Dave Koukol
Reviews By Author
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North American P-51D Mustang, Part 1Published:
Considered by many to be the finest piston-engined fighter aircraft ever to take to the skies, the P-51 Mustang is legendary among aviation aficionados and modelers alike, and needs little introduction in this “first look” at Tamiya’s exquisite rendition of the defining Mustang variant, the P-51D. Riding on the tremendous popularity of its 1/32 Scale Aircraft series thus far, Tamiya once again ups the ante with the introduction of the P-51 series. As with their Zeros, Phantoms, and Spitfires, Tamiya has clearly engineered their tooling to crank out Mustang variants other than just the “-D.” Upon completion of the… more |
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MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial VehiclePublished:
General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper was conceived and birthed as a super-sized version of the MQ-1 Predator, which had met with great success in the time-critical-targeting (TCT) role in the late 1990’s and early part of this century. Despite Predator’s utility in the TCT role, it was limited by the size, quantity and diversity of payload it could deliver, as well as by limited range and service ceiling. As a result, “Predator B” was developed to leverage the success of the “Predator A” design, while minimizing development time, risk, and cost. The final product was a weapons system capable of carrying 3,750 pounds (an increase of nearly 800%), including GBU-12 Paveways and GBU-38 JDAMs, in addition to AGM-114 Hellfires, and a 50% increase in range and altitude. Given the significant increase… more |
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USS Coronado LCS-4Published:
USS Coronado, scheduled for commissioning in October 2012, is an Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS). Designed by Lockheed-Martin and constructed by General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works, Coronado is the second of her class, and features a high-speed trimaran hull and reconfigurable mission bays tailored to specific mission profiles. Cyber-model’s rendition of this future warrior, although diminutive in 1/700 scale, is crisp and inviting. Molded in light gray styrene, the combination of raised and recessed detail strikes a clean look faithful to the lines and features seen on web-based pictures of Independence. The towed array and helos are crisply molded with recessed detail with convincing proportions. Two frets of well-executed… more |
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NASCAR 2010 Chevrolet ImpalaPublished:
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, has rolled out a set of “Snapit” Chevys capturing the essence of the 2010 NASCAR Impalas, including 4 in the Hendrick Motorsports liveries of the #48, #24, #5, and the… more |
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NASA Space Shuttle Owners’ Workshop ManualPublished:
Possibly one of the world’s most recognizable flying machines, the NASA Space Shuttle was the first reusable piloted spacecraft, and to this day remains unrivaled in versatility and success in that role. Having its genesis in waning years of the Apollo Program, the Shuttle evolved throughout the early 70’s, dodging the lethal pens of budget-cutters, and matured into what now is the icon of American manned spaceflight. Now, 30 years after the maiden flight, the program draws to a close in 2011. Dr. Baker skillfully and intimately captures the history and underlying technology of the Shuttle program and its family of 6 craft in this beautiful 196-page hard-backed edition. The volume is well-written by a man with first-hand experience in the program, and packed with over 250… more |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVIePublished:
Introduced in the latter half of 1944, the Mk. XVIe variant of Supermarine’s legendary design was optimized for low-altitude operations, featuring a Packard-built Merlin 266 powerplant, clipped wings, teardrop canopy, packing a pair each of 20mm cannon and 12.7mm machine guns, and toting either a pair of 250-lb bombs or a single 500-pounder. The Mk. XVI was the last Merlin-powered Spitfire variant to roll off the assembly line, and saw service with the RAF and a number of other nations into the 1950’s. Tamiya’s rendition of this less-known “Spit” variant follows closely on the heels of their Mk. VIII and Mk. IXc releases, both of which have received the highest acclaim from the modeling community. The Mk. XVIe perpetuates that sterling reputation. I agree with Ed’s assessment… more |
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USCGC Roger B. TaneyPublished:
US Coast Guard Cutter Roger B. Taney retains the claim to fame as the last surviving vessel of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Its keel laid in 1935 and commissioned in 1936, Taney served for over 50 years, seeing combat action during World War II and Vietnam, as well as performing weather station, search-and-rescue, and drug interdiction duties. Taney was decommissioned on December 7, 1986, and presented to the City of Baltimore, and now serves as a museum ship. Revell has released its venerable kit, once again, to the delight of maritime and nostalgic modelers. From all accounts of legacy reviews and my recollections from at least 3 decades ago, there’s nothing new in the box – which isn’t a bad thing. Although shot from old tooling… more |
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RQ-4B Global HawkPublished:
Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4B Global Hawk was conceived in the early 1990’s as part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s initiative to develop and field advanced concept technology demonstrator (ACTD) unmanned aerospace vehicles (UAVs). By the late 1990’s ACTD versions of the Global Hawk were demonstrating the viability of the concept of High Altitude Endurance (HAE) UAVs in some reconnaissance roles similar to those held by the legendary but venerable U-2. As the United States found itself fully engaged in the War on Terror in 2001, the need for additional HAE reccee assets became acute, and the ACTD design was rapidly advanced into the operational RQ-4A embodiment. As the merits of the RQ-4 crystallized in combat operations, a larger and more capable RQ-4B version was… more |
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P-39 Airacobra over New GuineaPublished:
Although not as glamorous or well-known as some of its contemporaries during World War II, the Bell P-39 Airacobra was an innovative and effective weapon system -- when employed to take advantage of its strengths while minimizing vulnerability to its shortcomings. Originally commissioned in the mid-1930’s as a high-altitude interceptor, the Airacobra’s lack of a supercharger limited its effective operational altitude to 17,000 feet. By 1941, adversary aircraft – fighters and bombers – had effective operational ceilings considerably higher than the P-39. As a result, the Airacobra found it’s niche in ground strafing and close air support roles, namely in service with the Soviet Air Force, but did also see some success with U.S. and other Allied air forces in the Mediterranean and… more |
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Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 RefitPublished:
BackgroundIt’s hard for some of us to believe it’s been nearly a half-century since Star Trek’s debut in 1964. Over the decades, the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701, has arguably become the most recognizable, esteemed, and influential vessel in intergalactic travel -- so influential that even the first NASA Space Shuttle bore her name as the result of a massive write-in campaign from Star Trek fans in the mid-1970’s. Her incarnations have been many, starting with the original “made for TV” Constitution-Class NCC-1701 in 1964, “refitted” in 1979 for Star Trek the Motion Picture, carbon-copied as NCC-1701-A in a sequel, then finally being outright up-classed in the form of the Excelsior-Class NCC-1701-B in Star Trek - Generations in 1994. Other Starfleet vessels… more |