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
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Yellow-Wings Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.95

Monograms' AT-6/SNJ kit has been around for quite a while. The plane trained many flyers and was used for many years with some still being flyable to this day. Yellow Wings, who specializes in decals for planes between 1930 and 1942 has come out with a new set for USMC SNJ-3's from 1942.

Included in the package are two complete decals sheets with markings, color bands and insignia for two aircraft. They are printed by Microscale and have great color and register. Wing Walks are also included for both aircraft. Next is a full color sheet showing the color and markings along with aircraft performance. Lastly, there is the info sheet detailing the history, band information, prop color info and more along with a guide to specific paints.

The planes represents on this sheets are:

Book Author(s)
Jay Laverty Publisher
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Modelling
MSRP
$7.00

Each issue of Scale Aircraft Modeling has the same basic design and format. That's not a bad thing as it is jam packed with superb aircraft builds and tips. In this issue, there are five feature articles, an Aviation in Profile piece, and seven Compact Build Reviews.

The Feature articles for this issue start with DAI Williams build of Wingnut Wings 1/32 Fokker D.VII. Mr. Williams covers how to make single color areas less drab and add contrast. He also used Albion Alloys thread, Bob's Buckles turnbuckles and AVIATTIC lozenge decals to improve the kit.

Next up is James Ashton's build of the newer Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk. II. He gives it the full meal deal with Barracuda cast everything and spends a lot of time getting the finish just right on this heavily weathered plane using multiple techniques..

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

Quickboost provides one set of Dornier Do 217 exhaust stubs. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new Quickboost replacements. These Quickboost parts are specific replacements for the kit parts found in the Monogram Pro Modeler’s Do 217E-5 (85-5954), Revell’s Do 217E-4 kit (85-5526), and Revell’s Do 217E-5 (04557)

Quickboost has molded the exhaust stubs perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost exhaust stubs have no mold seams to sand off along with the superior detail for the exhausts. Be very careful removing the parts from the resin block. I used a photo-etched saw along with a couple swipes of a sanding stick to have great looking parts. Test fitting revealed no discernable differences that should cause any problems compared to the kit parts

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Aerobonus
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$10.00

Aerobonus continues its run of diorama/aftermarket add on sets with a 5 gallon waste oil drain tank. The set consists of 5 resin parts and decals and is perfectly formed with no flash or air bubbles.

There is one choice to be made and that is with the high or low fill spout. I cut the main pail and dump pan free with a razor saw and the cur the handle and the low fill support free with nippers and cleaned all of it up very gently with sanding sticks. Some care is needed as the handle is very fragile. All that was required then was to super glue the support, the pan and handle on the main pail. I primed with Alclad gray and let it dry overnight.

The directions called for a red pail and support and I painted these Insignia Red. The pan was painted silver and the decal added. A wash of brown (to look like oil stains) and a few silver marks for scratches and we're done.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Aerobonus
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.00

Need a little something to spice up that 1/48 scale plane on its base? Aerobonus to the rescue with a set of four FOD (foreign object debris) buckets. The set is one casting of four buckets with a piece of wire to form the handles and decals.

Assembly is basic with the modeler cutting the bucket free and adding the handle. I did use a drill and pin vise to open the handle holes slightly. Cut the wire and bend like a handle and your done. the color call put is for blue grey. I used medium blue gray from Testors and then gloss coated for the decals. The decals come in white or black lettering and I chose the white and they went on well. A quick flat coat and then paint the handle silver and we're done. Just that quick and easy.

The set is simple, well made and would make a great addition to the base or a diorama. Recommended. My thanks to Aires for the chance to build and paint these great little buckets,.