Dave Koukol
Reviews By Author
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Grumman F-14A TomcatPublished:
BackgroundIntroduced in the 1970's as the U.S.Navy's replacement for the F-4 Phantom in its fleet defense fighter role, the F-14 Tomcat quickly established itself as a state-of-the-art weapons system and as one of the world's leading air superiority fighters. The Tomcat saw significant combat duty, starting with the downing of a pair of hostile Libyan Su-22's in the early 1980's, and concluding during the Global War on Terror in 2006 when it was replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Throughout its distinguished service life, the F-14 expanded its role to include air-to-ground bombing, and fielded variants with designations of F-14A, F-14A Plus, F-14B, and F-14D – all derived from engine, avionics, and mission capability enhancements. This kit portrays a mid… more |
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Douglas Dakota Mk III and Willys JeepPublished:
Background"Four things won the Second World War-the bazooka, the Jeep, the atom bomb, and the C-47 Gooney Bird," said General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Dakota, the C-47’s designation in service with the Royal Air Force, was used in European and Southeast Asia (SEA) theaters of operation by the British throughout WW II. Modified from the civilian DC-3 airliner design, C-47/Dakota transports provided a host of unique benefits which included exceptional speed, payload, reliability, ruggedness, and versatility. Dakotas hauled everything from oxen to airborne troops, often operating from unimproved or improvised airfields near front lines. From 1942 until the end of the war in 1945, RAF Dakotas in SEA were instrumental in keeping Allied forces in China supplied… more |
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American Staff Car Painting MasksPublished:
BackgroundOf the many consumable items available to the modern-day modeler, pre-cut masking aids are perhaps one of the most useful types on the market. Originally targeting aircraft areas of interest, recent years have seen a tremendous proliferation into other genre – including military vehicles. The ProductA recent and pleasant surprise was to see Hauler offer a masking set for Tamiya’s 1/48 scale US Staff Car kit. Having that model on the near-term build list, I just had to jump at the chance to try some Hauler masks for the first time. The set contains two sheets of finely cut, super-thin vinyl masks for glass areas and wheel hubs, and stencils for national insignia stars. A single sheet of placement diagrams is more than sufficient for applying the… more |
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F-5E/F Canopy Frame DecalsPublished:
New on the scene, at least to this modeler, is the availability of canopy frame decals for modern jet aircraft. Close examination of many modern jet canopies and windscreen reveals a thin line between the clear and the subjects primary paint color. Often times a model omits replicating that detail, and occasionally modelers will attempt to replicate with paint or colored decal strips. Furball brings a simpler, yet more elegant solution: Purpose-fit decals to replicate those thin lines. Picking up where canopy masks leave off, the Furball canopy frame decals provide a precise, crisp, easy-to-use solution. Furball Aero-Design delivers well with its 1/48 set designed for AFV Club’s F-5E/F Tiger II kits. The single sheet of light gray decals will handle both a… more |
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F-5E/F Canopy and Wheel Hub Vinyl Mask SetPublished:
Of the many modeling aids available today, one of the most welcome for aircraft modelers is a good set of canopy masks. Furball Aero-Design delivers well with its 1/48 set designed for AFV Club’s F-5E/F Tiger II kits. The single sheet of black die-cut vinyl masks will handle a single F-5E or F-5F kit – masking the edges of all canopy sections and the entirety of all wheel hubs. The die cuts are sharp and the masks lift cleanly from the sheet and adhere well to the model surfaces. Only two minor concerns were noted: First, there are no placement diagrams, which leads to the second issue of the masks for the F-5F windscreen being a bit short, thus requiring augmentation from the F-5E windscreen masks to cover the masking perimeter. Masking tape was used to fill in… more |
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F-15C Fresno Repo EaglesPublished:
BackgroundDesigned to fulfill the US Air Force’s 1968 requirement for a lightweight air superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle has arguably been the most successful and dominant air-to-air fighter since its entry into operational service in 1975. Even after over 40 years of exceptional performance and the emergence of the F-22 Raptor, the F-15 is expected to remain in service well into the 21st Century. In recent years, F-15C’s have served as aggressor aircraft in dissimilar air combat training at Nellis AFB, NV. With size and performance comparable to Russian Su-27 Flanker aircraft, F-15’s painted in Russian color schemes and employing Russian combat tactics have been a familiar training foe for hundreds of allied pilots. Recently the 65th… more |
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F-16C Blk 50 - 50 Yrs YGBSMPublished:
BackgroundDeveloped in the 1970’s and first fielded in the early 1980’s as the US Air Force’s lightweight multi-role fighter-bomber to replace the F-4 Phantom and A-7D Corsair II, the F-16 Fighting Falcon established itself as one of the most capable, reliable, and cost-effective aircraft in US Air Force history. One of the specialized roles the F-16C inherited from the F-4 was that of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) - in Air Force parlance known as “Wild Weasel.” F-16C Block 50 and 52 aircraft equipped as Wild Weasels began production in 1991, and still serve as USAF’s primary SEAD platform. Since the inception of the Weasel mission in 1965, the unofficial motto of Weasel crews has been “You Gotta Be S(poofin’) Me” (the polite version), or just “YGBSM.” … more |
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F-15C MSIP II "California ANG 144th FW"Published:
BackgroundDesigned to fulfill the US Air Force’s 1968 requirement for a lightweight air superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle has arguably been the most successful and dominant air-to-air fighter since its entry into operational service in 1975. Even after over 40 years of exceptional performance and the emergence of the F-22 Raptor, the F-15 is expected to remain in service well into the 21st Century. To keep F-15s current with latest technology to counter anticipated threats, Multi-Stage Improvement Programs (MSIP) have been undertaken between the USAF and the manufacturer to upgrade aircraft during planned depot maintenance intervals. MSIP II is focused on F-15C/D variants, and features upgrades including addition of AIM-120 AMRAAM capabilities, upgrade of its… more |
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F-16C USAF Multirole FighterPublished:
BackgroundDeveloped in the 1970’s and first fielded in the early 1980’s as the US Air Force’s lightweight multirole fighter-bomber to replace the F-4 Phantom and A-7D Corsair II, the F-16 Fighting Falcon established itself as one of the most capable, reliable, and cost-effective aircraft in US Air Force history. One of the specialized roles the F-16C inherited from the F-4 was that of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), in Air Force parlance known as “Wild Weasel.” F-16C Block 50 and 52 aircraft equipped as Wild Weasels began production in 1991, and still serve as USAF’s primary SEAD platform. The KitTargeted for new and young modelers, Academy’s well-proportioned likeness of the Block 50/52 F-16C comes equipped with stores clearly depicting it in… more |
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Sd.Kfz.131 Panzerjäger II für PaK 40/2 "Marder II" Early Production Smart KitPublished:
BackgroundDespite early and overwhelming success of its armored and mechanized forces during initial conquests in western and eastern Europe early in World War II, the German Wehrmacht found itself in urgent need of an able tank destroyer capability as it began to encounter Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Initial response was to repurpose obsolete tank designs, such as the Panzer II, and refit them as tank destroyers. An incarnation built on the Panzer II chassis, Marder II’s were initially fitted with rechambered Soviet 7.62 cm guns, and were designated Sd. Kfz. 132. Follow-on production examples were fitted with 7.5cm PaK 40’s and designated Sd.Kfz. 131. Their open-top configuration and thin armor limited their utility in urban… more |