Tracy Palmer
Reviews By Author
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Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B Tiger IIPublished:
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, often shortened to Tiger B. The ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 182. It is also known under the informal name Königstiger (German for "Bengal tiger"), often mistranslated as King Tiger or Royal Tiger by Allied soldiers. The Tiger II was the successor of the Tiger I, combining the latter's thick armor with the armor sloping used on the Panther medium tank. The tank weighed almost seventy metric tons, was protected by 100 to 180 mm (3.9 to 7.1 in) of armor to the front, and was armed with the long barreled 8.8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 43 L/71 gun. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless tank destroyer.… more |
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Bf-109E-1 Weekend EditionPublished:
This aircraft need little introduction, being one of the two major fighters of the German air force in World War 2. The Bf-109E-1 was the first of the Emil versions and lead to the F through K versions. The Emil was also the basis for the ill-fated carrier fighter for the Graf Zeppelin. This was one of my top 5 favorite build of all time. Interestingly, 4 of my five are Edward kits. The kit had only a few problems and issues. Construction started in the cockpit – easy going and clear directions. My first issue was here. Eduard is a great company, with some great kits; with that said, the seat leaves much to be desired. Or it leaves it very open to aftermarket items. I will replace the seat with a resin one as soon as this review is completed. The build moves to the fuselage and… more |
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Panther Ausf. D, Early ProductionPublished:
The Panther. Do I really need to say more about the history of this tank? If you do desire more information, I suggest you go to Wikipedia, Google, Dog Pile, or Bing and research it. You will find more than you can digest! Come on…it’s a Panther!!! On to the kit. The box says it is a Panther Ausf. D early production, kit number 7494. The kit has over 80 parts on 4 sprues and DS tracks. Five different painting and decal choices are available to mix the color pallet up for everybody’s taste. The directions are in color (and on very nice paper) and have 8 steps for assembling the model, starting with the running gear. This is where I chose to move to step three, leaving the running gear until last. I like to be able to paint the hull free of the wheels and tracks so I do not… more |
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Model Art, #843, JGSDF Modeling and Equipment GuidePublished:
The JGSDF Modeling and Equipment is a MUST have for anyone wanting a top notch pictorial of current JGSDF equipment. Let’s do the main downside first, it’s in Japanese! OK, so getting over that, there are some very way cool things in this edition. This magazine is packed with pictures and (if you read Japanese) text on all the latest equipment used by the Japanese army. The first couple of pages cover the disaster relief for the earthquakes that hit Japan. Then into the modeling guide, which covers 90 pages of different models. A list way too long to list here! Then into the equipment guide. Everything from the current handgun, small arms, and body armor to the AH-64 attack helicopter is covered in color pictures. Just a great reference! This is a high quality,… more |
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Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer-StarrPublished:
The Jagdpanzer 38(t) (Sd.Kfz. 138/2), later known as Hetzer ("baiter"), was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t) chassis. Panzerjaeger 38(t) Starr was a simplified version of the Hetzer which attached the 7.5cm PaK 39 gun to the chassis and was fitted with a Tatra diesel engine. 10 were built, 9 converted back to normal Hetzers. The remaining prototype was destroyed at the end of the war. This was one of the top five kits I have built—EVER. This is my third Hetzer and 5th 38(t) chassis’d vehicle in the last 3 years. Hands down the best fitting kit of all. It did have some issues though. First issue was the painting guide. Well, the issue is – there is NONE. Outside camo is listed, but what color to paint… more |
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MiG 21 MF Polish Air ForcePublished:
Bottom LineA great MIG-21 build for any level modeler. Some challenges around the cockpit canopy fitting. Decals photo-etch, and resin add to the necessary level of modeling experience needed to complete the kit. If you add photo etch or resin, be prepared for a longer and more complicated build. This kit is highly recommended. HistoryThe Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name"Fishbed") is a supersonicjetfighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-GurevichDesign Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrumentor ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage. Early… more |
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Bf-110D-3 FighterPublished:
Bottom LineThe kit was well engineered, but I thought it had a few too many parts. Short shots with the canopy frame and propellers were an unwelcomed surprise. It had great detail on the whole aircraft, including panel lines. Engines and gun bay were probably overdone as when complete, you can not see all the work you put into them. But it was a great kit to build and very enjoyable because of superb engineering. HistoryThe Messerschmitt Bf110 originally was designed as three seat strategic fighter that had the task of clearing the way for the bomber formations that followed. Soon to become known as the Zerstörer (the Destroyer), they made their presence felt during the early part of the Battle of Britain when the Luftwaffe began their attacks on the… more |
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Bf-109 T-2 FighterPublished:
Bottom lineA good kit which will require a knowledge of using and working with resin parts, doing conversions, and a higher level of air brush skills. HistoryThe Messerschmitt BF-109T was the projected carrier version of the Bf-109E model. About 70 planes of this version were built by Fiesler. Several modifications had to be made to adapt these single seat fighters for use on aircraft carriers:
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Polikarpov I-16 Type 17Published:
Greeting to all the plasticholics out there in model building land! Today we have a review of the Polikarpov I-16 type 17. This was an Edward Profipack kit with 96 parts (some of those are extras), a fret of photo-etch - pre-painted on some parts, and decals for 5 A/C. Historical Background“Initial service experience revealed that the ShKAS machine guns had a tendency to jam. This was the result of the guns being installed in the wings upside-down to facilitate the fit. The problem was addressed in later modifications. Controls were light and very sensitive, abrupt maneuvers resulted in spins, and spin behavior was excellent. A barrel roll could be performed in under 1.5 seconds (roll rate over 240 degrees/second). The machine guns were fired via a cable and the… more |