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RoR Review 20110729* – Yak-23 KP™ Scale 1:72 Review

Figure 000 Czech AF JAK-23 Flora      Figure 000a Polish AF Yak-23

See the Step-by-Step Review by Doug Cole  

I’ve always been captivated by the early jet aircraft that grew out of the German war effort. After the war many of the engineers that designed and built those incredible new flying machines known as jet aircraft found their way to both allied and Russian factories to help those nations build their versions and change the nature of aerial warfare forever.

 For the modeler – this review will show you where to look for those bargain kits (this one cost me all of one dollar at Dean’s Hobby Stop) that can really turn out to be great builds if you take a little extra time with them. It also explains how to use aluminum foil (not paint) to finish the kit and how to use a reverse a dull coat to allow building a completely new version of the model by changing decal sets. This kit also has a few issues that need to be addressed but they are typical for this type and age of kit. I also demonstrate how to section the canopy to expose the cockpit for viewing.

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Right On Replicas Ste-byStep Review 20140208*
Florida State Patrol Dodge Charger 1:24 Scale Lindberg Model Kit #72784 Review

Review and Photos by Alan Mann

In early 2006, Daimler-Chrysler released a new police version of the Charger. It made its debut at the 2005 New York International Auto Show. Unlike the civilian version, the police version features upgraded heavy-duty brakes, a severe-duty cooling system, police-performance Electronic Stability Program, police performance-tuned steering, and a gear shifter that is mounted on the steering column instead of in the center console. In place of the center console, Dodge has equipped the police edition with an aluminum plate appropriate for mounting radio equipment, computers, and controllers for lights and sirens. The vehicle’s electrical system is specifically designed for integration of siren and light controls, and other police vehicle accessories. The Charger is in use with many American police departments. The 340 hp Hemi V8 is powerful enough to accelerate the car from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds and to a top speed of 146 mph. In Michigan State Police testing, the Charger V8 easily outperformed all other pursuit vehicles in acceleration, cornering, and braking (except the Dodge Magnum and V6 Charger, which stopped slightly faster in some tests) in the first five years since its introduction. When the Charger was redesigned for 2011 the police package version was renamed Dodge Charger Pursuit.

For the Modeler: This is a Florida State Patrol Dodge Charger 1:25 Scale Lindberg Model Kit #72784 Review. It is a Skill Level 2 kit for the intermediate builder. The kit contains 274 parts molded in White, Clear, Chrome with vinyl tires. This review is based on the previously released Lindberg Kit #72784 Dodge Charger FHP Version. This is a current release from 2010 and the kits are still available and released as current production. The kit is the same in every version but is packaged in seven different Police agency and blank car versions. Included in this kit are Stock parts to build a NON POLICE UNIT also. Because it is a multiple version kit it comes with 8 different current use light bars and all the up-to-date Police goodies! The motor is super detailed; you get the stock parts or police versions included. The chassis is molded in multiple parts and is a highly detailed unit. The interior is nicely detailed and has dash details as decals. The door panel detail is crisp and easy to see. You get all kinds of options in the interior for your version choice. The body shell is one piece with a separate hood and bumpers. There are almost no mold lines on the body and are light and easy to sand off. The box information does say it is a pre-painted body but it is not! They place a sticker over that on the shrink wrap so it isn’t seen from the outside. Lindberg sets the bar on quality and quantity with this kit. In one word— IMPRESSIVE! I have found a few minor problems also but overall they can all be fixed fairly easy. See the full build review on this point. Finished dimensions are; Length: 8.5″, Width: 3.25″, Height: 2.25″.

Covered in this Review: If you want to perfect your build; basic construction; decal preparation and application; extensive engine construction notes; detailed frame and suspension construction and detailing; detailing the coil springs; using Sharpies for fine detailing; dashboard detailing and decal identification map; interior paint and detailing instructions; how to make custom license plates and floor mats; parting line identification and repair; version considerations; foil application and methods for trim; chassis detailing; microphone differentiation; painting the body with or without bumpers; department specific paint: masking and taping techniques for tutones; installing the windows; altered assembly sequences for ease of construction and paint protection; creating and adding department specific decals; adhesive selection and applications; police specific equipment considerations; adding parts from your stash: contest model considerations: lightbar modifications for authenticity: identifying and removing molding trademarks, are all fully examined in this pictorial 19 page, full-color Step-by-Step review in PDF format.

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Click the Buy Now link below to purchase the full Step-by-Step review for $2.95 USD.

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RoR Review 20110705* – USS Yorktown Revell 85-3017 Review

Buy This Kit

See the Step-by-Step Review by Lonny Dyer 

USS Yorktown (CV-5) was commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after The Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and was the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large converted battle cruisers of the Lexington class. She represented the epitome of U.S. pre-war carrier design.

For the modeler – this 1:485 scale Revell kit provides an excellent representation of the USS Yorktown. It contains 114 pieces molded in gray, 1 sheet of ensigns to fly off the rigging, 20 Douglas Dive Bombers, and a few decals. The finished model is over 20 inches long and contains many details. The kit also contains 2 separate name plates, the Yorktown and the USS Hornet. But there are no design differences in the instruction sheet to accurately reproduce the Hornet. An altered construction sequence, some instruction error corrections and some scratch building are offered here to produce a great looking model of the USS Yorktown.

As a WWII buff, this was an exciting kit to build. For its scale it has many nice details and the finished product is a great addition to my collection. It is rated at level 2 and for the most part that may be a little high, but the rigging and the difficulty getting pieces off the sprues due to the thickness of the sprues compared to the pieces requires patience and a very sharp knife to remove them overall I too rate it at level 2.

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