See the Step-by-Step Review by Marty and Stephanie Oberman

GM didn’t enter into Corvette racing until 1998, with the introduction of the new C-5 version. What better way to enter the grueling “24 Hours of LeMans” endurance race than with the fastest production car that GM builds. This model replicates the 50th anniversary version which finished second in class and won the “Manufacturer’s Championship” title at year’s end in 2003.

For the modeler: Although this style of automobile is not exactly my “cup-of-tea”, I actually had a blast building it nonetheless. The assembly process was uneventful for the most part, and any issues I did encounter were minor and easily resolved without a major catastrophe occurring. Fit and finish on this kit was superb, and flash was a non-issue since there really wasn’t any. I rate this kit a solid 4 1/2 stars out of a possible 5. Although it’s not for the beginner, an intermediate modeler (such as myself) can complete the kit without issue, and the advanced modeler would have an absolute field day customizing it to his/her particular taste. Would I build this kit again? If LeMans racers such as this were my thing, definitely! After I finished it, I kept looking at it on my workbench and imagining myself in the cockpit…racing over 200mph on the curves and straightaways, yet maintaining a glue-like traction to the roadway. Yee-HAH!

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Lonny Dyer 

Launched 2 January 1919 as the U.S.S. Buchanan, she was active for 20 years, being decommissioned in 1939. On 3 February 1940 she was transferred to the British Royal Navy, and renamed as the HMS Campbeltown.  In January 1942, she was selected for a “special “ mission, she was to be modified to look like a German torpedo boat, sailed in to the harbor of St Nazair, France, and rammed into the only European Dry-dock on the Atlantic Ocean big enough to service and repair the German Battleship Tirpitz. On 28 March 1942 the HMS Campbeltown loaded with 4-1/2 tons of explosives, rammed the gates of the dry dock, 611 commandos and sailors jumped off and attacked the port. 163 died during the fight, 220 escaped in escort vessels and 125 were captured. To the Germans the attack appeared to have failed. See the full review for… the rest of the story!

For the Modeler: This is a 1/240 scale HMS Campbeltown/4 Stack British Destroyer Plastic Model Kit from Revell #85-3016. At skill level 2 it has 128 pieces molded in light gray with a detailed bridge, deck, four stacks, antennas, life boats and depth charge racks. Armament: includes four 4″ guns, one 3″ gun and twelve 21″ torpedo tubes. The skill rating of 2 is deserved, but a beginner with patience should have few problems. The molding of the tower is the only disappointment. For the advanced builder/detailer this kit gives the opportunity to create a work of art with the rigging.

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See the AfterMarket Review and Photos by Tony Gibson

For the donor kit a 1952 Hudson model (#2012) by Model King was used.  This review is for the aftermarket decal conversion from Decals by Lucas (item #RL-51953).  The markings are for the 1952 Bud King Hudson stock car racer. A review on the donor model has already been done by Mike Garrett (click here to see that review) so the attention in this review will be to the decals only.

The decals are very nicely done.  The colors were bright and the fonts were correct.  Some of the edges were a little grainy around the White’s Sales and Service and around other logos, but they were still pretty clear.

For the Modeler: Overall, these decals were pretty good.  The material itself is pretty strong so tearing shouldn’t be an issue if they are soaked properly.  They laid into place very well and a little help from the MicroSet just helped them etch in better on the surface of the body.  The only trouble was the transparency of the white over a colored paint and the color of the trim showing through the red decals.  After all the decals dried a while, they did look better. These decals would be good for a novice builder.  With some minor work they could be good for a show built model.

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Marty and Stephanie Oberman

Monogram’s Green Hornet kit is considered to be among the earliest all-plastic model kits mass-produced for public consumption. Originally issued in 1960 under the kit  number of PC-61, it was later re-issued in 1996 with the number 85-0061. The original box art (and kit number) remained the same, however there were a few discrepancies between the box art description and instruction sheet.

For the Modeler: This review takes a look at one of the early models that made the fledgling kit industry a success. Although it is an old design, it was well done, and the kit has been reissued a couple times (1996, 2003) since. This no-frills easy builder kit is perfect for the novice and sports a lot of chrome making for a great display piece.

The real bonus for this kit is the addition of some after market whitewall appliqués by Vinyl Nation. A product like this has been long overdue and makes a great enhancement where high quality sidewall stripes are desired.

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Kevin Lawton

The P-40 Warhawk first flew in 1938 and when production ceased in Nov. 1944 13,738 had been built.  Anyone familiar with the ‘Flying Tigers’ or who has seen a movie about Pearl Harbor is familiar with the P-40.  The P-40’s flown by the Flying Tigers with their distinctive shark’s mouth are perhaps one of the most iconic American fighters of World War II.

  

The North American P-51D is perhaps the most recognized and famous of all Allied aircraft from World War II.  The P-51 became the iconic aircraft we know today when the British suggested replacing its original Allison V-1710-87 engine with the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.  The Packard V-1650 engine (a license built version of the Merlin) powered over 10,000 P-51’s, of which 8,156 were model D’s.  The P-51 finally gave the Allies a fighter that could escort bombers into Germany and back again.

