Finished

Horten Ho-229 Night Fighter

Bottom

Aichi D3A1 Type 99 Bomber Model 11 Limited Edition

Broken parts

Tempest Mk. V

Exhaust detail

Battlestar Galactica Pegasus

Steering Arms

Sd.Kfz.234/3 mit 7.5cm KwK

Port side fuselage in-progress, showing bulkheads

Sikorski JRS-1 The Boat, Limited Edition

Painting Guide

Russian Pilot WWII

6

WWII Military Patrol

Complete 2

Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A)

Box Art 1500

Japanese Yokosuka MXY7-K1 Trainer

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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.

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Box Art

Meng Leopard 2 A7+
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
Company
Meng Model
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$82.50

A Very Brief History of the Leopard

During the late 60’s Germany began to plan for new primary main battle tank which would replace the M48 Patton tanks purchased from the US (in service through 1993). Early designs were grouped around the initial concept called the MBT-70, though it never got past the initial design with only a wooden hull constructed. For several years numerous prototypes were designed leading to the Leopard I design in 1965, which used a German built 105mm Royal Ordnance gun. These tanks continued in use through 2003 and included 4744 main battle tanks.

Book Cover

US Navy Battleships 1886 - 98
Book Author(s)
Brian Lane Herder, Illustrated by Paul Wright, F. Rodriguez, and A. Gilliland
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$19.00

In the 1860s the US Navy led the world with the innovative, turreted ironclad USS Monitor - a vessel that gave rise to a series of warships whose name defined the class. However, within ten years of the end of the Civil War, the US Navy had become a mere ghost of its former size and power. Ships were decommissioned, sailors released from service, and the Secretary of the Navy was returning funds to the Treasury. By the 1880s, British built ironclad battleships of the Brazilian and Chilean navies caused panic within the halls of Congress and along the east and west coasts of the United States. Frustrated officers from the US Navy, along with insightful members of Congress and the Garfield administration determined that major changes were needed to prevent the US Navy from declining into irrelevance.

Box art

Russian YAK-130
Review Author
Gregory Hansel
Published on
Company
Kitty Hawk
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$54.95

Introduction

This kit was released at the end of 2018 and features resin crew figures, photo etch details, and marking options for seven jets, including two from Russia, one from Bangladesh, and four company demo aircraft. There are almost more sprues of weapons then there are of the actual aircraft, included are Kab-500kr, Kab-500Kl, Kab-500se, Kab-1500-Kl, Kab-1500-Kr, Kab-1500-se, KH-29L, KH-29T, KH-31, KH-58, and three versions of the KH-25. It’s almost worth buying the kit just for the weapon sprues! The kit looks impressive in the box.

Book Cover

A Detailed History of RAF Manston 1931-40 Arise to Protect

Book Author(s)
Joe Bamford and John Williams
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Fonthill Media
MSRP
$32.95

The book is part two of a two book history of RAF Manston, which became one of the busiest Airfields in the UK during WWII. The airbase was built-up during the pre-war days to be one, if not the most important airbases to the RAF.

The airbase was a very successful technical training center for the RAF during the years leading up to WWII and the details of this are covered extremely well in this book. The book goes into great detail about many of the officers and commanders stationed throughout the station during this period. There was even Air Races held here in the early 1930’s. Even the famous Sir Alan Cobham exhibited his flying skills here.

The book covers many of the aircraft that were operated from here, some I was not even aware of and had to look up. The aces that served here are also detailed through the chapters.

Box Front

F-15E Strike Eagle
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Platz
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$23.99

The Model

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a development of the F-15. The concept of the Strike Eagle was to produce a bomber aircraft which also had fighter capability. The biggest visual differences between the E model and earlier F-15s are the two-seat cockpit and the addition of conformal fuel tanks on the sides of the fuselage.

This F-15E is a reissue of a kit previously sold as part of a multi-kit collection from F-Toys which contained an AV-8 Harrier, An A-10 Thunderbolt II and an F-15E. The kit is designed to have the parts pressed together, with little or no glue needed. As such, there is some filing and sanding required to get an acceptable fit. You get two aircraft in the box, and decals for 3 planes.

Assembly

The assembly is pretty simple. The seats are glued in the cockpit, the instrument panel is inserted, and the cockpit assembly is placed between the forward fuselage halves. I glued the fuselage parts together. This was a mistake.