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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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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
January 24, 2024
Company
Green Stuff World
MSRP
$6.85

Green Stuff World (GSW) is a company based out of Spain. It is specialized in the design and production of tools, paints, and other types of resources for modeling, crafts, and wargames. GSW has provided IPMS?USA with a sample bottle of Maxx Darth Blackest Black acrylic paint for review. The website product description states it has a light absorption rate of 98.9%. For this review six (6) other brands of black paint will be compared to Maxx Darth Blackest Black.

In the Bottle

The paint comes in a 17ml bottle and is a nontoxic water-based acrylic. Inside the bottle is an agitator ball to help mix when shaking which is great, since the paint has a thick consistency.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
January 21, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$63.25

History

Over the years, much interest has been generated in the conflict between the Japanese, Chinese, and Russians begun by Japanese aggression in the area of northeastern China. By 1939, Japanese and Chinese air forces were actively engaged in a struggle for aerial superiority. While the Chinese had no aircraft industry to speak of, the Japanese were producing airplanes that compared favorably with those of the Americans and Europeans. The Japanese Army, for example, were producing airplanes which were extremely maneuverable, mainly because they were lightly constructed, had minimal armament, and had no armor protection. An example of this design philosophy was the Nakajima Ki-27, code named “Nate” by the Allies, which had a 780 HP Nakajima He-1b radial engine, and two light .30 cal machine guns mounted in the fuselage. The prototype first flew in 1936, and production models were operational by 1938.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
January 20, 2024
Company
Green Stuff World
MSRP
$3.95

Green Stuff World (GSW) is a company based out of Spain. It specializes in the design and production of tools, paints, and other types of resources for modeling, crafts, and wargames. GSW has provided IPMS-USA one (1) 30 ml bottle of textured acrylic paint for review.

In the Bottle

The textured paint is packaged in a 30 ml bottle and comes in a dark red-brown color to represent Middle Earth tones. Inside the paint has a consistency of thick paste with fine granules mixed in to give it texture. It is water-based and can be thinned if needed.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
January 20, 2024
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$14.00

This set of decals was released by Iliad Designs in 2021 and includes the following markings for some unusual DHC-6 Twin Otters.

Markings for the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and the DHC-6-300 Twin Otter in these liveries

  • Ecuadorian Air Force
  • Transport Canada
  • Alaska Army National Guard
  • Guatemalan Air Force
  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • French Air Force

The decals are in excellent register and show very accurate color for these unusual aircraft. Iliad Designs has always been a leader in the aftermarket decal sphere and this great set won’t disappoint.

Thanks go to Iliad Designs for providing this set and to IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
January 20, 2024
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$14.00

Iliad Designs has released a new sheet for the DHC-6 Twin Otter, which is their second. The subject aircraft has seen extensive service with various nations.

There are six sets of markings. The first is a short-nosed aircraft with United Nations insignia. The second is a USAF Academy plane with period WWII markings. The third livery is of the Ethiopian Army. Next is the Panamanian Navy. The fifth is a Chilean SAR unit and the decals are of the black separation bands. Lastly, there’s a Peruvian DHC-6 float plane

The decals are in excellent register and show very accurate color for these unusual aircraft. Iliad Designs has always been a leader in the aftermarket decal sphere and this great set won’t disappoint.

An instruction sheet is included. showing upper and lower paint details, and other sheets with photos and diagrams to precisely model your subject.