Introduction:

Boomerang is a gunfire locator developed by DARPA and Raytheon BBN Technologies primarily for use against snipers. The Boomerang unit attaches on a mast to the rear of a military vehicle and uses a compact array of seven acoustic sensors to detect and measure both the muzzle blast and the supersonic shock wave from a bullet traveling through the air. With each sensor detecting the sound at slightly different times, Boomerang uses sophisticated algorithms to compute the direction a bullet is coming from, distance above the ground and range to the shooter in less than one second. Users receive simultaneous visual and auditory information on the point of fire from an LED 12-hour clock image display panel and speaker mounted inside the vehicle.

Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang_(countermeasure)

Review:

Boomerang III Anti-Sniper/Sniper Detection/Gunfire Detection Systems back mount version for various MRAPs and M-ATV (LRE-35236) set from Live Resin is packed in a zip-lock bag secured between hard cardboard backings. The CAD box art on the front shows the Boomerang system in detail as well as the assembly procedure, while the one on the back displays the system installed on M-ATV.

The kit consists of 14 pieces molded in grey resin. The cast is really good and I found no evidence of any imperfections in resin. The casting carrier blocks are large and should be removed carefully.

The set depicts Boomerang III Shooter Detection system in 1/35 scale. The system consists of microphone mast, microphone array, electronics cabinet and visual display unit. The mast is nothing more than an aluminum pipe, secured to the vehicle using a specific mount. Microphone array is made of seven spines fitted with weatherproof and dustproof microphones, each plugged into the hub atop the mast. Electronics cabinet is the signal processing unit and it is used to interface with the mast and display unit. Finally, the display unit mounts on the vehicle dashboard and features LED array display and alphanumeric display, integrated loudspeaker, headphone jack, Ethernet jack, GPS jack and ON/OFF switch.

Utilizing high-resolution 3D rapid prototyping technology for producing this set, Live Resin made an amazing job on the Boomerang III system. Comparing the 1/35 scale set to the references I found on Raytheon website, I must admit Live Resin’s Boomerang III replica looks extremely realistic. All the details of the system are easily recognizable… tiny spines with microphones, hub with plug sockets and the fine points of the visual display… it’s all there. The only thing to add are the mast cable and vehicle display cables, easily recreated using some copper wire.

Assembly:

Assembling this delicate set is not as hard as it might seem at first. Take some time to identify all the parts in the kit and check the reference photos before actually starting the build. Also, study the instructions on the box art. Please note that building the Boomerang III system seen on the box art of this set doesn’t really require all the pieces supplied with the set.

Live Resin did a superb job designing this kit; the pieces feature protrusions or indentations which help to align the parts correctly. The pieces fit really well and there is no need for putty work throughout the process. I enlarged the holes on the hub slightly using 0.8mm drill bit to give microphone spines a bit more room, keeping the optimal geometry. You can see a photo summary of my build: I annotated the parts on the resin carrier blocks and I'm also showing photos of the assembly noting the position of each part.

Conclusion:

Live Resin produces 4 different Boomerang III versions in 1/35 scale. The set reviewed here depicts Boomerang III in mount configuration seen on the back of M-ATVs.

As always, Live Resin casting is second-to-none, and the details the company is able to reproduce in scale are absolutely amazing. Also, Live Resin designs their models very intelligently, so the pieces fit perfectly and the assembly of complex kits is very much straightforward. If your MRAPs need sniper protection system, look no further… this Boomerang III system will bring your model to a next level of realism.

Thanks to Yaroslav from Live Resin for this review sample.

References:

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/boomerang/