Dave Koukol
Reviews By Author
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Hurricane Mk I Landing GearPublished:
SAC’s recent release of their 1/48 Hurricane Mk I Landing Gear for the Italeri/Tamiya kit has been most timely and welcome. With over 40 years of modeling under my belly-eclipsed belt, it’s safe to say I’ve destroyed every set of injection-molded Hurricane landing gear I’ve ever built – and that’s quite a few. I was concerned about that with my latest Hurricane build – until this little set of jewels arrived in the mail. Although nothing exotic, this set appears to be a recasting of the kit main gear struts and braces in fine white metal, and the tail wheel strut appears to be a net-new part. Detail is comparable to the kit originals, but the real value comes in the struts’ strength. Heading down the stretch during the build and photographing and handling for the review, I had… more |
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Hurricane Mk I Landing FlapsPublished:
Eduard’s set of photoetch landing flaps adds another level of depth to the Italeri/Tamiya Hurricane Mk I kit. Although few reference photos of aircraft on the ground show the flaps dropped, they do add a degree of interest to finished model. The single fret of components, as expected from Eduard, is beautifully engineered and produced. Instructions are clear and concise. After a quick but thorough study of the flap instructions, affected material on the kit was removed with little effort and without injury. Folding of the PE parts was nearly as quick and easy, with strategically-placed drops of superglue on the flap structure to hold position of the ribs and to retain the torque tube to the flap assembly. The flap wells fit pretty well into the wings, but a… more |
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Hurricane Mk I ExhaustPublished:
A welcome addition to the slew of aftermarket details for the Italeri/Tamiya Hurricane Mk I is Quickboost’s resin exhaust set. Crisply and cleanly cast in fine tan resin, the exhausts feature open exhaust ports and fit perfectly to the kit Merlin. I highly recommend this set for modelers of all skill levels who don’t want the hassle of opening up the exhaust ports. Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review sample. |
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Hawker Hurricane Mk IPublished:
Conceived in 1934 to fulfill a requirement for a monoplane interceptor with a top speed exceeding 300 miles per hour in level flight, the Hawker Hurricane became one of the most significant Allied fighter aircraft in the opening years of the Second World War, and served worldwide throughout the conflict with great distinction. Most famously known for its pivotal role in the Battle of Britain, the Mk I variant of the Hurricane served as the numerical mainstay for the Royal Air Force in its defeat of the Luftwaffe during England’s “Finest Hour.” Tamiya’s recent release of the Hurricane Mk I is a repackaging of the new Italeri kit. Although a nice kit, it is not thoroughbred Tamiya, so modelers should temper their “shake the box and out pops a great build” expectations a bit before… more |
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Ilyushin Il-2 ShturmovikPublished:
The Soviet Union’s first purpose-designed ground support aircraft, proposed in 1938, the Il-2 first saw production and combat action in 1941 as a single-seat platform. As a result of heavy losses from enemy fighters, the 2-seat version with a rear gunner station was fielded in 1943, and proved to be a crucial element in the Red Army’s defeat of the invading Nazi forces. With over 36,000 units produced, the Shturmovik was and still is the most-produced aircraft in aviation history, and accounted for nearly 1/3 of all Soviet aircraft produced during “The Great Patriotic War.” Kit ContentsTamiya’s rendition of this indispensable element of the Red Army’s air arm is a truly fine piece of design and production excellence, as is expected from Tamiya. The pre-production… more |
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YF-22 RaptorPublished:
Now the United States Air Force’s “Air Dominance Fighter,” the F-22 Raptor is arguably the world’s most advanced and capable air-to-air fighter aircraft. As part of the competition between the F-22 and F-23, the “YF” prototypes were flown, studied, and evaluated. Revell’s latest Snap-Tite aircraft offering, the YF-22, is a faithful reproduction of the winning prototype design. Molded in light gray plastic with a sprue of tinted clear containing the canopy and another molded in black with the base, the kit convincingly captures the lines and essence of the YF-22. Camden, age 6, assembled the 15 kit parts in no time flat with minimal guidance from Dad. Since no painting instructions were provided, we opted to leave it “natural plastic.” The peel-and-stick “decals” flew on over… more |
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SR-71 Blackbird Egg PlanePublished:
What classic breakfast food is capable of propelling itself at “Mach 3+” and capturing the imagination of modelers of all ages? It must be none other than Hasegawa’s SR-71 Blackbird in its offbeat and popular Egg Plane Series. Like it’s other egg-shaped cousins, this recent release is molded in a single color plastic with a sprue of clear canopy parts. Our SR came in black, and was crisply molded and snapped together in no time at all. A couple strategically-placed dabs of liquid cement ensured durability during an expected lifetime of little boy play. Camden, 6, was able to complete the majority of assembly without close supervision or assistance from “big hands” to get parts to snap together – very “kid friendly!” Overall assembly time was under an hour. Testors Gloss… more |
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TBF/TBM Avenger In ActionPublished:
The US Navy’s most widely-used torpedo bomber of World War II, the Grumman TBF Avenger filled a critical gap in combat capability shortly after the United States’ immersion into the war. The Grumman TBFs and license-built General Motors TBMs replaced the aging and obsolete Douglas TBD Devastator. Avengers operated in a host of roles through 1954, including torpedo bomber, level bomber, and anti-submarine duties. With a host of Avenger kits available in various scales, this latest edition from Mr. Doyle is a welcome addition to the modeler’s reference library. This all-new installment in Squadron/Signal’s long-running In Action series is packed with 212 photos, 29 of them in full color, 5 color profiles, and 5 line drawings into a hefty 80 pages chronicling the… more |
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USS North Carolina, Squadron at SeaPublished:
Authorized in 1936, launched in 1940, and commissioned the following year, USS North Carolina was the first battleship constructed for the US Navy since USS West Virginia’s 1923 commissioning. The first of America’s fast battleships, North Carolina compiled a sterling combat record in the South Pacific between 1942 and 1945, earning 12 battle stars while participating in every major naval campaign in the theater, making her the US Navy’s most decorated battleship. Following the war, North Carolina was eventually decommissioned, but bypassed the scrapyard when she was purchased by the citizens of North Carolina to serve as a memorial to those who served and sacrificed to preserve America’s freedom. Today, she sits moored in Wilmington, North Carolina… more |
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Spad XIII (early)Published:
First delivered to combat units in the fall of 1917, the Spad XIII was a refinement of the successful Spad VII design, featuring increased power and armament. Within months of initial delivery, 15 of 16 operational American pursuit squadrons had transitioned to the legendary French-built fighter. One of those squadrons was the 94th Pursuit Squadron, to which America’s leading ace of The Great War, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, was assigned. Eduard’s most recent release of the Spad XIII depicts an early production configuration. The kit includes color instructions and marking guide, markings for 5 aircraft (3 French, 1 British, and 1 Italian), a fret of photo-etched details, a set of masks, 3 sprues of the customary beige injection molded parts, and a single small clear sprue with… more |