Reviews of products for scale miscellaneous models.

Book Author(s)
Mikhailo Zhirokhov
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

From the first paragraph,

The Russian-Ukrainian War that began in the spring of 2014 with the annexation of Crimea, turned into a full-scale invasion by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (VRSF) on 24 February 2022. One of the areas of attack was the northern-eastern part of Ukraine, primarily Chernihiv Oblast, which the Russian generals saw as an easy target and one of the springboards for capturing the country’s capital, Kyiv. However, in the end, for more than a month, the Russians failed to realize their plans.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Gaahleri
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$86.99

During the holiday season of 2025, I became interested in some YouTube videos about the Gaahleri Mobius 0.2mm airbrush. What intrigued me the most was the MAC (Multiple Air Channel) nozzle with its spiral-shaped channels, which makes the overall nozzle easier to handle than some brands. I purchased my airbrush during the Gaahleri Black Friday Sale through Amazon, and I have been very pleased with everything that I have used it for. If you are looking for an airbrush made for detailed work at a nominal cost, I would highly recommend looking at this model.

I have been using airbrushes for nearly 40 years now, all double-action and mostly from a single manufacturer, so I do not sway from my typical brand much at all. I own six airbrushes in all from that manufacturer, and I now have three from other manufacturers. Of the three, one was a gift many years ago, one is a trigger-style airbrush (think pistol grip) that I wanted to try, and now this one from Gaahleri.

Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Academy Models
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$54.98

The directions are all in Korean, and if it weren’t for the excellent drawings, I would never have been able to build this kit.

There was very little, if any, flash on the parts and some of the parts are very small. All the parts fit together very well making for easy assembly.

The building is molded in white plastic, so I masked off the lower portions of the building and then painted the exterior with Rustoleum texture paint. The base was painted flat black while the curb was painted gloss yellow.

I sanded the kit's front sign and added a piece of flat Styrene that was painted white and then added my decal and some paint stripes.

I’ll probably use this storefront as a backdrop for completed model cars.

I’d like to thank IPMS and MRC for the opportunity to build the kit.

Book Author(s)
Dick Taylor and Andy Brend
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$49.00

Real Weathering Volume 2 is a reference book with photos of military vehicles showing various conditions of wear and exposure to different environmental conditions. This volume features military armor and land vehicles. The book is the second in a series and is intended for military modelers who want to weather their scale models to better replicate actual vehicles.

The book is not an instruction manual that describes how to model the effects shown in the photos. The value in this book shows examples of vehicles that can be used by the modeler to replicate various effects on actual vehicles. The photos are large and many are zoomed in on particular details.

The only text in the book is in the Introduction and captions on some photos in the Introduction. The main chapters of the book are strictly photographs with no descriptions and are as follows:.

Book Author(s)
Alan Durkota
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Aeronaut Books
MSRP
$9.99

This book is the third in the series of medal of honor recipients in the Army Air Force during World War II. The careers of nine aviators and details of the aircraft they used are profiled in this book:

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgements
  • Introduction
  1. William Lawley
  2. Darrell Lindsey
  3. Archibald Mathies & Walter Treumper
  4. Jack Mathis
  5. Thomas McGuire
  6. Edward Michael
  7. John Morgan
  8. Harl Pease
  • Index

Organization of chapters

Each chapter includes the flying record of the recipient, list of missions flown, the Medal of Honor citation, B&W photographs of missions, color profiles of aircraft, and the careers of the Medal of Honor aviators.

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$24.95

Ian Baxter is a respected historian and an author I actively seek out for his insight and amazing photographs for World War II. This book continues its amazing legacy, does not disappoint, and is worth the price for the photographs alone.

Following the familiar Pen & Sword Images of War series is the story of Tanks and Armour in Ukraine 1941–1944. Each chapter starts with a brief history of the topic covered, followed by a lot of photographs to complement the text.

This book is composed of the following:

Book Author(s)
Bojan Dimitrijević
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

From the seventh chapter subchapter, “The VRS and Terms of the Peace Treaty”,

On 14 December 1995, a peace agreement was signed in Paris. After three and a half years of war, peace came to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This former Yugoslav state was divided into two entities: the Muslim-Croat Federation and Republika Srpska, on a scale of 51:49 in division of BiH territory.

Review Author
Mr. Mike Oberholtzer
Published on
Company
UMM-USA
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$14.95

This handheld tool is designed to get into tight spaces like wing roots, intakes, or other tight or hard-to-reach spaces. It has four resin-like tips which are to be superglued to the tip of the tool, and sandpaper is to be attached to the tip with double-sided tape, or by using a self-adhesive sandpaper. I must admit that at first this seemed like a pain to set up, but it is very quick and easy. I tested the tip change out by removing the attached tip and prying it off with a hobby knife, and it came off cleanly and in one piece. I then glued on another tip, the one with the triangular point. I attached a small piece of sandpaper with double-sided tape and then trimmed the sandpaper to match the tip with my hobby knife, and the sander was ready to use.

Book Author(s)
Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans. Illustrators: George Anderson, David Bocquelet and Anderson Subtil
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

From the Introduction,

Infantry, and the tactics shaping their use, will play a central role in the any future conflict on the Korean Peninsula, alongside the APC’s and fire-support vehicles detailed in the previous volume. However, it is through overwhelming firepower of its armored formations and artillery, backed by engineering units and mobile air defences, that the KPA is expected to attempt a breakthrough. With most of its inventory of indigenous manufacture, the present book attempts a comprehensive study into the little-explored landscape of the Ground Forces’ armored vehicles.

Book Author(s)
Lt. Colonel Dusty Finley (Ret.)
Review Author
Will Kuhrt
Published on
Company
Lt. Col. Dusty Finley
MSRP
$15.00

One thing I always tell people about the model-building hobby is how blessed I feel about the people I have met who are now my good friends. At the 2025 IPMS-USA National Convention, I made another new friend. I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Lieutenant Colonel Dusty Finley, Retired, who hailed all the way from Alaska. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the 11th Airborne Division (Arctic) of the U.S. Army. During our conversation, he told me about a book he was writing and I was thrilled when he told me he would mail me a copy. I received it, and from start to finish, I was enthralled. I have even been telling my friends new things I learned as a result of reading it.