Box Cover

Avia S-99/C-10

9

Model T 1914 Fire Truck with Crew

Left side overview

British Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun Archer

Left Front

MiG-15UTI Soviet Air Force

Rear left view

PB4Y-1 USN "Calvert and Coke" with Two Options

Interior

1956 Ford Victoria

Speed boards

Mitsubishi F-1 '6SQ Sea Camouflage'

11

Russian Medium Tank T-34/85

6 Opel Ambulance Subassemblies

Opel Kfz. 305 Ambulance

Top Decals

R.A.F. Victor K.2 Tanker

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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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Box Art

Panther Ausf. D, Early Production
Review Author
Tracy Palmer
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$23.50

The Panther. Do I really need to say more about the history of this tank? If you do desire more information, I suggest you go to Wikipedia, Google, Dog Pile, or Bing and research it. You will find more than you can digest! Come on…it’s a Panther!!!

On to the kit. The box says it is a Panther Ausf. D early production, kit number 7494. The kit has over 80 parts on 4 sprues and DS tracks. Five different painting and decal choices are available to mix the color pallet up for everybody’s taste. The directions are in color (and on very nice paper) and have 8 steps for assembling the model, starting with the running gear.

Parts Packaging

P-51 Mustang Wheels, Diamond Tread
Review Author
Andy Renshaw
Published on
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.99

A fast way to upgrade any kit is to replace the wheels with some higher quality resin ones. Ultracast has long been a standard for outstanding resin aircraft accessories and updates, with their P-51 items leading the pack. These wheels are for any P-51 kit where the modeler desires a diamond tread.

In The Package

The wheels come on two separate pour stubs, sealed in a Ziploc bag on a card hanger. The parts are completely free of any defect or casting flaw, and the tread pattern is very nicely defined but not overdone. The casting block attaches to the tire where there would be a slight flattening from the weight of the aircraft, but there is no “flat tire bulge.”

Use on the Kit

To use these, simply cut from the casting block and drill an appropriate sized hole to mount them on the landing gear. Just be sure to line up the flat side so that it is flush against the surface the model is sitting on. It’s that simple!

Parts Packaging

P-51 Mustang Wheels, Block Tread
Review Author
Andy Renshaw
Published on
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.99

A fast way to upgrade any kit is to replace the wheels with some higher quality resin ones. Ultracast has long been a standard for outstanding resin aircraft accessories and updates, with their P-51 items leading the pack. These wheels are for any P-51 kit where the modeler desires a block tread, which is a little different than the standard kit-supplied diamond tread.

In The Package

The wheels come on two separate pour stubs, sealed in a Ziploc bag on a card hanger. The parts are completely free of any defect or casting flaw, and the tread pattern is very nicely defined but not overdone. The casting block attaches to the tire where there would be a slight flattening from the weight of the aircraft, but there is no “flat tire bulge.”

Parts Packaging

High Velocity Aerial Rockets (HVAR)
Review Author
Andy Renshaw
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$9.95

High Velocity Aerial Rockets, or HVAR, were used by the US between 1944 and 1955. This six-foot long rocket was 5 inches in diameter and carried a 45lb HE warhead. Unguided, it could be fitted to almost any aircraft with hard points and was used extensively on most late war fighters, patrol, and attack aircraft, and into the Korean war on jets like the F-86 and F-84. Retired in 1955, it became the precursor to the modern Zuni and other unguided ground attack rockets.

For most modelers, we all will spend lots of time and energy detailing the aircraft to the max, yet when we get to the ordnance, we are left wanting by the kit-supplied items. HVARs tend to fall into this category, ranging from bare likeness with fins to better looking but still not up to the same standard as the rest of the model.

Box Art

British 25-Pdr. Field Gun Mk.II w/Limber & Crew
Review Author
Howie Belkin
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$39.95

First, I owe an apology to you and to Dragon for my delay in building and reviewing this long-overdue British 25-Pdr. QF Field Gun Mk.II w/Limber & Crew - Smart Kit. Long overdue in that this fine kit finally replaces the venerable 35+ year old Tamiya 25-Pdr. Tamiya’s kit is comparatively toy-like and its figures scale rather short, 5’2” scale troops. Its big advantage was that either separately or as a package, Tamiya also provided a Quad Gun Tractor. In just over 210 gray injection-molded parts, Dragon provides only the 25-Pdr, limber, and crew. And DML sets the bar high as this is one of the best, easiest to build artillery models I’ve had the pleasure of building.