Dave Koukol
Reviews By Author
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F-5E Nellis GomersPublished:
BackgroundTwobob’s latest releases showcase markings for US Air Force “Aggressor” F-5E Tiger II’s seeing service from the early-1970’s through the late 1980’s. This review showcases markings from Nellis-based “Gomers” assigned to the 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons. The squadrons deployed throughout US and overseas to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units from October 1972 to June 1990. The units currently operate F-16C and F-15C aircraft in similar roles, as part of the regular Red Flag cadre at Nellis AFB, NV. US Air Force F-5E’s saw “Gomer” duty from 1975 until 1990 as noted at Nellis, and also with the 527th Aggressor Squadron at Alconbury RAF in the UK and the 26th… more |
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Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise Starship SetPublished:
“1/2500 Scale – the final frontier. This is the kit review of the Starships “Enterprise.” Their 5-day mission: Amuse a 4-1/2 year-old little modeling nut, give his dad a chance to check out some new models of some old friends, and to boldly go where few built kits have gone before …(Wal-Mart, the public library, Lowes, Max & Erma’s, McDonalds, …anywhere little hands can carry them).” 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… more |
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Fokker D.VII (OAW)Published:
BackgroundArguably one of Germany’s premier fighters in World War I, the Fokker D.VII quickly became won acceptance by its adoptive aircrews as it began to enter service in the summer of 1918. A well-balanced and stable gun platform, with exceptional maneuverability and reliability, the D.VII demonstrated significant performance improvement over prior Germany types, including its famed older brother, the Fokker Dr.1 triplane. In order to meet wartime demand, Fokker licensed production of the D.VII to Albatross. Albatross cranked out the D.VII at its Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW) facility. Multiple models were manufactured, incorporating running changes and three distinct powerplants – two of Mercedes origin and one from BMW. By war’s end 2,800 D.VII’s… more |
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F-100F Super SabrePublished:
BackgroundIn the decade following the end of World War II, aircraft performance and design advanced at a dizzying pace. Proposed in 1951 and first flown in 1953, the North American F-100 Super Sabre followed in the footsteps of legendary P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre, and was the first American production fighter capable of flying at sustained supersonic speeds in level flight. Although intended as a clear-weather daytime air superiority fighter, the “Hun” saw its most notable service during the Vietnam War as a fighter-bomber. The quantum leap in performance over previous fighters was accompanied by an unprecedented accident rate, as Air Force pilots with supersonic experience were few and far between outside of the flight test community. In order to curb the high accident… more |
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Spitfire Mk V Cockpit Set for Tamiya KitPublished:
“So many Spitfires…so little time…” or at least that’s the way seems to die-hard modeling fans of Supermarine’s legendary fighter. Of all of the kits offered in 1/48th scale, Tamiya’s varied offerings of the Mk V are among the most popular with competitive and serious modelers. Excellent accuracy, detail, and general engineering of the kit put it in an elite class of quarter-scale Spitfires. If Tamiya’s outstanding kit weren’t enough, those folks from Aires just had to take things a step further with their recent release of a cockpit set for Tamiya’s Mk V’s. Boy, do they deliver! Eight crisply-cast chunks of resin, a fret of top-notch photoetch, and a small sheet of acetate with instrument faces and gunsight glass to raise a high bar even higher. … more |