Archives: Kit Reviews
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Dragon Black Label 1/700 scale USS Zumwalt
FineScale Modeler reviews the Dragon Black Label 1/700 scale USS Zumwalt. Dragon continues its Black Label product line with a cutting-edge modern ship, the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), due to begin sea trials in 2015. The kit has just 62 parts for a $7 billion vessel and can be built in a weekend.
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IBG 1/72 scale Diamond T 968 cargo truck
FineScale Modeler reviews the IBG 1/72 scale Diamond T 968 cargo truck plastic scale model kit. To fulfill the U.S. Army’s need for a 4-ton cargo truck, Diamond T produced the 968. The truck’s initial steel bed was soon replaced with wood to conserve precious resources. In 1941, the dashboard was modified to military standard…
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Airfix 1/72 scale Supermarine Swift FR.5
FineScale Modeler reviews Airfix’s 1/72 scale Supermarine Swift FR.5 plastic model aircraft kit. The Supermarine Swift was a fallback option for the Royal Air Force in the event Hawker’s Hunter didn’t pan out. Problems with the Swift’s development led to one setback after another, but — like the Vigilante and Voodoo — the aircraft became…
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Zvezda 1/35 scale SdKfz 251/1 “Stuka zu Fuss”
FineScale Modeler reviews Zvezda’s 1/35 scale SdKfz 251/1 “Stuka zu Fuss” plastic model halftrack kit. The German army added Wurfrahmen 40 rocket launchers to SdKfz 251 halftracks to provide powerful fire support to fast-moving panzer divisions: 28cm shells contained high-explosive warheads; 32cm projectiles, incendiary. In action, the crew dismounted and remotely fired the rockets from…
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Revell Germany 1/144 scale Airbus A400M Atlas
FineScale Modeler reviews Revell Germany’s 1/144 scale Airbus A400M Atlas plastic model aircraft kit. The A400M Atlas, Airbus’ military transport, bridges the gap between the C-17 and C-130. Derived from its earlier 1/72 scale release, Revell Germany’s new 1/144 scale Atlas is impressive. But it shares some challenges with its big brother.
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Kitty Hawk 1/48 scale F-101A Voodoo
Finally! An F-101A to go with the Monogram F-101B from the early 1980s. Kitty Hawk’s 1/48 scale plastic model kit comes molded in medium dark blue gray plastic that’s a bit brittle, especially when it comes to the more delicate parts. The kit supplies one Genie missile and four Falcon missiles, but there’s no place…
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Kinetic 1/24 scale P-47D Thunderbolt
The most numerous of P-47 variants, the P-47D, is the subject of Kinetic’s sizable 1/24 scale Thunderbolt (20″ wingspan) plastic model kit. In the box are eight sprues of light gray plastic and a decal sheet with two sets of markings: one for the 405th Fighter Group based at Saint-Dizier, France, 1944; the other for…
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Special Hobby 1/72 scale AH-1G Cobra
FineScale Modeler reviews Special Hobby’s 1/72 scale Bell AH-1G Cobra helicopter plastic scale model kit. This appears to be a significant step up in quality for the Czech manufacturer, noted for its variety of short-run offerings. The parts are crisply molded with fine recessed details and flash-free tiny details.
