Will Kuhrt
Reviews By Author
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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 |
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F-35B Lightning II Landing Gear (Italeri)Published:
Thank you to Phil and Bill for all that you do managing and providing review opportunities! Recommended kit: 1/72 F-35B Lightning II STOVAL (1425) from Italeri Reviewer’s CommentsThis landing gear set from SAC is a direct replacement for the kit parts. The only exception being is that you will add some plastic kits parts to the nose landing gear. The white metal casting is superb as is usual for SAC. The kit consists of seven parts: a replacement cockpit tub and six landing gear parts. Instructions are not provided, but they are not required as they are intended to be direct replacements for the kit parts. Only three pieces need to be removed from the pour runners, and these came off easily with a nipper. The parts were… more |
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F-35B Lighting II STOVLPublished:
Thank you to Phil and to Bill for all the work that you do! HistoryThe JSF Joint Strike Fighter Program was a developmental project to create a new 5th generation all-weather multirole combat aircraft to replace the existing American and NATO strike-fighter force. The F-35B employs stealth technology and is characterized by its trapezoidal wings and application of the most advanced hi-tech systems, materials and avionics. The F-35B STOVAL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) capability has been specifically designed to operate from modern aircraft carriers such as the British H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth or the Cavour, the flagship of the Italian Navy. The U.S. Marines plan to deploy the F-35B in both attack and ground support roles. From Italeri… more |
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Images of War Hitler’s Light TanksPublished:
Synopsis per back cover: Hitler’s Wehrmacht led the way in armoured warfare as the successful blitzkriegs in Poland and North West Europe in 1940 so convincingly proved. The contribution of light tanks such as Panzers I, II and 35(t) was critical. As the war spread to the Balkans, north Africa, and the invasion of Russia, German engineers worked tirelessly modifying existing light tanks and developing new models. The growing Soviet armoured threat, in particular, spawned tank destroyers such as the Marder III Panzerjäger, SdKfz 138/1 and 139. Anti-aircraft variants included the Flakpanzer 38(t), the SdKfz 140/1 reconnaissance tank armed with a 20mm turret-mounted gun developed from the SdKfz 22 armoured car, whereas the Aufklarungerspanzer 38(t) carried a 7.5cm gun in the… more |
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Model W.O.T.8Published:
ICM Holding, a Ukrainian-based company known for outstanding quality, has produced a very nice version of a truck that you don’t see very often on the market. The W.O.T. 8 (Work Office Transport) was a World War II truck produced by the Ford Motor Company in Dagenham, UK. Ford (UK) was one of the largest suppliers of trucks to British Forces. The W.O.T. 8, a 4x4, 1.5-ton vehicle, was produced from 1941-1942. It was used in North Africa, Italy and also in Europe between 1942 and 1945. Around 2,500 W.O.T.8 trucks were produced. The finished kit will measure about 6 inches length and 3.25 inches in height. Contained in the box is one sealed bag holding six highly detailed gray styrene sprues and a separately bagged clear sprue. It also has one set of rubber tires and a photo… more |
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DO 217N-1Published:
KitThe Dornier DO 217N-1 was a German multi-purpose bomber of the Second World War and was produced between November 1940 and May 1944. The DO 217N-1 was a night fighter based on the DO 217 which had powerful armament and radar. ICM Holding, a Ukrainian-based company known for outstanding quality, has produced a very fine plane with the release of the DO 217N-1. The finished kit will measure to approximately 14.8 inches length x 15.59 inches wingspan. Contained in the box is one sealed bag containing seven highly detailed gray styrene sprues and a separately bagged clear sprue. The kit contains a total of 233 parts which were all flash free and showed no injection marks or sink holes. Panel lines are finely recessed. A note of caution: in the review sample several… more |
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Canopy Masks for ICM DO 217N-1Published:
KitThe 1/48 Eduard canopy masks kit for the ICM DO 217N-1 contains one sheet of thin die-cut masking tape. There are 31 window masks and additional masks for the wheels. The single-page instruction guide is easy to follow. Each clear kit piece is identified (F1, F2 , F5 & F7) and left- and right-sided masks are mapped to their corresponding position on the diagram for that part. Note: clear kit parts which are not indicated on the masking diagram are not intended to be painted. Masks for the wheels are also clearly identified (D20, D21 and D4). Reviewer’s CommentsThe ICM Dornier 217N-1 kit has a lot of canopy. Luckily, Eduard has produced an excellent mask set to assist the model builder with achieving nicely painted glass and an impressive look for… more |
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Exterior Photo Etch for ICM DO 217N-1Published:
KitThe 1/48 Eduard photo etch exterior kit contains one unpainted photo etch tree containing approximately 40 individual parts. The double-sided instruction sheet is generally easy to follow. Several kit parts will require cutting; these are indicated in red as is standard fashion for Eduard instructions. Reviewer’s CommentsYour use of this exterior PE kit will depend on how you wish to build your plane. Therefore, I recommend the builder take the following into consideration when making a decision about this PE kit: decide in advance whether you want to have an open or closed bomb bay, if you want to have open or closed cowling vents, and consider your tolerance for fragility. Assembly begins with forming PE for the internal bomb bay components.… more |
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Interior Photo Etch for ICM DO 217N-1Published:
KitThe 1/48 Eduard photo etch interior kit for the ICM DO 217N-1 contains one full-color photo etched tree containing 50 numbered parts. An additional unpainted tree containing around 45 individual parts is included. The double-sided instruction sheet is generally easy to follow, but there are several points of confusion discussed below. Several kit parts will require cutting; these are indicated in red as is standard fashion for Eduard instructions. Reviewer’s CommentsAssembly begins with the pedals. The builder is required to cut off the kit pedals and replace them with PE versions. The builder will be well-served to have a PE bending tool, fine needle nose tweezers and other tools of the trade to assemble these PE parts well. Forming the pedals… more |