Osprey Prop Rotor Options 3

MV-22B Osprey

Overall

Horten Ho-229: Part 2 - Cockpit, Wheels and Wings

Right Side of Nose

Super Bug - F/A-18E Hornet

Ready for Paint

Churchill Mk. VII

Tail Turret

Lancaster Mk.1B - Part 1 of 3

Overhead

Antonov An-2/An-2CX Colt

Finished Model - Upper Right

Roland D.VIb

Cockpit Closeup

Salmson 2-A2 USAS

Finished 5

Jonny Quest: The Dragonfly

Shown are holes that need to be drilled for retracted vs. extended flaps

Vought F4U-1A Corsair

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

Japanese Army Infantry, Peleliu 1944
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$19.95

Within the past year, Dragon Models has issued a brilliantly executed model of the Imperial Japanese Army’s Type 95 Light Tank “Ha-Go,” arguably the most important Japanese tank of Pacific War (review at http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/type-95-light-tank-ha-go-early-producti…). Unfortunately, figures to go with such a vehicle have been in short supply over the years, with the various manufactures much preferring to produce German or even Italian figures from among the Axis forces of WW2, with Japanese subjects a distant third. Of late, though, this has changed with MiniArt, Fine Molds, and Master Box all releasing sets of WW2 Japanese figures in the past year. Now, Dragon joins them with a set of their own.

Parts Package

Spitfire Mk II, Vb, VI Landing Gear
Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$17.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Hasegawa 1/32 Spitfire Mk II, Vb, VI kits. The gear strut attachment points will also match up with the Revell I/II kit, and perhaps some others with the same wing tooling. I have reviewed several of these sets, and have purchased a few more on my own, because in all cases, they have been superior to the kit items.

The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kits plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts and braces, and one tail gear assembly. Also included are white metal tires. The tires are a significant improvement in detail over the kit tires, which are devoid of any tread pattern. The SAC tires also have tread and improved rim/lug detailing.

Cover

US MRAPS in Action
Book Author(s)
John Adams-Graf
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Squadron Signal Publications
MSRP
$18.95

This is another book in Squadron Signal’s In Action series that profiles a family of military vehicles with photos of them in actual use. The series uses in-field photos to trace the history and development of the vehicles.

The history of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles is chronicled from the earliest armored security vehicles (ASVs) that were built to replace armored HMMWVs and provide greater resistance to roadside bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during the Iraq wars.

Parts Package

Saab J-29 Tunnan Pitot Tubes
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.50

This accessory is for the Heller Tunnan kit. The parts are replacement pitot tubes.

The Kit

You get two finely done brass parts in a plastic envelope, which is inside another plastic envelope. Good plan – lost parts of this size would be a disaster, not to mention impossible to find. I liked the instruction sheet, it was simple, to the point, and uncluttered.

Assembly

I used a Tunnan I built several years ago. It was great to have these brass pitots, as the plastic ones had been broken off soon after I did the model.

I cut off the little projections where the pitots had been earlier and drilled tiny holes in the wing leading edge.

I painted the brass parts with Testors Aluminum Metalizer.

There is a difference between the left and right pitots, and the instructions are VERY specific about which is which.

A bit of gel-type CA, and a bit of touch up, and the project was finished.

Box Art

MS-406C.1 "Battle of France" and MS-410C.1
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Azur
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$27.00
  • Azur MS-406C.1, Stock #A109, $27.00
  • Azur MS-410C.1, Stock #075, $27.00

History

The Morane Saulnier MS-406 series of single seat fighters originated in 1934 after a design competition, with the MS-405C.1 eventually being ordered into limited production in 1937; only 16 were produced. During that year, minor modifications were made, with subsequent Morane fighters receiving the designation MS-406C.1. Initially, 50 and 80 MS-406’s were ordered on different contracts, and with the threat of war looming, an additional 825 were ordered from the SNCAO factory during May, 1938. Production ended in March, 1940, with 1079 MS-406’s being produced. A number of developmental aircraft were considered, using different armament and engine combinations, but the only one to enter production was the MS-410C.1, which featured a revised radiator and additional armament. After the surrender in 1940, 11 MS.