Finished model of FW-190

FW-190A-5

Completed building

Shed with Wooden Fence

Clear Parts

Siebel Fh 104

Trailer Right Front

MIM-104B Patriot Surface To Air Missile PAC-1

Ready to Paint

Panzer III (5cm) Ausf. G Early Production

Stern

Titanic & LED Set

Under construction.

Battle of Britain – Ready for Battle Gift Set

Rear view

Lil Hot Dogger

Cases - Stacked

Panzerfaust with Box

Image 9

Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star

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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.

Packaging

B-17F/G Engines
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$74.95

This kit includes resin and photoetch parts to replace the base kit engines on the Revell Monogram B-17F/G kits. The Brassin engines have extremely fine detail, go together well, but require experience with resin and photoetch pieces. The engines add fantastic detail to the base kits and are a challenging but rewarding build.

This kit is the iconic Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, and widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. These kit engines are replacements for the parts supplied with the Revell Monogram B-17F/G aircraft kits.

Cover image

Scale Aircraft Modelling, Vol. 37, Issue 3
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Modelling
MSRP
$7.04

The new format continues to change to even more history interspersed with the modeling. The banner at the top of the cover even states "The Best for Modelling and Reference". The blue gray background are even more prevalent including the cover. The old structure and build types are gone and this concentrates more on feature articles.

The first feature article by Andy McCabe and is a test shot build of the new Revell 1/32 FW190 F-8. The finished engine OOB is awesome and detail overall is superb. The engine access panels even open to display the kits engine and all for a very reasonable price.

Richard Bolingbroke goes full bore with a two kits builds of Eduard 1/48 Hellcat series with a F6F-3 and an F6F-5. To top it off, he summarizes the wing fold kits that have been produced and uses the Wolfpack set on both to do the kits "at ease".

Package

F-104G/S Starfighter Airbrakes
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$21.50

Thanks to Aires for providing their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me to review.

Once more Aires improves an already great kit; in this case, the 1/32 Italeri F-104G receives an upgrade in the form of improved speed brakes.

A grand total of eight parts are provided: two speed brakes (or speed boards, or air brakes, depending on your background), two fuselage wells to place them in, two actuating rods, and two brace frame assemblies.

In the side by side comparison, Italeri has provided an acceptable speed brake well and boards. Aires has taken the kit parts, and raised the detail bar. There are rivets incorporated in the well, the frames are more delicate, and the speed brakes themselves appear to be a bit more delicate.

Package

F-104G/S Starfighter Control Lever
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$6.50

Thanks to Aires/Quickboost for providing more of their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for sending it my way.

Quickboost has earned (rightfully) a reputation for providing just a bit more detail on a given area of a model; seats, cowlings, engines, can all be improved drastically with their parts. This is also the case with this set - control levers for the New Italeri F-104G/S.

One pour stub holds six parts: three control column boots/bases, and three control columns with much improved detail on the grip assembly. Room for error or second kits.

Box Art

Surfite with Figure
Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$29.95

There was no flash on this kit with lots of chrome parts.

Engine

Eighteen pieces make up the little 4 banger engine that is very well detailed with all the parts fitting extremely well.

Interior

The interior is a one piece tub that the steering column gets glued into. Very basic.

Body

The body is really small. I mean tiny, but it’s molded very well. I painted the body with HOK chrome yellow.

Chassis

The chassis glues together in 4 pieces and then the tiny little chrome parts get glued to it. Some of those chrome parts are extremely small and that made it difficult for me to put together.

Included in the kit are the tiki hut that is extremely well engraved. I used several different colors in an attempt to make the palm leaves come alive. The “Big Daddy” figure was pre-painted by Revell. The decal sheet has several Rat Fink decals that can be added to the figure.