Reviews

Book Author(s)
Tom Cooper
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

Tom Cooper, born in Vienna, Austria, in 1970 is a military aviation historian that has focused on Post-WWII Middle Eastern air forces. Tom traveled extensively though his military service and subsequently in his transportation business. Through his travels, Tom Cooper has established contacts and identified sources that have permitted him to bring a unique look to Asian and African military aviation. Mr. Cooper has written more than 400 articles and has authored (or co-authored) over 25 books, including the excellent six-volume Arab MiGs series published by Harpia and distributed by Casemate. Aiming to deliver a complete picture, Tom is also an accomplished illustrator and color profiles are included in his books and articles. To find out more, check his Linked In page.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$49.95

Eduard has released a great Brassin Engine set for its new tooled Tempest Mk.V which in its self is a great kit. This Brassin set is full of Resin parts and Photo etch sheet.

In the box is:

  • Approx. 77 resin parts
  • 1 photoetch detail set
  • 1 instruction booklet

Construction

Stage A 1 - 4 is the assembly upper part of the engine, the only points to note here are that the location hole in R105 for part R100 is a little too small so needs to be opened out. Also the location hole for Parts 95 and 96 in part R105 is not the same shape so needs work. You will also need some wire to add in at points for various wires, I used very fine soldering wire which is very easy to form to the shapes needed.

Book Author(s)
Adam Wilder
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
AK Interactive
MSRP
$20.00

Having been building models for quite a while, I have seen things progress a lot. And with my over 400 built kits, photoetch still can baffle me like no other modeling medium. So when the opportunity to review this latest book from AK Interactive came along, I jumped on the opportunity to review it. A quick over view shows this is a fairly comprehensive guide with a section dealing with what photoetch is, how its made and what tools you’ll need to work with it. It then progresses to several simple examples and also using colored photoetch and finished with advanced techniques and soldering. Another nice fact is that the book covers aircraft, armor and ships as well as trains and can be easily transitioned into genres.

A quicker review of the Index looks like this:

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Zoukei-Mura
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$140.00

Zoukei-Mura’s latest release in 1/32 scale is the wonderful Ki-45 Toryu (Nick). This twin engine 2-seat, heavy fighter was used by the Japanese Army in WWII. In Part 2, I will get the cockpit and gunner position built and the fuselage assembled.

The cockpit on this kit (like all ZM kits) is a jewel. There are 60 well molded parts with several options depending on which option you are building. The two major changes for Option B (my choice) are that there is no upward firing guns between the pilot and gunner and also, there is no back seat for the rear gunner position. Another note- much of this will not be visible when the build is done unless you use the clear parts.

Construction begins by adding the floorboard and fuel tank to the main wing strut. The front and back cockpit bulkheads are added. This is a phenomenal piece going full width for support of the wings and also includes the landing gear wells also. More on that later.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Croco Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$75.00

History

After Nakajima obtained a production license to manufacture Douglas DC-2 airliners in 1935, the Japanese airlines decided to sponsor the development of a smaller airplane to serve routes that they perceived the DC-2 to be too large for. The result was the development of the AT-1, an eight passenger twin engine aircraft which closely resembled a scaled-down DC-2. The prototype first flew in 1936, and was of all metal construction except for the control surfaces, which were plywood. Power was originally provided by Nakajima Kotobuki 2-1 radial engines of 580 hp. with fixed pitch wooden propellers. Production models used the Kotobuki 41, rated at 710 hp, with variable pitch metal props. These were designation AT-2.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.30

Hauler-Brengun is well known as a supplier of high-quality aftermarket detail parts for aircraft, as well as other subjects. Many of these aftermarket items are resin, P.E., or a combination of the two mediums.

Marketed under the “Brengun” label, this review looks at the Brengun BR48110 WWII British Reflector Gunsight item. There are three gunsight variants included, the RP1, RP2, and RP3 variants.

Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
HK Models Co.
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$349.99

Welcome back! Last time we had just completed the interior and internal framework, front end and cockpit of the big 1/32nd Scale HKM Lancaster Mk.IB. This second installment will bring the engines, wings, fuselage, bomb bay and wheel-wells together, leaving the final assembly and finish for the last segment of this three-part review.

Work is going along smoothly, with just a few exceptions here and there. While I had a few problems here and there, the overall build is simple and straightforward, and the fit is excellent. Let’s get back to work!

Review Author
John Noack
Published on
Company
OKB Grigorov
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$19.00

HMS Submarine M.1 was an innovative but ill-fated attempt to overcome the poor performance and high per-shot cost of contemporary torpedoes. The unique solution was to add a 12-inch Mark IX gun, initially intended for battleship use. The gun was to be fired at a flat trajectory on the surface, or even at periscope depth (!) through use of a simple bead gunsight. 3 of the 4 M-class vessels that were ordered were actually completed, but operational results were poor at best. To reload, the sub had to surface, and it has been reported that the Royal Navy was reluctant to risk the possibility of German replication of this concept. M1, the first in the class, did not see wartime service, and sadly was lost in a collision with a Swedish transport vessel in 1925, and was discovered again in 1999, reported in a BBC television documentary airing the next year.

Book Author(s)
Piet van Schalkwyk and William Marshall
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Model Centrum Progress
MSRP
$48.96

This is volume one in a three volume set to cover the SAAF in WWII. This volume covers the East African Campaign with the following two volumes to cover North Africa and Malta as well as Sicily, Italy and the Balkans! The SAAF was sent to protect the Sudan and Kenya early on in the war from the Italians and their 200,000 troops and some 400 aircraft. The SAAF 1, 2 and 3 squadrons were equipped with mostly obsolete bi-plane aircraft such as the Gauntlet, Gladiator and Fury with which to counter any Italian attack. These were augmented by a few fabric winged and wooden propeller equipped Hurricane Mk Is. Later on these units joined by 4 Squadron that brought its Curtiss Mohawk fighters and Gladiators.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$19.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions has been providing replacement gear for a wide range of aircraft models for some time now, and the quality of their products is, by now, unquestioned. This new product for the Kitty Hawk Range of F-5E Tiger II models in 1/32nd scale is no exception.

Comprised of ten pieces in cleanly-molded white metal, this kit is designed to directly replace most of the major components of all three landing gear, including hydraulic rams and oleo scissors. Examining the pieces next to the kit-provided gear, they appear to be exacting replicas of the originals, although some of the finicky assembly work of the plastic items has already been done for you, as well as the filling in of a few rather awkward pin marks.