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
Pat Villarreal
Published on
February 18, 2024
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$26.20

A new resin detail set from Brengun to add or replace 1/48th scale USN 150 gallon drop tanks for the A-4 Skyhawk.

In the Box

There are four (4) resin poured parts, two are of the tanks and the other two are of the tail and mounting shackles (supporting rings). A photoetched (PE) brass sheet includes tail fins. Paper instructions are printed on one side and very well illustrated.

Review Process

The process starts out by cutting away the pour stubs from the drop tanks. This was done with a seam scrapper and hobby knife. Once detached, I wet sanded the surface to reduce any airborne resin dust. Next, I washed the resin parts in a bath of warm water with dishwash soap and used an old toothbrush to scrub away any remaining mold release agent.

Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
February 17, 2024
Company
Special Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$22.75

The Republic F-84F was an attempt to increase the performance of the already proven straight wing F-84 versions. Although it had sleek lines and looked like a fighter, it was plagued by the same problem most aircraft of the era had, a lack of powerful jet engine technology. Despite its short comings, the Thunderstreak was pressed into service with the USAF and numerous NATO countries mainly as a stop gap till better aircraft replaced it.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
February 17, 2024
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$18.00

New decals of the F-16A/B Vipers of the Caribbean in 1/48th scale is available from TwoBobs Aviation Graphics. Markings are for the 156 FG/FW (1992-1997) based out of Muniz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico.

In The Package

There are two (2) decal sheets provided. One is for the F-16A version with the colorful 50th Anniversary tail markings. The second sheet has tail ID markings with F-16B stencils along with wing and engine stenciling. They are printed by Cartograf and have minimal excess clear film around the edges.

Overall, this has markings for 20 aircraft with stencils to do two (2) complete aircraft.

The colors are brilliant, and the registry is perfect. There are also two (2) 11” X 17” color marking guides to help you locate the decals for each airplane. This also includes painting guides for AK, Hataka, Mr. Color, and Mr. Paint.

Recommended kits for this decal set are:

Book Author(s)
Richard A. Franks
Illustrators: Richard J. Caruana, Wojciech Sankowski, and Jerry Boucher
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
February 17, 2024
Company
Valiant Wings Publishing
MSRP
$60.00

Valiant Wings Publishing was founded in 2010 under the guidance of Richard A. Franks and Mark Peacock. Valiant Wings has released several series of primarily airplane monographs [Airframe & Miniature, Airframe Album and Airframe Detail series] with the first Airframe Album dedicated to the Heinkel He 219 ‘Uhu’ released in 2012.

Review Author
Mr. Greg Kittinger
Published on
February 17, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$34.95

The modeling community waited for many years for an update to the Revell or MPM offerings of the Ki-21 Sally, and ICM has delivered in spades, creating several variants and boxings of the Japanese heavy bomber. Whereas I paid around $250 for a Revell boxing, and a bit less for the MPM boxing, the Sally is now available from ICM at affordable prices and with quality moldings.

Whereas the Revell offering contained raised panel lines and rivet detail, and built into a respectable kit, and the MPM offering contained somewhat updated molds but poor canopy fit, the ICM kit is in line with the latest high-quality injection molded expectations. There is plenty of interior details (more than will be clearly visible), the exterior has nicely engraved panel lines, the glass components are crisply molded and very clear, and the fit is impeccable!