Left rear

British Armored Car Saladin Mk. 2

Completed model

Go Mad Nomad

Nose gear

Harrier GR.7/9

Finished

P-51D Mustang "Aces of the Eighth" Dual Combo

Saluting figure - right side

US Navy Crew Chief (Modern)

Sprues 1

Universal Carrier Mk.II

Finished

WW1 US Pioneer Skeleton Tank

Complete

PACV Hovercraft (U.S. Army)

Finished Model

Focke-Wulf Ta-152C1/R14

Nicely detailed frame

Ford Bronco (1st Generation)

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.

Box art

'49 Mercury Wagon
Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.95

I have to start out with saying that this is a beautiful kit to work with. There was very little if any flash on the parts.

Engine

The Cadillac engine from previous releases of Revell’s ’49 Merc kits is here again. It lends itself to easy detailing.

Chassis

The chassis features nice detail and crisp engraving. The exhaust pipe, front & rear differentials, and springs are separate assemblies, as well as the frame rails, leading to some extra paint detailing.

Interior

The interior features a floor, and separate side panels that are fairly well engraved. I decided that all the glass shows the interior pretty well so I went ahead and installed bucket seats front and back with a console between the front seats. I also added a chrome strip along the door panels to break up the monotony. I added flocking to my build.

Boxart

City House
Review Author
Bart Cusumano
Published on
Company
MiniArt
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$59.00

Being fresh off of the review of the 1:72 scale MiniArt “Building w/Garage”, kit #72031, we now have the “City House” kit, #72030. This is a model of a typical European multi-family dwelling. Like the previous kit, this kit represents a complete, undamaged building and not a ruin. It is also all injection molded styrene with none of the vacuum-formed parts found in some of their 1:35 scale releases in the same genre.

The Box

The 13.5’” by 10.5” by 2.25” box is the preferred top and bottom (lid) type. There is a nice artist’s rendition of the building on the box top which can serve as a helpful painting guide, although colors can ultimately be left to the imagination of the individual modeler. However, considering the weight and quantity of the box contents, and like the last kit, I felt that the box top was a bit flimsy, although this one has managed to stay together thus far.

Image from web site

Harrier FRS 1 Exhaust Nozzles
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$13.50

We continue to express sincere appreciation to our friends at Aires for providing us more of the prolific output of their company; In this case, Harrier FRS-1 nozzles.

Nothing really to state about this upgrade other than “Buy it”. If you have a 1/72 Harrier of the FRS-1 Sea Harrier series, these are “must have” items. I show these items next to the kit items for clarity. Great external detail, and NO SEAM TO FILL!

A drop-fit incorporation of the first order, 10 of 10, well done to Aires and thanks again to IPMS for the review items!

Photo of Model

J7W1 Shinden - Interior and Engine - Part 1
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Zoukei-Mura
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$48.00

Zoukei Mura made a huge splash several years ago with their Shinden, Skyraider and continued the exceptional releases in 1/32 scale. They have now entered the 1/48th scale market with a J7W1 Shinden. Zoukei Mura has a company philosophy of showing all internal detail in their 1/32nd kits to make the kit not only detailed but a learning experience for the modelers. This 1/48th scale kit is no different but I wanted a comparison review to their 1/32nd scale Shinden and decided to build them both at the same time and compare.

Box Art

USS Olympia
Review Author
Ron Bell
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/240
MSRP
$34.99

The Ship

The USS Olympia was a protected cruiser launched in 1892 with a long and distinguished career that included being Commodore George Dewey's flagship at the misnamed Battle of Manila Bay. Misnamed because it wasn't really a battle. The Spanish squadron never left anchor and the Americans just cruised back and forth shooting them up, even taking time for a lunch break in the middle of the action. She was a flagship in WWI, escorted transports across the North Atlantic and participated in the allied intervention in the Russian Civil War at Murmansk. She brought the remains of the Unknown Soldier from WWI back to the United States and served for a while as a training ship, but was finally decommissioned in 1922. She has the honor of being one of the only ships from this period still afloat along with the Mikasa in Japan and the Aurora in Russia.