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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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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
Tomasz Menert
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$142.99

When General Montgomery commanded the 8th British Army in North Africa, he was provided with a specially designed staff vehicle. This original vehicle was created based on the standard British army vehicle, the Leyland Retriever. A non-standard structure was installed on the base chassis, which served as a mobile field office. The interior of the vehicle was divided into two rooms. The small front room was equipped with a bathroom, while the larger room contained wardrobes for personal belongings and clothes, a writing desk with desk lamps, and a large sofa.

Previously, this office belonged to the Italian General Bergonzoli and was mounted on a Lancia 3RO truck. After the vehicle was captured by a unit of the 7th British Armoured Division, the structure was transferred to the chassis of the British Leyland Retriever. After the end of the combat operations in North Africa, the mobile station was moved to Europe.

Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$36.00

During World War II, Allied military engineering units used special metal plates called Marston Mat (aka PSP, or Pierced Steel Planking) to rapidly construct temporary field airfields. These steel plates could withstand heavy loads and enabled the quick installation of stable, durable airfield surfaces for various aircraft on soft or unstable ground. Their perforated design allowed water to drain easily from the surface without compromising the covering’s quality. The Marston Mat, named after its first testing location near Marston, NC, in November 1941, became widely used in combat operations across the Pacific theater, North Africa, and Europe. Allied engineering units could construct airfields of various sizes in just days using these plates. After the war, the plates found new life in peaceful applications, particularly in building temporary roads and platforms and numerous uses on farms. In addition to its use by the USAAF and USN, the Marston Mat was also used by the RAF.

Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Vargas Scale Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$49.95

The ever-busy Vargas Scale Models has recently released several World War I Russian armored tractors; each one slightly different from the others. One would think that this would make for a great opportunity to use an economy of scale, but that would be wrong - each version appears to have a different chassis, superstructure, armament, and armor. I guess Luis Vargas just woke up one day, and, for our benefit, decided to create a bunch of Russian tractors!

Vargas has historically occupied a niche specializing in unusual, 3-D printed, limited-run, resin armor models, mostly pre- and between the World Wars. So far, this has been a winning strategy for this prolific company, fleshing out all those subjects ignored by others. This offering continues in that tradition.

Book Author(s)
Antonio Luis Sapienza
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This is the second volume on the Brazil’s Araguaia War. The author, Antonio Luis Sapienza wrote,

In Volume 1, the military regimes that ruled Brazil during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were examined. This included an overview of the various guerilla groups operating within Brazil, as well as an analysis of the military strength of the Brazilian armed forces. This current volume focuses on the operational aspects of the conflict, detailing the guerilla actions and the military operations that ultimately dismantled these groups. The efforts targeted not only the guerillas in the Amazon region but also the urban factions. The military government’s directive was explicitly to ‘wipe them off the map’ at any cost, or, as they phrased it, to ‘root out the communist cancer’ – a mission that was ruthlessly executed.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$25.00

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for US Special Operations Aircraft continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. These paints are designed to be used with the following ICM kits (48290 – Cessna O-2A Skymaster; 48278 – B-26K Counter Invader (Early); and 48279 – B-26K Counter Invader). The colors include:

  • Deep Green (No. 1009)
  • US Dark Green (No. 1072)
  • Extra Dark Green (No. 1069)
  • Tan Earth (No. 1058)
  • Rubber Black (No. 1039)
  • Sky Grey (No. 1033)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating