Comments are welcome about your experiences with SMAKR including suggestions for improvement and notification of any broken links, missing images and so forth. To foward comments simply use the comments form at the bottom of this page or send an email to braithy@bigpond.com. This page elaborates more on what is contained on this site and how certain aspects are set out and recorded. If you need any further clarification don't hesitate to contact me.
DISCLAIMER -
SMAKR SITE CONTENT
Please remember that Kit Reviews have been written from the Author's perspective
and as such some opinions may differ with regard to the kit. This is not a
commercial site, it is a FREE resource for all modellers and as such no
professional judgement is either given or implied. Comments about a
particular review should be directed at the author (through me if their email
address has been kept confidential) and you are welcome to have any comments
appended to a particular review in order for it to be a better review!
Remember that modelling is about FUN and enjoyment so keep this in mind when
browsing through this site.
This disclaimer is intended to be further updated later (when the right words come to mind!! :)
KIT REVIEW INDEX:
There's a separate index for 1/48 & 1/72 scale kits, plus a further In-the-box review
section. Each index is sorted in exactly the same fashion as the other two, which
is, in short, by aircraft type. Plus:
* Reviews are sorted by designation order - ie: F-14; P-47, SR-71; Mi-24; Su-25; MiG-29,
AJ37 etc.
* USAF helicopters are sorted under their most common H designation, (eg: Blackhawk will
be found under UH-60, not S-70, likewise the Chinook will be found under CH-47 but the
H-53 family will be found under H-53 due to numbers)
* Subtypes will also generally be found with their parent designation, eg: RA-5C will be
with A-5, RF-4B with F-4 etc.
* Where there is no universally recognised designation, as is the case with many European
origins, then the review will be listed under that aircraft's name - ie: Mirage,
Tornado, Jaguar, Harrier, Lightning (BAe), AMX etc
* Many USAAF WWII examples will also be found under their name because their designation
may vary between a small group of letters, eg: Avenger, Dauntless, Vindicator, Tarpon, and
so forth
* Most non-production X and Y aircraft (eg: XP-77, YF-22, etc) will be found under the
respective X & Y headings
* Where a reference is out of place there will generally be a note alerting to that fact,
eg: F-51 review separete from P-51 and a note alerting you to this has been placed in the
P-51 section.
The general rule of thumb is: (let's use a MH-60 for example) first try their basic
production variation (UH-60), then try the variant designation (MH-60) then finally try
the aircraft's name (Blackhawk). More often than not, if there is likely to be some
ambiguity of its exact whereabouts you will most likely find a note telling you where to
find the aircraft.
WHAT'S ON THE BENCH: Any kits that I am currently working on are listed here. It serves a few purposes but primarily to indicate that a review on this kit is forthcoming in the not too distant future and this may be helpful if you are looking for a review on that particular kit. Additionally, if you are interested in a more immediate recommendation on the kit you are welcome to email me a request and I can fill you in on an inbox review plus any highlights worth advising up to the point of assembly where I am currently at.
Review contents: Generally each review contains several paragraphs including a brief history of the aircraft, what's in the box, how easy it is to construct with problem areas highlighted, paint references, options for what example aircraft can be built, how accurate the completed mock up is and how the reviewer rates the kit overall. Basically this is all the info you need to know before you start construction or decide if the kit is worth the investment. A link to the home page will also accompany the reviews, as well as hyperlinks to any other related reviews on that particular aircraft type whether that be a different scale, variant, viewpoint or combination thereof. Most reviews will be accompanied by an image of the box cover and a photo/artwork of the version the kit replicates. These help to make the reviews more appealing as well as identify the exact aircraft and/or kit. After all, not a lot of people would be familiar with a Northrop N-9MA! Sadly, finished model photos are not common purely because I don't have access to a scanner, and most of the other images have been supplied by contributors like yourself or simply picked up off the Net. I also don't want to rub someone the wrong way by nicking photos of their beloved model off their modelling page, so if you can help out by sending some finished model images to include with the appropriate review, this would be appreciated. The bland backgrounds on review pages and so forth help to load them quicker rather than elaborate colours and graphical design. :)
IN-THE-BOX REVIEWS: Very much in the same veign as all the other kit reviews on this site but with a difference, they are reviewed before they are built. This will provide information on what the kit supplies, decals, versions, how many parts, any flash, instructions and a general impression on the predicted build up. Some will find this aspect of the site particularly helpful even if a full review is not yet available.
SUBMISISONS PAGE: This provides info about submitting kit reviews. If you are able to provide your own reviews, please send them for consideration. I'm not building this site for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of all modellers keen to find out a bit more about prospective kits. This page also covers submissions of boxart and other images.
Reference & Links pages: The Reference page provides a stack of material for the modeller and aviation enthusiast including tips, comprehensive Humbrol paint cross reference table, lesser known aircraft profiles, US Designation history, a military aviation 20-question quiz (updated monthly) plus much more to come. The Links page naturally contains links to other interesting sites on the Web, model and non-model related.
Military Aviation Quiz: This is a new component of this site which commenced in January 1999 - just something a little extra for the site. I am a real avid military aviation buff and have been making quizes for myself and friends for about 10-15 years in order to keep my knowledge up to scratch at all times. If you are interested in Military aviation trivia have a look at the 20 questions on this page and see how well you go. The answers are also provided a fair way down so you don't spoil the fun but at the same time satisfy your curiosity. The Quiz will be updated on a monthly basis so you have plenty of time to do a couple of questions one day and come back later. Suggestions for Quiz content is always welcome, just email the question and answer for consideration for inclusion in the next quiz. It may be of a general knowledge basis or aircraft specific but keep it to a more general question or use multiple choice questions for specifics, and of course, it must be related to Military Aircraft and Air Forces (of any era since and including WW1.) Quick link: (Military Aviation Quiz)
Comments, Advice & Suggestions: Comments and suggestions are always welcome any time to help improve the site and help it to become a better resource for all concerned. Please notify me of any broken links or problems you are experiencing with the site so that these can be addressed. Advice about models in general can also be sought and I would gladly help out if I am able to or point you in the direction where assistance can be found. Simply email me or fill in the form below and I will get in touch as soon as I can.
THIS FORM SHOULD NOW BE WORKING, IT HAS BEEN TESTED, IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A REPLY SOON, LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FURTHER INVESTIGATE ANY PROBLEMS.