Top painted

B-25G “Shark Mouth”

Assembled Front

"War has no Gender" Servicewomen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Aircraft Finished 7

Iomax Archangel with Archangel Weapons Set

Fuselage

Wessex UH.5

Finished model

T2 Aerial Hunter Killer

Finished

A-24 Banshee

Underside

1940 Ford Fire Chief Car

Finished model

P-51 Mustang w/Rocket Tubes

Overhead

Messerschmitt Bf-109F-4

Finished Model - Cockpit Closeup

Mirage III BE/BD/DS/D2Z Kit and Detail Set for IIIS/RS/DS Versions

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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.

Magazine Cover

Aces High Aircraft Modeling Magazine, Issue 2
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
AK Interactive
MSRP
$12.00

AK Interactive offers a wide variety of items for the modeler, from paint and weathering sets and books, to model kits. The website is easy to navigate and offers a button to provide an “English” translation. Another button offers a currency exchange calculator from Euros (the posted pricing) to US dollars.

AK is on Facebook and has a You-Tube presence. To quote the AK You-Tube link, “AK's Official Youtube Channel (will) show Advanced Techniques, Tutorials, Tips & Tricks and many more things. Currently working on it :-)”

AK provided a copy of “Ace High” Issue No.2 for review. This issue focuses on aircraft of World War I, being labeled a “Centenary” edition. Also included are three additional articles featuring a set of figures, a truck, and a piece of airfield equipment, a German Fuel Cart and a Mack AC Truck

Package

Po-2 Landing Light and Venturi Tubes
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.50

Quickboost provides one landing light assembly, three large venturi tubes, and two small venturi tubes. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff securely back into the package. 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 ICM kits 48251 and ICM 48252, but for comparisons the photos also show the AZ Model kit parts, left to right respectively.

Quickboost has molded the venturi tubes perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost venturi tubes provide no mold seams to sand off on these tiny parts, along with the superior detail for the inlets on both ends of the venturi tubes that would be difficult to replicate from the kit parts. The vacuum line on the large venturi tubes is also clearly superior to the kit parts.

Package

F-101 A/C Voodoo
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Caracal Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.99

Caracal Models continues its prodigious releases of superb decals with a Kittyhawk Models F-101 Voodoo. The decal set includes a large sheet with markings for four planes and stencils for one plane. The smaller second sheet is the needed stars and bars and a smaller yet third sheet has the corrected FB numbers for the bottom of the plane. The decals are perfectly printed by Cartograf and in register. Also included are beautifully printed full color instructions. If you have never used a Caracal sheet, this is one of their specialties in that each kit has a profile and shows much needed information to make sure they are placed correctly along with color call outs and tips on getting it just right! An example on these sheets the instructions for the fuel stencils being on one side only.

The sheet features markings for 4 different early Voodoos.

Box cover

MiG-21R
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$40.00

Background

In December 1979 armed forces of the former United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), entered the country of Afghanistan under the auspices of a treaty signed with the newly formed Afghan government. The Soviets goal was to provide support and stability for the new regime. After establishing themselves in the major cities, the campaign became a reactive back and forth with the Afghan rebels known as the Mujahedeen. Before 1986 air superiority was assured as the Hind 24s and Su 25s could survive anything the rebels could shoot at them. In 1986 the U.S. indirectly provided the “freedom fighters”’ with stinger missiles. With aircraft loses averaging one per day, the USSR would eventually pull out of the conflict and demobilize. The 263rd Independent Reconnaissance Squadron was one of the units that mobilized in country early in the conflict. Stationed both at Bagram and Kabul was the Mig 21R, white 24, depicted in this kit.

Products

F-101 Speed Brakes
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.50

Kittyhawk Models F-101 was highly anticipated and in most cases, it delivers a modern tooling of a desirable aircraft with many options. One of these is open speed brakes. The kits parts consist of an entire speed brake as one molding with the actuator as a separate piece. Looking at the attached pictures, the kit part has severe molding sink marks. This could be due to pulling to quickly before cooling or one of several other reasons. The speed brakes are pretty smooth and they could be fixed with CA or putty and made to work.