For the modeler: Assembly of the P-40 was not too difficult and the decals were wonderful.  My only real criticism of this kit is the instructions – they consist of a series of too-often photo-copied black and white pictures of parts being fitted to the model making parts locations somewhat uncertain – especially for the beginner.  In the end I would highly recommend this kit to any young or not so young beginner.  Although I spent time filling seams and masking to use an air brush, a beginner with some supervision (especially to fix the warped wing) could forget about the seams, paint the model with a brush, and wind up with a nice looking shark mouth P-40.  Except for the issue with the P-51 wing (which may only be my sample) this is a very easy kit to assemble.  Painting this kit using a airbrush requires a significant investment of time, however a beginner using a brush could eliminate most, if not all of the masking.  I would certainly recommend this kit to any beginner.  A bit of adult supervision might be necessary for the painting, but over all the kit certainly fits the bill – being aimed squarely at the beginner.

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A SnapShot Review by Eric Pushinsky

This kit includes decals for two different ships; El Lobo II, which was a silver bomber that served with the 457th bomb group 748th squadron or the Chow Hound, which was assigned to the 322nd squadron of the 91st bomb group out of Bassingbourn, England. I chose the Chow Hound version and started by painting the fuselage pieces. The top half is olive drab, and the bottom ghost gray with red tips on the main wings and on the stabilizers.  I then I moved on to paint all the various pieces while there still on the spruces because I find it’s easier that way for me.

For the Modeler: As you can see this is a very detailed model. It went together without any problems. This was an out-of-the-box build. I recommend you lay out all the pieces before starting your build.  I liked the instructions, they were very complete and easy to read, and have detailed pictures. Even though most of the interior pieces will not be seen after the fuselage halves are glued together, I still hand paint all the pieces for my own satisfaction. I enjoyed this build, and plan to get another to build the El Lobo II.

Eric Pushinsky 

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Marty and Stephanie Oberman

“Jungle” Jim Lieberman is a true legend and showman in the drag racing circles, and his cars have always been trend-setters as such. Not to mention the fact he was a winner no matter what track he laid rubber on!

For the Modeler: This re-release of Revell’s Jungle Jim Vega Funny Car isn’t a model for the novice builder but with a few corrections it turns out to be a gorgeous display model. Part modifications, assembly sequence procedures, warpage issues, axle cap correction and foil applications are fully explained in the review.

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Robert Byrnes

Named after William Mitchell, the leading exponent of American air power between the wars, the B-25 became famous for the Tokyo raid of 1942 when 16 Mitchells led by “Jimmy” Doolittle flew from the carrier USS Hornet.  The first production B-25 flew in August 1940, and on December 24th, 1941, a Mitchell became the first American medium bomber to sink a Japanese submarine. 

For the Modeler: Although this is a great kit for the money there will be quite a bit of work to do to get this ready for the show. Extensive panel filling is required to present this as an in-flight model.  Canopy masking, panel scribing, and dihedral corrections are also fully described in this extensive review.

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Tom Schaefer

One night at a church function, a very nice lady from our congregation commented how us “car guys” hadn’t asked to test drive her new ’02 SS Camaro. Well…needless to say, I got the hint. After taking the keys, I pulled onto the main road and waited at the first stoplight. Turning on the traction control and giving it a healthy bit of gas, the light turned and that car launched like nothing I had ever driven before! Wow! Upon receiving Revell’s reissued 2002 Camaro 2 in 1, I was excited that I could build a replica of the car I drove that night.

 For the Modeler: – Opening the box I noticed right away that there was a really nice level of detail, a decent parts count (90 pieces), and the options of building a SS, Z28, or a 35^th Anniversary edition (so technically a 3 in 1 kit). When you’ve finished the kit it looks great on the shelf but there are some issues that must be addressed to get to that point. Straightening out the chassis, fascia modifications and decal adjustments are all examined in the full review.  

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See the Step-by-Step Review by Jim Church

 The Revell Pro Modeler Series has created a very well detailed 1/72 version of the Boeing B-17G Bomber. The kit covers one of the truly iconic aircraft of WW II. By most aviation experts evaluation the B 17G is rated in the top 3 heavy bombers of all time. The B-17 series came into being in 1934 and continued to evolve and improve through 1945. These rugged planes truly helped bring Nazi Germany to the surrender table in May of 1945.

The Pro Modeler kit was brought out in 2011. I was very pleased to have a chance to tackle this exciting model. I had not built a multi-engine plane in more the 15 years so I knew this would a challenge to my rusty skills! The kit contains 187 very well detailed parts as well as a great set of decals. The decals may be used to recreate one of four aircraft. I choose to do “Little Miss Mischief”, which is actually 2 damaged planes that were put together to form a healthy bomber. The “Waterloo Mark II” had had its front severely damaged and “Little Miss Mischief” had taken a direct Flack hit in her radio compartment. So the mechanics at The Bassington Airbase patched the 2 together, which made for a very interesting pint scheme! This is the plane that I decided to complete.

For the Modeler: This kit has attractive box art that catches your attention. The parts on the sprues have very little flash and are cleanly molded. The decals are very good for out of the box. The directions are in a 24 page booklet format and for the most part are easy to follow. There are a few exceptions that I will touch upon in the full review. Despite some part modifications and seam attention this is a very well made kit. Weathering techniques are also noted.

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