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
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Cross & Cockade International
MSRP
$41.13

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Autumn 2015, features a color painting by Geoffrey Watson of the Vickers FB.19 A5227 on the cover. A5227 carried interesting armament in the form of two extra Lewis machine guns on the lower wing just inboard of the wing struts, bringing its total armament up to four machine guns. This issue also includes a separate A2 size sheet in color covering Ordnance Survey maps that are marked up with the location of WWI aviation interest sties in Ireland.

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier. In fact, this issue includes some updates for that monograph in the Fabric section.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$26.95

This set contains 2 sheet of Photo Etch parts, one of which is self-adhesive. These parts are used to add a lot of detail to the cockpit, and the rest of the interior of Airfix’s latest HE 111-P2 kit.

These sets from Eduard the details are great and add a lot of realism to the finished kit.

A great price for such fine additional detail.

Book Author(s)
Martin Windrow
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$14.95

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom. This book at the time of this review is slated for an October 20, 2015 release date but from what I have read and see history buffs and modelers alike will not be disappointed. It is packed with useful information and illustrations covering every era of warfare and the uniforms and clothing that was used in those conflicts.

For this book the chapters are organized as follows:

Review Author
Joe Porche
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$12.95

This new Snap and Play kit from Revell is part of a series of kits going after the most junior of modelers. Ideal as a first model kit these models are pre-finished in a multitude of colors and have the minimum parts count to simplify constructions.

All the parts are packed in individual plastic bags to retain their finish and are removed the spure runners with the attachment points cleaned up. There are no tools necessary to complete the construction.

Parts Count - 17 total parts

  • 1 Pre-finished Ford Crown Victoria police car
  • 5 Clear styrene and finished parts
  • 5 Black parts
  • 2 Axles with wheels and tires attached
  • 2 Chassis mounting pins
  • 2 Chrome and colored parts

It actually took me longer to unpack, separate and count the kit parts than it did to construct the kit. The instructions are way simplified with no more that three parts going into each step. There are a total of 7 steps.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

Eduard Brassin line continues to expand by adding a very nice all-resin model of the AM-39 Exocet missile. While the Exocet is forever associated with the Super Etendard, it is also used in different aircraft, like Mirage V, Alpha Jet, Super Puma helicopters, and patrol aircraft like Breget Atlantic and P-3 Orion, just to name a few. As such this aftermarket set can be used in many different models.

In the box you get several cast resin pieces, all free of bubbles and imperfections. The casting blocks are small in size and easy to remove.

The missile body and body fins are cast in a dark-colored resin, while the missile exhaust tubes are cast in a clear-colored resin. The parts cast in clear-colored resin (exhaust tubes) are the only option you have; to build a Block 1 or a Block 2 AM-39. Do your research as to which block version you should build.