Finished model

Sd.Kfz.260 Kleine Panzerfunkwagen

Front view

Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Hien - (Tony)

Clamps

IJMNS Yamato, Part 2

manual1

Field Toilet

Assembly 2

Tupolev Tu-141 Strizh

Right front

Messerschmitt Bf-109F-4

Left front

Piranha Super Spy Car

Complete Right Side

F-104G Cockpit

Finished model

Macchi M.5

Finished Right Rear

P-51 Mustang 1a

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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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Package

Defiant Mk.I Undercarriage Covers
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.50

Want an nice upgrade to any 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant? Step right up to the new Quickboost Defiant Mk.I undercarriage set that provides a beautiful replacement to what is supplied in your kit. The parts are packaged in the standard Quickboost re-closable packaging with a paper stiffener along with the description card. There are no instructions. These parts are specific to fit the Airfix accurate and highly detailed 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I injected plastic kit. They may also work for the older limited run Classic Airframes kits (471, 481, and 482) that were introduced in 1995.

Quickboost has molded the undercarriage set perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The undercarriage set detail is an improvement over what is provided in the kit providing more of a 3-dimensional aspect to the doors.

Make sure you consult your photographs to get the correct geometry for all six parts. I found some useful pics by Ron Patterson at:

Product Picture

Vought F-8 Crusader
Book Author(s)
Bill Spidle
Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$44.95

Thank you to Andrea Lindell of Specialty Press for providing a review copy of their new release, Vought F-8 Crusader, Development of the Navy’s First Supersonic Jet Fighter, by William D. Spidle. Specialty Press has sweetened the debut of this new book by providing an author-signed limited-edition of the book directly on their website or by calling 1-800-895-4385. As always, I appreciate all those in the IPMS Reviewer Corps, whose work is critical to sharing new and exciting modeling products with the world.

Box Art

Sd.Kfz.250/7 Atle 8cm Mortar Carrier w/ Full Interior
Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$69.98

The Germans of WW2 were notorious for multi-tasking vehicles, and this one is a good example. In this case, they mounted an 81mm mortar in a standard light armored half-track. I’m old enough to remember the last time a plastic kit manufacturer took a shot at this particular make – a motorized version by Arii back in the early 1970’s. The older kit was pretty poor by even the standards of the day, although it did provide a nice ammunition trailer (to carry the batteries for the motor, of course). Otherwise, there wasn’t much to recommend it.

Dragon has filled the void with a new release which does a fine job of capturing this beastie, including “magic tracks” which eliminate the odious task of snipping some 200 track bits off of sprues.

Decal Sheet

Beechcraft 17 Decals
Review Author
Charles Landrum
Published on
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/48

The Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing and later D17 was a versatile family of aircraft that ended up serving in for more roles than originally envisioned by Beech. Renowned for its attractive lines and good performance, it was designed to be an executive aircraft. But it soon found a role as a racer, liaison, and a utility aircraft in both military and civilian livery. In the US Army Air Force it was the UC-43, in the US Navy the GB-1 and 2. In addition, it flew with 15 other air f orces.

Roden answered the call of many modelers to release a nice kit of the Staggerwing, finally supplanting the old AMT kit which is still available through Round 2. The AMT kit was a specific post war variant however, and required modification to backdate it. The Roden kit represents the most common D17S variant and while Roden provides different liveries/markings in its multiple releases, there were many more schemes not covered; plus Roden decals can be a challenge.

Packaging

P-40 E–N Details

Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$11.00

Yet again Master Model has hit a home run with this with this very affordable upgrade to your existing 1/32 P-40 E through N aircraft kits. Master Model has released a detail set that addresses the Browning 50 caliber blast tubes, iron gun sights, and the pitot tubes. Included in the set are six beautiful brass blast tubes, a photo etch sight ring (and spare), one iron sight post and a brass pitot tube with two pitot probe variants. Available kits in the P-40 (E – N) range included Hasegawa (Eduard), Revell and Trumpeter. For earlier P-40 (B – C) models, Master Model produces details sets AM-032-097 and AM-032-098