Reviews

I’m thrilled to introduce our first guest post here on Doogs’ Models – Rick Kranias’ review of UMM-USA’s wickedly helpful PropMaster jig! Enjoy –Doogs

During the “stocking up my stash” directive last year I purchased MDC’s Hawker Typhoon.  It’s a beautiful resin kit and I look forward to build one of my favorite WWII ground pounders in 1:32.  As I studied the instructions I noticed the props (you get both a 3 and 4 bladed option) need some type of jig to align the angle or pitch of prop blades.

I called MDC and they have no jig available.  I was convinced this would be a challenge but doable.

As I acquired additional after market props for my 190’s and 109’s I realized prop alignment is now a typical building requirement for these resin upgrades.  Further, most of my 1:32 kits require prop blades to be individually inserted/glued into the spinner. Again, I totally felt comfortable with my skill-sets, “yeah, I can do this.”  However, deep down inside a little angst was brewing on making nice aligned props without a jig.  I had actually sketched a design to make my own prop jig using balsa wood sheet and 1/8” wooden dows.

Enter the UMM (Unique Master Models) -USA PropMaster.  While mining the UMM-USA site for lead wire I tripped over this prop alignment life line and it could not appeared at a better time. (more…)

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is my favorite aircraft, hands down, so when I first read that Hobby Boss would be releasing a new kit into the already-crowded arena of 1/48…

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is a rare thing in the modeling world - an absolutely iconic design that nobody has really managed to nail...yet. The three principal efforts - those…

The Soviet VVS has always been woefully underrepresented in the modeling world. While a new mold of the Bf 109 or Spitfire or Mustang seems to appear every few months, the aircraft that turned back the Nazi advance and won the Great Patriotic War get the shaft. Many subjects just aren’t covered at all, and many more are covered by dated, sub-par, or troublesome limited-run offerings. There are a few exceptions – Zvezda’s masterful La-5 and La-5FN, Trumpeter’s 1/32 MiG-3, and of course Tamiya’s new Ilyushin Il-2 – but by and large you’re left with something like the ICM LaGG-3 or MPM Pe-2…if you’re lucky.

Thus it was rather surprising when new kitmaker Xuntong Model popped up out of nowhere offering a Soviet bomber as its debut kit. From a business standpoint, I must admit it raised my eyebrows. But from a modeler’s standpoint, who cares, there’s a Tupolev Tu-2 in 1/48 scale! (more…)

I should preface this entire review with the caveat that 1/72 scale isn’t my thing. Excepting a small stash of 1/72 heavy bombers, my tastes run to 1/48 and 1/32 scale kits. So…Revell of Germany’s 1/72 Jug isn’t the type of kit I’d typically buy. But I’ve heard good things about it, and it’s cheap. As in, $6.76 cheap. So what does Revell provide with a sub-$7 kit? And what does a 1/48 and 1/32 modeler make of the diminutive Jug? Let’s find out. (more…)

My latest review is up on Scale Plastic & Rail. This time, it's Eduard's new Fw 190A-7 ProfiPACK. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Canopies. If you build aircraft, there's no way around them. And if you're at all like me, you probably hate the tedious process of masking them. In the past I've…