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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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.

Review Author
Nick Buro
Published on
Company
Wingnut Wings, Ltd
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$89.00

Once again, another stunner by Wingnut Wings. The upper wing simply clicks into place!! You can’t say enough in praise about these kits. I’d buy them all if I had the money. (Maybe I will someday…)

Included in the kit are high quality Cartograf decals with markings for six different aircraft.

The kit has a highly detailed, 18 part 260HP Daimler Mercedes D.VIA engine, optional spinner, stick, wheel control systems, wireless, flares, radiators, cameras, propellers, and teddy bear accessories. Fine, in scale rib tape detail is present on the wings.

Full scale rigging diagrams are provided, plus a thirty page instruction booklet that has it all. A little tricky, but it is all there!

Review Author
Dan Mackay
Published on
Company
Aviaeology
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.59

This is a follow-up to Michael Novasad’s earlier review on the 1/48 sheet, but this time it’s the 1/72 sheet. Aviaeology provides well-researched decals on four RCAF Beaufighters covering the changing markings during the service careers of these aircraft. Each subject is complete with narratives on time period and painting suggestions. The instructions and diagrams are provided on four photocopied sheets, but an email request to Aviaeology will get you a promptly sent color PDF of the instructions which will prove helpful. The PDF can be printed or sent to your tablet for reference in your model workshop. You can magnify the profiles as recommended by Aviaeology to identify the subtle shades of extra dark sea grey to aid in weathering your Beaufighter. You also get a tutorial of the rocket projectiles and the rails used, with complete painting guides for them. Listed below is a breakdown of the subjects:

Review Author
Jack Kennedy
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$28.50

Since the F-86 is my favorite aircraft, I just had to have the Aires Wheel Bay detail set when it came up for review. This set is made to fit the Kinetic / Italeri kit in 1/32. They are both the same kit with different boxing.

I bought a couple of the kits last year and thought they were great, with super detail. This wheel bay detail sets takes it over the top.

The set is cast in very brittle light grey resin. The casting blocks are easy to remove with a razor saw and some sanding. Included with this set are all of the necessary struts and a set of very clear instructions.

Unfortunately, there are no color references, so I had to resort to Squadron’s very fine F-86 Walk Around book by Larry Davis. In this book are many fine detail photos and some wonderful drawings by Don Greer and Richard Hudson.

Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
Goose Egg
MSRP
$14.99

The A-6 Intruder is the twentieth model in Hasegawa’s Eggplane series. Several of my friends have finished these cute little models, so I jumped at the chance to try one myself. The box top showed a drawing of the model along with a typical manga character cheering the model. The kit consisted of thirty crisply molded parts plus a transparent canopy. A fairly extensive decal sheet was included covering markings for two aircraft: a Navy Intruder with VA-115 from the USS Midway and a Marine Intruder from VMA (AW) 242.

The instruction sheet shows two exploded view steps. This requires the modeler to plan the assembly steps and, more importantly, the painting steps in advance but is not a major problem. The basic egg consists of two parts for the front half and one part for the rear. Careful gluing is required but the parts fit well. Some minor filling was required between the intake scoops and the rear fuselage, but that was all.

Review Author
Perry Downen
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.95

History

From 1953 to 1957, Chevrolet had three full-sized automobiles it was selling to the public – the bottom of the line 150, the mid-range 210, and the top of the line Bel Air. The 210 model was Chevrolet's bestseller up until 1955. It offered the widest choice of body styles in 1953, including a convertible, Sport Coupe hardtop, two- and four-door sedans, and a station wagon.

However, in 1954, the 210 convertible and hardtop were dropped and a deluxe model called the Del Ray Club Coupe was introduced. This model came factory-equipped with interior furnishings found on higher-end models like the Bel Air. Drivers could enjoy upgrades such as padded vinyl seats, a lighted glove compartment, two door armrests, and carpeted floorboards. The cost of the Del Ray was now within $100 of the Bel Air with its luxury and premium trim and it never achieved the sales Chevrolet had hoped for.