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
Paul R. Brown
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$13.95

As with most of SAC’s landing gear sets, this set provides drop in replacement parts for the three main gear struts for Hasegawa’s new Su-35S kit. The set consists of a nose gear strut and two main landing gear struts. The three castings are very sharp and crisp. I used a brass wire wheel in my battery operated Dremel tool and slow speed to polish up the struts and remove the casting seams. I then primed the struts with Tamiya grey primer and painted them with a Tamiya light grey, with the oleo sections picked out with chrome silver. I had hoped to show them off installed on the Hasegawa kit, but the kit I ordered is apparently either on the slowest boat or is taking the long way around the world to get to me, as it is still in transit from somewhere.

The set paints up really well and will add a nice touch of detail (and weight) to your Su-35.

Recommended. Thank you to Scale Aircraft Conversions and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
UMM-USA
MSRP
$8.50

UMM continues to make and issue tools that their owner John Vojtech has developed and used to make his award winning models. The UMM™ 3D Center Locating Tool Jig is one of those tools. What you get is two pieces of aluminum bolted together so that the bottom forms a v-shaped notch and the top forms a straight edge aligning with the point of the notch. The purpose of the tool is simple, find the exact center of a round or square object. This is extremely handy when you need that center for drilling out holes or attached things exactly on center.

Review Author
Keith Pruitt
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$8.49

Quickboost is well-known for producing high quality, “drop in” resin replacement parts for many model kits from a variety of manufacturers. Many of the current Airfix kits are produced from new molds, and are exceptionally well molded and nicely detailed on their own. However, with the limitations inherent in the injection molding process, some parts can be improved with resin parts, which can be molded with a greater level of detail and accuracy.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Kitty Hawk
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$100.00

We sincerely appreciate the manufacturer Kittyhawk for providing this kit to IPMS/USA for review! (and the usual thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending the kit my way).

Kittyhawk, as a relative newcomer to the plastic model aircraft arena, is breaking new ground with each new release. First, they are delivering kits we old timers never thought we’d see. A look at their website shows a commitment to stepping up to the plate. Right now the 1/32 kits are causing extreme excitement, and rightfully so. Read on.

We customers are provided with a box espousing six marking options (one United States Air Force Gray, Two United States Marine, one Thai, and one Philippine Air Force. All are colorful options, and cover the bases for markings. By the way, the wing mounted zuni pods are NOT included in this kit; they are from a 1/32 crusader, more later.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
L.Z. Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$99.95

L.Z. Models has added another great vehicle to their line of wartime construction equipment with a resin kit of the US Army LeTourneau CarryAll LS Scraper. The CarryAll is a smaller LS variant of the famous Le Torneau scraper, and was used widely by US and other armies during and long after WWII. The Scraper was usually seen towed by a CAT D7 and later a D8 tractor, and is a perfect companion to L.Z. Models’ tractor and bulldozer kits.

The L.Z. Models kit is a challenging build due to the intricate cabling system, but was enjoyable to work through the assembly. Resin and photoetch experience is required for this kit.