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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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Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$16.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) offers an extensive range of replacement landing gear parts for a wide variety of kits. I have some experience using SAC items to replace kit parts and I’ve found that the SAC items add strength to the model without sacrificing any of the detail found on the original parts.

As mentioned in other reviews, I tend to be a rather heavy-handed modeler and I have a long history of “critical parts” failure with WWI models which is self-made and not a reflection on the quality of the original kit. I’ve snapped wing struts in half, broken off tail skids, and caused catastrophic damage to undercarriage support structures. Knowing that I’ve “got a problem”.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
Company
Advanced Modeling
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.95

This set is designed to be used on any 1/72 scale Su-35 and as the pods are wingtip mounted, they should fit either Trumpeter or Hasegawa kit. The set consists of 6 grey resin parts for two pods and 2 each of the red and green position lights that mount out the outboard sides of the pods. This will allow you to outfit one model.

The parts are cast in a light grey resin which is of medium hardness, so it is easily cut with a razor saw or a sharp Xacto blade and sands easily. After washing the parts to remove any casting residue, I used a fine razor saw to separate the parts from the casting blocks. Each pod is cast in two parts consisting of the main body of the pod and a separate tail cap. The instructions clearly show where to cut the parts off of the casting block and if you are careful, the two sections of each pod should match up pretty well. I did not do so well on my cuts, so I ended up using Mr. Surfacer to fill the gaps.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$17.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions offers a very large number of gear replacement sets for a wide variety of aircraft kits. This gear set is designed to replace the gear, and other parts, on the Wingnut Wings Fe.2b Late. Parts included in the SAC gear set are the axle, axle brackets, tail skid, and two control cable bars.

The SAC parts are packaged in a sturdy clear container with cardboard backing. Each part is made of white metal and matches its WNW counterpart with great precision and attention to detail. Wingnut Wings is known for its superior quality and attention to detail so what would be the reason to seek replacement parts? The answer is simple. The SAC parts, made of white metal, provide a strength and stability that will add to the durability of the model while maintaining the high level of detail of the WNW product. The parts in this review sample are free of flash or mold separation lines and, while they might bend, they will not break.

Book Author(s)
Alan Ranger
Review Author
Patrick Brown
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$25.00

Bottom Line Up Front

The latest in MMP’s “Camera On” series is dedicated to a broad selection of German vehicles and equipment battling mud. This book is useful, not just for diorama ideas, but for terrific reference photos on how mud actually looks; something that is rarely depicted accurately in dioramas and scenic bases.

Chapters

  • Forward
  • Introduction
  • Tanks and Self-Propelled Guns
  • Halftracks
  • Lorries
  • Staff Cars
  • Motorcycles

Contents

In the forward the author makes it clear he is not trying to add to the body of knowledge about German military vehicles. The book is dedicated to depicting the vehicles in the conditions in which they found themselves, primarily in the rainy season on the Eastern Front.

Book Author(s)
Angus Konstam
Review Author
Patrick Brown
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$19.00

Bottom Line Up Front

This is a short, easy to read introduction to ships and history of the private warships which played a major part in the American War for Independence. It is profusely illustrated with period artwork and accurate modern-day artwork of actual ships. The artwork by Paul Wright is the standout feature of this book.

Author

Angus Konstam is the author of over 100 history books, most of which have been published by Osprey. A former naval officer and museum professional, he worked as the Curator in both the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He now works as a full-time author and historian, and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.