What's New

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Academy Models
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$49.00

The South Korean K2 Black Panther MBT (Main Battle Tank), produced by Hyundai Rotem, was designed to meet the Republic of Korea’s Army requirement for a three-dimensional, high speed maneuver, based on network-centric warfare. The first tanks were available in 2014. While this at first looks like a shrunken down M1 Abrams, it is a new tank design unto itself. This state-of-the-art tank features an autoloader with a sophisticated 120mm main gun system (to include smart top-attack munitions), Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System (ATDTS), network-centric warfare capabilities and operability, and both active and passive protection systems.

Book Author(s)
Michael John Claringbould
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Avonmore Books
MSRP
$36.95

The ongoing Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate WWII profiles of aircraft which served throughout Australia, New Guinea and the South Pacific. This Volume 11 covers the P-40 Warhawk series, which served with a dozen USAAF Fifth and Thirteenth Air Force fighter and reconnaissance squadrons, service units, combat replacement pools and other miscellaneous units.

Most profiles are presented for the first time, alongside markings derivations, including squadron heraldry and codes. Frequent airframe reassignments between units resulted in wide-ranging and oft-changing unit markings and nose art. Until now there has been a paucity of material about several units, particularly those in the Thirteenth Air Force. This volume also rectifies past mistakes which continue to be perpetrated, especially those representing the early Australian theater.

Book Author(s)
Andy Singleton
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$29.95

I was excited to review a Pen & Sword book on allied forces during the Blitzkrieg, thinking it would be part of the amazing Images of War series.

When I received "Allied Forces in Blitzkrieg Europe, 1939–1940; British, French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish Forces", I was a little surprised to find out that it is part of their Painting Wargaming Figures series. Author Andy Singleton gives a brief overview of the allied forces, then delves into painting the figures of the five major allied armies facing the German blitzkrieg. Since I want to become a (much) better figure painter, this book really spoke to me.

Review Author
Greg Kittinger
Published on
Company
Arma Hobby
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$28.35

This is my second Arma Hobby kit to build, and I continue to be impressed. The detail – from the cockpit to the panel lines and access hatches – is tremendous. In fact, for 1/72 scale, it is almost a case of over-engineering! It took me about as long to build the cockpit and close the fuselage as it did to finish, paint and weather the aircraft!

The box and instructions include colored art for four different aircraft, accompanied by nicely printed decals that performed well. Because of some of the differences between the aircraft depicted in the decals, and the fact that many of the sprues are evidently intended to allow the building of other P-39 versions, I would recommend after you select your aircraft, run through the instructions carefully and determine which parts to include. There are places where you are required to fill in some engraved access hatches and inlets for the depicted N version, if you want to be technically accurate.

Book Author(s)
Richard Marmo
Review Author
Orlando Reyes
Published on
Company
Richard Marmo
MSRP
$3.99

This is a PDF book that describes how to build a scratchbuilt a 1/64 scale Five Bay Vehicle shed. The book is divided into 18 sections and starts with an Introduction, followed by a detailed way of building the shed. The author shows the builder how to get started, basic tools and then follows a detailed description of how to build the structure. He starts at the foundation of the building followed with cutting the pipes, adding substance to the floor of the building and step by step how to cut and install te beams and walls. In addition he talks about the vehicles he added to the building and ends with the construction of the structure and how to install the rafters and roof, as well as the finishing touches. The last four sections are divided by a small history and benefits of joining IPMS/USA, as well as a short bio of the author. The author ends the book with a roster of the guides he has created, as well as a small request for the "wants and needs" that the reader may want.

Book Author(s)
Robert Pied & Nicolas Deboeck
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
HMH Publications
MSRP
$36.00

The Northrop F-5 is a compact, highly agile fighter jet developed some 60 years ago. The aircraft’s quality is demonstrated by the fact that six decades later it is still in active service in many air forces in both the original F-5A and updated F-5E forms.

This latest book of the ‘Duke Hawkins’ series – number 28 -- features a complete portrait of the F-5E. With 128 pages and over 320 color photos, there is great detail of both in- and outside: every part of the fuselage, wings, landing gear, vertical and horizontal tails. It also contains some high-quality and spectacular action photographs from aircraft in service with the US Navy, US Marines, Swiss AF, Taiwan and Brazil. There is also coverage of the Iranian Sa'eqeh, which is an F-5 modified with twin vertical tails.

Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$15.00

"Scale Aircraft Modelling", or SAM as it is affectionately known, is well known to aircraft modelers around the world. I had not seen a copy since our local Barnes and Noble closed. The magazine has really done well under Gary Hatcher’s leadership. This issue is packed full of useful information and interesting articles. Aside from the usual sections of new kits, accessories and books coming out, the reader is presented with then articles.

One article that stood out to me is about Jon Tabinour’s AMX in a commemorative WWII Italian scheme. This aircraft has a truly intricate paint scheme and his technique for replicating it, while exhaustively time consuming, has yielded outstanding results! To replicate the intricate and dense squiggle pattern, he used Winsor Newton ‘Promarker’ brush pens to individually lay down each squiggle!

Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$299.99

Intro

I have to tell you that I bet there will be a couple jealous reviewers out there after they see this ship, wishing they had jumped on the review opportunity! The quality of this kit is really worth it, and it was an exciting ship to build based on the detail level and the overall engineering. Trumpeter has thought through a number of significant elements that make the build feel easier. For instance, thoughtful orientation of sprue gates such that almost no marring occurs on visible surfaces, and error proofing orientation by using 2 different sized alignment pins on parts. You’ll find top-notch photo-etch in the kit, easy to nip off the sprue and not so hardened that it breaks if you bend it the wrong way the first time and have to reverse the bend. Lastly you’ll have to decide if you want to go the H-39 route with the provided twin mount turrets, or the World of Wargaming triple mounts.

Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
Company
Tru-Color Paint
Scale
NA
MSRP
$42.95

Bottom Line: I am going to purchase other paints from Tru-Color Paints after my excellent experiences. Tru-Color Paint was founded in 2008 in Phoenix Az by Rick Galazzo & Scott Cohen. They have hundreds of paints, mostly for automobiles and railroad train hobbyists, but also military colors for aircraft, armament and ships. Starting in 2017, Tru-Color provides paints for German, Japanese, Royal Navy and US navies, from 1920s to modern era, but particularly WW2 colors. This review tries out the Royal Navy early WW2 basic warships colors in Set #1, TCP-13002. This is the first Royal Navy warship paint set from Tru-Color Paint, with more sets promised.

What You Get: