Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
November 13, 2011
Company
Platz
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$16.25

Although not mentioned on the box, the Shiden-Kai was known by the Allies as "GEORGE". The SHIDEN (Violet Lightning) - KAI (Variant or Improvement) was essentially a redesign/conversion to a land-based fighter from the floatplane N1K Kyōfū, codename "REX". The Shiden-Kai entered service in early 1944 and, in the hands of an able pilot, could easily compete with the Corsair or Hellcat. The Shiden-Kai was extremely rugged and carried four 20mm cannon but, to its detriment, was plagued by mechanical problems.

My jumping on this review was primarily for one reason; I had not had a chance to build a 1/144 scale aircraft and this looked like a good model to start with. I can honestly say that in no way, shape, or form was I disappointed with the kit. Building 1/144 scale fighters from this era without a doubt forces the builder to tackle the project with a slightly different mindset than your typically larger scale kit.

Book Author(s)
Mariusz Kalinowski
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
November 13, 2011
Company
Stratus
MSRP
$25.00

Conceived and born of a Soviet requirement for a dedicated anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter in the mid-1960’s, the Mi-14 was patterned after the American S-3 Sea King helicopter and leveraged components from existing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8, to expedite development and delivery into service. In 1976, the Mi-14 entered service with the Soviet Navy. Three variants of the Mi-14 covered a range of missions, including ASW, Search and Rescue, and minesweeping. As with other Soviet aircraft designs, the Mi-14 was exported to Warsaw Pact and other allies, finding its way into Polish service in 1981.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
November 13, 2011
Company
Squadron Signal Publications
MSRP
$24.95
  • Hardbound
    • Price: $34.95
    • ISBN: 978-0-89747-641-6
  • Softcover
    • Price: $24.95
    • ISBN: 978-0-89747-640-9

For 70 years following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona has been the icon of the devastation and loss of American life on December 7, 1941, having lost 1,177 American servicemen herself that infamous day. For many modelers, building Arizona has been a memorable part of their modeling heritage and continues to be a popular subject among kit manufacturers. Many of us have cut our teeth on the classic Revell and Lindberg kits of old, of which the Revell kit is still in production. Over the past decade, numerous Asian kit manufacturers have offered additional kits spanning the range of scales from 1/700 up to the monstrous 1/200.

Review Author
Tom Moon
Published on
November 13, 2011
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$38.95

This super heavy tank project was started in November, 1941. By May of 1942, the size of this tank had increased varied from 70 to 120 tons, and its armament varied from 10.5cm to 15cm, finally settling on 12.8cm, then adding a second gun of 7.5cm. This project slowly progressed due to many changes, lack of adequate motors to propel the beast, and constant competing for materials and space in the production cycles. The plan was for 180 of the tanks, but only 2 were delivered to the testing center and were there at the end of the war. These two tanks were blown up by the Germans to keep the Red Army from capturing them. However, the Russians did find several hulls and turrets at the Krupp works and apparently “built” an example that is now in the Kubinka Tank Museum.

Review Author
John Ratzenberger
Published on
September 19, 2021
Company
Bronco Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$73.00

Background

I'm sure, no matter what you model in WW2, you've heard of the British 17-pounder, most notably in the Sherman “Firefly’'. Well, there was also a towed version – however, it wasn't the most mobile piece, so the British looked for a way to create an SP gun. Fortunately, they avoided cloning the Bishop and instead came up with a new design based on the existing Valentine tank. To keep it compact, the gun faced over the rear deck in a rather low and sleek fighting compartment. The disadvantage of this layout is, of course, that one can't fire on the move, but it is great for ambush scenarios where you back into a firing position, crank off a few, and scoot away, and that ultimately became the fighting doctrine for this weapon.

Review Author
Steve Jahnke
Published on
November 11, 2011
Company
Revell, Inc.
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.95

Kit Description:

1/25th scale, 117 pieces, molded in white, clear and chrome; newly tooled 2010 body and wheels with retooled 2005 Mustang interior and chassis, decals for three racing stripe versions.

History and Research:

Who in this world is not familiar with Ford’s iconic Mustang? Ford’s 2010 Mustang is the first restyle of the 2005 retro-styled version of the brand. The 2010 restyle further enhances the car’s aerodynamics and aggressiveness. Today’s Mustang remains the oldest American pony car in continuous production, 47 years to date.

The Build:

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
August 21, 2021
Company
Platz
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$28.95

This model is from an Anime series originally called “Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze” which appeared in Japan as a direct-to-video production. It was produced by Gonzo and Bandai Visual (A familiar name to modelers). The videos won awards in Japan for best animation in 2003 and 2006. An English version of the video is available.

The premise of the story is that Earth will be invaded in the mid 21st Century by an alien force called JAM, through an interdimensional portal which comes out near Antarctica. The UN puts together a secret force which pushes the invasion back through the portal. The UN force then follows JAM through the portal to its home world, which is called Fairy. The battle continues on Fairy using several aircraft with some real upgrades from what we see in the early 21st Century. More information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukikaze_(anime) .

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
September 19, 2021
Company
Platz
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$28.95

These models are from an Anime series originally called “Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze” which appeared in Japan as a direct-to-video production. It was produced by Gonzo and Bandai Visual (now, there’s a familiar name!). The videos won awards in Japan for best animation in 2003 and 2006. An English version of the video is available.

The premise of the story is that Earth will be invaded in the mid 21st Century by an alien force called JAM, through an interdimensional portal which comes out near Antarctica. The UN puts together a secret force which pushes the invasion back through the portal. The UN force then follows JAM through the portal to its home world, which is called Fairy. The battle continues on Fairy using several aircraft with some real upgrades from what we see in the early 21st Century. More information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukikaze_(anime).

Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
November 11, 2011
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$15.00

ModelArt No. 832 monthly update has the usual features of new product kits, as well as a feature topic. This month, the topic is aluminum metallizing finishes. Pages 5-49 show a list of four entire pages of different paints with a picture of its bottle and a painted plastic spoon so you can see how it looks – a thorough encyclopedia of available aluminum metallic paints. Examples of how to use the paints to build real kits are detailed for 1/32 scale P51D, Tojo, and Tony fighter aircraft. Other examples include more fighter aircraft, a B26an airliner, a Formula One racing car, several luxury sedans, and even tank treads. The text is in Japanese, but the numerous photographs help decipher what is being done. At least this section gives some advanced modeling tips for aluminum finishes.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
November 11, 2011
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$17.95

Eduard provides a complete set of parts to enhance the appearance of the ejection seats for the Hobby Boss Tornado ADV with this product, Eduard’s Tornado ADV Seatbelts Set, # 49547. The Eduard set is colored so no painting will be necessary.

A PE “bender” is not required to use the Eduard set. The Eduard parts can be easily manipulated and re-shaped with a pair of tweezers. Some of the parts are quite small, so a modicum of caution must be exercised not only to prevent the parts from becoming one with the carpet, but also to prevent any unfortunate accidental bends being introduced to the PE parts.