Background

The Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) cargo truck was adapted by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy as a replacement for the M939 series of trucks that had been in use since the early 80s. It offers improved off-road capability and greater capacity than the earlier models. It is the prime mover for the USMC M777 Howitzer and is used to carry troops, cargo, fuel, and water to every corner of the battlefield.

The MTVR was first fielded in 1998 and is built by Oshkosh Industries. Deliveries are continuing, and so far some 11,000 in 12 different variants have been delivered to the US Marines, the Navy Seabees, as well as the Iraqi and Egyptian armies. The variants include 4x4 and 8x8 versions, along with the standard 6x6 configuration.

Introduced into active service in 1980, the M1 Abrams has served as the United States’ main battle tank for over 30 years, and will continue in that role for the foreseeable future. In production between 1986 and 1992, the M1A1 is an upgunned and upgraded version of the original M1, and has seen service in worldwide, including operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Revell introduces young modelers to this mainstay of modern American armored warfare in the form of a 1/35 scale SnapTite kit – and a fabulous introduction it is! Molded in tan plastic, its 56 pieces are well-detailed with crisp raised and recessed features, and are accompanied by 2 pre-joined black vinyl tracks – also nicely detailed. A sheet of stickers provides the vehicle’s markings.

In 1977, the Pontiac Firebird became the rage of pop culture in its strong supporting role in Smokey and The Bandit, and ensuing sales of the Trans Am variant skyrocketed overnight.

Revell does a magnificent job capturing the essence of The Bandit's ride in this re-release of their 2004 tooling of an American muscle car legend.

Molded in white, clear, and chrome-plated styrene with steel axles and vinyl tires, the kit consists of 89 parts and a sheet of decals. Mold quality is very good, with little flash and very manageable mold parting lines. Detail, raised and recessed, is crisp and in-scale, and tracks well to reference photos. The tires are beautifully seamless, and just need to be pressed over their hubs to be display-ready.

Eric Brown has flown more aircraft types and performed more carrier landings than any other person, dead or alive. That alone makes him a unique individual. In addition to that, he is actually a good writer. I’ve read several other of his books and I have found them very interesting, easy to read, and almost in the category of “page-turners.” This book is no exception.

This version is an extended edition of the original book, which was focused mainly in carrier-borne World War II airplanes. He added several carrier-based jet airplanes that he got to fly in his extended career, either in the post-war years or during his time at the US Naval Air Test Center.

Background

The C-130 doesn’t need much introduction. It’s the mainstay transport aircraft for numerous nations, and has been serving the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1957. The newest C-130 is the C-130J, which incorporates many avionics upgrades, and most notably newer engines with six-blade props. The WC-130J is the USAF’s newest Hurricane Hunter, specifically designed to fly into the eyes of hurricanes to gather potentially life-saving data.