Bridge detail

USS Forrest Sherman

Left-front above

Tiger-1 "Gruppe Ferhmann Essel 1945"

Treads

Tanque Argentino Mediano (TAM)

Finished Left Front

MU-2

Typical sprue layout and detailing

Mosquito B Mk.IV - Planning, Prep, and Anticipation

Quartering views

HMS Illustrious

Finished model - from left rear

Boulton Paul Defiant MK. 1

Cockpit from right

Sopwith Snipe (late)

Engine Wiring 2

F6F-5 Hellcat, Part 2

Fuselage Interior

Scooby-Doo Bi Plane

Previous Next

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.

Cover

Fieseler Fi-156 Storch 1938-1945
Book Author(s)
Dariusz Karnas
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$28.00

This book contains all a modeler would need to build and super detail a model of the Storch in any scale. The book also includes scale plans in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/35. These plans were first rate.

The first 62 pages cover the basics of each and every variant of the Storch. The next 30 pages cover each of the many non-German operators of the type, also including those captured examples that were operated by both the United Kingdom and the USA. Even Gen. Eisenhower had one for his personal use. The many color profiles of these non-German Storchs help provide many alternate paint schemes to the modeler. The next 10 or so pages cover the technical description and the camouflage and markings.

The final section includes many color photos of both aircraft preserved in museums and flying examples. The photos cover every angle and look into every nook and cranny on the aircraft and provided information on even the smallest details.

Detail Package

German Aircraft Seatbelt Set
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Nano Aviation
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$27.00

Fine Molds has released several sets, in varied scales, for WWII German and I.J.N. aircraft. This review features the 1/48th scale set for German WWII aircraft.

The seatbelts are generic, not specific to any one particular aircraft. Upon opening the box and checking the contents, one finds four sets of shoulder harness/seat belt sets. The parts are molded in plastic. All of the traditional techniques for working with small plastic pieces come into play.

The parts have very small components, so it is recommended that the parts are removed from the carrier sprue very carefully. The belts can be shaped over the contours of the kit seat, gently of course, by simply applying a very small amount of pressure. Attaching the parts is simple. Just use the same adhesive that you normally use when attaching plastic parts to plastic parts.

Mask Packaging

B-25 Replacement Gun Barrels and Canopy Masks
Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$4.75
  • Masks - 32-079, $4.75
  • Gun Barrels - 32-080, $42.50

New from the Czech Republic come two very interesting additions to the all new H-K B-25J kit. While the kit gun barrels are acceptable, the enhancement that this product supplies is spectacular in comparison. These precision machined parts are jewel-like. The barrels themselves are two-part arrangements that consist of the barrel (hollow with air holes) and the gun tips themselves. They are to be painted separately and then assembled, showing the tips protruding in a polished metal without bluing. The final appearance is shown here. In this writer’s opinion, well worth having if you’re doing the B-25J.

Box Art

B-25J Mitchell ‘Glass Nose’ Part 3
Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
Company
HK Models Co.
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$174.95

There comes the point in every model when all the “necessaries” are installed on one side of the fuselage, waiting only to be joined with the “blank” half and that is where the trepidation sets in. I have built large scale planes that have had ¼” or more gaps requiring grinding, fitting, uncementing, and copious amounts of profanity... Well, Hersch, not in this case. In fact, aside from the complexity of the engines, this is almost a “shake box” kit...click fit!

I don’t know really what more I can say than “WOW”! This moose of a kit is as close to perfection as anything I have previously built. In fact, it gets my nomination for “Large Scale Kit of the Year” award. The previous segments can be viewed at Part 1 and Part2 .

From the beginning to the end of this build to be as follows:

Box Art

Pirate Ship "Black Swan" Part Two
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Zvezda
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$162.99

Hull Assembly

We left off last time with a big box of parts just waiting for the magic of modeling to happen to them. I’m happy to report that things are moving along. In this installment, we get to step 36 of 61 in the instructions. It seemed like a good place to report, since the masts and rigging begin in earnest after that, so you won’t have as open a view of the deck. Before any parts are cut lose and glue uncapped, you have to make some decisions about colors. The instructions list seven colors in the Testors range. The photos on the box show a pristine ship with an off white hull representing a lead-based antifouling coating used on war ships. Since this is (according to my story) a cargo ship turned pirate ship, I elected to show the lower hull in off-black or a pitch-based coating.