Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
July 5, 2022
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$59.19

ICM is one of many model companies based in the Ukraine that have been affected by the recent war with Russia. Based in Kyiv, the company has been active as of late in creating and releasing new products and defying the challenges they face. This kit is a rebox with new parts for the kit released back in 2021. Let’s take a look…

What’s Inside the Box

The kit comes as the standard ICM kit does—with a colorful box top that slides off of an enclosed brown cardboard box. Parts were packaged well and details were crisp with no flash to speak of.

Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
July 9, 2022
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$12.85

Brengun Models is a scale model and detailing parts manufacturer located in the Czech Republic. Their lines include limited production run multi-media kits and exquisitely detailed photo-etched, turned brass and white metal replacement parts for aircraft in the most commonly produced scales.

Brengun has produced a set of weapon/fuel tank pylons for any 1/72 scale F/A-18 A/B/C/D Hornet kit. Any modeler familiar with resin parts will have no issues installing these pylons in lieu of the kit parts. A close-up evaluation of the parts (see photos), indicates a simple replacement installation that provides realistic scale-detailed pylons with significantly improved appearance to molded plastic kit parts. The photo comparison is to the pylons supplied in the 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18D kit. The Brengun pylons (below their Hasegawa equivalent) have superior component detail to those supplied in the Hasegawa kit.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
July 9, 2022
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$23.99

Despite the war, ICM in the Ukraine continues to create new and innovative kits for the avid figure modeler. This set, which depicts American firemen from the turn of the last century, is a case in point. Professional firefighting units organized along paramilitary lines first came on the scene around the 1850s, and by the 1900s were equipped in what is now considered classic firefighter uniforms, with their distinctive headgear and rubberized coats and boots. This set represents the more common types of clothing, including both the long and short coats as well as the heavy canvas pants. The figures come on a single sprue with two sprues hosting their fire axes and three-part helmets.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
July 9, 2022
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$41.99

Firefighting has a long and noble history in the United States, dating back to the 17th century following the burning of Boston in 1631. The first volunteer fire company was established by Benjamin Franklin in 1736 in Philadelphia, and became a model for other colonial cities to follow. 1853 saw the establishment of the first professional fire department in Cincinnati, and thus the modern, fully-paid and professional firefighting force was created.

Originally, most firefighting equipment was horse drawn, but the advent of cheap, readily available gasoline-driven vehicles changed that. Enter the ubiquitous Model T, a simple, robust and affordable machine capable of carrying at least rudimentary firefighting equipment and personnel to emergency locations quickly and easily.

ICM has once again offered a very nice combo kit, featuring both the 1914 Model Firefighting Truck and their terrific figure set featuring four firefighters in natural poses.

Book Author(s)
John Carroll
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
July 9, 2022
Company
Key Publishing Ltd
MSRP
$24.95

The Land Rover was developed in 1947 as a simple four-wheel drive farm vehicle and was created as a way for the British Rover car company to get back into the vehicle manufacturing business following World War II. It was a huge success, not only as an agricultural tool but as a military vehicle and went on to worldwide success as a top level on- and off-road vehicle. The vehicle evolved quickly in its first ten years from 1948-58 as the Series I and until 1971 as the familiar Series II/IIA that was used ion so many safaris, expeditions and in documentary series through the 1960s. It was so popular that this ‘temporary’ solution became a permanent part of the Rover Company’s range. Owners and drivers soon included royalty, farmers, explorers and soldiers, and the Land Rover became a ubiquitous part of the British landscape, especially in rural areas.

Book Author(s)
Alan Ranger
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
July 9, 2022
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$18.05

The Renault R35 and R40 were French light infantry tanks developed in the mid-1930s and still in widespread service during the disastrous 1940 Western campaign. Lightly armed and armoured, these vehicles were no match for the PzIII and IV of the German Panzer armies.

In this book, author Ranger has compiled a surprising number of original photographs taken by German troops in the aftermath of the 1940 Battle of France. Most are reproduced two to a page, and due to the size of the originals, copy quality is mixed, from very nice to poor. There is a short section of photos of Renaults after they were captured and put back into use by Germany in the Balkans.

Book Author(s)
Andy Evans
Review Author
Blaine Singleton
Published on
July 21, 2022
Company
Phoenix Scale Publications
MSRP
$26.99

The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, Real to Replica Blue Series by Phoenix Publications.

The book is a paper back, has 96 pages and is full of great photos of the Hawkeye. The history of the E-2 Hawkeye is quite extensively covered from the original idea to the variants that have been built, to today’s serving aircraft. Included in the book is a section devoted to the international service of the Hawkeye and a detailed walkaround as highlights of the book.

The last section of the book covers building the Kenetic E-2C 1/48 scale model and shows three different nationality versions, the United States, French and Mexican Navy builds.

This is my kind of book, filled with lots of glossy colored images of the airplane and not a whole lot of writing. All the photos are high quality and a joy to look at. I recommend anyone who is wishing to build a model of the Hawkeye consider buying this book.

The book is divided into 10 sections

Book Author(s)
Scott Lowther
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
July 25, 2022
Company
Mortons Books
MSRP
$49.99

Contents

  • Chapter 1 - B-47 Evolution, Pg. 5
  • Chapter 2 – B-47 Development and Projects, Pg. 7
  • Chapter 3 – B-52 Evolution, Pg. 45
  • Chapter 4 – B-52 Development, Pg. 100
  • Chapter 5 – B-52 Projects, Pg. 165
  • Chapter 6 – B-52 with Nuclear Propulsion, Pg. 188
  • Chapter 7 – B-52 Miscellaneous Designs, Pg. 212
  • Chapter 8 – B-52 as a Carrie, Pg. 225
  • Chapter 9 – B-52 Re-Engining Studies, Pg. 236
  • Chapter 10 – B-47 and B-52 Derived Transports, Pg. 314
  • General data tables, Pg. 323
  • References, Pg. 376
  • Index, Pg. 382

Publishers Overview

“The famous B-52 Stratofortress has been in service with the USAF for more than 65 years and its iconic shape is known and recognized all over the world. Yet the B-52 and its predecessor, the B-47 Stratojet, started out looking very different indeed.

Book Author(s)
Eric H. Larson
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
July 25, 2022
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$75.00

Publisher’s Notes

“A comprehensive, accurate, and academically-supported reference of all of the major military and paramilitary camouflage patterns that have been in use around the world from the end of World War Two to today.

This book will be a one-stop, generalized reference illustrating as many patterns as have been researched into the present time period. It will surpass all previous efforts. In addition to color tiles illustrating camouflage patterns it will include photographs of the designs actually being worn by military and paramilitary personnel, something few other references have done in suitable combination.”

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
July 27, 2022
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
MSRP
$11.25

A new, welcome release from prolific AMMO by Mig Jimenez, is this four-color acrylic paint set labelled for World War II Japanese Infantry. The paint comes in 17ml plastic bottles, complete with a stirring ball, in a clear plastic clamshell box. Also included is a color two-sided label with a very well painted World War II Japanese soldier with color callouts for the paints provided. While the paints can be procured individually, the four major colors are included (and most likely cheaper than buying them individually). The following paints are included: