It has been a while since Rocket.Aero had their last release, but it has been well worth the wait. This time the subject is the IM-99 Bomarc surface to air missile. Designed to intercepts Russian bombers on the way to nuke North American cities, the Bomarc was a weapons system that used a rocket booster and then ramjets to allow the missile to continue in flight. Reaching speeds of above Mach 2, the Bomarc system was in operation for about 15 years in the US and even longer in Canada. And I bet most of you were totally unaware of that little bit of info. I certainly was.

In line with other Rocket.Aero DVDs, this one is mostly movies without a ton of background chatter. If you are like me, this one is taken in several segments and not watched at one sitting, though if one has a few hours, then that is fine.

There are a lot of movies of Bomarc tests at Cape Canaveral, some in color, along with interceptions of QB-17 and X-10 missiles. It was quite cool to see a Bomarc just miss a QB-17 as seen from the wing tip camera. That alone is worth the price!

Footage of maintenance and construction of the Bomarc are also included as well as a number of other USAF movies on launch failures, an 'Annual Report', and a really neat 1950s movie on missile projects. There is also a modeler's notes soundtrack and a number of nice stills taken from the various films as well as the popular 'more'.

Overall, this is an outstanding DVD. It has very good repeat watching value and is something I most highly recommend.

June 2007

Review DVD courtesy of Rocket.Aero. Order yours direct

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