fuselage

B-26B Marauder

Holes drilled

Space Shuttle Orbiter & Boeing 747 Egg Plane

Completed 1

Nakajima B5N2 TYPE 97 Carrier Attack Bomber (Kate) Model 3

Ready to assemble

Hermes A1 Missile

Sprue set 2

CV3/33 Tankette Serie II (Early Production)

Left front

Fokker D.VII (Alb)

Construction

Beobachtungspanzerwagen Sd.Kfz. 251/18 Ausf. A

Completed model underside

Bf 109E-7 trop Weekend

Underside

Waco CG-4A Glider

Finished

A-25A-5-CS Shrike

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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 Art

L1500S LLG WWII German Light Fire Truck
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$53.99

This wonderful ICM kit has been kindly furnished by MMD Squadron for IPMS review.

When Hitler came to power in 1933, all fire services came under the newly created Fire Protection Police (Feuerschutz-polizei) as an arm of the Order Police (Ordnungspolizei), commanded by Heinrich Himmler. The fire equipment color changed from red to Polizei dark green. After the war, fire-fighting equipment was changed again to red. The L1500S truck was produced between 1941 and 1944 during World War II for use by the German Fire Police.

ICM also will be producing another version of the Fire Truck, L1500S LF 8, kit# 35527, and MiniArt has announced a similar kit, #35171, German Fire Truck L1500S AF8 with TSA Trailer.

Box Art

Fiat G.50bis Freccia “Regia Aeronautica”
Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Special Hobby
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$68.00

History

The Fiat G.50 was Italy’s first single-seat, all-metal monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. The prototype of the G.50 was first flown in 1937 and introduced into service in 1938. The G.50 served Italy in the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air force) in the Battle of Britain, in Africa, and in the Aegean theatre, and helped to defend against the invasion of Sicily. They also served in the Aviazione Legionaria (Italian Expeditionary Force) in Spain. 35 were flown to Finland and served in the two Finnish wars against the Soviets. Although fairly quick (max speed was 292mph) and maneuverable, it was lightly armed with just two 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns in the cowl.

Box Art

20-foot Military Container
Review Author
Mark Aldrich
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$29.00

In the current hobby where making obscure one-offs has seemingly become the norm and where every manufacturer feels they have to make a kit with more than 300 pieces and at least one 2x3 sheet of photo-etch, Italeri stands alone! I must applaud them for making that stand! One of their latest releases is a kit that contains only twenty two pieces. There is no PE, no clear or colored styrene, and no metal. OMG!!! This is ridiculous! There must be a mistake! It isn’t even a kit of an armored vehicle of any kind! However, it is more valuable than any M1, M1126, M113 or M117. It is also more easily recognized and used than any of the above mentioned vehicles. Italeri has made a bold move and issued a model kit of a 20-foot container.

Decal Package

USN/USMC Phantom II Walkways Decals #1
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
SuperScale International
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

Superscale Decals is now owned by the excellent people at Squadron Products, and their latest release is this sheet containing four different sets of walkways for 1/48th scale Phantoms. Both the wing and top of fuselage walkways are included. The set is printed by Cartograf and is beautifully in register and glossy.

The sets included are:

  1. Black outlines with the walkway language
  2. FS36231 Gull Gray with black outline and stenciling
  3. FS36231 Gull Gray with no outline and with stenciling
  4. FS36118 Gunship Gray with no outline and with stenciling

The instructions are well done, in color, and show the needed location of the decals.

This set is highly recommended and will go really well with older Phantom kits or the newer Academy kit. My thanks to Gary Newman and Squadron Products for the chance to review these great decals, and to IPMS USA for the opportunity to do so.

Decal Package

F-4B Phantom II VF-32 “Swordsmen” Decals
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
SuperScale International
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

Super Scale (Squadron Products) has released and excellent new set of decals for the Academy F-4B Phantom. This set covers an F-4B from the VF-32 Swordsmen aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CFA-67) circa 1970.

The decals come with a single sheet of colorful decals and include the markings for BuNo 152972. The national insignia are also included, along with some specific stencils. The decals are printed by Cartograf and are perfectly in register and very colorful. The highlights are the large yellow/black tail flashes and sword on the rudder. The intake warnings are colorful and also included.

These decals are a great addition to the excellent Academy kit. Highly recommended. My thanks to Squadron Products and IPMS/USA for the chance to review these decals.