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.

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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.

Book Author(s)
Bojan Dimitrijevic and Milan Micevski
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
January 26, 2021
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

Helion is a UK based company that produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through to the present day. Helion was established in 1996, and since then they have published almost 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year, for readers around the world. Helion’s sixth book in the Europe @ War series is a square back soft cover includes 80 gloss paper pages. This has become a popular series and more books in the Europe @ War series are planned for 2021.

Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
January 25, 2021
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$11.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Academy 1/72 scale F/A-18 E/F/G Super Hornet kit. The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kit plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts, and one nose gear strut with a separate oleo scissor and retraction struts. Some other SAC packages include replacement wheels, as well, but not the case here. You will need to use the Academy or other after-market wheels for your build.

A side by side evaluation (see photos) indicates an identical replacement that should provide a greater strength assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. In some cases where original equipment was left in a natural metal finish, painting may not be necessary. As always, check your reference photos

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the IPMS Reviewer Corps and Scale Aircraft Conversions for the opportunity to review this item.

Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
January 25, 2021
Company
Hauler Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$8.84

Brengun Models is a scale model and detailing parts manufacturer located in the Czech Republic. Their lines include limited production run multi-media kits and exquisitely detailed photoetch, turned brass, and white metal replacement parts for aircraft in the most commonly produced scales.

Brengun has produced a set of wheels with a cross tread patterns for any 1/72 scale F4U Corsair. There are no instructions, and any modeler familiar with resin parts will have no issues installing these wheels in lieu of the kit parts. A close-up evaluation of the parts (see photos), indicates a simple cut and replace installation that provides realistic scale-detailed wheels with significantly improved appearance to molded plastic kit parts.

Book Author(s)
Dariusz Karnas, Zbigniew Kolacha
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
January 25, 2021
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$11.99

Like many of us modelers, I simply never get tired of anything related to the iconic P-51 Mustang. In this volume of the MMP “Single” series, the authors focus on the Bravo model of the Mustang.

Having never seen an example of this book series, I was a bit surprised at first glance. Unlike other publications that cover the development of the type, this book launches right into the content modelers like to see. The book opens with four-view scale drawings in 1/72 and 1/48 scale. Several pages of B&W wartime photos show the type in various roles. Next, are a series of drawings and photos taken from technical and pilot manuals showing the details of things we modelers like to see including engine, landing gear wells, gun bays, and cockpit. This volume closes with color plates of the instrument panel and three view renderings of “Sonava Buggar, a P-51B of the 355th Fighter Squadron.