Instrument Panels

Tornado IDS 60th Anniversary 311 GV RSV Special Colors

Completed shed front

Freight Shed

Sprue D & E

Space Pirate Battleship Arcadia - Limited Edition

Finished model

USN F-4J VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"

Bottom View

Mig-29A Fulcrum

Parts contents

F100C Super Sabre

Finished

OKB Chelomey 16KhA Priboy

Completed model

USN JM-1

Leg Assembly

Masterpiece Models Mark 49 Hellcat

XJR finished 3

Jaguar XJR-9 IMSA (Daytona Type) Limited Edition

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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.

Potential Boxart

Dornier Do 335 B-2 "Pfeil" (Arrow) - Part 2
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
HK Models Co.
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$220.00

Continuing the sincere thanks to Neil at HK models for providing IPMS USA this pre-release kit for review; your contributions are of great value and we look forward to more releases from your company…

… so here we are at part 2; putting the basic airframe together! First, a note about the surface detail. It is about as good as it gets; not obtrusive, subtile, but there! I used a bit of black wash on the left upper wing to highlight what is there… very nice.

The previously assembled cockpit and engine/bomb bay/nose gear assembly was offered up to the left fuselage; and fit was perfect! Same for the inlet ducting for the cooling system… everything slid together and seam assembly was tight.

Box art

Winnie Mae
Review Author
Jim Stratton
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.99

Introduction

Round 2 Models continues re-releasing older kits with their latest release of a true classic Lindberg’s Winnie Mae. The Lockheed Vega was a true master piece of aviation engineering. The Vega was designed by Jack Northrop and Gerrard Vultee in 1926. The 27 foot long Vega was constructed of a molded plywood fuselage and a single spar wooden wing, which was a radical design and lacked the familiar wing struts. The Vega first flew on July 4th, 1927 and quickly became the favorite of many veteran pilots. The Vega was also used by several business firms and airlines, having flown with 47 different commercial airlines. In the late twenty’s and early thirty’s the Vega was constantly setting speed records. This prompted an early advertising slogan, “It takes a Lockheed to beat a Lockheed”. The Vega was faster than many of the fighter planes of the day and notched 34 separate world speed records.

Product Picture

The Big Macks - A Visual History Of The Mack Wheeled Prime Movers In US Army Service 1940–1958
Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Ampersand Publishing
MSRP
$19.95

The Big Macks book is part of Ampersand Publishing Company’s Visual History Series - single-subject reference books featuring a historical introduction followed by extensive black-and-white period and walk-around photographs. The book is by renowned military author David Doyle, has 112 pages with two pages of text, and the remaining pages are all photographs. There are no ads.

The two pages of text is the Introduction, which provides a brief history of development of the various Mack truck models from the early NO-1, 2, 3, which were all prime movers. The introduction also describes the next two models, NO-4 and NO-5, which were wreckers rather than prime movers. The NO-4 trucks were used by the Army Air Forces as aircraft wreckers, whereas the NO-5 was intended for field artillery use. The NO-6 trucks were intended for Allied use through the Lend-Lease program, and the NO-7 was the final model of the wartime prime movers.

Product Picture

P-38 Lighting Aces 1942-43
Book Author(s)
John Stanaway
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

Osprey Publishing continues to expand the Aircraft of the Aces series with the installment of P-38 Lighting Aces 1942-43.

This book is well researched and has plenty of black and white pictures, including several images of aircrafts with very decorative nose-art or ‘teeth’ in the engine cowlings. All of the depicted aircraft have the Olive Drab over Neutral Gray camouflage scheme.

The book is divided in the following sections:

  • Introduction
  • Lockheed’s Hot Rod
  • Get Yamamoto!
  • New Guinea – The fighter pilot’s war
  • Twin-Tailed Dragons of the CBI
  • Mediterranean Action
  • The Mighty Eight

Each section is virtually an independent monograph and the book could be read in any order.

Product Picture

M48A3 Mod.B
Review Author
Keith Pieper
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$60.00

A new release in Dragon’s Black series of modern armor the M48A3 Mod.B is a welcome option over the aged Tamiya M48A3 kit from decades ago. Hopefully the drawbacks and challenges of the old Tamiya M48A3 have been corrected with this new release.

Build Notes

Before starting, the Dragon kit has modest cast hull texture; so if a rougher cast texture is desired, glue the hull top & bottom together first adding parts A3, A4, D1 & D3. The mounting pad for D17 & D18 bumper will need to be built up to support the extended double bumper. You may also want to assemble the F13 & F20 Turret upper & lower along with F10, F11, & E1before adding casting texture. Proceed to add cast texture before starting Step 1.