Dave Koukol
Reviews By Author
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Tauchpanzer III Ausf H Smart KitPublished:
BackgroundOriginally designed with breathing and wading apparatus to support the Wehrmacht’s amphibious invasion of Great Britain during Operation Sea Lion, the Panzer III Tauchpanzer never had the opportunity to wade ashore on the British Isles following the Luftwaffe’s defeat in the Battle of Britain. Despite the denial of the opportunity to tread on British soil, Tauchpanzer III’s saw duty on the Eastern Front against the Red Army. The KitBased on earlier Dragon Panzer III releases, the introduction of the Tauchpanzer Ausf. H brings a somewhat obscure Panzer III variant to the modeler’s workbench. Molded in light gray styrene, the Tauchpanzer III kit is a mix of Panzer III, Panzer IV, and unique Tauchpanzer III sprues, with three frets of photoetch and… more |
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M60A2 PattonPublished:
BackgroundA variant of the M60 main battle tank featuring a low-profile turret, a 152mm main gun capable of firing conventional rounds, and the MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank missile system, the M60A2 was queued up as an interim solution while the MBT-70 was under development. Despite its advanced technology, the “Starship” did not live up to expectations and was eventually phased out of active duty units by 1981. The KitMolded in olive green plastic with no clear parts, the kit features crisp detail throughout, although some deep scratches or imperfections were found on front fenders and sponsons. No interior detail is provided, although options for posing hatches in the open position allows for addition of aftermarket or scratchbuilt detail. Absence of… more |
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Masks for Academy F-4JPublished:
Simple but brilliant, Eduard’s pre-cut canopy masks now include a set for Academy’s 1/72 F-4J Phantom II kit. In this case, simplicity of application was demonstrated by 9 year-old Camden as he built his Academy F-4J Showtime 100 for a related IPMS/USA review. In a matter of minutes, the pre-cut masks were transferred to the model canopy and scraps for left-over mask material were used to fill in the holes. Fit of all pieces was spot-on. The masks adhered well throughout the construction and finishing process, spanning about 3 weeks’ time. At the end of the build, they peeled off with only one slight trace of residual adhesive, which was quickly lifted by the adhesive side of a piece of low-tack masking tape. A great tool for modelers of all skill levels, Eduard… more |
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USN F-4J VF-96 'Showtime 100'Published:
BackgroundDeveloped as a fleet interceptor for the United States Navy in the 1950’s the F-4 Phantom became one of the most successful and prolific combat aircraft designs of the jet age, remaining in US service into the 1990’s. Tasting its first combat during the Vietnam War, Navy and Air Force Phantoms produced leading aces for both service branches. One of the most notable of those Phantoms was the F-4J, call-sign Showtime 100, flown by Lt Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Lt (jg) Willie “Irish” Driscoll on May 10th, 1972. During a raid on a North Vietnamese rail yard, the US strike package was challenged by enemy MiG-17 fighters. During the ensuing air-to-air engagement, Cunningham and Driscoll dispatched 2 of the MiG-17’s, and would then proceed to shoot down a third… more |
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M42 DusterPublished:
BackgroundFollowing the Second World War, the United States Army developed requirements for a modern armored and mobile anti-aircraft platform to deploy with armored and infantry forces. Filling that requirement was the M42 Duster. Based on the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank platform and armed with the Bofors M2A1 dual 40mm anti-aircraft cannon, the M42 became the mainstay of mobile armored anti-aircraft support for both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps from 1953 through the Vietnam War. 3700 Dusters were produced and served with several allied nations in addition to the United States The BookA veritable reference bonanza for the scale modeler, David Doyle’s M42 Duster contains hundreds of color and black and white images in its 120 softbound pages.… more |
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Churchill Mk III "Fitted for Wading" Operation Jubilee, Dieppe, France 1942Published:
BackgroundConceived and initially developed on the eve of World War II, the Churchill infantry tank was designed to provide infantry support in European conflicts, including trench warfare as seen in World War I. Although rushed into production early in the war to counter an anticipated German invasion of England, the Churchill matured through a number of marks to become a versatile and effective element of Allied armored forces. Some Mk III Churchills were fitted with special wading gear for amphibious landings. Most notable of such landings was the ill-fated Operation Jubilee, in which Canadian forces tested the feasibility of opposed amphibious landings on the European mainland in 1942. The ModelThis variant of Dragon’s Mk III Churchill features… more |
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F-86D Sabre DogPublished:
BackgroundOriginally designated as the F-95, the North American F-86D “Sabre Dog” was the initial all-weather and night capable extension of the superb F-86 day fighter. Only 25% common to the day-version F-86’s the “Dog” sported a larger fuselage, engine, and tail surfaces, with a distinctive radome to house an advanced air intercept radar. The D-model also traded its guns for 2.75-inch folding fin aerial rockets, which were mounted in a retractable launcher in the nose of the aircraft. First prototyped in 1949, over 2500 F-86D’s were produced, serving in the air arms of no fewer than 17 nations. The KitA repop of the Monogram ProModeler tool, Revell’s F-86D is an exceptional quarter inch scale rendition of the 50’s all-weather interceptor. Molded in… more |
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Typhoon Mk. Ib Landing FlapsPublished:
Recently, Airfix has upped its game with the release of several 1/72 scale aircraft kits with new tooling and featuring excellent detail. One such kit is their Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib. Despite Airfix’s excellent out-of-box detail, aftermarket detail manufacturers have tossed their hats into the ring to make an excellent kit even better. Among them is Eduard with it’s set of photoetched landing flaps. Consisting of a single fret of photoetched brass, the set includes the movable surface areas as well as the stationary wing-side structural elements. Rib and rivet detail is crisp and delicate. Instructions are visual, succinct, and clearly presented. Typical of Eduard products, fidelity of detail is exceptional. Some care and experience working with PE are recommended for… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Ib Control SurfacesPublished:
Recently, Airfix has upped its game with the release of several 1/72 scale aircraft kits with new tooling and featuring excellent detail. One such kit is their Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib. Despite Airfix’s excellent out-of-box detail, aftermarket detail manufacturers have tossed their hats into the ring to make an excellent kit even better. Among them is Aires -- bringing their improved horizontal stabilizers and elevators. Comparing fairly closely to the kit parts, the Aires version offers some slight differences in surface detail and panel location, as well as posable elevators. Aires’ mold quality and fidelity of detail is exceptional, and the positionable elevators make a subtle contribution to improving this legendary 1/72 RAF tank killer. Highly recommended for the… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Ib Exhaust (for Airfix Kit)Published:
Recently, Airfix has upped its game with the release of several 1/72 scale aircraft kits with new tooling and featuring excellent detail. One such kit is their Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib. Despite Airfix’s excellent out-of-box detail, aftermarket detail manufacturers have tossed their hats into the ring to make an excellent kit even better. Among them is Quickboost -- bringing their improved engine exhausts. Comparing fairly closely to the kit parts, the Quickboost versions offer the feature of hollowed out exhaust ports – saving the modeler time and stray cuts in the kit parts and fingers from errant drill bits or hobby knives. Quickboost’s mold quality and fidelity of detail is exceptional, and the hollowed out stacks make a subtle contribution to improving this legendary 1/… more |