Finished He-111H-3

Airfield of the Luftwaffe Bomber Group

13

A-10C Thunderbolt II

Finished forward

Topgun F-14A Tomcat

Construction details 6

StuG.III Ausf.G Late December 1944

Underside

Fiat Br. 20

Cockpit

BAE Sea Harrier FRS.1

Finished model

Churchill Mk. III AVRE Combat Engine

Sally window masks

In The Skies Of China, Composite Kit: Ki-21 and Ki-27

Completed 3

Russian Self-Propelled Gun SU-152 (KV-14)

Head Detail

Battles of Smolensk & Roslavl - 1941

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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.

Product

JASDF F-4EJ and F-4EJ Kai ADTW "Thank you Phantom"
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
DXM Decals
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$24.00

The JASDF operated a special unit for Phantom testing from it’s earliest service days in 1971. The F-4EJ ADTW (Air Development and Test Wing) was the first and last operator of the F-4EJ in Japan until it'sdxm disbanding in 2021. Based at Gifu AB, the ADTW tested new technologies and weapon systems for the JASDF. Throughout the Phantom's service, the ADTW evaluated F-4EJ variants including the improved Kai version.

Korean modelling company, DXM Decals, has released a set of 1/48 decals for three airframes, including two F-4Ejs and one F-4EJ Kai. The single standard-sized decal sheet is packed with images, including all the decals required for the three options that include a farewell scheme, and a full set of stencils.

A full colour instruction leaflet includes comprehensive decal placement and painting guides for top, bottom and both sides. Colour callouts are in FS standards so you can make your own choice of paint brand.

The Bazzocchi Connection

The Bazzocchi Connection
Book Author(s)
Marco De Montis & Nico Sgarlato
Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

I like small air forces so whenever a book comes out covering planes flown by them I am interested, especially if it shows schemes used by those smaller air forces.

The Bazzocchi Connection is focused on two designs by Engineer Ermanno Bazzocchi who joined Machi during WW2. The Introduction covers early designs leading up to the MB.326 in 1961 after the firm became Aermacchi. This plane later evolved into the MB.339 and these two aircraft make up the bulk of the narrative and pictures.

The book moves through the development history of the MB.326 before moving into operational use. One interesting aspect is tables listing all operational aircraft by serial numbers under the air forces they flew with and with a notes column listing each planes outcome.

Each country is listed in alphabetical order (after Italy) and the history is discussed including any combat these trainers entered into. The cover art shows a South African MB.326 downing an Angolan Hind-24.

Package

JASDF F-15J 306SQ Special Marking "Maverick"
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
DXM Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$22.00

In September 2022, in a surprise move, the Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) revealed a new special markings scheme for one of its aggressor F-15J Eagles of the 306 Hikotai based at Komatsu AB. In conjunction with Paramount Pictures as publicity for the then-new Top Gun: Maverick movie, the service had painted up one of their Eagles as Top Gun instructor ‘Maverick’ Mitchell’s personal F/A-18E, specially for a forthcoming Air Festival at the airbase. A bit of a non-sequitur, but it looks good!

Taiwanese modeling company, DXM Decals, has released a set of 1/48 decals for this airframe and has kindly sent IPMS/USA a sample. The single standard-sized decal sheet is packed to the gills with images, including all the decals required for the special scheme and a full set of stencils, including all the individual fuselage panel numbers that festoon the F-15’s airframe. There must be in excess of 400 decals on this sheet – many hours of modeling fun!

Cover

Baptism of Fire No.62

Book Author(s)
Csaba B. Stenge
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This book contains 84 pages, 150 b/w photos, 3 color photos, 12 color profiles, 2 B/W maps, and 5 tables. It covers the war between Hungary and Slovakia in 1939.

Like WWII, which would begin 162 days later, the origins of this conflict could also trace its beginnings back to WWI and the Treaty of Versailles and specifically the Treaty of Trianon.

Hungary wanted to recover territory it had to give up as per the treaty, especially that in Sub-Carpathia. With Germany having seized Czechoslovakia and created the new nation of Slovakia, this seemed the right time to Hungarian officials. The war lasted approximately 12 days which in the end saw Slovakia cede roughly 655 square miles of territory back to Hungary.

The author has done heavy research to uncover much of the history of this short conflict and as he says in his author’s notes “was little known in the countries involved.”

Cover image

Avro Vulcan - Cold War Aircraft in Scale
Book Author(s)
Geoff Coughlin
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
Fonthill Media
MSRP
$28.95

This is the first in what is promised to be a new series of aircraft modeling guides, and the chosen subject is the incomparable Avro Vulcan, the best known of Britain’s Cold War “V-Bombers.” Designed for nuclear deterrence but made famous at the end of its career for the “Black Buck” missions against the Argentine invaders in the Falklands War.

Author Geoff Coughlin is well known in British aviation modeling circles and is the founder of the scalemodellingnow.com website. A well-established author and aviation historian, he starts the book with a good but necessarily brief history of the type’s development and service, I think that this would have benefited from being longer, but size restrictions clearly came into play.