and much worse set of instructions, they need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together. This kit follows Dragon’s current practice of taking sprues from different kits, adding a couple of sprues of new parts to create a variant that has not been done before. Dragon took the gun from the 8 Rad Armored Car and added a… more |
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Pz.Kpfw.IV mit Panther F TurretPublished:
This kit is a model of a proposed design by the Krupp AG company. The thought was to upgrade the firepower of the Pz IV with the newly designed Panther turret with its 7.5cm KwK L/70 gun. Nothing came from this proposal and the painting schemes are pure conjecture. This is a multimedia kit comprised of 477+ styrene parts, DS tracks, 1 photo etched parts fret, and much worse set of instructions. They need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together. This kit follows Dragon's current practice of taking sprues from different kits, adding a couple of sprues of new parts, and creating a variant that has not been done before. They have also done the same for the instructions, taking from multiple instructions and trying to paste them together to create a… more |
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Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV Ausf J w/Zimmerit Fahrgestell; Nr 92200Published:
This is a multimedia kit comprised of 470+ styrene parts on 24 sprues, DS tracks, one photo etched fret, decals and the set of instructions that need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together. The DS tracks were packed well enough to not be misshaped with the guide horns flattened as it has been noted in the past. Most Dragon models today are a collection of old sprues and new sprues added to create a new kit variant. In this case, Dragon has done so and you will have some sprues with the same letter but are called out by the color and sprue letters in upper and lower case. There are not many options for you to choose between and none require you to do so before you start. You can pick as you go along. Step 1. This step is the assembly of… more |
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Germany’s East Wall in World War IIPublished:
The book is divided into 8 chapters with an introduction, index, a Bibliography and Glossary & Abbreviations:
This illustrated volume analyses the different defensive elements of the East Wall, the phases of their construction, the shifting strategic focus, and what life was like for those manning the defenses in the final days of the war. ConclusionThe book is a quick read and is well researched and documented. From the modelers perspective this will not give you many ideas for dioramas, but as a quick review of the East Wall… more |
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FIAT MefistofelePublished:
The one-off racing car “Eldridge", derived from the old Fiat SB4 chassis, became known as Mephistofele for the infernal noise emitted by its powerful aircraft 6-cylinder in-line engine, giving a capacity over 20,000 cm3, not attenuated by exhaust mufflers kept “free” to provide the most significant performance. On 12th July 1924 in Arpajon, the Mefistofele was able to reach, driven by its pilot and designer Ernest Eldrige, the amazing speed, for the time, of 146.01 miles per hour (over 230 Km/h) and broke the World Land Speed Record achieving an impressive result. The Mefistofele, was characterized by the high back bodywork able to contain the powerful Fiat A-12 liquid-cooled engine and for its structure especially made to achieve the speed record. This kit is an apparent… more |
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Honda HSR500 “1989 WGP500 Champion”Published:
After winning the 1988 WGP500 for Yamaha, Eddie Lawson jumped ship and went to ride for Honda. Despite extremely stiff competition at events all over the world, Eddie Lawson's finishes were consistently in the top two, with four first place finishes. With all his wins combined, Eddie won the 1989 Grand Prix Championships for the Rothmans-Kanemoto-Honda team, making him the only rider in history to win two consecutive championships with two different teams.. Hasegawa’s offering of the Honda NSR500 has 192 parts included in the kit, including a clear windshield, two rubber tires, four metal screws, a metal spring, and two colors (black and clear) of rubber tubing. The body panels and wheels are molded in white, while the other sprues are in a medium gray. There are three options… more |
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Tiger I Ausf. H2 7.5cm Kwk 42Published:
This kit is a model of a prototype by the Henschel company. This is a multimedia kit comprised of 420+ styrene parts, DS tracks, 4 preformed photo etched parts, and 2 preformed steel wires, and a much better set of instructions, but they still need to be reviewed carefully before gluing any parts together. Step 1. This step is the assembly of the drive sprockets, and idler wheels. There is a lot of the rear plate that will have some material removed. Step 2 & 3. These steps build the road wheels. The road wheel arms are molded in place on the hull. This is similar to what Dragon does on their 1/72 scale kits. However, it does not allow for articulated road wheels for diorama purposes, unless you do a lot of work to remove them and rebuild them in a different… more |
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Panzerbeobachtungswagen III Ausf.F Sd.Kfz.143Published:
This is a multimedia kit comprised of 470+ styrene parts on 24 sprues, DS tracks, one photo-etched fret, decals and the set of instructions that need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together. The DS tracks are misshaped with the guide horns flattened, there is substantial flash on the side, and the locating holes to glue the ends together do not line up with the pins on the other end. I tried to salvage these by using the Hobby Trax forms to straighten the guide horns. Generally I was successful, but if your model is to be shown in a contest, I suggest that you replace the tracks with individual links (Magic Tracks or Fruil). Most Dragon models today are a collection of old sprues with additional new sprues added to create a new variant. Dragon has done so… more |
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Panzerkampfwagen VI(P) w/ZimmeritPublished:
This is a multimedia kit comprised of 470+ styrene parts on 24 sprues, DS tracks, two small photo etched fret, decals and the set of instructions that need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together. The DS tracks have no shape or sag. I have tried to introduce this shape by using the Hobby Trax forms. Generally I was successful, but if your model is to be shown in a contest, I suggest that you replace the tracks with individual links (magic tracks or Fruil). Most Dragon models today are a collection of old sprues and new sprues added to create a new kit variant. In this case, Dragon has done so and you will have some sprues with the same letter but are called out by the color (see Sprues Blue A & L).
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