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
Paul R. Brown
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.95

This set in designed as a replacement for the kit wheels and hubs of Eduard’s new 1/72 FW 190A series of kits. The set includes two resin wheels with the hubs integrally cast and a mask set for the wheels.

When the wheels are removed from the casting block, Eduard’s careful planning comes to light as it turns out the attachment point is also a flattened area of the tire, establishing a realistic sit of the aircraft on the ground. While the tires are not bulged like some other replacement sets are, they really should not be in 1/72 scale as the tires are so small.

I painted the tires Tamiya NATO black with flat black hubs to create some contrast between the two shades of black. The enclosed mask set includes masks for the tires, but instead I painted the hubs first and then used the central circle of the mask to mask the hubs, followed by airbrushing the tires. I like this method as I tend to distort or tear the tire masks as they are very narrow.

Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$52.99

The Hasegawa A-4 Skyhawk kits have been around for many years, and many models of this remarkable aircraft have been covered at one point or another. The Brazilian Navy is still operating these Skyhawk’s.

As I have built a Hasegawa A-4L before, I was armed with knowledge of certain areas that need a bit of care. As well as those where it is a joy to assemble.

The instruction sheet is the typical fold out sheet. The pictorial information and directions are clear and easy to understand.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$11.25

Hauler has provided another addition to the great Diorama releases with this Modern Hand Pallet Truck. These were used to manually transport single pallet loads in commercial and military logistics operations.

The detail quality is great; there is a lot of easily removable flash and no other noticeable imperfections. The parts once removed from the mold base are ready to assembly. There is also a small Photo Etch sheet with some very delicate parts that need careful removal and adding to the assembly.

The Assembly is quick and easy. The final part is painted yellow and looks great as an addition to any diorama.

Thanks go to Hauler for providing this kit to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$26.95

Ford’s F-Series trucks are the most popular pickups in the world. This rugged yet stylish ’91 F-350 was a great choice for Revell to produce. It has been a popular release as well and part of that is due to its adaptability for other mash-up and scratch built configurations.

Book Author(s)
Matthew Willis & Robert Michulec Matthew Willis & Robert Michulec
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$25.00

This publication is the 2nd Edition of the book which was originally released in March, 2008 and out of print since 2011. You can view the book on Youtube.

Authored by Matthew Willis and Robert Michulec, illustrated with color profiles by Simon Schatz, this edition covers all variants and versions of the Stuka from inception of the Stuka program through the last variant.

The Big Yellow Series, of which this book is the latest release, is known for high quality color illustrations that feature camouflage and markings, walk-around color photographs, and black & white archive images. The book is chock-full of 1/72nd scale profile drawings and also some exceptional color profile illustrations.