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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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Book Author(s)
David Francis (Editor)
Andy Evans (managing Editor)
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Phoenix Scale Publications
MSRP
$7.22

With retirement, I have of course had to seriously curtail spending, and as such, just personally had opportunity to read and learn of this magazine by obtaining it from our reviewer corps. I had read a few kerfluffles online about jealous rivals, and this was an opportunity to find out exactly what this new Mag was about. For Simplicity, I am using PAMI as an abbreviated form of the magazine title.

Book Author(s)
Martin Smisek
Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

The book is volume 46 of Helion & Company’s Middle East @ War series and, as noted in the title, is the third volume of its coverage of Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East focusing on arms exports to Egypt between 1948 and 1989.

Starting in the mid-1950’s and continuing on and off up to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989, the Czech arms industry exported a wide variety of weapons to Egypt, including ammunition, small arms, artillery, tanks and aircraft. It was also heavily involved in training many pilots, ground personnel and technicians, conducting courses both in Egypt and Czechoslovakia.

Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$21.50

I've previously built two of the 48th scale Tamiya tanks: the M-10 Tank Destroyer and the M1A2 Abrams, and they are great for a non-armor buff like me, both in size (not too big for the display cabinet) and part count (low to moderate, can be built in a week or two).

The M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage was a variation of the Stuart M5 light tank, powered by twin Cadillac V-8s with a 75mm M3 howitzer. Production yielded 1788 units from early 1942 to January 1944, and M8s served in Italy, Western Europe and the Pacific theater.

You get decals for two tanks: 106th Cavalry Reconnaissance Group, operating in Germany February 1945, and 758th Tank Battalion, Fifth Army operating in Italy, April 1945.

Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.34

This set from Brengun provides parts to build ten 100lb bombs. Each bomb consists of a resin main body and four photoetched parts to represent the fins and the fuse arming prop on the nose. Separating the bombs from the pour gates is quickly done as they have a pouring extension on the front and are attached to a runner of five at the back. Attaching the fin assemblies requires removing three parts from the photoetch fret. These parts are done in brass and are not only thin, but easy to cut off and clean up. The fin assembly requires the builder to cut a cross hatched slot on the back of each resin bomb. The instructions suggest using a knife, but I found it easier to use a very thin saw blade. Interlocking fin legs are inserted into the slot and a fin “box” is formed by folding the PE part into a square and inserting it into the fin legs. The trick is getting all these parts to align. I didn’t get a usable copy till the third try.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Steven J. Corvi
Published on
Company
David Doyle Books
MSRP
$24.99

The author is David Doyle who is an American writer on historic military vehicles, aircraft, hardware and warships. He has written over 100 books published by various publishers. He also sells books through his own website. He has published through Schiffer publications on numerous occasions. David Doyle books can be purchased directly from the author!