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.

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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.

Book Author(s)
Dick Taylor
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$42.35

Thousands of books have been published over the years covering the various armored fighting vehicles utilized by British and Commonwealth forces in the Second World War, and many of them are sitting on my bookshelves, and I am sure yours. There are also numerous books on the various battles that took place involving these vehicles and the generals, officers, and enlisted men who took part. But it is rare that you get a book as detailed as this one on the individual crewmen who accompanied these machines into battle.

This book does not cover the training these men received prior to going into battle, nor does it cover their backgrounds prior to joining the armed forces. Nor does it cover the makeup of the units involved in the fighting. What it does cover, and covers it very well indeed, are the uniforms and other personal gear the AFV crews wore into battle, the badges and insignia adorning their uniforms, and their crew equipment and personal weapons.

Review Author
Christopher Martens
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$111.95

Many ship modelers have been puzzled as to precisely why this World War 2 era heavy cruiser has never seen plastic. Belfast currently resides in London, permanently berthed as a museum and memorial. Her status as intact leaves a few decisions Trumpeter made with this kit rather puzzling.

This kit comes packaged as many Trumpeter kits these days, with foam protecting styrene particularly vulnerable to damage. I saw no flash and injection points are all well hidden. Molding is extremely crisp, and many details will not need photo etch replacements. The hatches are WWII era British, which is a nice detail. Both her AA and pom poms are good, especially for plastic. The PE set that covers some fine details is also nice, though I wish a manufacturer would include some railings.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

The usual “Thanks very much” goes out to our friends and suppliers at Quickboost for an excellent detail set, for use on the new Jaguar kits out there.

Face it, trying to drill out intakes on air scoops, and fabricating delicate antennas is out of the realm of most of our abilities. Let the experts in resin at Quickboost take care of your needs! This set addresses both areas for your Jaguar A…

The avionics air scoop is delicate yet strong; same for the antennas. These are simple cut/fit items, replacing the chunky kit items. And no having to clean up the inner seam on the air scoop!

Full marks for detail, appearance, and simplicity of use! Thanks again to Quickboost, Aires and IPMS USA for providing these items…

Review Author
Jim Stratton
Published on
Company
Academy Models
MSRP
$21.98

The genius of Leonardo Da Vinci goes without saying. His inventions and ideas were years ahead of his time. Many of the things we take for granted today are based on his thoughts and visions. This kit is the newest in Academy’s Da Vinci Machine Series. The Da Vinci Clock uses weights to power a horizontal pendulum. This is a snap together kit. No glue or paint is needed. Parts separate from the sprues easily and parts cleanup is quick and easy. The parts fit was spot on and once pressed together the assembly was tight and firm. Some care is needed when placing the various gears to ensure proper placement. The instructions are clear and show how it all goes together.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

Thanks to Ross at SAC for continuing to provide us review items; we at IPMS USA sincerely appreciate your contributions!

This set is, yet again, a simple drop-in replacement for the kit items. The set contains two main gear struts, a nose gear, and the retraction strut for the nose gear. Definitely a must if you are adding a lot of weight to the model; and particularly useful if everyone who views your model wants to “spin the rotor” (too much temptation) and see if it works.

(Office fun if you take models to work: Make your wheels, props and rotors fit real tight and watch the face of the holder when they snap off parts. Of course, there is the repair, but it’s a common theme.)