Cockpit

Caravelle French Airliner

Image 11

FJ-2 Fury

Underside

S-2A Tracker

The Wight

Army of Ice

Yup- its tiny

Rutan Quickie

14

Supermarine Spitfire IA [Mid]

Finished model - from left rear

Boulton Paul Defiant MK. 1

Parts sprue

USS Greeneville, SSN-772

14

Sea Hurrican Mk. Ib

Pack 5 Bulkhead

1961 Jaguar E-Type, Part Two

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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.

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Box art

Audi R8 Build & Play
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Camden Koukol
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$11.95

Background

The production Audi R8 was named after the manufacturer’s 5-time LeMans winner and was first marketed in 2006. Featuring a mid-mounted 4.2 liter V8 engine, generating 420 brake horsepower enabling a top speed of over 180 miles per hour, the R8 is truly a super sports car.

The Kit

Consisting of 13 pieces in pre-painted metallic orange and flat black; clear, chrome, and red clear styrene, steel axles, and vinyl tires, this kit is well-suited for first-time and beginning modelers. Exterior, interior, and underside detail is crisply molded and provides a convincing replica of the R8.

Cover

Cross & Cockade International Winter 2014 Vol. 45/4 Journal
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$56.00

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Winter 2014 Vol. 45/4 - is the last of the journals that make up Volume 45. C&C I is the quarterly publication of the non-profit UK based organization known as The First World War Aviation Historical Society. They have continuously published these journals since 1970 with the objective of furthering the study of First World War Aviation History. This journal continues the organization’s mission by providing considerable information on a wide range of WWI aviation subjects…this time delivering an interesting and lengthy feature article about operations of the RNAS’s 3 Wing & 3 Squadron along with 203 Squadron RAF under the title ‘JUST ABOUT COURT MARTIALLED’. The journal’s cover image ‘Red-Nose Pup’, a painting by artist Russell Smith, serves to herald this twenty three-page article.

Package

Bf-109G Legs Bronze
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$22.95

The Eduard Bf-109G kit is a very nice model. It may not be 1/48th scale but it is still a nice kit as far as kits go. In keeping with the business model to provide aftermarket items for their kits in their Brassin range, Eduard provides brass landing gear in addition to their resin and photo etch sets.

Packaged in a typical plastic vacuform container are four parts, two resin landing gear doors and two brass landing gear legs. The resin is perfect and the best-looking landing gear doors in any scale. They are cast in light grey resin without any blemishes. The struts are perfectly cast miniatures of the real thing. There is no clean up required on them other than at the mount to square it off. The detail is exceptional. One thing that isn’t included on any other strut that I can remember is the tie down ring on the bottom of the strut. I could be wrong.

Boxtop

Bf-109G-6 Engine and Guns
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$39.95

With the release of the Eduard Bf-109G-6 kit it was inevitable that they would release Brassin sets for the kit. This one allows the modeler to open up the engine cowling and expose the beautiful engine underneath.

Packed in a sturdy top opening box with individual ziplock bags inside that protect the parts with the aid of foam inserts. Four small ziplock bags protect and segregate the parts in shipping. There are 66 resin parts molded in various shades of grey resin. I could not find any issues with bubbles or deformity. Also included is a brass photo etch fret. I mean it is from Eduard so you know it is perfect. Included is a really nice little decal sheet that has the markings for the engine. You can make up any serial number in yellow or white.

Box art

USS New Jersey & USS Essex
Review Author
Mike Hanson
Published on
Company
Aoshima
Scale
1/2000
MSRP
$5.00

Two Tiny Ships

The USS New Jersey and USS Essex by Aoshima

  • USS New Jersey
  • USS Essex

I like small models, so when I saw these two 1/2000 scale kits from Aoshima on the review list I quickly asked for them. Aoshima makes a whole series of ship kits in this scale, and I admit that I liked these review samples enough just upon opening the box that I went out and ordered a half-dozen more. The series includes American, English, and German subjects. There are unfortunately no Japanese ships included in this series so far.

Since the kits are so small, and are very similar, I’ll be reviewing the two sample kits side-by side.

These two kits represent a couple famous WWII US Naval subjects – the USS New Jersey BB-62 and the USS Essex CV-9.