Reviews

Book Author(s)
Tom Cooper, Adrien Fontanellaz, Milos Sipos
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$30.00

Casemate Publishing is distributing Helion & Company’s 6th installment of their series “War in Ukraine”. This series is part of their “Europe at War” collection. “War in Ukraine” covers all aspects of the current conflict in Ukraine, like air warfare, drone warfare, armored vehicles or specific battles. This book is focused on the opening moves of air warfare in Mar-April of 2022.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Yahu Models
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$8.99

Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps with a 1/48th scale detail set for the Yak 1/3/7/9 wing fuel gauges. This is a generic set that will work on any Yak 1/3/7/9 airplane kit.

In the Package

The fuel gauge detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched fret. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it. Assembly is required to install the bezel to the gauge face, and you will need to reference the instructions to determine the correct gauge for a particular Yak variant. I would also recommend adding a drop Clear Gloss (like Future or clear UV resin) on the gauge once the bezel is installed to give it a glassed in look.

Conclusions

Overall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your 1/48th scale WWII Yak kit. The close-up picture shows off the small detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Arma Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$23.50

History

(From the Arma web site): The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Falcon) fighter, nicknamed ‘Oscar’ in Allied code, was Japan's equivalent of the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf-109 - it was a core piece of the Imperial Japanese Army Aviation throughout the Second World War, and was refined and produced in successive versions during all that period. Although it remained somewhat in the shadow of the naval Mitsubishi ‘Zero’, famous on the Pacific front thanks to its spectacular carrier battles, the Hayabusa played a major role in the battles over the Asian continent: over China, Burma, and Malaya, but also over the Philippines and New Guinea. There, it fought effectively against the air forces of China, the USA, Great Britain, Australia, and the Netherlands, making a major contribution to the initial great victories of the Japanese.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$104.98

ICM has done it again with a great combination kit with three early World War II armored vehicles. This boxing Wehrmacht Armored Vehicles (DS3524 – Diorama Set) has three complete kits: Sd.Kfz. 247 Ausf B, Panzerspähwagen P 204(f), and Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf A. From the ICM webpage for the Wehrmacht Armored Vehicles boxed set:

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Revell Germany
Scale
1:24
MSRP
$52.99

Carrera-Revell has re-released its Lamborghini Countach LP500S Model Kit in 2024. It’s 1:24 scale in a European boxing as kit #07730.

Rare for the times, the Lamborghini Countach debuted in 1974 sporting a striking angular wedge shape, a huge rear wing and innovative scissor doors that made it an icon of the 80s supercar set. The LP500S version came with a 4.8-liter V-12 engine and a top speed 182 mph. It literally looked like a jet plane on wheels. Shod with Pirelli P7 tires and Campagnolo cast magnesium wheels, it looks awesome just standing still! There were 321 built from 1982 to 1985. If you can find one for sale these days, it will carry a price tag of around $600,000!

Book Author(s)
Massimiliano Afiero
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$28.95

The Waffen SS at Kharkov by Afiero offers a detailed and nuanced examination of the Waffen-SS’s role in the Battle of Kharkov, one of the key engagements on the Eastern Front during World War II. Through a combination of meticulously researched historical accounts and vivid battle descriptions, Afiero provides readers with an in-depth understanding of the SS units’ strategies, tactics, and actions, as well as the broader context of the conflict.

Kharkov, located in Ukraine, was the site of several significant battles during the war. The German forces, including the infamous Waffen-SS, faced off against the Soviet Red Army in a brutal struggle for control. Afiero’s book delves into the military operations, offering insight into the complexities of urban warfare, supply issues, and the harsh conditions the soldiers faced on both sides. It goes beyond just a tactical account, touching on the personal and psychological experiences of the soldiers who fought there.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Yahu Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.99

Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a 1/72nd scale instrument panel for the J2M3 Raiden that will fit the Hasegawa, A-Model, and Sword kits.

In the Package

The instrument panel detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched instrument panel already assembled and one PE etched sheet for cockpit side panels. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it.

Conclusions

Overall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your J2M3 Raiden instrument panel. The close-up picture shows off the very small detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing.

I want to thank Yahu Models for providing the J2M3 Raiden instrument panel set and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Highly recommend!

Book Author(s)
Neil Page and Jean-Louis Roba
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$28.95

From the Publisher:

On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht launched its assault on the West. One element of the West’s response was the dispatch of RAF Bomber Command ‘heavy’ bombers at night over German industrial centers. These raids had only limited effectiveness, but the inability of the Luftwaffe to chase down RAF bombers at night so annoyed Wolfgang Falck that it swiftly resulted in the creation of a credible night fighter force.

Initial trials had been flown with Bf 110s at dusk in Denmark on April 1. Nachtjagd Division was founded in the summer of 1940. Its first few months were chaotic, with constant reorganizations of units, and reassignment of aircraft, but soon enough the night fighter arm was achieving steady victories—and losing crews at a similarly steady rate.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
NA
MSRP
$12.99

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for WWII US Navy Vehicles is no exception and consists of six 12ml paint bottles, that are surprisingly not dropper top style, but rather are wide mouthed. The colors include:

  • Natural Steel (No. 1025)
  • Blue Grey (No. 1032)
  • Rubber Black (No. 1039)
  • Deck Tan (No. 1055)
  • Camouflage Green (No. 1071)
  • Varnish Satin (No. 2002)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating

Book Author(s)
Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia
Illustrators: Luca Canossa, Tom Cooper, Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia, Anderson Subtil, and Rolando Ugolini
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This is the second volume in the Operativo Independencia series that outlines Argentinian history since the overthrow of General Juan Domingo Perón in 1955 through the 1976 coup d'état. Operativo Independencia, Volume 1 - Armed Insurgency in Argentina 1955-1974 was well reviewed by Dave Morrissette (Operativo Indepndencia, Volume 1 - Armed Insurgency in Argentina 1955-1974 | IPMS/USA Reviews), and covers the period of 1955 through 1974. Volume 2: Guerilla War, the 1976 Coup D'Etat, and the Dirty War in Argentina continues the story of the government forces’ successful fight against communism from 1975-1976, codenamed “Operativo Independencia”, the military junta that replaced the democratically elected president, Juan Domingo Perón’s wife Isabela, and the aftermath of the “Dirty War”.