Reviews of products for scale miscellaneous models.

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
May 22, 2022
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$26.95

Overview from the Author and Publisher

The 1944 Arnhem airborne operation, immortalized by the film A Bridge Too Far, will forever be remembered as a great British feat of arms. British and Polish paratroopers displayed outstanding courage and tenacity in a desperate last stand situation. And yet, as this book describes, the plan was fatally flawed as the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions were recuperating and concealed nearby. What followed was a bloody battle of attrition the result of which was arguably inevitable.

Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
May 10, 2022
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
Scale
NA
MSRP
$5.79

Arid Dry Ground (or Mud) texture from Ammo/MiG is a newer edition to their line of Vignettes Acrylics. This product is designed for small and medium sized dioramas or vignettes and comes ready to use in a 100ml tub. This particular product has a coarser texture than some of the other textural products ( I.E. concrete) in AMMO/MiG's catalog.

Borrowing from Ammo's own description: The application method is remarkably simple. You can use any kind of tool at hand and the Arid Dry Ground Texture can be mixed with other weathering materials such as pigments or acrylic paints to create a full range of authentic earthen effects. It can be used for any scale ranging from 1/16 to 1/72. Using this product, you can obtain a perfect finish in your scenes, virtually mimicking real soil. The new format has been optimized for working on scenes and dioramas, so that the product always remains in perfect conditions for each use.

Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
May 11, 2022
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
Scale
NA
MSRP
$5.79

Concrete Texture from Ammo is a relatively new product from their Vignettes Acrylic line. This product is designed for small and medium sized dioramas or vignettes and comes ready to use in a 100ml tub.

Borrowing from Ammo's own description: The application method is remarkably simple. You can use any kind of tool at hand and the CONCRETE TEXTURE can be mixed with other weathering materials such as pigments or acrylic paints to create a full range of authentic concrete effects. It can be used for any scale ranging from 1/16 to 1/72.

The dried surface mimics the look and texture of concrete beautifully. This particular texture can be sanded, after a through drying, to a smoother finish should you so desire. The acrylic base of Concrete Textures allows for easy clean-up and thinning with water as well as being odorless and non-toxic.

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
April 23, 2022
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$22.95

Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Barbarossa, was arguably the pivotal moment of the Second World War. Initially the onslaught was staggeringly successful with, as the superb contemporary images in this book show, Waffen-SS armored divisions leading the charge. But the Nazis had underestimated the Russians’ determination to defend their homeland and the logistical problems compounded by the extreme winter weather conditions.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
April 13, 2022
Company
Crafter’s Square Metallic Marker
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$1.33

History

I found this in a local Dollar Tree Store, and thought that it would certainly be useful for any scale modeler. Other similar type stores did not stock the product. It is a small fine point non-toxic felt marker with silver colored ink, and I have found it much more efficient than using a paintbrush to paint fine line on parts of models. It is very efficient in painting the silver rocker arm covers on radial engines in almost any scale, and would also be useful painting cockpit interior details, including structural members and anything else requiring fine silver lines.

Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
April 13, 2022
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
MSRP
$5.99

The constant ingenuity of our modeling industry never ceases to amaze me—such is the case of colored model glue. This is novel approach which will provide a solution to an issue that many of us did not know existed.

Ammo by Mig’s statement provides the following information:

“Hold the parts together, apply the cement to the joint and allow it draw itself into the gap by capillary action. Its red [or blue] colour stands out against the plastic surface, clearly showing where it is being applied. This also allows you to be sure the entire joint is covered and will facilitate the sanding process. Completely dries in 10 minutes.”

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Andrew Manriquez
Published on
April 3, 2022
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$22.95

With every major conflict or war there are new developments on how fighting gets executed. The German use of the Panzergrenadiers is one such development that came along to support their novel Blitzkreig tactics of the Second World War. If a charge was to be ‘lightning’ fast, it could not be done with the traditional walking pace of infantry following fast moving armor. By motorizing troop movements via armored carrier and piggybacking personnel on tanks, German troops could move quickly to take advantage of the rapid changes in the battlefield.

Book Author(s)
Dariusz Karnas
Review Author
Blaine Singleton
Published on
March 28, 2022
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$11.99

In the Book

There are no chapters in this book. It’s contents are only 3 view drawings of the F-105 in 1/72 scale. Depicted in the drawings are the

  • F-105D-10-RE
  • F-105D-31-RE
  • F-105F
  • F-105G

The first set of drawings also include all the fuselage formers AA through GG.

Given that the book is only 3 view drawings and has 8 pages there is not a lot to write about. If you are a 105 fan than this would be something to add to your collection. This book would be a definite must if you are building a model true to scale and reference material.

The drawings are high quality and very detailed.

Summary

I want to thank Casemate and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review the publication.

Book Author(s)
Javier Garcia de Gabiola
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
March 28, 2022
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

Helion is a UK based company that produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through to the present day. Helion was established in 1996, and since then they have published almost 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year, for readers around the world.

Javier Garcia de Gabiola, from Spain is a lawyer, and has published numerous articles and books related to legal issues. Always interested in military history, he also regularly contributes to various Spanish military history magazines, for which he has written more than 50 articles and has published multiple pieces with the Universidad Autónoma de México. This represents Javier Garcia de Gabiola’s third title with Helion & Company with his previous two books being Volume 1 and 2 of The Paulista War: The Last Civil War in Brazil, 1932.