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
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.00

Many thanks to the Hauler Brengun Company and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to review this unique diorama accessory. Hauler Brengun is a valued contributor to the IPMS Reviewer system and I am very pleased to report on my experience with this excellent accessory, a modern USN tow bar.

USN jets are one of my favorite modeling subjects, and small details such as this tow bar add greatly to displays of completed kits. These towbars are ubiquitous anywhere aircraft get pulled around.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$32.99

History

First flown in February 1933 as the Kawanishi “J” type floatplane, it was accepted by the Imperial Japanese Navy in May 1934 and given the designation “Type 94 E7K1 Reconnaissance Seaplane” and 530 of all types in the E7K series were built. The first versions were powered by a 600 horsepower V-12, liquid cooled engine. In 1938 the aircraft was re-engined with a radial engine and was known as the E7K2. The E7K was constructed of welded copper/steel tubing and was fabric covered and the floats were of all metal construction allowing it to operate in heavy seas and was viewed as the best of its type as it was able to stay aloft for up 12 hours. The E7K type stayed in frontline service up to 1943 when it was relegated to second line duties.

Book Author(s)
Andy Evans, with Gary Hatcher
Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
SAM Publications
MSRP
$15.17

Thank you very much to the wonderful folks at SAM Publications for providing this new title for review. Thanks are also due to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to research and learn more about these colorful adversary jets. Many of these unusual aircraft thrilled me with close passes while I was working in the Nevada mountains years ago. This volume is the first in a new SAM Model Data File publication series described as “scaled down in size and price.” I found this book outstanding in quality and value, so that description is quite modest.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$15.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions has released replacement landing gear for the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a “Hisso”. The supplied items include two main gear legs and the main gear axle. All three parts are loose in the blister package. You will need to remove the metal sprue from the main gear legs.

This replacement set will provide stronger landing gear that won’t sag over time, and are somewhat adjustable if necessary to obtain proper alignment. Even with zero previous experience in using white metal parts, this set will provide an upgrade that most modelers will have no problem installing. Scale Aircraft Conversions does not use lead in their white metal mix, so the builder does not have to be concerned with that perceived hazard.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$14.50

Tsesarevich (Russian: Цесаревич) was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy, built in France at the end of the 19th century. The ship's design formed the basis of the Russian-built Borodino-class battleships. After repairs were made following the Russian-Japanese war, most of the small-caliber guns (47mm and 37mm) were removed. Tsesarevich was not very active during the early part of World War I and her sailors joined the general mutiny of the Baltic Fleet in early 1917.

This Master Model set provides you with 20 barrels: Four machined aluminum 305mm/40 (12”) barrels; twelve machined brass 152mm/45 (6”) barrels; two 47mm (1.85”) Hotchkiss Gun barrels; and two 37mm (1.5”) Hotchkiss gun barrels and a single page instruction sheet. As you can see in the comparison photo below, the improvements are most noticeable in the muzzle ring of the twelve 152mm barrels due to the limitations of injection plastic molding.