Luke R. Bucci, PhD

Luke built all kinds of models starting in the early '60s, but school, wife Naniece, and work (PhD Clinical Nutritionist) caused the usual absence from building. Picked up modeling to decompress from grad school, joined IPMSUSA in 1994 and focused on solely 1/700 warships (waterline!) and still do. I like to upgrade and kitbash the old kits and semi-accurize them, and even scratchbuild a few. Joined the Reviewer Corps to expand my horizon, especially the books nobody wants to review - have learned a lot that way. Shout out to Salt Lake and Reno IPMSUSA clubs - they're both fine, fun groups and better modelers than I, which is another way to learn. Other hobbies are: yes, dear; playing electric bass and playing with the canine kids.

IPMS Number

33549

Reviews By Author

	Model Art Modeling Magazine, #804, September 2010 Published: October 14, 2010 Company: Model Art Publisher: Model Art Co., Ltd, 1-12-30, 1Chome, Kudankita Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0073 Japan Thanks to Model Art and Dragon Models - USA for the review copy. Model Art No. 804, September 2010 issue features new armor model kits, which take up the first 52 pages of this issue. The focus is on WW2 German armor on the Eastern front, and includes some Russian armor as well. Oddly, the Table of Contents is on page 10 after the feature on a Russian BT-7 tank build. After that, you get kit and diorama features on German Figures, Cyber-Hobby’s Tiger I in snow camouflage, Cyber Hobby’s Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel diorama, a Dragon Elefant with Zimmerit, Trumpeter’s German 21cm Morser 18 artillery piece, and lastly, Tamiya’s 3 ton 4X2 Cargo truck diorama. After about 10 pages of ads… more
	Model Art Modeling Magazine, #37, Autumn 2010 Published: October 14, 2010 Company: Model Art ModelArt special subject magazines are really softbound reference books on a particular subject. ModelArt Autumn 2010 No. 37 is entirely devoted to ships. No. 37 is the fourth part of detailed coverage of WW2 Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) destroyers. This issue covers the Akizuki, Shimakaze, Matsu and Tachibana classes, all commissioned after the start of the Pacific War. Patrol boat conversions from 1940 onwards of the obsolescent Minekaze class are also covered, as are some new kits of modern warships. This issue is designed for modelers of IJN destroyers of these classes. Each class shows which kits and scales are available, and builds different ships in each class to show the variations and modifications during wartime use. Corrections to current kits to make accurate depictions are… more
	Model Art Modeling Magazine, #36, Summer 2010 Published: October 12, 2010 Company: Model Art ModelArt special subject magazines are really softbound reference books on a particular subject. ModelArt Summer 2010 No. 36 is entirely devoted to ships, so armor, aircraft and care buffs need not apply. In No. 36, the early, non-Akagi and non-Kaga aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy are the topics – Hosho and Ryujo. You also get an update on US Navy amphibious warfare model kits and as-built Hiryu and Soryu kit modifications as bonuses. This issue Hosho and Ryujo represented the first carriers built as such for the Imperial Japanese Navy (Akagi and Kaga were converted from battlecruiser and battleship hulls). Each was small and had its own problems that limited wartime use. Hosho survived WW2 but Ryujo was an early casualty at the Battle of the Eastern Solomon’s in… more
	WWII U.S. Navy Vessels Guard Rails I Published: August 31, 2009 Company: Lion Roar Bottom Line None better – has very fine sagged and straight railings in 2- and 3-bar styles. Photoetch Set Review Lion Roar has a large line of 1/700 photoetch accessories for United States, Japanese, German and Royal Navy WW2 navies. This set is devoted exclusively to US Navy railings, both 2- and 3-bar varieties. The fret contains seven types of railings: 7 rows of sagged 3-bar railing (about 38.5 inches) for main decks 4 short rows of curved, sagged 3-bar railing (about 14 inches) for bow sections of ships 4 rows of sagged 2-bar railing (about 22 inches) for superstructures 3 rows of straight 2-bar railings (about 16.5 inches) for short lengths of superstructure railings 3 rows of straight 3-… more
	Model Art Modeling Magazine, #750, June 2008 Published: August 31, 2009 Company: Model Art This must be Model Art’s 50th Anniversary – at least, that is how I interpret the little 50th logo on the front cover. As usual, Model Art No. 750 June 2008 is in almost 100% Japanese language. The format is close to 7x10 inches in size, and as usual, the printing and reproduction quality is excellent. Most of the articles and reviews (but not the featurettes or ads) are mostly in color. The June 2008 issue cover shows the major feature of this month – Questions & Answers for Building Model Aircraft. Pages 7-43 have separate articles detailing different areas of building, detailing, airbrushing and photographing model aircraft, using Hasegawa’s 1/48 Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank), Hasegawa’s 1/72 Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker (also the cover art subject), Tamiya’s 1/48 Me262,… more