Reviews of products for scale figures and diorama models.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
May 9, 2024
Company
Majestic Frames
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$50.00

A new 3D printed Marsden Matting (AKA: PSP, Perforated Steel Plate) is now available from Majestic Frames out of Warner Robins, Georgia. Due to a lack of affordable individual PSP for the modeler to create a 1/48th scale diorama base, an IPMS member (and a small business owner) took it upon himself to fill a void in the hobby.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in to two (2) Ziploc bags. Each bag has 105 pieces, enough plates to cover an 8 X 10 inch base (203 X 254 mm). One bag has a “(T)” in the title which has 0.03 inch (0.8 mm) thick plates. The other bag has 0.05 inch (1.3 mm) thick plates. Each plate size is 0.3 X 2.5 inches (7.6 X 63.5 mm). In addition, a sample base was also sent with PSP already installed on a matt board and unpainted.

Inspecting the plates, they are created by a 3D printer using small diameter bronze filament. They are flexible yet brittle when reaching its breaking point.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
May 7, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$60.00

Army of Ice includes three figures from the Game of Thrones universe including the Night King, the Great Other and a Wight. The set is three separate kits and each includes a base. The kits are molded in gray styrene with clear weapons for the Night King and Great Other. The Night King is 17 parts; the Wight is 17 parts and the Great Other is 15 parts. Also included are instruction sheets with one side showing the parts tree and color reference while the back shows the assembly of the parts. Also included are full size sheets of painting for color reference for each kit

Assembly is straightforward so what I want to do is highlight the differences and specifics of each kit.

Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
April 23, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$23.99

To quickly build temporary runways, US engineering services built various options for the airfield. Aerodrome steel plates were M8A1 used in the Vietnam War in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s and were installed by engineering units of the US Army.Plates were connected to each other either staggered or in a row and allowed to build either separate small sites or airfields of impressive size. Most often, such coatings were used in army aviation. Various aircraft could be based on the sites created in this way, for example, combat helicopters AN-1Q Cobra, light attack aircraft, and observation aircraft OV-10A Bronco or O-2 Skymaster. Also on such sites were operated well-known B-26K Counter Invader.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
April 10, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$22.49

“As of October 2023, there were almost 43 thousand female servicemen in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukraine has one of the highest rates of women in the armed forces among the armies of the world, including NATO armies. In the past, women primarily served in auxiliary positions such as doctors, signalmen, or cooks. However, with the onset of full-scale hostilities in February 2022, more and more women have taken on combat roles such as driving combat vehicles, operating grenade launchers, machine guns, snipers, and drones. Many women also serve as commanders of combat vehicles, units, and reconnaissance groups. Lieutenant General Serhiy Naiev, the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, emphasizes, “What unites them all is that they are true Ukrainian women who could not stay at home when their Motherland cried out for help to the world.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
March 8, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$22.99

ICM continues to add to its excellent aviation figure series with this latest contribution, WWII Pilots of British Naval Aviation. The title of the kit is a bit of a misnomer as the included figures only feature a single pilot. The other two figures are a sailor and a naval officer. In addition, I was surprised to see that this set only included three rather than the usual four that ICM offers in such sets.

All that being said, I’m actually quite taken with the figures provided. The naval sailor and officer are, to the best of my knowledge, the first ever offered in plastic in this scale, and the detail is lovely. The pilot figure comes with a beautifully detailed parachute and harness slung over one shoulder, and with very little modification (mostly the color of his pants) could be changed out to an RAF fighter pilot with ease.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
March 8, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$25.00

In yet another happy move, ICM has now released a set of very nice figures to support their growing line of 1/35th helicopter kits. Set in the Vietnam War era, this set of four figures depicts a typical support crew performing general maintenance on a helicopter, with a commanding officer pointing to an area needing attention. Three are wearing the standard working cap for ground personnel including one bare-headed figure.

All four figures are in the casual ground *uniforms for maintenance work and are on the whole relatively easy to assemble. Some attention needs to be paid, however, to the loose hands that attach to wrists – obviously intended to provide some flexibility in positioning for your particular diorama.

Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
February 2, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$20.00

Not to be confused with RAF Pilots in Tropical Uniforms (1941-45) in 1/32, this all-new figure set depicts five RAF servicemen in tropical rig and will be suitable for dioramas and vignettes in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and the Far East for that time period.

The standard ICM white box comes with a colour slip cover with boxart of the figures posed in front of a North Africa-based Beaufort. The box contains a single medium grey plastic runner with 31 well-detailed and well-moulded parts. No decals are included, though it might have been nice to have some RAF wings and rank insignia to add where appropriate. A single full-colour painting guide with part numbers and colour callouts for ICM paints is all that is included (or indeed necessary!) in the box.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
January 28, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$26.00

Reference from the ICM website:

The Air Assault Forces of Ukraine were created in 2017 on the basis of the existing Highly Mobile Landing Troops, which at that time already had its own separate command. According to their purpose, the units and subunits of the Air Assault Forces are divided into airborne and air assault troops; to enhance their strike potential, tank units were added to their composition; in 2022, a separate Jaeger brigade was added. The airborne assault troops are characterized by a high level of combat readiness, mobility, the ability to perform tasks independently in difficult conditions, high motivation, and morale. A special feature of their everyday and ceremonial uniforms is a maroon-colored beret. Since 2014, this army branch has been actively involved in combat operations, first in the southwest, and with the outbreak of full-scale hostilities – in other regions of Ukraine.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
January 27, 2024
Company
Green Stuff World
MSRP
$9.95

Green Stuff World (GSW) is a company based out of Spain. It is specialized in the design and production of tools, paints, and other types of resources for modeling, crafts, and wargames. GSW has provided IPMS-USA one (1) 250 ml bottle of textured acrylic paint for review.

In the Bottle

The textured paint is packaged in a 250 ml bottle and comes in a very dark brown color to represent Volcanic Earth tones. Inside the paint has a consistency of thick paste with small granules mixed in to give it texture. It is water based and can be thinned if needed.

Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
January 8, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$24.00

History

In WWII, German Medics were called Sanitäter, or Sani for short. In Wehrmacht, the direct medical care for wounded soldiers on the battlefield was provided by medics who were part of platoons, companies, and battalions. They could be distinguished from ordinary infantrymen by their special medical pouches, additional water flasks, patches, and armbands. They were also able to evacuate the wounded to first aid stations or collection points. Infantry companies also included non-commissioned officers of the medical service, and at the battalion level, a military doctor (Assistenz or Oberarzt) was responsible for centralized medical care. However, it was not possible to carry out serious medical operations in the battalion; this was the responsibility of the divisional medical service, which could also include sanitary convoys that were engaged in the centralized transportation of the wounded.