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.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$22.95

This set provides a sound basis for replacing the more delicate parts of the complex Jaguar’s landing gear. Designed for the newly-released Airfix kit, it addresses an area on the model where a bit more strength is appropriate.

Made up of nine cast metal parts, these bits are flexible enough for initial installation, while work-hardening if required for additional stiffness, such as the offset nose strut axle and bow. Brass is nice, but I find it rather unforgiving where alignment is concerned… to each his/her own.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
Company
Gaahleri
MSRP
$71.98

Gaahleri is a company that burst onto the North America scene first back in 2023 with a new line of airbrushes that quickly became very popular among modelers and artists. I received a Gaahleri Mobius this past Christmas, and it has quickly become my new go-to airbrush. When I found out they were releasing the new Kaleido Colorworks paint line, I had to jump on the chance to check them out.

What’s Inside the Box

The set I am reviewing here is the 24 Mecha Colors set and features vibrant colors, as well as bottles of thinner and cleaner. The box is a lift-off and inside everything is well protected with foam inserts. The paints are water-based acrylics and are factory pre-thinned for immediate use. According to their documentation, the paints are powered by RapidAir™ Technology, which addresses common water-based paint issues, such as beading, uneven coverage, and sagging, by applying in a smooth, sheet-like layer. The set includes the following colors:

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$23.50

AOA Decals has provided the IPMS/USA Review Corps with a wonderful decal set for Vietnam War-era markings for the US Marine Corps F-4B/F-4J Phantom. This is part one of a two-part set you can purchase from AOA Decals for the Phantom (72-014 & 72-015).

This 1/72 decal sheet covers six USMC F-4 Phantom squadrons during the Vietnam War:

Book Author(s)
Charles C. Roberts
Review Author
Chris Martin
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$39.95

Background

From Review Insert

The formation of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division was inspired by Finland's success during the Soviet Union's invasion in 1939, where Finnish ski troops effectively used winter terrain to overcome Soviet armored divisions. Recognizing the strategic value of such a unit, Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole, founder of the National Ski Patrol, lobbied for a similar division in the U.S. Army. His efforts eventually led to the formation of specialized mountain warfare troops. In 1941, the War Department authorized the formation of experimental ski patrols, and by 1942, the 8Zth Mountain Infantry was created. Recruited primarily from skilled skiers, this unit was stationed at Camp Hale in Colorado. The 10th Light Division (Alpine) was formed in 1943. Later renamed the 10th Mountain Division in 1944, it became a critical component of U.S. mountain and winter warfare capability.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$14.00

Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set of Hollywood stars who served in the USAAC (WWII) & USMC (Korean War) and the planes they served in.

The following Hollywood stars are:

  1. Jimmy Stewart: B-24H Liberator “Male Call”, 703rd BS, 453rd BG, .
  2. Gene Roddenberry: B-17E Flying Fortress “Yankee Doodle”, 5th BG, 394th BS.
  3. Selar Shaik Sabu: B-24L Liberator “Janie”, 307th BG, 424th BS.
  4. Clark Gable: B-17F Flying Fortress “The 8 Ball”, 351st BG, 350th BS.
  5. Ed McMahon: Cessna L-19 Bird Dog, VMO-6 (USMC, Korean War)

In the Package

There is one decal sheet and two pages of instructions (printed front & back). It has individual markings for all five aircraft. Stencils, however, will need to be provided by the kit’s decals or from an aftermarket source.