Cabin seats

Kittyhawk UH-1N

Right-above image of the kit during construction

Sd.Kfz.182 Kingtiger Porsche Turret w/Zimmerit (2 in 1)

Superstructure

USS Indianapolis

Photo 23- Base Complete Close up

T-800 Terminator, Part 4

Top view

USS Chicago CG-11

view 1

Geschützter Geländewagen SSA

4

1914 Ford Model T Fire Truck

Finished

Messerschmitt Bf109E Sept. 1940

Top Side Painted

ADF F-CK-ID Ching-Kuo IDF - Indigenous Defense Fighter

Profile Vert Tail

F/A-18C Hornet (VMFA-312 Checkerboards 2022 Ferris Camouflage)

Previous Next

Welcome to IPMS/USA Reviews

Introduction: The primary organization of the IPMS/USA Review website is by IPMS/USA National Contest Class. Within each Class there are sub-menus by kits, decals, books, etc. The Miscellaneous Class is for items that are not class specific or that cross two or more classes.

IPMS/USA Members: We encourage you to submit reviews, both here and to the Journal. To volunteer for membership in the IPMS/USA "Reviewers Corps" and submit your own reviews, please read the Guidelines For Submitting Product Reviews.

Manufacturers, publishers, and other industry members: IPMS/USA is pleased to offer your company the opportunity for product reviews. All product reviews are performed by IPMS/USA members, and are posted in the publicly-accessible section of our website. With very few exceptions, we perform full build reviews of new kit releases, aftermarket products, and supplies. If you would care to provide product samples for review, please contact the IPMS/USA First Vice President.

To learn more about IPMS/USA, please see our About Us page.

Box Art

Motörhead 1970-1/2 Camaro
Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
AMT
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$35.99

I’m gonna kick this off with a little background on the concept for this AMT kit. Motörhead was a hard rock band that started out in the 70s and was super popular in my high school years in the 1980s. They were out of the UK and had a number of top 10 singles and albums. Being a car guy, Motörhead just fit my mentality at the time, even though I wasn’t as much into hard rock in that era. Ace of Spades was one of their singles on an album of the same name. It was on their second album and reached pretty high in the charts. Doing a themed Camaro based on this band just seems to be a natural thing to do!

This was an exciting kit to see on the Reviewer Corps list! Being in High School in the 80’s this was a must-build kit, like printing money as a hard rock singer in that era! Hard charging, no holds barred, loud and proud band, no, I mean Camaro! This review is going to be an exercise in seeing how many exclamation points I can use 🤣

Cover

Images of War: Panzertruppe Panzer 1, 1934-1941
Book Author(s)
David Mitchelhill-Green
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$26.95

The book examines the early development of German armored forces in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. It traces the evolution from experimental prototypes in the interwar period to the Panzer I (Panzerkampfwagen I / Sd.Kfz. 101), Hitler’s first mass-produced tank.

Although small, lightly armed, and limited in combat performance, the Panzer I played a key role in training Panzer crews and enabling the early Blitzkrieg campaigns. It saw action in the invasions of Poland, Denmark and Norway, the Low Countries, France, and the early stages of the campaign in the Soviet Union. The volume covers design innovations across models and variants, combat history, operational performance, pre-war training, and its contribution to later, more powerful German tanks.

The book is organized around the development, technical features, training role, and combat employment of the Panzer I (and related early Panzertruppe equipment) from the mid-1930s through 1941:

Product

F4U-1 Corsair Headrest Type B
Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$10.00

Quickboost has provided the Reviewer Corps with a resin upgrade replacement detail for Tamiya’s F4U-1A or D Corsair Headrest Type B in 1/72nd scale.

In The Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with cardboard backing. There are instructions for this set and it will show the removal of the headrest pad for parts B15 & B16. This will allow the new headrest to be installed on the forward side of the bulkhead.

Note: this part cannot be used on F4U-1 “Birdcage” variant with the aft scalloped windows.

There are two headrests provided and they are the traditional pour moldings (not 3D generated). The quality is excellent with very fine detail.

Please note, since this is a resin part, Superglue (CA) or other bonding agent will be needed to secure the headrest to the kit plastic.

Panzer 35(t)

Panzer 35(t): History, Design and Operational Use of the LT vz. 35/PzKpfw 35(t)
Book Author(s)
Jacek Zabielski
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Fonthill Media
MSRP
$39.95

Jacek Zabielski’s new monograph arrives as a welcome addition to the literature on early-war light tanks. The LT vz. 35—better known in German service as the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t)—has long occupied an awkward middle ground: important enough to appear in most general accounts of the 1939–41 campaigns, yet rarely given sustained, dedicated treatment in English. This book sets out to correct that imbalance.

Scope and Approach

The work covers the tank’s full arc: its origins as a Škoda design for the interwar Czechoslovak Army, technical development, production, and subsequent use by Germany, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and other operators. Particular attention is paid to mobility, mechanical features, reliability, and the vehicle’s performance in the early Blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland and France, as well as its later service on the Eastern Front before obsolescence set in. The publisher notes roughly 260 black-and-white illustrations supporting the text.

Spooks From the Beach (part 2), USMC F-4B Phantoms in the Vietnam War

Spooks From the Beach (Part 2), USMC F-4B Phantoms in the Vietnam War
Review Author
Greg Kittinger
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$23.50

This wonderful decal set covers USMC F-4B Phantoms from the following squadrons:

  • VMFA-531 Grey Ghosts
  • VMFA-542 Tigers
  • VMFA-513 Flying Nightmares
  • VMFA-122 Crusaders

I had been eager to build the Crusader’s 3-gunned F-4B that flew from Da Nang with 3 Mark 4 gun pods for several missions, so I was eager to try out these decals. I was not disappointed. Printed by Cartograph, they are very crisp, and include various options for each squadron’s markings, a set of walkway decals, and all the stencils needed. The stencils include some specific for the J model, but they are called out on the instruction sheet so just pay attention.