Sprue 1

US Infantry on Board

Markings

F4F-4 Wildcat – Expert Set

A/C codes

Avro Lancaster B.II

View 14

Aero L-29 Delfin

Assembled and primed 2

VEF Irbitis I-16

Gun mount reinforcement

OS2U Kingfisher Build

Wheel detail

VW New Beetle

Top

Mitsubishi A6M5a Zero Type 52 Koh Fighter-Bomber

9

McLaren MP4/2C

Cockpit Coaming Closeup

Salmson 2-A2 USAS

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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.

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Detail Set

S2F Tracker Wheels and Masks
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.50

Aires continues its rich tradition of detailed aftermarket parts with a wheel set for the Kinetic S-2 Tracker. This set contains two front wheels and two main wheels as well as a masking set for the wheels to help painting. The set is cast in Aires’ usual gray resin and has no defects or issues.

The set is simple to use. The wheels can be trimmed from the pour stubs. One thing you will need to do is to sand the mold seam off and rescribe the wheel treads. Total prep time is maybe 5-10 minutes. You will also need to drill the hole slightly deeper to allow the axle to slide fully into the wheel.

The kit wheel has a separate hub and a two-part wheel. To build it, you paint the hub and glue the two wheel parts over it. This leaves a seam that needs sanded down and then painted. The Aires set wheel is a single piece with better detail. It also has a masking set, allowing the wheel to be painted and then masked and the hub painted.

Box Art

Nike with Launcher and Crew
Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$23.99

I am sucker for old kits. While I don’t collect vintage kits, I certainly relish every new special release from Revell. I was very happy to see that the Nike Missile got the green light for a re-release. The missile depicted in this kit is, in fact, the Nike Ajax. First fielded in 1954, it was a two-stage, supersonic anti-aircraft missile with a range of 25-30 miles and a ceiling of 65,000 ft. It remained in service until 1964 in the continental US and was superseded by the Nike Hercules, a much more robust and capable missile.

Cover

Model Art Modeling Magazine, #876, September 2013
Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$11.00

The feature article of September’s issue covers some of battleships of the Pacific during the Second World War. They use the Hasegawa 1/450th Yamato (there are actually two builds of this particular model by two builders), Fujimi 1/700 Kirishima, Pit Road 1/700 USS North Carolina 1944, Dragon 1/700 USS Pennsylvania 1944, and the HP Models HP 1/700 USS Tennessee 1944 as representatives of some of the vessels that were used by the Allies and Axis. Each model is beautifully built and accompanied with color photographs during the build and b&w in-action photos. This article encompasses thirty six pages of this issue.

Cover

M3 Gun Motor Carriage Detail In Action
Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
Company
Squadron Signal Publications
MSRP
$18.95

The Squadron Detail In Action series was started in 1971. This series covers the development, testing, and production of aircraft, armored vehicles, and ships. The focus of this book is on the M3 Gun Motor Carriage.

At the beginning of World War Two, the United States realized the need for an effective antitank weapon. Through this need, the Military used the M3 halftrack as the base and married it to the M1897A4 75mm gun to create the M3 Gun Motor Carriage. In October, 1941, the first production contract began. By October, 1944, the Gun Motor Carriage was considered obsolete by the U.S. Army. During its career many of these units were used by Great Britain and U.S. Marines well into 1945.

Box Art

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.95

Jeep must be an American icon. They’ve been around forever and keep on going.

Engine

Well, there isn’t an engine. All you get is an oil pan molded into the chassis.

Chassis

The chassis features nice detail and crisp engraving. The exhaust pipe, front and rear differentials, and springs are separate assemblies. The kit comes with actual springs for springs – they were a very pleasant surprise. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to screw the chassis to the body, but this kit calls for it. Fit is right on and the screw heads are covered by the suspension parts. The kit also has metal axles to hold the wheel/tires to the suspension. Wheels are gorgeous bead-lock units and the no-name tires are just beautiful. I’d like to see the wheels/tires in a Revell Parts Pack that they had years and years ago.