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.

Review Author
Jack Wade
Published on
Company
Cyber-Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$41.79

This new injection molded plastic kit is a great example of modern engineering that exhibits fine surface detail and great fit of parts. It is a builder’s kit, to be sure, and it was indeed a pleasure to build. The design of the parts is excellent and thoughtful allowing easy construction and clean up for a smooth finish. For example, the sprue attachment points are on the inner mating surface of many of the major components which makes cleaning up these areas as easy as it can be. Design features allow the wings to be posed folded, flaps posed up or down, the tail hook posed up or down and there are separate parts for posing the landing gear in the retracted or extended position (although this is not addressed in any way in the instructions). Slide molded parts provide for hollow details and single unit pieces that don’t require assembly and clean up of two halves. Overall, the kit is cleverly designed and simple to build.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$24.50

This kit is one of a series which Italeri recently released. The idea is a great one, getting young people and adults interested in modeling by supplying everything you need in one box, including a DVD with video instructions.

The kits in the series are:

  • Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon in 1/72 scale.
  • BO-105 Police Helicopter in 1/32.
  • HMMWV Fire Department Cargo Truck in 1/32
  • Mirage 2000C in 1/72.

The kit is the same mold as used by Revell for their Tiger Meet Mirage 2000. That being said, it’s a good choice for this type of model, as it is not a snap-kit, but it isn’t incredibly difficult either.

I started by putting the DVD in my DVD Player. It wouldn’t read the DVD. The problem is that there are 6 zones for DVD media; Europe is Region 2, and the US/Canada are Region 1.

Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$9.99

The MHU-191 is a welcomed addition to the 1/32nd scale community of accessories. It is a very BASIC and easy to build resin kit. The kit was contained in a sealed cellophane bag and consisted of 4 resin parts carriers and a decal sheet. All parts were well protected and not damaged.

The total time it took me to unwrap, clean up, assemble, and paint the model was about 10 minutes. The parts separated from their carrier with very little effort. There was minimal flash and it only took a few passes with the back side of my razor knife to clean. I prewashed all parts and used ACC glue to assemble. The front wheels and draw bar are adjustable for different angles.

Book Author(s)
Dana Bell
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Classic Warships Publishing
MSRP
$18.00

Authored by the well-known and respected Dana Bell, and published by the equally well known “Classic Warships Publishing”, this publication is a “must have” for Wildcat fans, modelers, and historians. It is a recent release, having been published in March of 2012.

Review Author
Dan Mackay
Published on
Company
Aviaeology
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.59

Aviaeology provides well researched decals on four RCAF 418 squadron Mosquitoes that covers the changing markings during the service careers of these aircraft. Each subject is complete with narratives on time period and painting suggestions. The instructions and diagrams are provided on four photo copied sheets, but an email request to Aviaeology will get you a promptly sent color PDF of the instructions which will prove helpful. The PDF can be printed or sent to your tablet for reference in your model workshop, you can magnify the profiles as recommended by Aviaeology to identify the subtle shades and the finishes of these Mosquitoes. You also get a tutorial of the bombs and the racks used with complete painting guides for them. Listed below is a breakdown of the subjects.