Will Kuhrt
Reviews By Author
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The History of the Ethiopian Imperial Bodyguard Battalion in the Korean WarPublished:
The SettingOn June 25, 1950, President Harry Truman was flying back to Washington, D.C. to deal with the outbreak of war in Korea. He thought, “In my generation, this was not the first occasion when the strong attacked the weak. I recalled some earlier instances: Manchuria, Ethiopia, and Austria. I remembered how each time that the democracies failed to act, it encouraged the aggressor to keep going ahead. Communism was acting in Korea just as Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese had acted, ten, fifteen, twenty years earlier . . . If this was allowed to go unchallenged it would mean a third world war.” About the AuthorDagmawi Abebe was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His father was a naval officer and his mother a nurse. He moved to the U.S. as a teenager and… more |
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Gotha G.1 Landing Gear for Wing Nut WingsPublished:
Thank you to Phil and Bill for all that you do managing and providing review opportunities! Recommended kit: Wingnut Wings Reviewer’s CommentsI do not own any WW kits, and due to the high demand for the now defunct company, the prices have soared. A good friend was kind enough to loan me his Gotha G.1 kit for the purposes of comparing the SAC landing gear to the kit parts. This landing gear set from SAC is a direct replacement for the kit parts. The white metal casting is superb as is usual for SAC, but a few parts did have a little bit of flash, which was very easy to remove. The kit consists of 12 parts. Three parts need to be removed from their pour rod (see photo). There is a minor difference with the main structure for… more |
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MiG-25BMPublished:
Thank you to Phil and to Bill for all the work that you do! HistoryIn the end of the 60s the Mikoyan Design Bureau developed the world’s first interceptor fighter with a speed of Mach 3—the MiG-25. At the same time high-reconnaissance bomber modifications were developed and designated the MiG-25RB. Using the MiG-25RB frame, the strike anti-aircraft Mig-25BM was produced in 1977. It had a new nose with radar and four anti-radar X-58U missiles. These planes served in the Soviet (later Russian) Air Force. From ICM. First ImpressionThe kit contains eight total flash-free sprues, seven of which are crisply molded in light gray styrene and one which is clear plastic. The detail and panel line engraving are excellent. Parts which are not used for this… more |
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SAC USMC AH-1Z Landing Skids (Academy)Published:
Thank you to Phil and Bill for all that you do managing and providing review opportunities! Recommended kit: Any 1/35 Academy AH-1Z Reviewer’s CommentsThis landing skid set from SAC is a direct replacement for the kit parts. The white metal casting is superb as is usual for SAC. The kit consists of five parts: two main skids, one tail skid, and two skid braces. Instructions are not provided, but they are not required since the parts are intended to be direct replacements for the kit parts. The parts are very nicely detailed, and clean. There are no mold seams visible, and no sanding or filing was required. Prior to painting it is recommended to wash the parts with a mild detergent solution to remove any remaining mold… more |
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Images of War The Destruction of 6th Army at StalingradPublished:
Thank you Bill & Phil for all you do for the Reviewers and for the opportunity to review this publication. Pen & Sword has released another outstanding book belonging to the Images of War series. As with other Images of War publications, it is a photographic essay detailing the pathway of General Paulus’ 6th Army annihilation at Stalingrad. The ReadThe book begins with a prelude which provides important information about the movements of the three German Army groups in Russia during 1941, and how and why the command chain changed allowing Friedrich Paulus to be appointed command of the 6th Army. Through four chapters, the reader is taken via photographs and text through the struggles of the 6th Army in their… more |
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RA-5C Vigilante LadderPublished:
The North American A-5 Vigilante was an American carrier-based supersonic bomber designed and built by North American Aviation for the United States Navy. It set several world records, including long-distance speed and altitude records. Prior to the 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations, it was designated the A3J Vigilante. The RA-5C was a reconnaissance variant. This ladder accessory is not identified for use on one specific manufacture’s kit. It contains one photo etched tree with enough components to construct two ladders. An assembly guide is also provided. Assembly was straightforward, and with the use of a PE bending too, the build went quickly. I began… more |
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Sd.Kfz.251/6 Aufs.A. with CrewPublished:
Thank you to Bill and to Phil for all the work you do! KitICM Holding, a Ukrainian-based company known for outstanding quality, has produced a very nice new-mold German halftrack. The main armored personnel carrier of the German Wehrmacht, the Sd.Kfz. 251, built by the company Hanomag, was used to transport motorized infantry. The armored personnel carriers were in service with the German army throughout the Second World War and were used in all theaters. This modification, the Sd.Kfz.251/6 Aufs.A., was produced in 1939-1940. Contained in the box is one sealed bag holding five highly detailed gray styrene sprues and a separately bagged clear sprue. Black vinyl tracks accompany the kit as well as two black vinyl tires. You also get a sprue of four detailed… more |
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Nieuwpoort 1600 - The First Modern BattlePublished:
Thank you Bill & Phil for all you do for the Reviewers! Synopsis per back cover: The Eighty Years War began as a limited rebellion of Dutchmen seeking religious tolerance from their Spanish overlords, but it quickly escalated into one of the longest wars in European history. Spain’s failed invasion of 1599 and the mutinies that followed convinced Dutch leaders that they should go on the offensive, and the following campaign pitted the sons of two famous leaders against each other: Maurice of Nassau and Albert of Hapsburg. One led an unproved new model army, the other Spain’s “unbeatable” tericos; each commanded well over 15,000 men. The Dutch wanted to land near Nieuwpoort, conquer it and then march on to Dunkirk, the northern home port of the Spanish fleet, but… more |
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PBJ-1H Wing Mounted RadarPublished:
The PBJ-1H is U.S. Navy variant of the B-25 which was operated by the U.S. Marine Corps as a ground attacker. This aircraft is a powerful ground strafing machine and due to the weapons package built-in, it can be viewed as a gunship. This accessory is not identified for use on one specific manufacture’s kit. The PBJ-1H in 1/72 scale is or has been produced by Hasegawa, Dragon Models & Matchbox. Assembly is straightforward as there are only two components. The resin cast is feather-light and has very crisp detail and is flash free. To begin, I washed the cast using a mild solution of water and dish detergent. Next, I sawed the cast in half to gain easier access to each of the two components. After each piece was removed, I gently sanded smoothed the sawed surfaces… more |
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Roman Centurion (1st Century)Published:
First ImpressionICM Holding, a Ukrainian-based company known for outstanding quality, has produced excellent figure kit with this brand-new tooling release of a Roman Centurion from the 1st Century. The box contains one bag containing two gray sprues and a separate black sprue (and bag) for the base. The kit contains a total of 49 parts. The parts are crisply molded and engraved; the detail is outstanding and all parts are flash free. The double-sided assembly guide combines the assembly and painting guidelines. One very impressive aspect of this kit is that fact that the arms and legs are solid molds and you will not have to worry about filling lots of seems as is typical with many plastic figure kits. In my view, this kit is so close in quality to resin… more |