Front top

LAV-25 Piranha

Right front

Messerschmitt Bf-109F-4

Finished - Exhausts

Chinese J-11B

Canopy stacked parts

TBD-1 Devastator

Boom right side

Cessna O-2A Skymaster

Starboard bow view

IJNS Yamato, Part 4, Final Assembly

First WeGo, front

Mechatro WeGo Aka and Kiiro (2 Kits)

Hinomaru Decal Closeup

J7W1 Shinden - Final Construction and Painting - Part 2

Completed Model 2

P.K.H. Nutcracker "Kampfgruppe BALCK"

F-8 Deetail

USS Intrepid - Part 1

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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.

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.

Detail Parts

Soviet S-25-L Air-to-Ground Rocket
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 21, 2012
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$10.50

Soviet underwing armament is quite unique looking when compared to the US equivalents. These rockets are no exception. Perfectly cast on four light grey resin blocks, with a block of clear resin “nose cones” and decal markings, these are some really nice additions to your Soviet aircraft.

The resin is flawless. Two of the pour blocks are the rocket launcher bodies. The other one is the rocket motors with some exquisite detail, especially the rocket flutes. The final grey piece of resin is the unique shaped-charge warhead and control fins. The fins will require care to prevent them from flying off, as they are very petite but realistically thin. The clear pour block has the rocket tip for these particular rockets.

Detail Part

MiG-21PFM GP-9 Cannon Pods
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 21, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.50

The Academy Mig-21 kit is a nice kit. However, the parts breakdown of certain pieces is a pain. This is apparent especially on the kit gun pods. The kit part has a seam right down the middle which will be difficult to fill. The kit pod also has minimal detail and some shape issues. The Quickboost resin cannon pod has exquisite detail. The vents and fasteners are perfectly represented, but the best feature is the drilled-out gun barrels. I’m sure I could not drill them as well as Quickboost because these things are so small that I’m sure I would have just made a mess of it.

The single piece is molded perfectly in light grey resin. Removal is quite easy and adding it to the belly is easy enough as long as you don’t cut off the mounting stubs. The Quickboost pod has a more accurate shape, especially around the front portion.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Detail Parts

Me-262A-1/U-5 Gun Barrels
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 21, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

Hobby Boss seems to be producing almost every version of the Me-262. The upgunned U-5 version is a nice looking kit. However, cleaning up the gun barrels is a pain. Also pains to maintain are the roundness and drilling out the center hole. Quickboost addresses both of these issues.

This is a small set, cast perfectly in a light grey-green resin which contains the two cannons that are direct replacements for the kit parts. They are perfectly round and have the barrel thinned out. It is simple and easy.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Detail Parts

Soviet KAB-500L Laser-Guided Bomb
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 21, 2012
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.50

Seeing laser guided bombs in action seems to be a staple of the western news stations. What we don’t get to see is the employment of the Soviet equivalent. Well, of course the Soviets have the same technology.

These bombs are molded on a single light grey resin pour block with two large bombs and the laser guidance warhead. There is also a very small clear pour block with the laser detectors. Aerobonus also provides you with decals for the bombs. In this case, they were perfect and did not stick to the protective paper.

Removal of the bombs from the pour blocks shouldn’t prove too difficult as long as you take care on the bomb fins. Because the laser trackers are separate, you can articulate them if you’d like.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

Detail Parts

Ju-87B/R Stuka Propeller with Tool
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 21, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.50

I like the Italeri 1/48th Ju-87 Stuka, but the one thing that bothers me is the shape of the propeller spinner. The kit item is too bulbous and blunt. Quickboost comes to the rescue.

The set consists of three pieces of perfectly cast light grey resin. The first one is the actual spinner, which is correctly shaped with just a small pour stub. The next part is actually three parts, the propeller blades, which are suitably thin and perfectly shaped. The third piece is the propeller jig for setting the prop blade angles and drilling the center mounting hole.

Overall this is a really nice and easy to use set that will fix the biggest problem with the Italeri kit. The prop jig will ensure that everything is the same length and same pitch.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review sample.