Thomas

HMS Belfast is one of the most recognizable warships in British naval history. This Town-class light cruiser served in some of the most critical operations of World War II, from hunting the Scharnhorst in the Arctic to bombarding the Normandy beaches on D-Day. Today, she sits permanently moored on the River Thames in London as … Read more

The USS California (BB-44) was a Tennessee-class battleship that sat anchored on Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor when Japanese forces attacked on December 7, 1941. She took two torpedo hits and a bomb, sinking into the mud of the harbor floor over three days. After being raised, rebuilt, and modernized, she returned to service and … Read more

If you have ever stood in front of a battleship model display and felt the pull of naval history, the USS West Virginia (BB-48) probably caught your eye. This Colorado-class battleship has one of the most dramatic stories of any ship in the US Navy, surviving Pearl Harbor and returning to fight across the Pacific. … Read more

If you have ever stood on the deck of the USS Alabama (BB-60) in Mobile Bay, you know the feeling. That massive South Dakota class battleship, with its nine 16-inch guns and layers of anti-aircraft defenses, represents an era of naval power that still captures imaginations today. The real ship earned nine battle stars in … Read more

If you have ever wanted to build a piece of naval history on your workbench, the USS Lexington CV-2 is one of the most rewarding subjects you can tackle. The original “Lady Lex” served with distinction until her loss at the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942, and model kit manufacturers have been recreating … Read more

If you have ever stood on a pier and looked up at the USS Wasp, you know the sheer scale of this amphibious assault ship is hard to wrap your head around. At 844 feet long and carrying a mix of helicopters, Harrier jets, and landing craft, the Wasp-class vessels are floating airfields that project … Read more

If you have ever stood near a military airfield and watched a V-22 Osprey transition from helicopter hover to forward flight, you know it is one of the most jaw-dropping aircraft ever built. That tiltrotor magic is exactly what makes building an Osprey model so rewarding. The best CV-22 Osprey model kits capture the engineering … Read more

If you have ever stood next to an HH-60 Pave Hawk at an airshow, you know the feeling. That dark fuselage, the rescue hoist mounted on the side, the sensor pods tucked under the chin — it screams purpose. The Pave Hawk is the U.S. Air Force’s go-to helicopter for combat search and rescue (CSAR), … Read more

If you have ever watched Black Hawk Down and wanted to recreate that iconic scene of Special Operations helicopters swooping over Mogadishu, you are in the right place. The MH-6 Little Bird is one of the most recognizable military helicopters ever built, and building a scale model of it is a rewarding project for any … Read more

If you have been searching for the best CH-53K King Stallion model kits, you have probably noticed something frustrating: there are virtually no mainstream injection-molded plastic kits of this helicopter on the market. I spent weeks digging through forums, marketplaces, and manufacturer announcements to find every available option, and the reality is that the CH-53K … Read more