Left front quarter view of completed kit

10.5cm StuH.42 Ausf.E/F

Finished

M119/L118 105mm Light Howitzer

Finished - Left Rear

5.5 cm Zwilling Flakpanzer

Cockpit assembly

Battle of Britain – Ready for Battle Gift Set

Stabilizer Detail

Iomax Archangel with Archangel Weapons Set

4

P-40K-1/5 Warhawk 'Short Fuselage'

View 9

Aero L-29 Delfin

Finished Model - Right Front Top

M6A1 Heavy Tank

Finished - Front View

T-38A Talon

Right Rear

Foose Custom Cadillac Eldorado

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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.

Book Cover

Cross & Cockade International Summer 2025
Book Author(s)
Mick Davis, Managing Editor
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$23.00

The non-profit UK-based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes its journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publishes WWI-themed books, such as the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If you are interested, please register early, as the call has a limited attendance capacity.

Decals

F-16A Falcon J-364 "Solo Display 1997-1998" Royal Netherlands Air Force
Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$15.21

This is another value-added set having both decals and masks. The modeler will have an option for how to replicate the demo scheme. For striping this set supplies only the white decals. One heads-up related to the white color; the graphics decals and the striping decals are not an exact color match. The graphics like the hearts on the fuselage strakes appear to be slightly off-white, almost white-grey.

There is a set of masks that can be used for the white striping and a small stripe of the red from the leading edge of the wing up to the nose of the cockpit canopy. Without the red and blue striping as decals the masks may be the better option from this set.

Cover

"Fighters of Operation Rutter" Decals
Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the fighters of WWII Operation Rutter. Planes represented are three Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb’s and one Hawker Hurricane Mk. II.

This 1/48th scale decal sheet covers four schemes:

  1. Spitfire Mk. Vb, BM324 (GW*S), “Tomana” of 340 Sqn., July 1942
  2. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AR373 (MN*M), “LULANGURU” of 350 (Belgian) Sqn., July 1942
  3. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AA853 (C*WX), of Wing Cdr Stefan Witorzenc, 302 Sqn., July 1942
  4. Hurricane Mk. II, BE682 (XP*R), “Hurribomber” of 174 (Mauritius) Sqn., July 1942

In the Package

There is one decal sheet provided with all the individual markings for each airplane and this includes the roundels. General aircraft stencils will have to be sourced from somewhere else.

Each plane gets its own side profile illustration (for both sides) and instructions for special paint markings for Operation Rutter.

Cover image

Wings of the Allies, the European Air War - Volume One
Book Author(s)
Mark Proulx
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eagle Editions Ltd.
MSRP
$25.00

Mark Proulx has amassed an impressive collection of photographs over the years. His previous work with Eagle Editions has produced the highly successful Wings of the Black Cross series. Now Mark and Eagle Editions have expanded the range with this inaugural volume of Wings of the Allies - The European Air War.

If you're familiar with the Wings of the Black Cross series of books, this is exactly the same format: sturdy laminated cover with high-quality paper on the inside. The book features plenty of original photos and eight color profiles on 36 pages.

Since this book covers the allies, it has American, British, and USSR aircraft included. Of course, P-38s, P-47s, P-51s, as well as Ratas and Yaks are included. On the British side of the house there are Hurricanes, Spitfires, Typhoons and Mosquitoes. The bombers are not forgotten and include Mitchells, B-17s, DB-3s, Marauders, Halifaxes, and A-20 Havocs.

Cover

The Panavia Tornado at Low-Level
Book Author(s)
Scott Rathbone
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$60.00

The Panavia Tornado was arguably the top NATO strike aircraft during the 1980s, first flying in 1974 and continuing in small scale service to this day with Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia. The RAF used it as their primary strike platform from 1980 onwards, during which time it faced off against the might of the Warsaw Pact from bases in West Germany, and it saw combat in many theaters, including the Gulf War and over the Balkans and Libya, before its premature retirement for political and financial reasons in 2019.

Training for those front line missions often involved very low-level flying over Britain’s lakes and valleys, including the famous Mach Loop in Wales, a haven of aviation photographers, such as the author of this book, Scott Rathbone, whose photos have graced many aviation magazines.