Finished

German Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Ausf. G1

Hatch part

Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf. A Early/Mid

Left Front

Original Mini Cooper (California Wheels series)

Assembly

Zombie Hunter - Road to Freedom

Completed machine

Maschinen Krieger 44 Type Mk44 Ammoknights (Smartgun Equipment Type)

Ready for Paint

Bachem Ba.349 Natter

Radio rack

SBD-5 "Battle of Philippines Sea"

PE Horse Shoe

If.5 Machinengewehrwagen 36

Bottom 2

X-47B Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) - U.S. Navy

Completed Carriage Side

75mm Pack Howitzer M1A1 & Gun Crew

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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.

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Box Art

Alpha Jet A/E
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Kinetic Model Kits
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$64.95

Kinetic has released an all new mold Alpha Jet in 48th scale, which is a welcome addition to the lineup of trainers/light attack airplane kits. Upon opening the box, you will find three sprues molded in light grey styrene, one clear part sprue, a small photo-etch fret, plus decals for three versions.

The overall surface detail is very nice, with fine and clearly defined recessed panel lines and rivets. Small parts suffer of a bit of flash, but nothing that 30 seconds with a sanding stick won’t fix. The clear parts are very transparent.

The overall kit breakdown indicates that several versions of the Alpha Jet are possible. The box lists A/E, but the instructions also list a B mark.

Package

F-89 Landing Gear
Review Author
John King
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$13.95

Background

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) produces white metal landing gear for various aircraft models in 1/144th, 1/72nd, and 1/48th scale. Most sets are direct replacements for the kit parts.

The Parts

The Revell F-89D/J has been around since the early 1990s (my boxing has a copyright date of 1992). Revell of Germany has recently re-issued this kit, and no matter which boxing you get, it is a nice model of the F-89D/J. The SAC landing gear for the F-89 are direct replacements for the kit parts. The white metal parts have some mold lines that will need to be cleaned up, but are otherwise is great condition. Due to the nature of the material used, I do feel that some of the finer details of the landing gear are not as crisp as their plastic counterparts. However, after some paint and weathering this should not be an issue.

Liquid Gravity

Liquid Gravity
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Deluxe Materials
MSRP
$15.00

Deluxe Materials is a company I was not familiar with. Deluxe Materials is based out of the Great Britain and it certainly provides with quality supplies to the hobbyists in Great Britain and beyond.

Liquid Gravity is a weighting system that can be used for different applications, from preventing a model airplane being a tail sitter, to balancing an RC airplane or even to providing weight to the rolling stock of your railroad layout.

I am not sure what metal is used for the tiny little “BBs”, but it is not magnetic and after a few measurements I came up with a density of about 4.15 gr/cm3 (lead has a density of 11.3 gr/cm3 for comparison). Despite the lower density, “Liquid Gravity” it has a great advantage: it is nontoxic.

Box Art

Gloster J-8A/Gladiator Mk. II
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$8.99

History

Much has been written about the Gloster Gladiator, and information is available everywhere, so this sketch will be understandably brief. The Gladiator was designed to a 1930 Air Ministry specification, and the prototype first flew in 1934. A development of the Gloster Gauntlet, the Gladiator differed in having more power and an enclosed cockpit, along with other aerodynamic improvements. The initial production order was for 23 aircraft, but eventually a total of 378 Gladiators was built between 1936 and 1937. An improved version, designated Gladiator Mk. II, has a three bladed fixed pitch Fairey-Reed metal prop and detail differences. 270 Mk. II’s were built between 1938 and 1940, when production ended.

Product Picture

Create and Shape
Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
Company
Deluxe Materials
MSRP
$12.00

The Product

According to the manufacturer this stuff is a lightweight, non-shrinking scenic material for creating and casting realistic diorama groundwork. It dries without cracking, bonds to wood, plaster, plastic, foam and can be cut, sawn and filed to shape when dry without crumbling. There is a Youtube Demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cc-1xuL2mI&feature=youtu.be

The Test

After carefully viewing the on line you-tube video I began by preparing an 8X10 oval basswood base. I then tried to roll the product into log shapes and let dry overnight. I believe my sample jar was a little dehydrated, as you can see in the photos my success rate was about 70%. I’m sure this could have been avoided by simply adding a little water. I found out later while experimenting that the product requires very little water as it melts quickly with just a few drops.