Completed 4

Hungarian Light Tank 38M Toldi II (B40)

Runners 2

WWII British Vickers MG Crew

10

Sea Hurrican Mk. Ib

Chassis

WWII US Army Kitchen Truck

Tail

Airspeed A.S. Horsa Glider Mk.1

Head-on prop

WC-130J Hercules

Finished

Ju-88P-1 Tank Buster

Left Front View

If.5 Machinengewehrwagen 36

Cockpit

M346 Advanced Fighter Trainer

Barrel sink marks

Leopard 2 A6/A6M

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.

Front Cover

Finnish Aces, Their Planes and Units 1939-1945
Book Author(s)
Kari Stenman and Karolina Holda
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$75.00

One of the latest in Mushroom Model Publications’ White Series, Finnish Aces. Their Planes and Units 1939-1945 follows up earlier volumes on Finnish aircraft: (2021’s Finnish & German Seaplane Colours, Finland 1939-1945; 2018’s Finnish Jet Colours; 2018’s Finnish Bomber Colours, 1939-1945; 2015’s Finnish Fighter Colours, 1939-1945, Volume 2; and 2014’s Finnish Fighter Colours, 1939-1945, Volume 1); MMP is calling this book part of their "Rainbow Series." I'm guessing that refers to their large format camouflage and markings set of books in their "White" series that have addressed Bulgaria, Finland, Hungarian, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, and Sweden. This series seems to share a commonality of discussing the specific topic of the evolution of a countries' evolution in markings. To that end, this book utilizes many previously un-published pictures and focuses in on individual aircraft to supplement with superb color illustrations.

Box Art

Tiger I, Early Production, Eastern Front
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$30.00

German armor of WWII has had, to say the least, a lot written about with many, many models coming out to support the literature. Tamiya continues to release wonderful 1/48th scale kits of German armor and the latest is a Tiger I from Early Production for the Eastern front. Inside the box, you will find a new bottom hull from another kit and decals for 2 Eastern front Tiger’s:

  • No. 233, 2nd Company, 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion
  • No. 213, 2nd Company, 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion

Looking into the box, the majority of parts are either road wheels or tracks. Tracks are straight runs with separate individual tracks to go round the front and back wheels. There are ~ 26 pieces per side for the tracks. I will say this up front, fit is super all the way around.

Front Cover

Grumman EA-6B Prowler - Flying with the US Navy and Marines Corps
Book Author(s)
Dave Chang
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
HMH Publications
MSRP
$36.00

Duke Hawkins books from HMH Publications are a series of, currently, twenty-three different books on various aircraft. They feature superb photography and detail with hundreds of color photos on great semigloss heavy paper. This volume, number 21, covers the EA-6B Prowler in 140 pages and over 320 photos.

Front Cover

Color and Markings of the F-14 Tomcat- Part 3: Prototypes, Test, Evaluation and Adversary Aircraft
Book Author(s)
Bert Kinzey and Rock Roszak
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Detail & Scale, Inc.
MSRP
$23.99

Detail and Scale has been a cornerstone reference for modelers for decades covering all types of aircraft in great detail. The Color & Markings series does just that, cover the color and markings of a specific set of planes in great detail with superb pictures and detailed test. This book, Part 3, written by Bert Kinzey and Rock Roszak, covers the F-14 Tomcat prototypes, test, evaluation and adversary aircraft.

The table of contents is large and gives a great view of things to come:

Cover

Mitsubishi A6M Reisen Zeke Vol. III
Book Author(s)
Dariusz Paduch
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$33.95

This is the 81st book in the Kagero Monographs series covering aircraft in details, photos, and diagrams. This book is the third volume to cover the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen Zeke.

I found the photographs in this book to be fascinating and very detailed, ideal for any modeler as reference materials. The photographs are extremely good and many I have never seen. The photos provide great details for super detailing any scale model version of the A6M Zeke.

Along with the many photos there are outline drawings, schematics, and very nice profile drawings. The cockpit instrument photos are also a great addition. It would have been great to also include a color photo next to these for reference, but this is a minor issue.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the Zeke and a must for modelers.

Thanks go to Casemate Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it.