Reviews

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$14.00

Syhart Decal has provided IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the F-16AM Falcon, tail number E-006, with acolor scheme for the Royal Danish Air Force in “Dannebrog 50 Years F-16” special paint scheme in 1/72nd scale. Looking online for E-006, this F-16 variant will be an F-16A Block 20 MLU.

In the Package

There are three decal sheets provided with all the colorful anniversary colors on the two larger sheets. The third sheet is smaller and has the stencils. Markings represent how the F-16AM Falcon flew in 2024 at air shows.

A bonus is the addition of 3-D printed parts for the forward wing probes and ventral antenna under the engine intake for increased accuracy in the build.

The information sheets show all sides of the airplane. Because of the large swaths of decals, a color-coded placement guide is a nice tutorial to locate them. Exterior paint information is also provided in FS color codes and color descriptions.

Review Author
Chris Surber
Published on
Company
Special Hobby
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$25.00

History

The Chukar target drone was developed and produced by Northrup Ventura in 1968. It can be launched from land based or ship based zero length launchers. JATO rockets were used to accelerate it to stable flight speed and a Williams J-400-WR-400 turbojet provided 121 pounds of thrust for propulsion. It could travel at speeds up to 400 knots and had a ceiling of 40,000 feet. It was ingeniously designed to include passive or active radar, wingtip infrared flares and a smoke system for visual tracking. It can be rigged with flotation equipment for recovery over water. After a training mission a parachute is deployed and telemetry information on defensive missile performance can be downloaded. The drone is named for the Chukar Partridge, a game bird that thrives from the Western Mediterranean, through the Middle East and into Asia.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$20.00

Syhart Decal has provided IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the Belgian Air Force of their F-16AM Falcon for tail number FA-87 with color scheme from the 2011 & 2012 Tigermeet in 1/72nd scale. Looking online for FA-87, this F-16 variant will be an F-16A Block 20 MLU.

In the Package

There are three decal sheets provided with all the colorful tiger stripes on the two larger sheets. The third sheet is smaller and has all the stencils. However, the modeler will have to decide what year (2011 or 2012) to display since there are only enough decals for one jet and the only difference will be the tail markings.

A unique bonus to this decal set are the cockpit decals for the glare shield tiger striped scarf and false tiger skin covering over the ejection seat.

Book Author(s)
Carlo Cestra
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$33.95

While Kagero has an established reputation for quality books that modelers appreciate and use on their reference shelves, Super Drawings in 3D focuses on ships beautifully rendered in 3D CAD. Number 16056 in the series focuses on the Schnellboot Type S-38 and S-100, the most common of the WWII German Kriegsmarine classes, with the Type S-38B serving from 1939 and the S-100 from 1943, with both variants serving until Germany’s surrender in May 1945.

The book is broken into the following sections

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Squadron
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$9.99

Please note: This is a multi-item review; handles and rollers can be purchased individually from Squadron as noted in the review itself. Pricing is for each individual component.

This is a benchmark tool and a game-changer for 1/35 armor modelers. It is a wonder it hasn’t been made before.

From the Squadron.com website:

Real tanks leave deep tracks on the ground wherever they go...and so should your model. Designed to imprint track marks into scale model terrain and bases without damaging the model or its tracks. Simply roll the imprint into your groundwork, and remember to wash any excess base material from the roller after use. This Track Roller Handle works with all the Squadron Track Rollers.

Book Author(s)
Andy Evans
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$35.00

Guideline Publications is the UK's leading publisher of modeling and hobby-related magazines. With a world-class portfolio of titles and an international Social Media presence, Guideline Publications has a dedicated readership that is constantly expanding into new areas. This English language book, Dassault Mystère & Super Mystère, is authored by Andy Evans with scale drawings by Sam Pearson. The latest in Guideline’s Warpaint series, 148, was published in 2025. A digital edition will soon be available. The latest on Guideline’s publications can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/guidelinepub/

Book Author(s)
Steve Ginter
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
Company
Ginter Books
MSRP
$26.95

Grover C. Loening built his first airplane in 1918, the diminutive single seat M-2 Kitten monoplane, soon refined into the more powerful 2-seat M-8 that was accepted and purchased by the Army Air Corps. However, due to the resistance towards monoplanes he reverted to a biplane configuration in creating his most successful design six years later, the OL amphibian. The Loening OL and it’s derivatives would soldier on with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard for another decade.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Squadron
Scale
NA
MSRP
$24.99

From the Squadron.com website and packaging,

Squadron Tools offers three different sprue cutters. A basic/rough cut, a precision cut and a high precision cut for the most delicate parts. When used together, these three cutters make the perfect team for tackling any plastic model kit. The basic/rough cut will remove parts from the sprue with no risk of damaging the cutter. The precision cutter allows for good clean cutting of most parts while the high precision cutter will allow removal of the most delicate parts with little to no cleanup required.

The Precision Sprue Cutter is in the middle of Squadron’s new custom-made sprue cutter series. There are three sprue cutters available, increasing in price with the type of cut:

Book Author(s)
Derek Davis
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$94.65

The non-profit UK based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The first two issues of Contact! are available for a free digital download on their website. Their journal, Cross & Cockade International, is also published four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 72 pages [Including Covers] as well as digital copies (or both). The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If interested, you will need to register early as the call is limited in attendance.

Review Author
Tom Dunford
Published on
Company
RPToolz
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$22.90

The PE Step Roller Tool from RPToolz is 195 mm long and constructed of Eloxed Aluminum (dyed blue) for use in rolling Photoetch (PE) brass, copper, aluminum and other malleable metal sheet, wire, and some shapes. The Eloxed (electrochemically oxidized) process creates a hardened anodized surface to resist scratches and wear.

The steps in the roller tool correspond to diameters of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15 and 20 mm.

I found the tool capable of repeatedly making consistent-sized rings in wire and barrels in sheet.