Finished model

Café Furniture and Crockery

Staff car PE and decals

US Staff Car

Cockpit detail

1/48 Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 "Barbarossa" Limited Edition

Cockpit

Aussie Eight - Spitfire Mk. VIII in Australian Service, Dual Combo

Completed - right rear

Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Box Contents

Jogging Some Miles. Tyra

Cockpit 2

Focke Wulf Ta-152C-11

Top View

German Motorcycle & Sidecar

Engine Exhaust

Mirage 2000

Finished

Ki-84 Special Attack Units

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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

Joey Logano #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion
Review Author
Joe Porche
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$23.95

Early last year I was excited to see that Revell was going to release two new NASCAR kits sometime in the 4th quarter of 2015. I was equally excited because these would be of the newer Generation 6 style of cars and Ford Fusions. Well the bubble burst when I discovered that these kits would be SnapTite kits. Excited for the kids and snap builders, but a little disappointed that we haven’t had a new glue-style NASCAR kit in almost two decades.

I understand Revell plans to rectify this situation in 2017-18, based on the sales of these snap kits. At $24 dollars each I am really skeptical that they will be able to penetrate the youth market with these kits.

Box Top

ERA-3B Skywarrior, Part 1
Review Author
Phillip Cavender
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$99.95

This is the first installment, “First Look,” of Trumpeter’s Douglas ERA-3B 1/48th scale variant to be released by Trumpeter in 2016. The plane represents the US Navy, VAQ-33 ‘Firebirds’, ERA-3B, 104/GD BuNo. 146447. The ERA-3B variant was converted from the RA-3B variant as an electronic aggressor aircraft serving with the VAQ-33 and VAQ-34. I won’t bore you with a long lengthy dissertation on the history of the Douglas A3 and this variant so I will just include here a description presented on Trumpeter’s product website which will suffice for most modelers. I’m sure during your build one would do their own further research. “The Douglas A-3“Skywarrior”was a strategic nuclear bomber developed for the US Navy.

Box Art

F4F-4

Review Author
John King
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$15.99

Background

This is Airfix’s second boxing of its new-tool F4F-4 Wildcat. This is the same plastic that comes in the first Airfix release, but this release is marketed under the “Starter Set,” meaning it comes with some paints, glue, and two paintbrushes. The paints are Humbrol acrylic and include: Trainer Yellow Matt (No 24), Sea Grey Matt (No 27), Black Matt (No 33), White Matt (No 34), Gunmetal metallic (No 53), and US Light Green Matt (No 117). I tried the paints with the supplied paintbrushes, and although the brushes are not very fine, they did work well with the paint once mixed. Therefore, for someone new to the hobby, this kind of a starter set should actually be useful.

Box Art

R.P.K. Tank
Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
Company
PJ Production
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$16.86

Background

This is an interesting accessory for Mirage III or V models from PJ Production of Belgium. These R.P.K. tanks are basically 500 L fuel tanks with four 250 kg bombs attached to each. The weapons are used for ground attack. They were used by French aircraft as well as Australia, South Africa, Peru, Bolivia and possibly others. I was able to find a few photos on the internet but very little data. Most of the information came from a request to PJ Production.

Front cover

SM.02 S-65 City Tractor
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Rinaldi Studio Press
MSRP
$20.00

This is Michael Rinaldi’s second book in this series, the first being on the Industria Mechanika 1/35 FichtenFoo's Fantastical Fish-shaped Submersible resin kit. This issue focuses on the Trumpeter Stalinetz S.65 Russian Army tractor kit. The Single Model (SM) series represents a focus on a specific kit and as such is a limited edition (i.e. Only One Print Run!). This singular focus permits Michael Rinaldi to tackle topics outside of his successful TankArt series and allows him to address finishes that he has not attempted before. Indeed, the next in this series is on the Bandai Sazabi Master Grade Mobile Suit. A core premise of the new book series is to explore and redefine artistic and creative finishes for each subject.