Suspension, Wheels & Track 2

VCL Light Amphibious Tank A4E12 Late Production

U.S.S. North Carolina

Lindberg Tabletop Navy - Two pack All American WWII Ships (U.S.S. Intrepid & U.S.S. North Carolina)

Front view

Nakajima A6M2-N Type 2 Fighter Seaplane (RUFE) '902 Flying Group'

secure wing after gluing & cust stencils

Stearman PT-13/N2S-2/5 Kaydet

Details

Battlestar Galactica (35th Anniversary Edition)

Starboard stern and rigging

Gato Class Submarine

Working Crew Chief Front

USAF Crew Chief Figures

Misc image 10

Russian Six-Wheel Army Truck with Shelter

Sunset markings 1

Mirage F-1 CT/CR "Special Edition" with Tru-Color Paints

Turret

Tiger 1 "Tunisia Initial"

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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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Parts Package

T-28 Trojan Landing Gear
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.95

One of Scale Aircraft Conversion’s latest releases is a nice metal landing gear set for the Monogram 1/48 T-28 series. I was currently reviewing the Roden T-28D and, miraculously, this was a nice fit on that kit, too. The set contains the three gear struts, the additional part for the front gear, and the gear door attachment linkages for the bottom gear doors. All the parts are well cast in white metal with small seams which are easily sanded off.

Fit is excellent, as you can see from the pictures. I can say that having the front landing gear in metal is good as there is a fair amount of weight in the kit to keep it on its gear and metal is much more stable.

This is another great set from SAC for a reasonable price. Recommended especially with the weight over the nose gear. My thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions for the review sample and to IPMS/USA for the change to review it.

Detail Parts

F/A-18E/F ECS Exhausts, Late and Early
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$8.50
  • QB 32130 Late exhausts $8.50
  • QB 32131 Early exhausts $8.50

Quickboost has a pair of great detail sets for the Trumpeter 1/32 F/A-18E/F kits. The parts reviewed here are the ECS (Environmental Control System) exhausts which are located on the back of the new Hornets. There are two sets. First is a late version which is a direct replacement of the kit parts. Simply sand the kit parts smooth and sand off the casting block and attach. The Quickboost parts have more of a correct angle to them and deeper intakes and are very well cast.

The second set allows you to backdate the kit to one with the early set of ECS exhausts. In this case, a little surgery will be needed to allow the part to sit into the kit. There is a picture included to show the needed cuts. The casting is again flawless.

Parts Package

Jaguar GR1 Pitot Tube and Angle of Attack Probe
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$4.50

THE KIT

You get two finely done brass parts in a plastic envelope, which is inside another plastic envelope. Good plan – loose parts of this size would be a disaster, not to mention impossible to find. I liked the instruction sheet, it was simple, to the point, and uncluttered.

ASSEMBLY

I had some problems with this project. I had originally planned to replace the pitot on my Jaguar T.2 with this pitot. Wrong part, I had to build a Jaguar GR1. And then the paint job. I had run out of RAF Operation Granby Sand paint, and didn’t have any around. So I decided to mix my own. Been a while since I mixed paints, and I got it entirely too reddish the first try. Threw it out and retried. Much closer on the second try. I am proud and happy that the RAF decided to go single colour on their Jaguars.

Box Art

J2M5/6 Type 33/31 Raiden
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Sword Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$32.99

The J2M5/6 Raiden interceptors were introduced into combat in small numbers by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the last year and a half of the war and proved to be good defense against American B-29 missions over the Japanese homeland. There were less than 50 operational J2M5s and only two J2M6s, and they served in units along with J2M3s (since there were only two J2M4 prototypes). Sword’s new kit offers a better way of reproducing these aircraft in 1/72 scale than modifying one of the older Hasegawa J2M3 kits. The J2M5 and J2M6 were similar in appearance, with the same style of bulged top canopy, but they differed in a significant way…the J2M5 had a mechanical driven supercharger that decreased power by approximately 30%. The J2M5 did have a smaller under-cowl air intake scoop than the J2M6 and Sword provides both air intake options, so either version can be built.

Box Art

Phantom Custom Van
Review Author
Randy Robinson
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$27.99

The Kit

This review is for the AMT “Phantom” custom Ford van. The model is based on the Ford E-150 Econoline van. The kit comes packaged in a standard box with an artist rendering of the model on the top and sides. Inside you find the sprues molded in white and chrome, with a clear sprue and two sets of soft rubber tires. Also there are optional custom port windows molded in clear and a smoke tint.

The kit can be built as a stock service type van or a custom. For the stock version, you get chromed stock-looking wheel covers and narrow no-name tires. The custom option has wide Goodyear tires, Keystone ranger spoke wheels molded in white, custom bar grille with rectangular headlights, side mount exhaust, front spoiler, wheel flares, a mural of a graveyard at sunset, and three styles of custom port windows molded in clear and smoke tint. The port windows are teardrop, diamond, and kidney shaped.