FineScale Modeler 05 2004

Talal Chouman has a job most of us only dream of- he's not only a professional model maker, but his work at the University of Massachusetts Submillimeter-Wave Technology Laboratory gives him access to full-scale examples of the military's latest fighting vehicles. What more could a modeler ask for? Talal, 38, has built models since he was 10, and has built professionally tor more than 17 years. His interest in AFVs and modeling doesn't end at 5 o'clock, though. His full-time passion for military hardware led him to scratchbuild this show-stop-ping 1/16 scale Operation Enduring Freedom Marine Corps LAV-25. Starting with four months of intensive research, Talal spent some 1,800 hours on the fully detailed, museum-scale model - that's an average of two hours a day for two-and-a-half years. It's not surprising when you look at the model. Constructed plate-by-plate just like the real vehicle, the model is a masterful assembly of styrene, acrylic, resin, brass, aluminum, and other media. The massive model features a fully detailed interior, one of Talal's favorite parts of the model.

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FineScale Modeler 07 2004

Three cheers for Trumpeters 1/32 scale F4F Wildcat! Three more cheers that the company retooled to make the model better! Three jeers that it left a horrible inaccuracy. The F4F was built with raised rivets. However, the models detail is all recessed. This is as wrong as releasing an F-22 studded with raised rivets. This golden age of modeling is afflicted with an unfortunate mindset that all detail must be recessed. This is producing state-of-the-art models that are neither accurate or authentic. The F4F, SBD, B-17, DC-3/C-47, F6F, and TBF, for example, were studded with raised rivets on their surfaces. Former FSM Editor Bob Haydens editorial in the November 1997 issue was titled Accuracy or realism? He wrote, "We probably should be talking about better-looking models instead of either accuracy or realism." He is a modeling hero to me, yet I disagree about making models "pretty" -bringing out detail that isn't there on the real item just to showcase the mold-maker's craft. Trumpeters Wildcat is no doubt an awesome model - I want one - but Revells 30-year-old kit has superior surface accuracy. Long live (appropriate) raised rivets!

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FineScale Modeler 03 2005

The US3 Massachusetts was commissioned in May 1942 as the third South Dakota-class battleship. "Big Mamie," as she was called by her crew, was armed with nine 16" guns and 20 5" guns, plus a host of smaller guns, making it one of the most powerful ships in the U.S. Navy. On Nov. 8,1942, during the invasion of North Africa, the Massachusetts earned the distinction of being the first U.S. battleship to fire her big guns in combat. She came under fire from the 15" guns of the French battleship Jean Bart (shrapnel damage from this fight is still visible on the Massachusetts' superstructure). Returning fire, she silenced the enemy ship with five hits. Her big guns also helped sink two destroyers and two merchantmen, ;is well as disabling a floating drydock and blowing up an ammunition dump. Big Mamie never again engaged in ship-to-ship combat. Following a refit, Massachusetts was transferred to the Pacific, where it provided antiaircraft protection for fast carrier task forces and shore bombardments for the rest of the war.

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FineScale Modeler 01 2005

Air Force officials announced plans Oct. 4 to relocate the World War II B-17F "Memphis Belle" to the newly renamed National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio. No date has been set, but officials said they expect the move to occur before the end of the year to tie into activities planned to observe the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Piloted by Robert Morgan, "Memphis Belle" was the first B-17 to complete the 25 combat missions required of crews over German-occupied Europe. Afterward, the ship and its crew returned to the United States and participated in a war-bond drive. Named for Morgan's Memphis sweetheart, Margaret Polk, the aircraft and her crew became a symbol of heroism and sacrifice, and were the subject of two feature-length films, a 1944 War Department documentary and a fictionalized 1990 action drama. The aircraft has been located in the Memphis, Tenn., area since 1946. It was on loan from the Air Force to volunteers and aviation enthusiasts until the 1980s when the "Memphis Belle" Memorial Association became its leaseholder.

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Modelar 09 2008

Pokud někdo umi z jednoho výrobku vytěžit absolutní maximum, pak to jsou vývojáři japonské Hasegawy. Když před několika léty spatřila světlo světa jejich čtvrtková stavebnice Curtissu P-40, v mnoha recenzích jsme si mohli přečíst kritiku na přílišnou rozřezanost modelu a tím místy problematičtější sestavitelnost. Byla to daň za to, že stavebnice měla řadu dílů shodných s jinými verzemi, jež spolu s obtiskovými limitkami úspěšně zaplavují trh dodnes. Při prohlíženi letošní novinky firmy Hasegawa, stavebnice P-40E War-hawk v měřítku 1 ;32, mi ledacos bylo povědomé, akorát trochu větši. Ano, vývojáři Hasegawy téměř beze zbytku přejali konstrukční celky čtvrtkové stavebnice a převedli je do většího měřítka. Setkáváme se tedy opět s trupem s oddělenou ocasní částí, dolepovacími panely na přídi atp. Je proto nad slunce jasnější, že další verze budou následovat; mimochodem stavebnice P-40K je anonco-vána na podzim tohoto roku.

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Model Airplane International 04 2006

Conventionally construction begins in the cockpit area, and a good number of parts are present with some of these being etched such as the switch panel (replete with tiny switches) and seat belts. Most of this area has a 'wooden effect' (see below) with some parts like the hand pump being grey (I used RLM 02 throughout), and Aluminium. All the parts fit well with very little trimming/sanding needed, although some of the etched parts really are tiny! The engine is very nicely moulded, and along with the cockpit assembly, fits into the fuselage with little fuss. The fit of the lower wing is good but not perfect so a little sanding was needed. The wing itself was not actually glued to the fuselage at this stage as keeping it separate would make applying the wooden effect to the fuselage, and the camouflage to the wing(s) much easier. The vertical tail and tailplane fitted very well, with a minimal touch of filler required to help blend things in nicely. I opted to displace the rudder to add some animation to the model.

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Model Airplane International 03 2006

Considering how historically significant and just how handsome this aircraft is it has never caught the attention of manufacturers of 1:72 kits. This was all put right in 2001 when MPM released a kit of the F3F-i and it is that kit. modified to represent the F3F-2. that Special Hobby have now released. The kit shares most of its main parts with its predecessor, but has been updated with the addition of some resin for the interior. It comes in the standard Special Hobby end-opening box and inside is a single sprue of light grey plastic, a handful of resin parts, a small etched fret and the decals. The plastic parts feature very delicate engraved panel lines, while the wings have subtle moulded raised rib detail. Being a short-run kit there is fine ffash around most parts, but not an excessive amount. Both etched and resin parts are of the usual high quality as is the injected canopy, which although a little bit on the thick side, is still quite clear and does not distort the view into the cockpit.

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Model Airplane International 01 2006

The build began with the Mercedes engine and it is quite convincing once painted in suitable metallic shades, although you may want to add some wiring if you intend to leave the cowls off. Next were all the interior components and my method for creating varnished wood involves an undercoat of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow followed by a heavily thinned wash of burnt sienna oil paint, streaked across it. Construction moved on apace and it was now that things started to get a little tricky. I had been forewarned that the engine could be 'interesting' to enclose with the multi-part cowling, and all I would add is that you need to take your time and continuously sand and test until a good fit is achieved. I do suspect that this kit is better suited to having the engine exposed as even with a great deal of care I still had to perform a bit of surgery on the rear crankshaft to get the engine to fit.

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