Sprue

A-25A-5-CS Shrike

Armament

F/A-18E Super Hornet 'VFA-27 Royal Maces 2013'

Right side

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H Mid-Production, ‘39-‘45 Series with Zimmerit

Track Parts

Sd.Kfz.10/4 fur 2cm FlaK 30, 1940 Production w/Ammo Trailer

Clear and chrome parts

SnapTite Ford Expedition Police SSV

Real Phto

Avia S-99/C-10

Finished

Cessna 152

Rear view with license plate mod

Renault London Taxi

Front axle

U.S. Cougar 6x6 MRAP Vehicle

Finished Rear

Mirage III C

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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.

Cover

Kursk 1943
Book Author(s)
Robery Forczyk
Review Author
Tim Wilding
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$21.95

In July 1943, Germany launched Operation Citadel to cut off the Kursk salient. Kursk 1943: The Northern Front deals with the Northern Front of this offensive; little attention is usually given to this front of the offensive. Most of the Kursk histories deal with the Southern German push with its huge tank battles, but in the north, the Russians had been preparing for this offensive for months and had constructed three strong lines of defenses. This resulted in a small German penetration and more mine and defensive warfare.

The book is laid out in the following sections:

Product package

US 500lb Bombs
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$14.95

In this BRASSIN detail set, Eduard provides modelers with a quick and easy way to add a pair of highly realistic looking AN-M30 “general purpose – high explosive” 500lb bombs to a 1:32 scale aircraft model. The set includes resin and photo-etched brass parts and a small decal sheet for the color bands and stenciled identification. Two resin parts and three photo-etched parts make up each bomb and the decals add all markings needed for finishing the assembled and painted models. This multi-media combination promises realistic looking results.

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.