Trailer

JGSDF Type73 Heavy Tank Transporter and Type 74 Tank

Underside

Mitsubishi A6M2b Zero Model 21

Decals applied to kit

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.1

Decals

German Fokker E.III Eindekker

Mid-section dry-fit, bay view

B-17G Midsection Interior

Image 2

Japanese 250kg Bomb w/Rack

Finished

Gun Truck "King Cobra"

Topside Detail

Odessa NI Russian Improvised Armored Tractor

Finished model

Su-76i

Full kit painted

M551 Sheridan U.S. Airborne Tank (Vietnam War)

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.

Package

PE Instrument Panel for Revell FW-190A-8/R11
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$16.95

IPMS/USA again thanks Eduard for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with one more of many monthly releases, in this case a new PE instrument panel for Revell’s 1/32 FW-190A8/R11 NachtJager.

If you have never used these panels, I recommend you try them and become hooked like me. I cannot paint to this level of detail. The kit provides impressive instrument panel and bezel detail, and the lower cockpit side panels can be painted for a realistic look; but they will never have the fine details and legible numbers, placards, and detail work exhibited by Eduard PE sets.

In this scale the overall colors and additions add so much to the panel areas that it truly impresses even the jaded flashlight and mirror contest lovers out there.

Box Art

Bristol Blenheim Mk.1F
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$49.99

The Airfix 1/48th scale Blenheim is another in a growing line of new kits from Airfix that reflect a high level of detail and sophistication that are proving highly popular with modelers. Molded in slightly soft, light grey plastic, this first Blenheim out of the gate represents the Mk.1F night fighter adaptation of the standard medium RAF bomber. A separate tree of parts is provided to assemble the ventral 4-gun pack that provided the forward punch for this fighter, plus various radar antenna. The gun pack is attached directly over the closed bomb bay, with a single part provided to represent the closed bay doors. It’s obvious from the extra parts included on the main parts trees - large and small bombs, a full bomb bay, as well as doors for an open bay - that a standard bomber version is in the works. As it is, a Mk.1 bomber version can be built from the included parts. All you need are the appropriate decals.

Box Cover

T-72 MBT
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$15.75

The Vehicle

The T-72 series was the most produced post WW2 tank. It is designed to have a low silhouette and smaller hull than most modern tanks. The crew is only three soldiers, with ammunition loading being done automatically. Due to the cramped crew positions, the maximum height of a T-72 soldier is 5 feet 9 inches.

The T-72 gun is a 125 mm capable of firing HEAT and APFSDS rounds, as well as ATGMs.

There are 40 different countries who have significant numbers of T-72s. In spite of an arms embargo, Iraq had 1000 T-72s in 1990. In 1996, this number had reduced to 375

The Kit

This kit is all resin, with no PE or other media parts. The markings schemes are for 4 different armies, Czech, Polish, North Vietnam and Soviet. The Soviet markings require no decals.

Box Art

AH-6M/MH-6M Little Bird Night Stalkers
Review Author
David Horn
Published on
Company
Kitty Hawk
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$104.00

Aircraft and History

The AH/MH-6M is the latest variant of the Army’s light observation helicopter with the original design dating back to 1963 as the Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (nicknamed “Loach”). The term “Little Bird” was given to the enhanced version of the OH-6 with the AH-6 versions armed and MH-6 versions for carrying three commandos per side developed in 1980 and used by the newly formed 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. This highly versatile airframe was used effectively in many conflicts with the most notable being “Operation Gothic Serpent” (better known as “Black Hawk Down” and “Battle of Mogadishu”).

Book Cover

The Japanese Destroyer Shimakaze
Book Author(s)
Mariusz Motyka
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$24.95

Kagero Publishing of Poland has two lines of books that include titles with a nautical bent and aimed at scale modelers: Super Drawings in 3D and Top Drawings. The former covers a ship in great detail via the use of color 3D renderings, while the latter covers a ship in great detail via black and white line drawings. The books are sized differently, with the 3D books numbering 80 to 90 A4 sized pages, while the Top Drawings books number 20 to 30 A4 sized pages. Prices reflect the size and content differences, with the 3D books priced $28.95 to $36.95, and the smaller Top Drawings books priced $19.95 to $24.95.