Reviews

Book Author(s)
Ben Skipper
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$24.95

Contents

  • Introduction - 1
  • Design & Development - 3
  • Humvee in Detail - 19
  • In Service & In Action - 25
  • Humvee Variants - 29
  • Camouflage & Markings - 33
  • Model Showcase - 41
  • Modelling Products - 53

This is my second review of one of the Land Craft series books (the prior one covering the Land Rover and it’s many uses. This is the sixth in the series called “Land Craft”. As I read and reviewed the earlier book, this book covering HUMVEE no less rewarding in its comprehensive coverage of this ubiquitous vehicles. While I have seen a great many HUMVEEs I had no idea about the total numbers in service with Army (120,000) and the Marine Corps (20,000). These are very heavy, with the base weight of approximately 5,200 pounds, and the many other versions even heavier.

Book Author(s)
David Grummitt
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$28.95

Tankcraft is series of books from Pen and Sword covering specific vehicles in a concise format and also covering the models associated with that specific vehicle also. This latest volume covers the Leopard 2 and notes that it’s NATO’s first line of defense and covers the years 1979-2020.

The table of contents gives a good look at the way the book is laid out:

Book Author(s)
Craig Moore
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Fonthill Media
MSRP
$32.00

American Panther Tanks: An Examination of the Five Surviving Panzer V Tanks Including the Rare Panther II might be considered as a strange title for a book; however, there are five Second World War examples in the US. It is believed that fourteen captured Panzer V Panther tanks were shipped to the United States after hostilities ended in 1945. Most were cut-up and scrapped after being used for testing and target practice on live firing ranges. The Panzer V Ausf.A Panther tank at the American Heritage Museum, Hudson, Massachusetts, near Boston, has been completely restored to an extremely high standard. The other four Panther tanks are at Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia, under the care of the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection (U.S. AACC). They are awaiting their turn to be restored. The first four chapters briefly cover the development and production of the Panzer V Panther tank from the first version, the Ausf.D, to the second version, the Ausf.A.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Aerobonus
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.00

Aires began in 1995, making 2020 their 25th anniversary. They are based out of the Czech Republic and include not only the Aires brand name, but QuickBoost, Aerobonus, and Wheelliant.

A perfect addition to your diorama or display base is this Aires Aerobonus figure. This Soviet Pilot figure is designed to be used with any modern Russian trainer aircraft (Aero L-29, Aero L-39, MiG-29, MiG-AT, Su-24, Su-25, Su-27, Yak-130, Yak-152, etc.). Aires Aerobonus provides you with a resin figure with separate arms, a helmet, and two heads (Cap and No Cap) on one pour stub with side bars to protect the figure. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Aires Aerobonus uses that makes the parts easy to checkout before assembly and painting and then stuff back into the package securely. The supplied instructions provide color drawings for painting.

Book Author(s)
Leo Marriott
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$22.95

Background

This book, part of Pen and Sword’s “Images of War” series, traces the development of naval aviation in the United States from the late 1890’s through the end of World War II. Starting with balloon development, which became a military issue during the American War Between the States, the Navy’s leaders became interested in this field towards the end of the 19th century.

It became clear to the founders that the free balloon was of little use to the Navy, and that a mechanical aircraft would be necessary if anything significant was to be achieved. Although the Wright Brothers had flown their airplane by 1903, it was only a few years later that Navy officers began to take interest in the heavier than air airplanes that were being developed throughout the world. A major issue was the question, “exactly what are we trying to achieve, and what will be using these aircraft for”?

Book Author(s)
Dariusz Karnas & Karolina Holda
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$11.99

Background

The Gloster Gladiator was the last biplane fighter to be used in large numbers by the Royal Air Force before the arrival of monoplane fighters, such as the Hurricane and Spitfire. In addition, Gladiators served the Royal Navy as the Sea Gladiator, and were exported to other countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, China, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Iraq, Erie, Portugal, Egypt, and Greece. The British examples were withdrawn from first line service by 1941, although they soldiered on in other countries well after that.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Platz
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$41.15

Platz and NuNu have partnered to release a series of automotive subjects and accessory packs to build up some neat cars. In this case, it is the Audi R8 LMS GT3 which is a beautiful vehicle. It is a mid-mounted V10 engine sports car, and the GT3 version has been delivered to many racing teams around the world and is very active in endurance races and GT races. This model, in 1/24th scale, reproduces the AUDI R8 LMS GT3 in the Macau race of 2015. Inside the box are 8 sprues of white and black parts and one clear sprue plus rubber tires, decals (lots of them) and a small sprue of poly caps. There are two sets of markings included as several cars were entered in this race- one silver and one red representing two different drivers.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.25

This set provides an upgrade for Hasegawa’s AV-8B Harrier II kit and provides a new nose gear fork assembly and trailing gear door, new tires all the way around and photoetch replacements for the scissor links on the outriggers and the aft main gear.

The resin parts are very well cast with nice tread patterns on all of the wheels along with raised lettering on each tire. The tires are also all weighted to simulate the weight of the aircraft. The photoetch scissor links are also crisply done and easily folded to the proper orientation.

Book Author(s)
Robert Pied and Nicolas Deboeck
Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
HMH Publications
MSRP
$31.00

From Wikipedia

The Sukhoi Su-25 NATO reporting name: Frogfoot is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for the Soviet Ground Forces. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975. After testing, the aircraft went into series production in 1978 at Tbilisi in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Early variants included the Su-25UB two-seat trainer, the Su-25BM for target-towing, and the Su-25K for export customers. Some aircraft were being upgraded to Su-25SM standard in 2012. The Su-25T and the Su-25TM (also known as the Su-39) were further developments, not produced in significant numbers. The Su-25, and the Su-34, were the only armoured, fixed-wing aircraft in production in 2007. Su-25s are in service with Russia, other CIS members, and export customers.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$31.00

About ICM

ICM is based in Ukraine and offers a variety of modeling subjects including armor, aircraft, and figures. Upon visiting the URL that takes you to the ICM website to view the information on the kit being reviewed, you will notice a button that asks, “You Like It? Find out where you can buy it.” Rely on the information that this link provides in order to find a domestic source for this kit. The $31 price listed in this review is an average price found on a number of source sites.

Those who are of a certain age can remember the list of U.S. aircraft that served during the Vietnam War. The O-2 Skymaster is not as well-known as the F-4 Phantom, the F-105, and the A-4 Skyhawk, much less the B-52, C-130, Gunships, and the cluster of helicopters that were heavily involved in the air war, but the O-2 most certainly has earned its place on that list.