Tom Pope
Reviews By Author
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Universal Military Pod and M8A1 US Landing MatPublished:
IntroductionThe CH-54 Tarhe helicopter was a workhorse for the US Army during the Vietnam War. As the nickname “Sky Crane” suggests, it was designed as a heavy-lift helicopter. It weighs 19,800 lbs. empty and could carry an additional 25,000 lbs. of cargo. The simple, but very robust, design has allowed it to last even to today – no longer in military use, but in commercial use for heavy construction, firefighting, humanitarian relief, and even supporting the rescue of a whale. In Vietnam, each CH-54 Company was issued a few Universal Military Pods to enable repositioning equipment and troops as needed in support of military operations. These pods also served as medivac units and mobile command posts. ICM has accurately reproduced a 1/35 scale kit of this pod, configured… more |
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Micro Pyramid – Shanked Reamer RM (2.5mm)Published:
While attending the IPMS Nationals in Madison, WI, in July, I was looking for a few specific tools and came across the UMM-USA (Unique Master Models) tables. They had several tools I had been looking for. UMM-USA is an on-line Store, importing and exporting kits, specialized modeling tools and supplies and consulting services (see web site). UMM-USA had also provided a few product samples to the IPMS Reviewer Corp for review, so I was able to pick up this small hole reamer they produce and a biplane jig/stand kit they retail for review (see the review titled: Biplane - Wooden Jig Stand & Transport) Using the ReamerThis reamer is designed to enlarge holes in plastic, resin, and soft metals: (copper, aluminum, lead, etc.) by small amounts, with a high degree of… more |
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Biplane - Wooden Jig Stand & TransportPublished:
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the IPMS Nationals in Madison, WI, in July and was taken back by the variety of ‘specialist’ vendors providing their tools and techniques to the masses. One of the vendors that caught my eye was UMM-USA (Unique Master Models). UMM-USA is an on-line Store, importing and exporting kits, specialized modeling tools and supplies and consulting services. My main mission at the Nationals this year was to find a few tools I’ve been needing and UMM-USA had several I had been looking for. Also at the convention, UMM-USA provided a few product review samples to the IPMS Reviewer Corp, so I was able to pick up this JHmodels Biplane-Wooden Jig Stand & Transport and a small hole reamer UMM-USA produces, for review (see the review titled: Micro… more |
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The Marmo Method Model Building Guide # 14 - Building the 1/96 Scale Atlantis Moon ShipPublished:
Richard Marmo’s latest installment in his “The Marmo Method Model Building Guide” series is booklet # 14, Building The 1/96 Scale Atlantis Moon Ship. These booklets are a great reference for scale modelers of any experience level. I would like to thank Mr. Marmo and Scale Publications for providing a copy for this review. Revell released the XSL-01, 3-stage rocket kit in 1957 and later in the same year, released just the 3rd stage, the Moon Ship as a stand-alone kit. Both were highly successful kits of the day. In 2021, Atlantis re-released the Moon Ship under their brand but it’s the same tooling and kit as the 1957 version. In October of 2021, Mr. Marmo published this booklet to describe the materials, tools and techniques he used as he… more |
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RQ-4B Global Hawk "Yokota AB"Published:
The Northrop/Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft with an integrated sensor suite that provides global all-weather, day or night intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. The Global Hawk's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of information collection capability to support forces in peacetime and wartime. For example, USAF RQ-4’s from Yokota Airbase (AB), Japan, have been used for relief and recovery efforts after recent natural disasters in the region. PLATZ Models of Japan has just re-released their 1/72nd scale RQ-4B kit (# AC-34) as a Special Edition (# AC-34SP) that includes new Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) markings for Yokota Airbase (AB), Japan. The JASDF has recently purchased RQ-4s… more |
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B-52H StratofortressPublished:
IntroductionIn 2020, Italeri re-released their big 1/72nd scale B-52H Stratofortress as kit number 1442. This kit is a re-box of the B-52H kit #1262 from 2006 with new decals representing three different aircraft from around the 1979 - 1981 time frame. In 1980, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was still in charge of the nuclear bomber and ballistic missile forces, the B-52Hs had only been in service for 20 years and Boeing’s AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM) were into full rate production. This new-old kit brings markings for three new versions of the B-52H for modeler’s that can’t get enough of this great old bird. A sincere thank you to Italeri for re-issuing this kit in tribute to the mightiest and most recognized (most feared in many places) of military… more |
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M4 Sherman / M4, M4A1, M4A4 FireflyPublished:
One of Kagero’s latest installments in their TOPDRAWING series is booklet # 98 which covers the M4 Sherman – namely the M4, M4A1 and M4A4 Firefly variants. Like the other TOPDRAWING series booklets, #98 describes the differences in the external arrangements of the major variants, through text, line drawings (in the more common modeling scales) and a few color profiles. These booklets are a great reference for scale modelers of any experience level. I would like to thank Casemate Publishers for providing a copy for this review. As described in the introduction on page 1, the M4 Sherman was the most popular American tank of World War II. There were over 49,000 M4 tanks produced in over a dozen variants between early 1942 and mid-1945. As for the M4 variants covered in this… more |
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F-4G Phantom II Wild WeaselPublished:
IntroductionSince late in the Korean war, into the Vietnam War, and even more importantly today, one of the most important missions within the United States Air Force and Navy is the suppression of enemy air defense systems. Blinding the enemy air defenses was and still is crucial to clearing the road for massive bombing campaigns and air superiority. In the United States Air Force, this mission went to a group aptly named the wild weasels. Much like a weasel, the job of these aircraft is to stick their head up and get the enemy air defense systems to see and lock their radar on the aircraft. When the electronic systems in the weasel aircraft indicate the enemy is locked on you, you would launch your anti-radiation missile to ride the enemy radar beam back to the… more |
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Star Trek Romulan Bird of PreyPublished:
IntroductionThe original Star Trek TV series, in the 1960s, set the stage for TV science fiction drama in many, many ways - too many to go into here. Suffice it to say, that TV show, while great science fiction on the surface, hit all of the major political topics of the time including the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In one particular episode “The Balance of Terror”, the crew of the Enterprise was forced to respond to attacks on Federation outposts along the Romulan neutral zone, made by a new and unseen enemy with sophisticated, as yet unknown weaponry. The enemy ship could electronically cloak itself from sensors and from being visibly seen. Because of the power required by the plasma weapon however, the ship had to un-cloak before they could… more |
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Back To The Future II Time MachinePublished:
Introduction
The "Back to the Future” (BTTF) movie franchise began in 1985 with the release of the first movie. The film series featured the adventures of Marty McFly as he traveled back and forth in time in a Time Machine built by wacky scientist Emmitt “Doc” Brown. Brown had built that first plutonium-powered Time Machine creation from a vintage DeLorean sports car. At the end of the first movie, just when you thought the timeline had been restored and all was well, Doc Brown pops out of a worm hole in a newly modified, flying Time Machine, digs through the trash to find vegetable remains and banana peels to fuel the new ‘Mr. Fusion’ power cell and… more |