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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.

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Review Author
Damon Blair
Published on
March 10, 2021
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$32.37

Used for air-to-air refueling, Lockheed’s KC-130 and HC-130N, HC-130P series of aircraft came with two air-to-air inflight refuel (IFR for short) pods, one on each outer wing just outboard of the flaps. Later, the HC-130H, MC-130E and MC-130H aircraft were modified with these refuel pods. This conversion set replicates those later modified aircraft and the current KC-130J and HC-130J IFR pods.

This resin modification kit comes with 6 parts, three for each IFR pod, including a small phot-etched fret for the tail end of each pod. My sample came with the sprue runner broken off the nose of one pod, the break being at the sprue-to-pod joint, requiring some sanding and putty to smooth it out.

The hardest part on this resin kit is the IFR pod tail to main body attachment. Careful sanding and squaring off will help immensely. I noticed that the tail section’s diameter was slightly larger than the main body’s diameter. Some putty and sanding took care of that.

Book Author(s)
Wojtek Matusiak
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
March 8, 2021
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$29.00

MMP was founded in 1996 by Roger Wallsgrove, to publish "Mushroom Model Magazine". This quarterly modelling magazine was developed from "Mushroom Monthly”, a club newsletter which ran from 1985 to 1995, achieving a world-wide reputation for quality articles, fearless and honest reviews, and a great sense of humor. From 1997 the magazine was produced in collaboration with Robert Peczkowski and Artur Juszczak (Stratus), which meant a big leap in print quality and design. MMP expanded into book publication in 1999, and since then we have built up a list of books on aircraft and aviation, naval, military vehicles, and military history.

Book Author(s)
Dragan Ž. Šaler and Aleksandar M. Ognjević
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
March 8, 2021
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

Based in Central Europe Kagero Publishing House is the biggest publisher and exporter of English-written publications about military history, release nearly 60 titles every year. Kagero was founded in 1995, and began by delivering military titles in Polish. Their success led Kagero to start releasing books in English in 1998. Authors from Poland, Canada, USA, Australia and Great Britain, who were invited to cooperation, gave a beginning to a new range of products, which have put them on a position of one of the most recognized publishers on the market. Kagero has released more than 550 publications. Kagero is managed by Damian Majsak and his wife Joanna.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
March 8, 2021
Company
ICM
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$44.00

Quote from “Gladiator”, the movie, “Are you not entertained?”

ICM has released this Gladiator kit in 1/16th scale, and just a note that may be interest, ICM also offers a kit of “Roman Centurion, 1st Century, Kit # 16302 and also in 1/16th scale.

The kit includes 44 parts. There is no information to accompany this kit that indicates that this model is modeled after a particular historic figure. There is no mention of such a person and no historical or biographical information is provided. That being the case, you are free to paint the figure as you wish without a concern for precise accuracy.

If, on the other hand, you wish to model a more accurate figure then there are some references that could be useful.

Review Author
Jim Stratton
Published on
March 8, 2021
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$10.00

Brengun, from the Czech Republic, has released a nice set of resin wheels to help dress up any 1/32nd scale Hayabusa Ki.-43 Oscar. The wheels are beautifully molded in a dark gray resin and are clean and defect free. The product packet includes two wheels with a nicely detailed spoked wheel, as well as two choices of wheel covers. One flat cover features four bolt heads. The second cover has a centerline seam and six bolt heads. There is also a clearly printed instruction sheet.

I built the old Hasegawa Ki-43 and found that when applying the wheels that the molded hole on the resin wheel fit nicely to the axle with only minor sanding. I chose to use the spoked version as I thought them more interesting. In fact, the Brengun wheels were the highlight of this build and much more detailed than the kit wheels.

Highly recommended for any 1/32 Ki-43 Oscar.