Sponson gun installation

OV-10A/C

Complete 2

JGSDF Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Truck

Finished model of FW-190

FW-190A-5

Complete 8

Rumpler C. IV Late

Finished model

Auto Transport Trailer

Painted Left Side

Tempest Mk V Series 2

Completed

Masterpiece Models Mark 49 Hellcat

Front

P-8A POSEIDON 'VP-45 PELICANS'

Completed 2

Nakajima Ki-84 Type 4 Hayate (Frank) Combo

RGBenson ZM F-4S pt 2 decal issues

F-4S Phantom II: Part 2, Completion

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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.

Book Cover

Wagner Group, Private Military Company: Volume 2 - Establishment, Purpose, Profile and Historic Relevance 2013-2023
Book Author(s)
Janos Besenyo, Andras Istvan Turke, Endre Szenasi
Review Author
Tomasz Menert
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

From the publisher’s website:

The Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) first appeared in Ukraine’s Donbas region during the initial Russian intervention in the spring of 2014. Its fighters—lacking national insignia, Russian flags, or unit designations and always concealing their faces in public—presented an unorthodox and ambiguous presence. However, their use of Russian-made arms, equipment, and uniforms left little doubt about Moscow’s involvement, reinforcing Wagner’s role as a deniable yet effective force in place of poorly trained local militias. Over the following years, Wagner served Moscow’s strategic interests by maintaining both ambiguity and control over various local proxies.

Red Bandit the Mig 29 in Combat

Red Bandit: The MiG-29 in Combat
Book Author(s)
Mike Guardia
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Magnum Books
MSRP
$21.95

Mike Guardia is an internationally recognized author and military historian. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He is the author of the widely acclaimed HAL MOORE: A SOLDIER ONCE...AND ALWAYS, the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the film WE WERE SOLDIERS, starring Mel Gibson. He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and was named Author of the Year in 2021 by the Military Writers Society of America. As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series HAL MOORE: LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP, which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide. In 2022, he appeared in Season 1 of the History Channel series, I WAS THERE, as a featured historian in the episodes on the Johnstown Flood of 1889; the Chernobyl Disaster; the Battle of Stalingrad; and the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Cover image

Acrylic Paint Set for WWII US Naval Aviation
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$25.00

ICM continues to be prolific with their production of both model kits and paint sets. This Acrylic Paint Set for WWII US Naval Aviation continues their trend, and it consists of six 12ml, wide-mouthed, paint bottles. The packaging includes a picture of a Douglas SBD (Scout Bomber Douglas) Dauntless in an early war scheme of pale blue over light gray two-tone scheme on the front. The back shows both the SBD Dauntless and a Grumman TBF-1C Avenger in Measure 22 (light gray over white, primarily used in the Atlantic Theater during 1943-1944), with the color call-outs noted. These paints are designed to be used on early World War II US Naval aircraft. The paint colors include the following:

  • Camouflage Green (No. 1071)
  • Pale Blue (No. 1074)
  • Sky Grey (No. 1033)
  • Neutral Grey (No. 1036)
  • White Grey (No. 1029)
  • Olive Green (No. 1068)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating as follows:

Syhart Vandy1

F/A–18F Super Hornet BuNo 166673 "Vandy One" VX-9 "Vampires" - US Navy 2023
Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$13.16

It’s really unique to open these up and see the dark blue and white background to the decal sheet. It sets the individual decals off and honestly, I think it makes the numbers easier to read. When you look at the individual decals, what caught my eye right off the bat was how well the placards look. The lettering and lines have a bright silver metallic look to them that I don’t see in other decals. Printing on the smaller warning decals is crisp and readable at what looks like size 2 font. The registration on all the colors on my sheet looks perfect, no issues. The decals overall are very, very thin. You can hardly feel them on the sheet. When applying them be careful not to let them curl over on themselves. Apply right off the sheet to the aircraft, if possible. Another thing that stands out is how bold the red and the blue are. They really have good solid colors on the decal. The back page of the instructions has actual photographic references for locating the gear markings.

Book Cover

Hitler's War of Extinction
Book Author(s)
Simon Forty
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Greenhill Books
MSRP
$39.95

Greenhill Books, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books, is an independent, family-owned company that publishes quality military history for knowledgeable enthusiasts. Its focus is on military history that matters and will have an impact. Publishing fascinating military history for the knowledgeable enthusiast, its books are renowned and available internationally with translations into other languages. The Greenhill catalog has a particular emphasis on World War biographies that bring to life the unique perspectives only first-hand battlefield experience can provide.