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
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.50

Master Model is a scale model metal detailing parts manufacturer located in Poland. Their lines include exquisitely detailed photo-etched and white metal replacement parts for aircraft and ships in the most commonly produced scales.

Master has produced replacement cannons of the early type, with uncovered barrels for any 1/72 Hawker Typhoon early Mk Ib kits. This item is intended to completely replace the plastic kit parts. My example kit (a Maquette issue from Russia) is a Mk Ib, and my research indicates it is the correct version that this particular part issue would be appropriate for. These cannons should generally be fitted to the earlier “car door” version of the Mk Ib as used early in WWII by the RAF. Later Mk. IB versions had full cover extensions over the cannon barrels.

Book Author(s)
Bohumir Kudlicka
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$39.00

Bohumir Kudlicka follows the transition of Czechoslovakian production of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G “Mezek” and the Messerschmitt Me 262 “Turbina” from underground facilities for the Luftwaffe to production by Avia for the Czechoslovakian Air Force. Mr. Kudlicka weaves an interesting tale of how and why the Czechoslovakian Air Force came to use the ‘hated’ German designed aircraft in lieu of English and Russian aircraft that their returning pilots had been flying during the war.

There are many unpublished photos that describe in detail the selection, modification and production of these two aircraft. The text and photos are complemented with color profiles, 3-D plan views, 1/48 scale plans, and period scrap illustrations.

The Table of Contents focuses on three major chapters:

Mezek – “Mule”

Book Author(s)
John Cochrane and Stuart Elliott
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$22.95

Military Aircraft insignia dates to pre-World War I era, with France and Romania as the first two countries to have designated official military markings.

This book covers every country that I can think of, including a handful of little know countries like Transinistra and some major countries that over the years had multiple military air force insignia (like the US or the Regia Aeronautica).

Each country has a section devoted to the markings, the colors in the insignia and a small description of their aerial assets. In most cases there is a picture of an airframe showing the insignia. Countries like Spain, that had multiple insignia and even civil wars, the book covers the markings of both sides.

All the markings are printed in full color and most of the pictures of the airplanes are in color too (the only exception are period pictures that were originally taken in black and white).

Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/520
MSRP
$29.99

Without a long history lesson, I will say the Hindenburg has to be one of, if not THE, most famous of all the zeppelins that provided luxury air travel in the 1930s. Designed and built by the Zeppelin Company, LZ129 “Hindenburg” transported affluent passengers across the Atlantic on numerous trips in 1936, flying between Germany and Brazil, and between Germany and New York, all without incident. On the inaugural 1937 voyage to North America, upon arriving on May 6th in New York (well, actually New Jersey), Hindenburg burst into flames and went down in history. While not the absolute end to zeppelin passenger travel, this marked the beginning of the end for this chapter in aviation history. In 1975, Universal Pictures released “The Hindenburg”, a movie telling the story of that last flight, and to coincide with this, AMT released their 1/520th scale kit of the famous zeppelin.

Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$94.99

History Brief

During the mid 1950's the U.S. Navy's need for an aircraft that could attack both ground and sea based targets in any weather, day or night, attracted a lot of proposals. In 1956, eight aircraft companies submitted at least twelve designs. Grumman Aerospace A-6 Intruder answered the call, design number 1280 was the winning entry and a contract was issued on March 26,1959. The aircraft was originally designated the A2F1, and the first flight of BUNO 147864 took place on April 19, 1960. The first A6A entered service with VA-42 in March 1963.