Photo 4

Fokker Eindecker III Late – Part 1

Aircraft

USS Oriskany

Resin Torso

German Luftwaffe Pilot WWII with Life Vest

Unpainted components

APA-50M (ZiL-131)

Image 4

F6F-5D/K Hellcat "Target Drone"

Top with rider

Rest on Motorcycle

The Build

German Heavy Generator Sd.Ah.24

Completed - Left

Extra EA-300L (4-blade Propeller)

Interior

Munster's Monster Truck

Hornet Subassemblies

F-4J Phantom II & F/A-18F Super Hornet "Jolly Rogers" (2 kits) Limited Edition

Previous Next

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.

Book Cover

Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15
Book Author(s)
Dariusz Karnas
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$30.00

The latest installment of the Yellow Series from Mushroom Model Publications is devoted to the iconic Mig-15. This book clearly is written with the modeler in mind, as well over 100 pages are devoted to pictures, drawings or color profiles of the airplane.

The book is divided in the following sections

  • Introduction
  • Development
  • Development Versions
  • Series Productions of the Mig-15
  • Production in other countries
  • Detail photos
    • Fuselage
    • Wing
    • Cockpit and Canopy
    • Undercarriage
    • Engine
    • Armament
  • Color Profiles (69 of them)

The first few sections are concise in detail (mainly what was changed in each development version) and most of the versions have an associated 72nd scale line drawing, or at least those that had an external modification.

Boxart

X-47B with GBU-27
Review Author
James Binder
Published on
Company
Platz
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$51.00

The Northrop Grumman X47-B is the demonstrator vehicle for the United States Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System or UCAS. It was developed from the X-47A Pegasus and will be developed into the X-47C UCLASS which will enter service by 2019

The Kit is from the manufacturer Platz, a Japanese Company, and is 1/72 scale. They have made other UAV’s including the Global Hawk. Don’t let this small scale deceive you though, this model is almost 11 inches across with the wings extended. The wings can be built in the extended or folded position with no cutting, something you don’t see on many kits. This boxing also adds two options for weapons, either the GBU-27 or GBU-32 JDAM. I chose to have the aircraft carry one of each.

The kit itself is molded in light grey with recessed panel lines and very faint rivet detail. It has 65 parts and an extensive decal sheet. The box is sturdy and has a nice glossy front. In fact it took me longer to decal the x-47 than it did to build it.

Box Art

Diorama with Brick Wall
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
MiniArt
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$33.50

This kit is one of MiniArt’s Diorama Series and includes a damaged brick wall section cobblestone street, and streetlight. The kit comes boxed with parts in a plastic bag. Kit contains three vacuum formed pieces for the wall sections, wall cap and base. The kit also includes one molded plastic sprue for the streetlight fixture. The base section has cobblestone pavers, piles of rubble, and rubble behind the wall. The cobblestone base has a worn vehicle track at an angle across the front. The wall is set at a slight angle and the base appears to have enough space for one 1/35 scale vehicle plus a few accessories.

Package

IL-2 Shturmovik Gun Barrels & Pitot Tube
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.00

This is another fine set of replacement details form Quickboost, this set for the Tamiya 1/72 Ilyshin IL-2 Shturmovik. The details include replacement gun barrels and pitot tube.

The Tamiya kit details are nice, but the Quickboost details are more refined and have no flash. The gun barrels and pitot tube are thinner than the Tamiya parts and don’t require any cleanup other than removal from the casting block.

The Quickboost details will add nicely refined detail to the Tamiya kit and are a great value for a low price.

Thanks to Quickboost for their continued support of the IPMS review program and for providing the review sample. Thanks also to the great IPMS review staff for letting me review the details.

Package

BMW R69 Motorcycle year 1956
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/87
MSRP
$6.00

This is a resin kit of a 1956 vintage BMW motorcycle in 1/87 scale (HO train scale). Kit comes in 22 gray resin pieces and two photoetch pieces.

The frame pieces E & F are cast within a casting ring completely surrounded by flash. Hauler suggests an interesting method to remove the flash by placing the parts on a piece of sandpaper and sanding off the flash. It worked pretty well and left the very delicate parts fairly clean without breakage.

Some of the flashing around the parts is fairly thick considering how small the parts are.

The front and rear tires use imaginary spokes as the hubs hang in the middle of the wheel. There are two photoetch handlebar pieces supplied so I assume they needed to be glued together and that’s what I did. The kit goes together really well considering how small the pieces are and has nice detail for a small kit.

I painted the model with some gloss black, flat black, aluminum, and chrome paint.