Welcome to the IPMS/USA Reviews site!

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 John Noack, IPMS/USA 1st VP.

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

New Paint Line

Badger MODELflex Color Sets
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Badger Airbrush Company
MSRP
$21.00

After receiving them for review from Badger, I was very pleasantly surprised at the ease of use and quality of these paint sets. For years, I was a Gunze Guy but the supply of Gunze dried up. I transferred to Tamiya and have used it since the Gunze sunset. I had never used Badger paint until I was given the opportunity to review some of Badger’s paint contained in some of their color sets.

Being an HO scale model railroader, I was very interested in Badger’s “RAILROAD ROLLING STOCK #1701,” which contains Engine Black, Reefer White, Reefer Gray, Reefer Yellow, Reefer Orange, Dark Tuscan Oxide Red, and Light Tuscan Oxide Red. I am now a fan of this particular set of paints and, in particular, like the Engine Black and Tuscan Oxide Red. Both are easily airbrushed and give that wonderful flat and aged color that I treasure when working on a piece of rolling stock or motive power.

Badger also provides several other Railroad related paint sets. They are:

Box Art

Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$62.00

Conceived in 1934 to fulfill a requirement for a monoplane interceptor with a top speed exceeding 300 miles per hour in level flight, the Hawker Hurricane became one of the most significant Allied fighter aircraft in the opening years of the Second World War, and served worldwide throughout the conflict with great distinction. Most famously known for its pivotal role in the Battle of Britain, the Mk I variant of the Hurricane served as the numerical mainstay for the Royal Air Force in its defeat of the Luftwaffe during England’s “Finest Hour.”

Tamiya’s recent release of the Hurricane Mk I is a repackaging of the new Italeri kit. Although a nice kit, it is not thoroughbred Tamiya, so modelers should temper their “shake the box and out pops a great build” expectations a bit before diving in.

Detail Package

F-104 Starfighter Pitot Tube
Review Author
Andy Renshaw
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$7.00

Master has a whole range of turned and photo etched metal details for aircraft and ships, in all scales. From gun barrels to radar masts, the details are not only more in scale, but stronger than anything in resin or PE, thus resistant to the occasional bump or clumsy hands. This item provides a turned metal pitot tube for the 1/32 F-104.

In the Bag and Installation:

The single-piece turned aluminum part comes in a bag with card hanger. The part is perfect, the correct length, and has the proper shape. A small protruding rod at the aft end is used to insert it into the nose cone of the kit after drilling the correct size hole.

Product Line

Alclad II Candy Enamels
Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
Company
Alclad II
MSRP
$7.50

All new from the elves at Alclad II, a new line of finishes (this time, enamels with a mineral spirits base) primarily for automobiles, and trust me when I say, you need to try these for yourself. First up, a bright silver base has been created that may be sprayed DIRECTLY on to the plastic, without primer. I must admit that I was somewhat skeptical until I tried it, and it is, without a doubt, exactly as advertised. Images show not only the various colors as painted on a series of 34 Ford Coupes, but also an effort of my own on an old “Snaptite” Monogram Corvette, further referred to as the “Candy Dish Corvette.”

Detail Package

WWII German Navy 1/700 Watertight Ship Windows PE
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
Company
Lion Roar
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$10.95

Bottom Line

Provides seven types of round and square windows (not portholes) with covers for 1/700 WW2 German Navy warship models. 336 very small pieces.

Lion Roar expands its 1/700 warship photoetch set lineup with German Navy (DKM) windows. These are not portholes, but are windows used on above-the-hull superstructures. A small instruction sheet only has pictures of each porthole showing proper orientation. There are no guides as to which windows go where on what ship – you are on your own to determine how to use them.