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
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
August 17, 2011
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.95

Quickboost.net just keeps adding to their great line of quality resin aircraft accessories. The latest addition is for the Hasegawa F4F Wildcat. It is up to their usual standards; molded in grayish cream colored resin, smooth, seamless and bubble free. One thing of note is that they are really easy to remove from the mold block with just a few passes from a hobby saw.

The stabilizers that come in the Hasegawa kit are okay and are molded as one piece but the Quickboost.net parts are molded as two pieces so that they can be modeled in the down position. The Quickboost stabilizers are superior and add just that much more realism to the finished kit. The resin parts are very easy to install and fit in place perfectly.

Review Author
Jim Stratton
Published on
September 28, 2021
Company
AMT
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.95

In the 1950’s the American trend saw greater use of the pickup trucks as second vehicles, Due to good marketing Chevrolet set records in the production of trucks with a market share of almost 37%. The 1950 3100 had a 6 cylinder Thriftmaster motor that utilized a GM Model ‘B’ downdraft carburetor with a concentric fuel bowl and a centrally located discharge nozzle. This carb had an improved fast-idle/choke mechanism that helped cold weather starts. The deluxe cab had optional Nu-Vue windows with chrome trim, a wooden floor in the cargo box and optional chrome grille and bumpers. This AMT kit comes with optional parts to make a stock 3100 pickup or a road service vehicle for a Texaco service station truck. The kit also comes with a color pre cut placard with the box top art work suitable for framing.

Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
August 16, 2011
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$9.95

Eduard continues to provide model builders with an ever-growing list of convenient pre-cut paint masks. JX 112 is designed to make life easier for those building either of Special Hobby’s two A5M2 kits. Like other Eduard mask sets, this one is made of Kabuki tape (similar to Tamiya’s masking tape) and contains precut masks for the kit’s windscreen and wheels. The masks will adhere well to any flat or curved surface, so masking is a breeze and they and can easily be removed after paining is completed. A simple instruction sheet is included to guide the masking process.

Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
August 16, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$32.00

Aires continues to add to its line of resin detail sets for 1/32 aircraft kits. One of the latest is a resin and P/E detail set for detailing the cockpit of Trumpeter’s new Bf109F kits. Aires’ product name, Bf109GF-2/F-4 indicates that some of the parts also can be used to detail the cockpit of a Trumpeter Bf109G. The detail in the resin components is crisp, delicate and busy enough to make the cockpit quite convincing. No clean up is required and, as usual, with Aires resin there are no pinholes to worry about. The resin is not brittle, but reasonable care should be exercised when removing the small parts from the casting block. A #11 blade or razor saw can be used to remove most parts, and a swipe with a sanding stick will work to smooth the cut edges.

Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
August 15, 2011
Company
Wingnut Wings, Ltd
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$65.00

1918. A conversation overheard in a Jasta commander’s office as he questions a replacement pilot:

What did you train on?
The usual machine, Herr Hauptmann, an out-of-date Pfalz.
That’s what you’ll be flying here, too.
But…at flying school they told…
Flying school! In flying school, they’ll tell you anything. Up-to-date machines go to experienced pilots. Both are in short supply. It’s a cruel world, Stachel.
Yes, Herr Hauptmann.