IPMS Number
43177
Michael Scott
Reviews By Author
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USN JM-1Published: March 15, 2014 This is a small scale kit of the USA JM-1 in two schemes: Joe’s Banana boat and US Marine Corps MJ-1. It is a basic 1:144 kit with limited interior, no painting masks and a small, but nice set of decals. I opted for the JM-1 Banana Boat scheme. As you can see from the kit instruction sheet - one large fold out - there are minimal parts. There was little flash, but some of the detail… more |
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F-104C Starfighter Ejection SeatPublished: December 10, 2013 Quickboost is known for producing finely cast resin details. This seat is no exception. The details are very good but some are fragile, such as the ejection rings, which quickly broke off and disappeared. This isn’t so much a function of the piece, but of careless handling on my part. They are easy to break, so be prepared to make up your own if you snap them off. Removing the seat… more |
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German WWI Airspeed IndicatorPublished: May 2, 2013 This is a very small item when assembled, as the photographs will show. The model is composed of four parts: the body of the indicator, cast in a slick, red plastic; a bezel made from thin steel similar to a photo etch part; the wind vane assembly which appears to me to be of plastic or resin; and two identical instrument dials printed in black on a thin plastic sheet coated with what appears… more |
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Fokker Eindecker III Late – Part 2Published: January 4, 2013 Resuming after a holiday break, I finished the model on January 2. Once the fuselage was closed and the wings and undercarriage were glued, the major work involved rigging the undercarriage, wings and control wires. Castor Oil, Grim, Mud, Dirt and GooReference photos show that once an Eindecker went into front-line service, it rapidly became stained, oily, and dirty. The two… more |
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Professional Sprue CutterPublished: December 19, 2012 Xuron Corporation makes a number of hand tools useful for modelers. One, the Professional Sprue Cutter, is the subject of this review. Often, sprue cutters (diagonal cutting pliers) are hard on plastic parts, especially small ones, when removing them from their sprues. The compression forces they impart can damage small parts, especially when cutting the first of two or more sprue… more |
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Eindecker Compendium, Vols 1 and 2Published: November 19, 2012 Many decades ago when I became initially fascinated with early aviation and the adventure of WWI fliers in particular, the aircraft that symbolized that era and fascination was, and still is for me, the Fokker Eindecker. Like most modelers interested in WWI aviation, I considered the Eindecker a favorite kit. Unfortunately, until Eduard began producing quality plastic injection kits, a good,… more |
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Fokker Eindecker III Late – Part 1Published: November 16, 2012 Part 1 – HistoryThe Fokker Eindecker is the classic prototype of the single-seat, purpose-built fighter aircraft. Probably everyone knows the basic story, which is simplified and almost mythical in content. The French aviator Roland Garros had deflector plates bolted to the back side of the prop on his Morane-Saulnier monoplane and began shooting up German observation craft in 1915.… more |
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FE.2b early Part 5Published: October 11, 2012 The “beast” is finished. I used two sizes of EZ Line for the structural and the control rigging. I did use monofilament, 0.007”, for the rigging on the tail booms. The booms support a lot of weight when the FE is up on its landing gear, so it needs actual rigging support. Monofilament is called for here. However, the EZ Line wasn’t so…EZ... I felt the FE is large enough to support using… more |
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FE.2b early Part 4Published: August 24, 2012 Attaching the wings. The lower wings were first and to ensure everything was in alignment, I cleaned the mating surfaces of paint, did a test fit, and applied the Gunze liquid cement. Getting everything properly lined up, I taped the wings down to the work surface to dry. Don’t do this. Having painted all of the wing and cabane struts with Tamiya tan acrylic, and after that was dry… more |
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FE.2b early Part 3Published: July 12, 2012 The nacelle went together with no issues. First, the inside was masked and painted a combination of aluminum, wood, and CDL (Clear Doped Linen, for which I used Tamiya Buff acrylic). Don’t forget to drill the appropriate holes in the nacelle sides for the version you are building. The bottom seam wass covered by the armor plate floor and the remaining seams were easily dealt with. The assembly… more |