Book Author(s)
Mark Stille
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
October 3, 2015
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$18.95

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to swarms of us. Osprey continues to expand their Duel series with the 68th book in this installment. The Duel Series examines the relative strengths and weaknesses of two adversaries across a particular conflict. This particular volume turns its attention to the US Navy Carrier group’s aircraft versus the IJN Yamato class battleships.

For the Duel series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Book Author(s)
Grzegorz Nowak
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$10.00

MMP has published Ship Plans No.1 featuring the Japanese Destroyer Minekaze. This publication consists of a number of fold-out line drawings of the Minekaze in 1/350th scale, 1/200th scale, and 1/700th scale. The line drawings show the vessel as configured in 1920, 1939, and 1944.

Much detail is shown including railings, rigging, armament, depth charge racks, antennas, and utility boats. There is little text beyond captions for some of the drawings.

This publication will prove extremely useful to ship modelers who favor IJN subjects. Also, it should be noted that this publication is identified as “No 1”, promising more publications in this series.

In North America Casemate serves as the distributor for MMP, and in Australia the distributor is Platypus Publications.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
October 4, 2015
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$29.95

This set contains 1 large sheet of photoetch parts. These parts are used to add a lot of detail to the engine cowlings, bomb bay, and landing gear for Airfix’s latest HE 111-P2 kit.

As with these sets from Eduard the details are great and add a lot of realism to the finished kit.

A great price for such fine additional detail especially to the bomb bay.

Many thanks for Eduard providing these for us to review.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
October 4, 2015
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

Eduard Brassin line continues to expand by adding a very nice all-resin model of the AM-39 Exocet missile. While the Exocet is forever associated with the Super Etendard, it is also used in different aircraft, like Mirage V, Alpha Jet, Super Puma helicopters, and patrol aircraft like Breget Atlantic and P-3 Orion, just to name a few. As such this aftermarket set can be used in many different models.

In the box you get several cast resin pieces, all free of bubbles and imperfections. The casting blocks are small in size and easy to remove.

The missile body and body fins are cast in a dark-colored resin, while the missile exhaust tubes are cast in a clear-colored resin. The parts cast in clear-colored resin (exhaust tubes) are the only option you have; to build a Block 1 or a Block 2 AM-39. Do your research as to which block version you should build.

Review Author
Joe Porche
Published on
October 4, 2015
Company
Revell, Inc.
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$12.95

This new Snap and Play kit from Revell is part of a series of kits going after the most junior of modelers. Ideal as a first model kit these models are pre-finished in a multitude of colors and have the minimum parts count to simplify constructions.

All the parts are packed in individual plastic bags to retain their finish and are removed the spure runners with the attachment points cleaned up. There are no tools necessary to complete the construction.

Parts Count - 17 total parts

  • 1 Pre-finished Ford Crown Victoria police car
  • 5 Clear styrene and finished parts
  • 5 Black parts
  • 2 Axles with wheels and tires attached
  • 2 Chassis mounting pins
  • 2 Chrome and colored parts

It actually took me longer to unpack, separate and count the kit parts than it did to construct the kit. The instructions are way simplified with no more that three parts going into each step. There are a total of 7 steps.

Book Author(s)
Martin Windrow
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
October 4, 2015
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$14.95

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom. This book at the time of this review is slated for an October 20, 2015 release date but from what I have read and see history buffs and modelers alike will not be disappointed. It is packed with useful information and illustrations covering every era of warfare and the uniforms and clothing that was used in those conflicts.

For this book the chapters are organized as follows:

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
October 5, 2015
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$26.95

This set contains 2 sheet of Photo Etch parts, one of which is self-adhesive. These parts are used to add a lot of detail to the cockpit, and the rest of the interior of Airfix’s latest HE 111-P2 kit.

These sets from Eduard the details are great and add a lot of realism to the finished kit.

A great price for such fine additional detail.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
October 6, 2015
Company
Cross & Cockade International
MSRP
$41.13

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Autumn 2015, features a color painting by Geoffrey Watson of the Vickers FB.19 A5227 on the cover. A5227 carried interesting armament in the form of two extra Lewis machine guns on the lower wing just inboard of the wing struts, bringing its total armament up to four machine guns. This issue also includes a separate A2 size sheet in color covering Ordnance Survey maps that are marked up with the location of WWI aviation interest sties in Ireland.

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier. In fact, this issue includes some updates for that monograph in the Fabric section.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
October 7, 2015
Company
Takom
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$60.00

This is the first Takom kit I have built, and I must say I was most impressed once I opened the box and got into the build.

In the box is:

  • 8 sprues
  • 1 hull
  • 1 decal sheet
  • 1 instruction booklet

The sprues are well molded with very crisp details on all the parts with no flash. The plastic itself seemed very soft. The sprue lay out is a dream and makes it extremely easy to find parts as needed.

Construction

Construction starts with the upper Hull. This is very easy to assemble with few or no issues at all. My only personal comment is the total lack of interior detail, which would have added a lot to the kit, and allowed for the various hatches and doors to be built open. The machine gun and cannon sub-assemblies are built next, and do have a few fit issues that needed filling. Once the gun sub-assemblies are installed, the upper hull is set aside for now.

Book Author(s)
Bill Yenne
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
October 7, 2015
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$32.95

The delta wing design configuration is synonymous with Convair. No other aircraft company had as many delta designs as they did. Convair designed America’s first jet with delta wings, first and only seaplane supersonic jet fighter as well as the phenomenal B-58 Hustler! This is a new paperback version of a book previously released in hardback.

The book is broken down into 20 chapters. The first two explain what delta wings are and the history of Convair and its predecessors. Chapter three covers the XF-92 which was the first US jet aircraft of Delta configuration. It covers the history of this aircraft and is accompanied with many photos several in color. The next five chapters are devoted to the F-102 Delta Dagger and cover it from inception through combat in Vietnam and on into use by the various Air National Guards.