Dave Koukol
Reviews By Author
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Redstone Rocket with Mercury SpacecraftPublished:
The early 1960’s were characterized, in large part, by the “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union to place a man in orbit, with an end goal of a manned lunar landing. Struggling to keep pace with the Soviets in those early years, the United States ultimately forged ahead, leveraging every asset at its disposal. One such asset was the Redstone rocket. Originally designed as a weapons delivery platform, the liquid-fueled Redstone was more stable and reliable than its early solid-fueled counterparts, thus making it a preferred launch vehicle for placing America’s first astronauts into space, although not into orbit. Redstone supported two manned suborbital missions in 1961 – Freedom 7, piloted by Alan Shepard, and Liberty 7, piloted by Gus Grissom – prior to the… more |
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USS Albany CG-10Published:
Originally commissioned in 1946 as an Oregon-class heavy cruiser, USS Albany (CA-123) was converted to the world’s first guided missile cruiser between 1958 and 1962 and redesignated CG-10. She served in various roles until her decommissioning in 1980, when she was sold for scrap. CyberHobby’s 1/700 rendition of CA-10 is a beauty! Seven sprues of exquisitely molded gray styrene, plus the 2-piece waterline hull and stand base greet the modeler upon initial opening of the box. To sweeten the deal, CyberHobby tosses in a fret of well-executed PE detail for superstructure railings, search radar, and other delicate items. A small, well-printed, but jam-packed, decal sheet round things out. Design of the kit is impeccable. Most seams are well-engineered and are masked by… more |
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Essential Skills for Scale ModelersPublished:
For decades, Kalmbach Publishing has given us FineScale Modeler Magazine – a virtual staple for thousands of modelers worldwide. Over the years, we’ve seen hundreds of outstanding “how to” articles in FSM designed to share fundamental and advanced modeling techniques. Often times, these “essentials” are relegated to shelves and boxes for later reference, and many times their subject matter spans multiple issues, slimming the odds of finding all applicable information years later. What could be better than compiling all of those golden nuggets of modeling know-how into a series of books for quick and easy reference to the modeler? In recent years, Kalmbach and its crew at FineScale have been rolling out just such volumes, with one of the latest being… more |
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B-29 Superfortress In ActionPublished:
Best known as the world’s first atomic bomber, the B-29 Superfortress was arguably the most advanced aircraft to see combat operations in World War II, and was the only American heavy bomber of the era to see combat during the Korean War. For the modeler with a B-29 kit in his stash, in the immediate queue, on the bench, or on a wish list, Mr. Doyle’s latest volume, B-29 Superfortress in Action, is a must-have reference. This installment in Squadron/Signal’s long-running In Action series packs 248 photos, 90 of them in full color, into a hefty 88 pages chronicling the aircraft’s origin, development, manufacture, combat operations, and other applications. Content of the photos is wide-ranging, with numerous and excellent views of aircraft armament, crew… more |
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2010 Ford Mustang Convertible SnapTitePublished:
A throwback to the ’64 original design, the 2010 Mustang captures the classic lines of the original “pony car” in contemporary form and is the subject of Revell’s recent SnapTite series release. As with their ’63 Corvette (reviewed previously), the 2010 Mustang is a beautifully engineered kit for novice and veteran modelers, alike. Once again, at the hands of 6-year old Camden, this review sample went together flawlessly in exactly an hour shortly after being discovered on our doorstep. The kit consists of 9 sprues (3 black, 2 goldenrod, 2 chrome, 1 clear, and 1 transparent red), the goldenrod-colored body, black interior tub and chassis, 4 vinyl tires, steel axles, 4 self-tapping screws, and a sheet of peel-and-stick decals. Surface detail is both raised and recessed, as… more |
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US Navy NWC-4/5 Wheel ChocksPublished:
Over the past couple of years, aircraft diorama accessories have become more prolific in the scale modeling marketplace – much to the liking of many of us dioramically-challenged aircraft modeler types. Aires, one the leading aftermarket detail accessory manufacturers, is making its contribution to the proliferation in the form of its Wheelliant brand of accessories – namely in the form of aircraft chocks. Wheelliant’s 1/48 scale NWC-4/5 chocks for US Navy aircraft come in a 2-pack of superbly-cast resin parts and a length of thread to represent the manila grab-line used to release the adjustment lock mechanism. Clean-up of the parts is virtually unneeded and fit is superb. The chock blocks slide over the extruded bar, and remain adjustable if the modeler so desires.… more |
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Northrop P-61A Black WidowPublished:
Unmistakable in appearance and unequalled in firepower among American fighters in World War II, the Northrop P-61 Black Widow was America’s first purpose-designed night fighter. First contracted in January 1941 at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, delivery of production aircraft took place in the summer of 1943 to stateside training units, followed by initial deployment to the European Theater of Operations that December, with the Pacific Theater units equipped the following spring. By war’s end, the P-61 would amass 136 confirmed kills, including 9 V-1 “buzz bombs,” in European, Mediterranean, Pacific, and China-Burma-India theaters of operation. Since the early 1970s, the classic Monogram P-61 has been the modeler’s only choice in 1/48th scale…until now. Nearly 40 years later,… more |
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NASCAR 2010 Chevrolet Impala COT Hendrick MotorsportsPublished:
Introduced mid-season 2007, NASCAR’s “Car of Tomorrow” (COT) hit the track in an effort to improve driver safety, decrease operating cost, and level the proverbial playing field between the monster multi-car teams and the smaller race teams competing in the Sprint Cup Series. Although received with skepticism and initial contempt by some drivers, the “wing thing” proved to be a more rugged, reliable, and measurable machine than its predecessor. With COT’s arrival, manufacturer’s body styles settled in around 4 core models: Chevy Impala, Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger, and Toyota Camry. Round2, under their AMT brand… more |
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T-4 "Ashiya Special" EggplanePublished:
Initially released in 2009, Hasegawa’s T-4 “Ashiya Special” is once again available to eggplane enthusiasts in the United States. A recent perusal of the Hasegawa official website also indicates release of some new eggplane offerings. Unorthodox in appearance and simple in construction, the T-4 egg is a fun departure from traditional aircraft models. The kit is crisply molded in white styrene, with a clear canopy and bright, full-color decals. Four-step instructions, with marking guide, are clear and accurate. Undertaken at the hands of Camden (age 6) under Dad’s tutelage, the basic construction and painting progressed quickly – once Camden got over the fact it wasn’t a “real” plane. (Good grief – I think I’ve created a “rivet counter!”). Camden found it easy to… more |
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Polish Wings 14: Mi-14, 1981-2011Published:
Conceived and born of a Soviet requirement for a dedicated anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter in the mid-1960’s, the Mi-14 was patterned after the American S-3 Sea King helicopter and leveraged components from existing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8, to expedite development and delivery into service. In 1976, the Mi-14 entered service with the Soviet Navy. Three variants of the Mi-14 covered a range of missions, including ASW, Search and Rescue, and minesweeping. As with other Soviet aircraft designs, the Mi-14 was exported to Warsaw Pact and other allies, finding its way into Polish service in 1981. Mr. Kalinowski’s account of the Polish Mi-14’s is a feast for the modeler’s eyes, packing over 400 color photographs and descriptive captions into 96 pages. Special… more |