Aircraft Finished 7

Iomax Archangel with Archangel Weapons Set

Left Front

1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe

Rear view

Vietnam Scooters

Left rear

P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback"

IP coaming and side panels 1

F4U-1 Corsair, Part 1 – Fuselage and Cockpit

Completed kit, forward-left

B-17G Flying Fortress "D-Day Doll" Limited Edition

Forward Portside

Type 214 Class Submarine

Assembly

F-104A/C

Right side high

T17E2 Staghound AA Armored Car

Color Scheme 2

Shiden-Kai N1K2-J "George" Late Type

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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.

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.

Product

AN/ALE-50 Towed Decoy System
Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
April 11, 2024
Company
Fab Scale
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$15.72

A new 3D printed AN/ALE-50 Towed Decoy System in 1/48th scale is provided by Fab Scale as a drop-in replacement for the F-16CJ Fighting Falcon Tamiya kit.

Note: There is no official website for Fab Scale at the time of this review, but a few foreign hobby websites are selling this product.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with a cardboard topper for a pegboard display.

Two (2) AN/ALE-50 units are printed with pink salmon-colored resin. These parts replace kit parts J30, J33, and J34. The printed resolution is very fine with no visible build-up layers and the print quality is excellent.

Review Process

I started by separating the parts from their base by using side-cutting nippers. Next, wet sanding removed the remaining support nubs.

Box Top

Sd.Kfz 251D
Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
April 11, 2024
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$144.99

The Sd.Kfz 251D halftrack was primary vehicle in German mechanized formations in the Second World War. The vehicle was developed in 1937-38 and entered production in 1939. The variant that Trumpeter has produced is the last variant, ‘D’. The primary difference between the earlier models is that the back of the vehicle is a single sloping piece of steel. Over 15,000 were produced and continued to serve in various post-war armies.

Product Overview

3D Tool Caddy Without Dedicated Knife Holder
Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
April 11, 2024
Company
Charlies Plastic Models
MSRP
$10.00

A new 3D printed tool caddy for the model building hobbyist. It has multiple compartments to fit all types of tools and a handy yet convenient addition to any modeler’s benchtop.

In the Package and Product Notes

The tool caddy is molded in gray resin and produced by a 3D printer. The buildup layers are visible (but small), and a nice recessed printed “CPM” logo is located on the backside wall of the caddy. If one wanted to paint it a different color, it can be easily done but I would recommend a good primer coat first.

The footprint measures 7.25” long X 2.56” wide (184 X 65 mm). The back wall is 2.5” tall (63.5 mm), and the lower compartment walls are 1.5” tall (38 mm).

Cover Image

Mitsubishi Babs: The World’s First High Speed Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft, Volume 2
Book Author(s)
Giuseppe Picarella
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
April 11, 2024
Company
Stratus
MSRP
$62.00

Introduction

This book is the second volume on the history and development of the Mitsubishi Ki-15/C5M high speed reconnaissance aircraft, which was used by the Japanese Army and Navy in numerous roles before and during the course of World War II.

Volume 1, which has already appeared in review on this site, provides an excellent account of the aircraft’s development and service during the war, and the second volume goes into incredible detail on various aspects of this aircraft’s career. The book provides information useful to the historian and modeler, and is profusely illustrated with very impressive drawings and photos of the aircraft in detail.

Cover

British Aircraft Carriers: Volume 1 - Hermes, Ark Royal and the Illustrious Class

Book Author(s)
Robert Brown
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
April 10, 2024
Company
Seaforth Publishing
MSRP
$28.95

The Shipcraft series will be familiar to many, but for those who aren’t, the idea behind the books is to provide concise information about a specific subject, providing heavily illustrated reference material and in-depth modelling information including line drawings and color profiles. This latest 64-page paperback volume in the series features a bevvy of British aircraft carriers from the 20s through the 40s, specifically, HMS Hermes, HMS Ark Royal and the Illustrious Class. These ships were the first British carriers designed as such from the beginning, as opposed to others ships that were converted either on the stocks or post-build. Hermes, indeed, was the first in the World to be so designed, although her completion took so long that she wasn’t the first to actually enter service.