Well, the Black Swan has set sail! In the process, I’ve developed a new appreciation for all those shipwrights out there, especially those who build from scratch! But I digress; in this final installment ,we’ll cover steps 37 to 61.
Osprey Publishing is without a doubt one of the most prolific publishers of military history on the face of the planet. Whether you build models, teach history, or are an armchair historian, Osprey has something for you. This new release is part of their Elite series which tend to focus on particular units or armies. This title has a tight focus – the US Cavalry Groups that fought in the European Theater of Operations during World War Two. The author makes it clear at the beginning of the book that this title provides a focus on the thirteen cavalry groups that fought in the ETO. The coverage does not include the two that served in Italy or Southern France or remained in the states.
A "Thank You" goes to Master Models for submitting this item for review and to IMPS/USA for allowing me to review it.
The pitot tube is used to measure flow speed. Attached to an airplane it measures the "flow" of the aircraft through the air – an airspeed indicator. The pitot tube can be mounted on an airplane in a number of places and ways. Most propeller-driven aircraft have them mounted on the wings in some fashion. Most modern day jets have them mounted in the nose. Some are the very tip of the nose. Others are located on the side near the tip. Such is the case of the pitot tube of the MiG-21, the subject of this review.
From Master Model comes an excellent and quick detail set for the Tamiya or Dragon He-162. Included in the set are two brass barrel ends for the MG151 guns, a replacement pitot tube, and a landing gear indicator.
This Special Edition kit of Academy's B-17G comes in a large [12” x 18” x 2-½”] heavy cardboard box – this helps when storing a large stack of kits (but who has a stack of kits? Certainly not me). Inside, you’ll find a crisply-molded kit with finely recessed panel lines, along with several extra parts which aren’t needed since they’re used on the B-17C and D series.
Besides the early model stabilizers, there are 2 types of props, cowls, top turrets, and nose glass – though not an E model one – and both a Cheyenne and stinger tail gun position.
This special edition has been issued in honor of the 15th Air Force and comes with decals for 5 aircraft: Betty Lou, KWITURBITCHIN VI, Miss Prissy, Sleepy Time Gal, and hell’s angel, all of which are natural metal airplanes. The kit comes with 500 lb bombs and has a detailed bomb bay if you want to pose it with the doors open.
Master Details sells all different kinds of products which are manufactured in the USA. These guys have just about everything for our hobby. Some of their products are figures, diorama supplies, paints, glue and tools, but this review is about their 1/32 U.S. Army Air Force Fighter Pilot figure from mid- to late-World War Two, dressed in cold weather gear. Master Details has designed the pilot figure for a P-38, P-40, P-47, and U.S. Spitfires which flew with the USAAF service. I feel that this pilot can be used in any aircraft of the U.S. as long as the diorama is not depicted in a hot climate.
There are many tools on the market, and Hasegawa offers a wide variety of those that many modelers have on their workbench. This review looks at two such items, Cutting Template A and Cutting Template B.
A note: I reviewed the Dragon PzKw III Ausf L about 5 months before I got this kit. I covered the history more exhaustively in that review.
The Panzer III was built by Daimler-Benz, and the A models were first produced in 1937. The first mass production version was the Ausf F, which entered service in 1939, just in time for Poland.
The Panzer III was upgunned and armor added due to the experiences in Russia in 1941 and ‘42. The Ausfurungs J through M were equipped with the 50mm KWK L39/60 gun, which could penetrate the T-34’s front armor at ranges under 500 meters.
This model of the M had a modification to the exhaust system where the muffler was mounted near the top of the rear, allowing the tank to ford streams and shallow rivers.
“Special Forces” was a fairly new concept in World War II. There were some who thought outside the military box and saw that another war like World War I would probably destroy Europe, if not the rest of the world, both economically and from population loss. The generals in the military establishment were far from enthusiastic about the idea that a few soldiers with skill and cunning could do what whole battalions couldn’t.
This is the story of twelve of those guys who thought that hitting the enemy in unconventional ways could do more damage for far less cost than huge armies sitting in trenches throwing high explosives at each other.
The twelve chosen as representative for this book are:
The Soviet Army of World War II included over 800,000 women. Initially, they were used in administrative and support roles, but by mid-war they had assumed roles as snipers, combat pilots, and tankers. 89 of them would receive the highest military honor, the Hero of the Soviet Union. This kit depicts women during the early stage of the war and provides all the fixings for a mini-diorama.
Included are four figures: an angry male NCO, a standing female NCO, a seated female, and a female standing and holding a samovar. There are a pile of useful extras: a table, a bench, two poles holding a wash line of women’s lingerie, a portable record player, and the samovar.
A samovar is a type of urn used in Russia to heat water for tea. The coals are placed inside a pipe that heats water in the surrounding bowl. Samovars can be made of bronze, brass, copper, silver, or gold, and are very ornate.
