Driver Compartment

M752 Tactical Ballistic Missile Launcher

Completed

Bf-109G-10 Mtt Regensburg

Sprue

Hermes A1 US Test Rocket

Tail detail

F-4EJ KAI Phantom II Phantom Forever 2020

Parachute Bay Detail

Horten Ho 229

Finished model

USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642)

Finished model comparison

US Scooter

Packaging

Odessa NI Russian Improvised Armored Tractor

Preparation for display

British Holland Class Submarine

Left side view

German Soldier-Bicyclist, 1939-1942

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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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Box Art

Sd.Kfz.3a Maultier Half Track
Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$48.50

The Kit

This new Dragon ’39 to ’45 Series Sd.Kfz.3a Maultier (“Mule”) offering is the first completely new rendition of this veritable German workhorse to come along in quite a few years. The Maultier was used in every theater the Germans fought and was extensively modified for a variety of combat and support roles. The version offered by Dragon this time around is the standard cargo carrier with high, wooden-slat sides.

Cover

Modeling Airliners, A Scale Modeler’s How-to-Guide
Book Author(s)
Aaron Skinner
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Kalmbach Publishing Company
MSRP
$19.95

FineScale Modeler and Kalmbach are well known for their excellent collection of publications covering a wide variety of hobby-related subjects. This publication continues that tradition of excellence.

Modeling airliners requires a set of modeling skills that, while not unique to airliners, are critical to the completion of the project at a high level of quality. Thus, Scale Modeler’s How-to-Guide spotlights those skills and provides the modeler with suggestions on mastery of those skills.

Organized into 7 chapters, this publication covers:

Box Art

J2M3 Raiden, 352 Flying Group
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$45.00

Among the most un-Japanese looking fighters of WWII were the rather chubby J2M Raidens that were designed and built as bomber interceptors for the Imperial Japanese Navy. They were reasonably successful in defending the homeland against U.S. high-level bombers in the final year of the war. And, over the years, many kits have been offered by Hasegawa, Tamiya, and Oataki (later marketed under a number of other brand names) to build various versions of these interesting interceptors. They are appealing subjects and many of us probably have a few of these kits salted away for a rainy day.

Box Art

Sd.Kfz.167 Sturmgeschutz IV
Review Author
Timothy Funnell
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$45.00

Sturmgeschutz, abbreviated StuG, was the weapon of the Strumartillerie, the branch of the German Artillery tasked with close fire support of infantry. StuGs were very successful in their intended support role and destroyed, among others, many bunkers, pillboxes, and other defenses. The StuG is not generally considered to be a true tank because it lacks a turret. The gun was mounted directly in a casemate-style fashion, with as low a profile as was possible to reduce vehicle height, and had a limited lateral traverse. Omitting the turret made production simpler and less costly, enabling greater numbers to be built. By late 1943, improved Allied tanks and tank destroyers with improved guns, rotating turrets, and superior mobility forced the StuG into being primarily an ambush weapon. From December of 1943 to March of 1945, 1139 were produced by Krupp at Magdeburg. StuG IV (Sd.Kfz.167) was armed with a 75mm StuK 40L/48 gun mounted in a cast version of “saukopf” mantlet.

Detail Packaging

Italian Propaganda Posters
Review Author
Timothy Funnell
Published on
Company
Archer Fine Transfers
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$6.95

Archer Fine Transfers has released some of the best decals and dry transfers an armor modeler could ever ask for. Now they have gone it again and released a gem for Italian Company Dioramas.

This set includes 22 posters printed in waterproof ink packaged in a baggie with the standard Archer Logo. These miniature posters measure ¾ x1” and are sharp and very colorful. Printed instructions are on the back side and read, “Cut out poster and attach to Diorama subject with adhesive. These may be moistened, crumbled or burned to simulate weathering.” I have used some old Verlinden posters in the past with great success and these Archer ones are even better.

My thanks to Archer Fine Transfers and IPMS for the chance to review this great product.