Bottom

53 Foot Smooth Side Trailer with Reefer

Sprue F

Soviet JS-4 Heavy Tank

ICM Aerial Drones assembled

US Aerial Target Drones

Completed left side

Bf-109F

Finished Left Front

Tempest Mk V Series 2

Finished kit, top

MD-3 Carrier Fire Tractor

8

Magach 6B GAL

Nose and Windscreen

Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe with Universal Military Pod

Cher3 (11)

Chernobyl #3: Rubble Cleaners

Example of markings

F-4B Phantom, Part 1 - Wow!

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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.

Box Top

Original Mini Cooper (California Wheels series)
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$24.95

The “original” Mini was produced from 1959 to 2000 by the British Motor Corporation and its successors, British Leyland and the Rover Group, designed by Alec Issigonis and marketed under the Austin and Morris badges. The Mini Cooper was the “Sports” option that was developed by legendary race car maker John Cooper. The key here is that not all Minis are Coopers although most Americans know the Mini line of cars as “Mini Coopers”.

Product Picture

F-4 Phantom II White Metal Landing Gear
Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$11.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Hasegawa 1/72 scale F-4 Phantom kits. The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kit plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts, and one nose gear strut with a separate oleo scissor and retraction strut. Some other SAC packages include replacement wheels, as well, but not the case here. You will need to use the Hasegawa wheels for your build.

A side by side evaluation (see photos) indicates an identical replacement that should provide a greater strength assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. In some cases where original equipment was left in a natural metal finish, painting may not be necessary. As always, check your reference photos

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the IPMS Reviewer Corps and Scale Aircraft Conversions for the opportunity to review this item.

Product Package

P-40 Tomahawk Early Square Back Export Seat with British Sutton Harness
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.50

Ultracast has released a series of four highly detailed resin seats for early P-40s. This, the third one in the series (#48257) correctly represents the early square back export style seat with British Sutton harness that was standard issue for Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters that were in service with the RAF, RAAF and SAAF. One seat comes packaged in a zip-lock bag stapled to Ultracast’s familiar folded card. The seat is cast in a light tan color resin and comes on a small casting block with a minimum amount of casting flash that is easily removed with a sharp #11 blade.

The review sample was first airbrushed with Mr. Color Interior Green and details were hand brushed with Vallejo acrylics. As the photo below shows, the finely cast details sculpted into this seat come alive when they are painted.

Product package

P-40 Tomahawk Early Square Back Export Seat with Wide Lap Belt Harness
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.50

Ultracast has released a series of four highly detailed resin seats for early P-40s. This, the second one in the series (#48256) correctly depicts the early square back style seat with a wide lap belt harness that was installed in the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters that were flown by the AVG. One seat comes packaged in a zip-lock bag stapled to Ultracast’s familiar folded card. The seat is cast in a light tan color resin and comes on a small casting block with a minimum amount of casting flash that is easily removed with a sharp #11 blade.

The review sample was first airbrushed with Mr. Color Interior Green and details were hand brushed with Vallejo acrylics. As the photo below shows, the finely details cast into this seat come alive when painted.

Cover Art

USAF Phantom Mig Killers, Part I
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Speed Hunter Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.95

Speed Hunter Graphics, a new venture by Reid Air Publications, has released their first decal sheet, and it is devoted to F-4 Phantom airframes that are “MiG-21” killers. I should point out that all of the decal options represent versions of the airframes in the post-Vietnam era, with some of them featuring non-SEA camouflage, but still displaying the “kill” markings. This makes the decal options more attractive and unique.

The sheet includes:

  1. F-4D 66-7554, 906TFG SEA wraparound camo "City of Fairborn" nose art 1983
  2. F-4D 66-7550, 507TFG Hill II camo 1989
  3. F-4C 63-7676, 154CW, Hawaii ANG, SEA wraparound camo, 1984
  4. F-4C 63-0589, 191FIG, Michigan ANG, ADC gray, 1979
  5. F-4C 64-0776, 142FIG, Oregon ANG, Hill II camo 1989
  6. F-4C 64-0829, 482TFW, SEA wraparound, 1982

Options two and five are also included in 1/32 scale as a bonus.