Commanders machine gun and turret detail

M36/M36B2 'Battle of the Bulge'

Left Rear Quarter

M4A3 Sherman w/T34 "Calliope"

Left rear

Armored Half Track Multiple Gun Carriage

Bottom

Mitsubishi A6M3/3a ZERO FIGHTER Model 22 (ZEKE)

Assembly

Hurricane Mk llB

Nose interior

Waco CG-4A Glider

Nose Gear Detail

McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II, Part 1

Assembly complete rear

World of Tanks Cromwell

Overhead midships

IJNMS Yamato, Part 4, Final Assembly

Smoke Canisters in Primer

PanzerFunkwagen Sd.Kfz. 233 8 Rad 7.5cm

Previous Next

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.

Book Cover

Luftwaffe Eagle
Book Author(s)
Walter Schuck
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Crecy Publishing, Ltd.
MSRP
$18.95

“Luftwaffe Eagle” is a first-hand account of one pilot’s experiences during World War II. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I offered to review this book for IPMS, but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised!

This book was first published in 2007, in the author’s native language of German. It was translated into English by John Weal in 2008, and first published in English in 2009 (in hardcover). This release is the first time it has been available in softcover format.

This combination of the author’s style of writing and the superb (and fluid) translation make this book a pleasure to read. The author begins with a brief summary of his childhood years, then dives directly into his Luftwaffe training and subsequent postings. Each section is filled with personal anecdotes, while steadily following the timeline.

Product picture

Carrier Deck Star Tie Downs
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$4.39

This is my second review of Brengun Carrier tie downs. The first was the “cross” style. This is the newer, more modern star type.

These items are used as the anchor for tying aircraft or anything else that needs to not move, to the deck. A hook at one end of the tie down is put around one of the star legs and the other end is adjusted to hold the aircraft in place.

On the WW2 wooden deck carriers, the tie down anchor was a long piece which ran from one side of the deck to the other, replacing one of the boards in the wooden deck. After the Navy went to steel decks and angle deck carriers, they used a cross type anchor.

Today’s supercarriers use the star type anchor. They can be either yellow or white, depending on what year you’re doing the model. I kind of suspect that when the deck tractors changed over from yellow to white, the anchors changed color too.

Package

AIM-4G
Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.95

With development beginning in 1958, the Hughes AIM-G Super Falcon was created as a follow-up to the early Falcon missiles, but with a larger rocket motor, bigger warhead, and improved guidance. The AIM-4G, or GAR-4A, was the final version of the improved missile, and around 2700 of these missiles were built with the first of them entering service in 1960, and remaining in use until 1988. The missile was 81.1 inches long, had a 24-inch wingspan, and weighed 145 pounds. Travelling at Mach 4 on its solid fuel Thiokol M46 dual-thrust rocket, the missile had a range of seven miles to deliver the 29-pound warhead.

Product picture

AH-1G/UH-1D Tail Rotor Blades
Review Author
Steve Collins
Published on
Company
Werners Wings
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.00

This product is a simple replacement for the tail rotor for AH-1Gs and UH-1Ds. The part is recommended for the AZ Models or Special Hobbies AH-1G kits, but will work with any UH-1D/H kit that has the wrong style of tail rotor. As you can see from the pictures, taken with kit parts from both AH-1G kits, the kit parts have thicker blades with a different shape. Those were based on later AH-1F and AH-1S helicopters and are incorrect for earlier Cobras.

The parts are direct replacements for the kit parts and remove easily from the mold pour plug, with easy cleanup. They are well cast, with no mold flaws or pin holes in the resin. The parts align well with drawings I have of the early Cobras and Hueys. Besides, if anybody would know whether they were correct or not, I think Floyd Werner would.

Thanks to Werner’s Wings for the review sample and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it. Highly recommenced as an easy correction for your early Cobra.

Product picture

Mosquito Armament and Pitot Tube
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Master Details
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$16.00

Thanks to Piotr at Master models for providing these incredible items to improve our models, and thanks to IPMS Reviewer Corps leaders for sending it to me…

What is in the packet: a detailed instruction sheet, four .303 Machine gun barrels and cooling jackets/spring mounts, with flash hiders, four 20MM cannon barrels, and one turned metal pitot tube.

These are simple replacement items for the kit barrels; they provide a better appearance than the kit items, and are well worth investing in for installation

Replacing the kit .303 gun barrels is easy; carefully cut off the kit barrels, drill holes for the metal barrels, install the spring assemblies then the metal barrels, then slide the cooling jackets over the barrels. The flash suppressors then are cemented on the tip of the barrel. Paint and install in the model to finish.