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
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$13.50

AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: New on the block, and focusing on Marine Air … We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual sincere appreciation also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. )

This sheet is a comprehensive delivery providing stencil markings for USAF OV-10A’s; from their website, here’s what is on the sheet:

“This sheet provides complete OV-10A Bronco airframe stencils for one aircraft in the original USAF blue-grey FAC camouflage scheme.

Optional one piece wing walkway decal

Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$19.40

Plus Models has recently release some interesting 1/35th scale diorama accessories. The Cable Reels – Big are just some of them.

They arrived in a sturdy cardboard container and wrapped in heat sealed plastic. There was no damage to the parts. Parts consisted of wood, fiber board, heavy paper and resin.

Read the instruction sheet before removing the laser etch wooded parts. They suggest that you take tape and tape the inner reel wooded slats together. These parts are not attached to each other and this is highly recommended if not vital to construction.

Once the wooded parts were separated from their carrier a little sanding with an emery board was all that was needed for cleanup.

Book Author(s)
Robert Forsyth
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

Osprey Publishing continues to expand its Combat Aircraft line of books. This time with the title Luftwaffe Mistel Composite Bomber Units.

This book, like all the other in the series, is very well researched and profusely illustrated with period pictures. Where relevant, it includes pictures of different pilots (including a few allied pilots) whose diaries and exploits are covered in the book.

The different chapters of the book covers the history of the Mistel units in a chronological way, from its beginning as a way to deliver gliders (rather than towing them it was considered to have a composite Bf-109/DFS 230) and its transition to an offensive weapon via the delivery of a modified war-weary bomber airframe.

Review Author
Steve Jahnke
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$27.99

This kit is presented in a throw-back to 1971 complete with period packaging.

Molded in white, it can be built with a detailed motor or with a promo-style motor plate option, features include wild psychedelic decals, a few custom pieces and a miniature display kit box. Skill Level 2. The manufacturer claims that the kit is supposed to include pad printed slicks, however my review kit sample did not include those items.

The Kit

This kit was originally offered as an annual kit and as a “dealer promo” style kit back in the day. Due to this design parameter the front and rear fascia’s are pretty well detailed, however the body engraving is soft in spots, the engine, interior and chassis is somewhat simplified therefore parts count is lower than our modern and newly engineered kits . For instance the front lower portion of the grille and rear splash pan is molded to the chassis.