Star Modeler and her excellent work

Ghostbusters Ecto-1

Launcher

JASDF Patriot PAC-3 Launching Station

36510 Left

Wehrmacht Maultiers

Completed Build

2 cm Flak 38 WWII German AA Gun

Misc Image 8

Austro-Hungarian Burstyn Motorgeschütz 1912

Filler 1

Westland Whirlwind

12

Battleship USS Missouri BB-63, Part 1

Cockpit detail

Lockheed F-35A Lightning II

Chassis Underside

AEC Mk.II Armoured Car, Part 2 - Chassis, Engine, & Exterior

Cockpit and intake

F-4EJ Kai "8SQ Panthers"

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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.

Front Cover

Franklin's Indians: Irish Motorcycle Racer Charles B. Franklin Designer of the Indian Scout and Chief
Book Author(s)
Harry V Sucher, Tim Pickering, Liam Diamond and Harry Havelin
Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
Company
Veloce Publishing
MSRP
$50.00

This book was first published by Panther Publishing in 2011 and Veloce Publishing Limited did a facsimile reprint in February 2018, this review is about the reprint. What we have is a biography of Charles B. Franklin, an electrical engineer, motorcycle racer, designer of Indian motorcycles and an overseer of the Indian Company racing teams. This book extensively covers the years from 1903 thru 1932 and with a wide geographic expanse well, from Ireland to Britain, then Europe and America with side excursions to Australia and back to Europe. A comprehensive account of his life and achievements to the sport of motorcycling has not been available until now.

Package

M16 Rifle Vietnam War
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$19.95

This is a Brassin resin set to make 8 American Vietnam War Era M16 rifles in 1/35 scale. This was the most common rifle used by the Americans and it comes in two variants (4 of each) plus 4 magazines.

The set contains the following sets:

  • 8 x resin M16 rifles (4 of each of the two variants)
  • 4 x resin magazines
  • 1 colored photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

The resin parts are very clean and no flash. The resin base part is easy to remove. The photo etch parts form the straps for the rifles and comes in three parts each. There is also a mix of dark and light colored straps for variation.

The parts assemble very easily and give a very realistic rifle when complete. They are idea for adding to figures, as stowed equipment or for dioramas.

Summary

This is a great set for adding very detailed rifles to any model that needs it. I would recommend this set to everyone who has this kit.

Package

AK 47 Assault Rifle
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$19.95

This is a Brassin resin set to make 8 Russian AK 47 rifles in 1/35 scale. This is the most widely used assault rifles in the world.

The set contains the following sets:

  • 8 x resin karabiner 98k’s
  • 4 x resin magazines
  • 1 colored photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

The resin parts are very clean and no flash. The resin base part is easy to remove. The photo etch parts form the straps for the rifles and comes in three parts each. There is also a mix of dark and light colored straps for variation.

The parts assemble very easily and give a very realistic rifle when complete. They are idea for adding to figures, as stowed equipment or for dioramas.

Summary

This is a great set for adding very detailed rifles to any model that needs it. I would recommend this set to everyone who has this kit.

Package

Su-30MKK Flanker G Landing Gear (HB)

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$17.95

IPMS/USA again thanks Ross and his Team at SAC for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with one more of many monthly releases, with extremely useful and well-thought out landing gear additions for the modeling crowd out here in the modeling world. And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending it to me to be reviewed.

Consisting of 7 separate well-cast white metal parts, this gear is the usual replacement for the kit gear. Hobbyboss provides excellent kits with great detail, but usually has some things simplified. In this case the landing gear has everything it needs attached to the main gear, and as to the nose you add kit shimmy dampers, doors, and taxi lights. The FOD/Mud Guard is supplied with the set as well.

This SAC set adds the usual structural strength to the weakest part of most models: The landing gear. Cast tough yet malleable white metal, it addresses any concern for splayed and failed landing gear for Hobbyboss’ SU-30MKK.

Cover

Air Combat: Dogfights of World War II
Book Author(s)
Holmes, Tony (ed.)
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$35.00

This is a new, hardbound publication that is comprised of the contents of four previously-released volumes in the “Duel” series from Osprey. This compendium is edited by Tony Holmes, and includes:

  • Part 1 (by Tony Holmes), Channel Clashes: Spitfire II/V vs Bf 109E (Duel 67)
  • Part II (by Edward M. Young), Hell in the Pacific: F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen (Duel 54)
  • Part III (by Dmitriy Khazanov & Aleksander Medved), Air War in the East: La-5/7 vs Fw 190 (Duel 39)
  • Part IV (by Edward M. Young), Ill-Fated Defense of the Home Islands: F4U Corsair vs Ki-84 ‘Frank’ (Duel 73)

This book has been produced to very high standards, and it was a joy to hold and read through. The hard binding is extremely sturdy, and all pages have a nice semi-gloss finish that just looks and feels first-rate. Color paintings and profiles are done to a high standard as well, and photos are clearly printed.