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.

Review Author
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.50

Quickboost has added the ejection seat for the F-8 Crusader to their line of resin aircraft accessories. This latest addition is molded in a grayish resin – smooth, seamless, and bubble-free. Noteworthy is that it is easy to remove from the mold block by taking only a couple of minutes with a saw blade.

The package doesn’t state that it is for any particular kit, so it should work well with any of the F-8 Crusader kits. I compared it with the Heller and Academy kit parts. Talk about a noticeable difference – the detail on the Quickboost part is outstanding. I left the pieces of the Academy seat unassembled in one of the photos to show the number of pieces there are. Big plus for Quickboost, the seat is only two parts. The initiator rings that are at the top of the seat are separate so that they don’t get broken before you get them.

Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$11.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Airfix Boeing 727 kit. The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kit’s plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts and braces, and one nose gear strut. Some SAC packages include replacement wheels, as well, but that’s not the case here. You will need to use the Airfix shoes for your build.

A side-by-side evaluation (see photo) indicates an identical replacement that should provide a greater strength of assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. In some cases, painting may not be necessary.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for the opportunity to review this item.

Book Author(s)
Claude GIllono
Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
Company
ADH Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

ADH Publishing is a UK-based magazine company that produces a multitude of model related magazines. Some examples are Military Illustrated Modeler, Model Military International, Tamiya Model Magazine International, and Model Airplane International, along with a host of RC magazines.

This magazine covers the units of the German Army in defense of Sicily. Even though this magazine only consists of thirty-three pages, there are a lot of great references. A narrative starts off the magazine with several excellent period photographs embedded within it. The rest of the magazine is loaded with many period photographs with captions, campaign maps, loss charts of the Divisions involved, a full page of color divisional markings, and color drawings of the equipment of this campaign.

Book Author(s)
Paolo Varriale
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Albatros Productions, Ltd.
MSRP
$21.95

Windsock Datafiles from Albatros Productions rank high on the list of reference/historical publications by those who build WW I scale aircraft models. Each volume focuses on a specific aircraft and can be counted on to provide a thorough study of the subject. The most recent volume covers a subject that may not be well know to modelers who are not well versed on the subject of Axis aircraft that served in the “Great War.” Windsock Datafile No. 158 details the history of the Austro-Hungarian UFAG C.1…a two-seat aircraft that served in the dual rolls of aerial observation and ground attack. It was, in fact, one of the best of its kind in service during the final year of the war, and one that became popular with its aircrews.

Review Author
Dave Koukol
Camden Koukol
Published on
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$15.99

Background

Considered by many the best American close air support fighter of the Second World War, the P-47D Thunderbolt was instrumental in the Allied ground campaign in the European Theater of Operations, as well as a key to ensuring air superiority and providing air interdiction in European and Pacific theaters.

The Kit

Hobby Boss steps up with another addition to its fantastic “Easy Assembly” series of 1/72 aircraft kits in the form of the “Razorback” variant of the P-47D. Molded in 3 light gray sprues and solid wing and fuselage segments, a single clear sprue, a small sheet of decals for 2 markings options, and instructions with full color paint and marking guide, the contents of the little box offer a gold mine for modelers of all skill levels.