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
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$24.95

What’s Inside

You get 1 large fret and a 5-page instruction sheet. The instructions take you in order from the front of the aircraft to the back. Starting with the oil cooler intake, supercharger intake, bomb rack fittings and, if you use it, the flame dampener. Next up are the underwing radiators, and there is some minor surgery required. Be careful not to take too much off, but also make sure you take enough off or the pieces will not fit right (It really is a fine line and one that I crossed on one section). There are 5 pieces for the forward part and 3 for the rear and it is VERY delicate. Of the 8 folds I had to make, 6 of them broke off. I recommend that the screens be placed on before adding the flaps. Trust me, it will be easier.

Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.99

Model builders who have plans to build Tamiya’s 1/48 Dewoitine D.520, Pacific Coast Models’ 1/32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 or Hobby Boss’ 1/32 Spitfire Mk. Vb should obtain a copy of Kagero’s SUPER MODEL INTERNATIONAL, No.3. before they remove many parts from the sprues. That’s because number 3 in this series devotes the whole issue to building and finishing these three models. Expert model builders Tomasz Chacewicz, Michał Rosiak and Tomek Wajnkaim combine their rather impressive skills to show what can be achieved with these three kits.

The 80 pages (including cover) of this all-color issue are divided into three sections in which each of these builders share how they created their respective masterpieces from these three kits in a modicum of text and a lot of photos…each one a high quality image that adds much to the value of each builder’s instructive chapter.

Book Author(s)
Maciej Goralczyk & Akadiusz Wrobel
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$17.00

History

This paperback provides specific information on 16 different Messerschmitt Bf-109F’s, mainly those operating on the Russian Front, including views from either side, a top view, and drawings of the undersurfaces of the wings. A short account describing the airplane, its pilot, and any other particulars that might be of interest to modelers is also provided, in both English and Polish.

Decals

There are two decal sheets providing markings for the aircraft in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 scales. These are produced by Cartograf and so are of the highest quality. The finish is glossy, so the use of some Dullcote is probably in order. In addition, these sheets have individual markings only, but no maintenance markings, crosses, or tail swastikas, so these will have to be obtained from other decal sheets. Fortunately, these types of decals are readily available from many sources, so you can use these sheets to do all 16 aircraft if you like.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Aoshima
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$24.00

History

The Focke Wulf Ta-152H series was the ultimate development of the FW-190 design, and appeared in small numbers right at the close of World War II in Europe. Most of our readers are probably familiar with the history of the type, so I won’t go into many details. Needless to say, the Ta-152H series, which was powered by a Junkers Jumo 213E-1 engine of over 1,700 hp., was as good as any of the piston engine fighters that were operational at the end of the war.