FineScale Modeler July/August 2022

Someone once said, “Change is hard.” Who said it first has been lost to the roll of history, but the sentiment has endured. Whether we fear the loss of something of value or aren’t sure we’ll be able to adjust to the new, there’s a natural resistance to move down an unfamiliar path. Less lyrical but just as true, change is inevitable. People change because of experiences and simply aging, markets and industries change for myriad reasons, and, yes, even hobbies change. For 40 years, FineScale Modeler has been part of scale modeling, teaching hobbyists, reporting trends, and acting as a liaison between modelers and industry leaders. And it has seen plenty of change: the rise and fall of model companies; the birth of the internet and its power as a marketplace…

• Foreword by Dyna-Soar Pilot Al Crews • PART I - THE DYNA-SOAR PROGRAM • PART II - THE DYNA-SOAR VEHICLE • Glossary of Acronyms and Program Names • Appendix - The Modeling World • Hundreds of photographs and illustrations, most in color • Dimensioned Drawings of the Dyna-Soar and Boosters. • 215 Pages, 80 lb. coated stock • Smythe-sewn Hardcover binding Only $39.95! (plus shipping) Please visit our website to order on-line. Credit Cards and PayPal accepted. Call or write “info@arapress.com” for shipping options. Sales Tax added for CA orders ARA Press 785 Jefferson Ave. Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 583-5126 www.arapress.com…

Eric White reviewed the Meng 1/24 scale Ford GT40 1966 for FineScale.com. He wanted a display for it, so he made one and wrote a story for FSM at the same time! Getting the GT40 right Today I received my May/June 2022 issue of FSM and on Page 42, do find the following inaccuracies: 1. All tires on the real No. 1 Ken Miles ’66 Ford Mk.II Le Mans race car clearly evident, white Goodyear logos. 2. Body color clearly evident, is a far lighter blue. 3. Top of both fenders and front area nooks are orange, not red. 4. Yes, all body stripes are the same white color as the model on Page 42. According to the book Ford vs. Ferrari, Ken Miles and Dennis Hulme should have won the 1966 Le Mans race. They were…

Can you recycle kit plastic? No matter how you look at it, there is always excess plastic left from a model kit. Even if you shove all of the unused parts into your spare’s box and clip off straight sections of sprue to be stretched, some component of the kit is ending up in the trash. While the box and instructions can easily be recycled, what about the plastic? We have been asked this by several readers, so we figured we’d see what we could find out. Model kits are generally made from high-impact polystyrene. It is recyclable, but access to facilities that do so is limited. To find out for sure, contact your local municipality or recycling center about whether or not it recycles high-impact polystyrene. Be sure to specify high-impact to differentiate…

AIRCRAFT 1/72 SCALE Harvard Mk.II/IIA/IIB “The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan” from Special Hobby, No. SH72447, $29.99. Messerschmitt Bf 109E-Trop/E-7 Trop “Braving Sand and Snow” from Special Hobby, No. SH72462, $17. Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-15 Torpedo Bomber from IBG Models, No. 72540, $22.65. Gloster Meteor Mk.8/9 “Middle East Meteors” from Special Hobby, No. SH72463, $32.40. Fw90D-9 Cottbus (Early Production) from IBG Models, No. 72531, $22.65. WBR 1/48 SCALE OV-10D+Bronco (US light attack and observation aircraft) from ICM, No. 48301, $57.99. WBR AH-1G Cobra Spanish & IDF/AF Cobras from Special Hobby, No. SH48202, $39.56. A6M2 Zero Type 21 from Eduard, No. 82212, $54.95. WBR ARMOR 1/72 SCALE Centaur Mk.IV British tank from IBG Models, No. 72108, $18.90. WBR Cromwell Mk.IV British tank (hull type C) from IBG Models, No. 72102, $18.90. 3Ro Italian truckwith 100/17 100mm Howitzer from IBG Models, No. 72098, $17.80; 3Ro Italian truck from…

For years, a major failing of even the best aircraft kits was the presentation of the ordnance. Bombs lacked detail and were often incorrect in size and shape. A lifetime of building such kits has given me a large spares box full of not-great munitions. To add a couple of 1/72 scale carrier aircraft to my collection, I needed a lot of bombs. The easiest course of action would be to purchase any of the many richly detailed resin bombs available. But for me, modeling is about the challenge of making better what you have, not necessarily finding the most accurate aftermarket solution. I wanted to see if I could make a load of acceptable ordnance from the unacceptable bombs in my spares collection. All in the family The basic geometry and…