Completed Model

F4U-4B Corsair

Sprue with new fuseage halves and vertical stabilizer

Bachem 349 Natter 22/23

Defiant Top Right

U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205

Parts 7

Spitfire Mk. VII/VIII

Finished

B-26 C-50 Korean War "Glass Nose"

Engine

M3A3 Bradley w/BUSK III

Image 18

Chernobyl #2

ALCM With Tail Plugs

B-52G Stratofortress "Gulf War" 25th Anniversary

Jake 1

IJMNS Yamato, Part 2

Box contents

Doodlebug Texaco

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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.

Product

F4U F6F Diamond Tread Wheels Set
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.26

As with most Brengun wheel sets, this set arrives in a clear plastic “sleeve”. Within are the two sprues with the tires and rim covers for those tires. A small paper serves as the instruction sheet. A thicker rectangle of black paper gives the plastic “sleeve” more rigidity, protecting the 4 resin parts.

The instructions are very useful, showing the angle of the landing gear struts to the “ground”, giving the modeler an “assist” in getting the flat surface of the tires and the gear legs in the proper position.

The tires are cast as a single piece, avoiding any seam along the circumference of the tire where it to be molded in halves. It will be necessary to clean up portions of the tire tread where it is attached to the sprue. A quick scraping with an Xacto blade will effectively remove any flash.

Product Picture

T-6 Texan/Harvard Gear

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.00

Thanks once again for another great set from SAC, and thanks to John and Phil for sending it out for review.

Recommended Kits:

  • Heller 1/72 T-6 Texan and any other companies that have released the kit under license such as Encore

The review item is the typical high standard and normal from SAC; a direct replacement for the kit items except these are cast metal. Consisting of sets of two main gear and one tail gear, there is not much to describe except to remove the parts from the pour runners with side nippers, use flat 220 wet/dry to prepare the cut stub, then install the gear on the model.

Product Picture

F-15J Motto Kuma Eagle
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$15.00

The Two Bobs website featuring this decal sheet provides the back story for this decal sheet.

“2017 marked the 60th Anniversary of Chitose Base in Hokkaido Japan. To commemorate this event, 201 Squadron, 2 Wing painted an F-15J in this striking scheme.

201 Squadron has a long history within JASDF. While flying the F-104J, it was responsible for conducting aggressor missions as well as providing ACM training. Reformed in 1986, the squadron received the F-15J.

Over the last 33 years, the squadron along with the 203rd Squadron, shoulders the responsibility for securing Japan's northern airspace.”

This information is also printed on the decal instruction sheet.

This decal sheet includes all markings and stencils required for this aircraft.

Recommended kits:

Product Picture

FIAT G.50 bis/AS "Freccia"
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Fly Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$16.95

History

The Fiat G.50 came about as a result of the Italian Air force’s need to replace the biplane fighters that had served them well during the nineteen thirties. The Fiat CR.42 biplane had been an especially successful fighter, and in fact continued in use through most of World War II, but a higher performing monoplane was needed, and Fiat started work on a prototype in 1936 and flew the first prototype in 1937. Although the aircraft had excellent flying qualities, its bulky Fiat A74 RC38 radial engine produced only 840 hp., resulting in disappointing performance, and the twin 12.7 mm. Breda SAFAT machine guns were thought to be inadequate. In fact, the Air Force considered the Macchi C.200 radial engine fighter to be superior in most respects, but both aircraft were put into production, with most pilots preferring the Macchi.

Package

Soviet Naval Aviation (Pilot and Land Crew WW2)
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Reskit
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.80

ResKit from Ukraine has released a two-figure aftermarket set for the 48th scale aviation modelers. The figures are for a Soviet Naval Pilot and a Land Crew personnel, both of them in a military salute standing position in winter clothes.

You can see in the pictures that the figures as casted have superb surface details and all the folds in the clothing will render beautifully for shadows. There are no evident bubbles nor holes in the figures, showing the quality of the casting.

There are no instructions, but the assembly is straightforward and there is a color image on the box that guides how to paint the figures.

The casting blocks are somewhat large, but the casting block connectors are small and delicate and will be easy to remove and clean the parts.

Recommended.

I would like to thank ResKit and IPMS/USA for the review sample.