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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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Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Plusmodel
MSRP
$3.40

Plusmodel from Czechoslovakia continues to add to its list of quality aftermarket and modeling supply products, this time with a package of two 0.4mm styrene sheets. The bright white sheets of plastic measure 110x190mm (about 7.5 by 4 inches – the size of a small notepad) and the 0.4mm thickness converts to about 16 thousandths of an inch (0.016).

The cards are a handy size and cut/scribe/snap easily for use in scratchbuilding and just about any other way you can think of using them. I personally find them the perfect thickness for creating support tabs for assembling those new heavy vacuform diorama bases being produced.

I recommend this Plusmodel product for any modeler who needs to use styrene sheet for his hobby.

I would like to thank Plusmodel for providing the sheets for review and IPMS USA for giving me the opportunity to try them.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Charles Landrum
Published on
Company
Squadron Signal Publications
MSRP
$24.95

USS Lexington (CV-2) and her sister USS Saratoga (CV-3) played a critical role in the development of the modern naval aviation and the way the US Navy wields air power. Built on the hulls of battlecruisers cancelled in the 1920s under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, Lexington and Saratoga were far more different and innovative than the first US aircraft carrier, USS Langley CV-1, and any foreign contemporaries. They were the largest US carriers built until the Midway Class CVB. Both ships were quickly integrated into the battle fleet and participated in every major exercise in the 1930s and early 1940s. It was on these ships that the Navy envisioned, developed, and put in to practice the doctrine and procedures that would define an American way of Naval warfare and lead to victory at sea.

Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$4.60

The Panzerfaust ("armor fist" or "tank fist") was a cheap, single shot, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, and was operated by a single soldier. The Panzerfaust was in service from 1942 until the end of the war.

Plus Model from Czechoslovakia continues to add to its list of quality aftermarket and modeling supply products; this time with a package of EasyLine Panzerfaust 60 weapons in 1/35th scale.

The package contains five tubes molded in light grey resin, and a small decal sheet with red markings that say Achtung! Feuerstrahl! ("Attention! Fire Jet!") for each. The parts are protected in easily removable resin jackets to prevent damage in shipping. Once clipped, sanded, painted, and weathered, they look right at home in any WWII diorama or on a German AFV.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$43.00

If you have been waiting for a great way to display your favorite 1/72 scale modern US Navy aircraft, your wait is officially over. I have personally been waiting for at least two decades for someone to release a molded plastic version of a modern aircraft carrier deck section, and Italeri has answered my prayers. This kit provides a large portion of deck showing a section of the catapult, jet blast deflectors (JBD’s), and JBD control station for what appears to be a Nimitz-class carrier, number 2 catapult area. Measuring an impressive nine and a quarter inches wide and about 15 and three quarter inches long, this base will hold any aircraft launched from a US Navy carrier deck since the Nimitz was first introduced. In short, I cannot recommend this kit highly enough for a more realistic display of your favorite Tomcat, or any other Navy plane flown from 1974 to today, from the decks of these fine ships.

Book Author(s)
John Alcorn
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Albatros Productions, Ltd.
MSRP
$17.95

History

The Halberstadt CL.II series of two-seat close-support biplanes was introduced during 1917, and the type became the standard German type for the duration of the war, supplanted but never replaced by the later CL.IV and Hannover C1 biplanes. Robust and efficient in construction, and powered by the 180 hp. Mercedes D.IIIau water-cooled engine, the type was used to support ground troops – attacking, strafing, and bombing enemy positions, and causing considerable problems in Allied operations. In addition to ground support, the type often encountered Allied fighters, and crews often held their own against the more nimble Allied single-seaters. Postwar, surviving aircraft were flown into the 1920s, and the only surviving example, which was originally displayed in a Berlin aviation museum, is currently in Poland awaiting restoration. Detail photos of this aircraft are included in this publication.