The Kit

This review is for the AMT “Phantom” custom Ford van. The model is based on the Ford E-150 Econoline van. The kit comes packaged in a standard box with an artist rendering of the model on the top and sides. Inside you find the sprues molded in white and chrome, with a clear sprue and two sets of soft rubber tires. Also there are optional custom port windows molded in clear and a smoke tint.

The kit can be built as a stock service type van or a custom. For the stock version, you get chromed stock-looking wheel covers and narrow no-name tires. The custom option has wide Goodyear tires, Keystone ranger spoke wheels molded in white, custom bar grille with rectangular headlights, side mount exhaust, front spoiler, wheel flares, a mural of a graveyard at sunset, and three styles of custom port windows molded in clear and smoke tint. The port windows are teardrop, diamond, and kidney shaped.

Bottom Line: Perfect to-scale 6” (152mm) barrels for Littorio and Garibaldi WW2 Italian warship classes

The latest secondary, or anti-torpedo boat, armament for new construction (Littorio battleship and Garibaldi light cruiser classes) was the 1936 model 152mm/55 caliber gun. This new gun was derived from the earlier 1926 and 1929 versions in use on then-current Regia Marina light cruisers. Two different versions were made – a monobloc construction by the original designer, Ansaldo, and heat-forced tubular element construction from OTO (used only in Vittorio Veneto and Roma battleships). Twin and triple turrets with independent cradles for each gun were made. Rate of fire was one round every 14 seconds. The guns were considered as satisfactory, but dispersion at long ranges was wide, attributable to the ammunition.

The Parts

Recently, Eduard released photoetched detail sets for the 1/72 scale Hobby Boss F-14A, and these included both an interior as well as an exterior set. Having been fortunate enough to receive both sets for review, I will begin with my evaluation of the interior detail set. Upon opening this set, you will find two frets of photoetched parts, one being pre-painted and self-adhesive, the other being unpainted metal with no adhesive, along with a single-sheet page of directions. This was my first experience with an Eduard self-adhesive detail set, and I greatly enjoyed the encounter. I will mention here that if you are modeling on a budget and needed to choose between the interior and exterior sets, that I would recommend the interior set.

History

During World War II, a total of 10,500 V-1 missiles were launched against Britain, of which over 3,900 were destroyed by air and ground defenses. Overall, the attack and subsequent damage could have been much worse, for by the end of the war the Germans had manufactured close to 32,000 flying bombs. The Allied defenses put forward to guard against the V-1 included 23,000 men and women with aircraft, guns, radar, and communications networks installed on coastal sites.

The average speed the V-1 was 350 mph and their average altitude was 3,000 to 4,000 ft. Fighter aircraft required excellent low altitude performance to intercept them and enough firepower to ensure that they were destroyed in the air rather than crash and detonate. Most aircraft were too slow to catch a V-1 unless they had a height advantage, allowing them to gain speed by diving on their target.

The KC-135 started as the Boeing Model 717, which was based on the Model 367-80. Boeing delivered 820 KC-135 and derivative models between 1957 and 1966. The KC- 135 has gone through many modifications over the years and is still in active U.S. Air Force service today.

This is the first time that I have ever gotten a Squadron Signal book upon its release and all I can say is wow! The book consists of eighty-eighty pages with almost every single photograph being in color except with a few that shows the KC-135 early in life.