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.

Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$13.95

Sometimes experienced modelers get so bogged down with the extensive projects we are working on, we forget to lift our over-taxed heads from the work bench, remove glasses and opti-visors, and smell the sweet success of a quick, easy build. So, while browsing the IPMS review list one day, I came upon this kit and “snapped” it up. My thought was to have my wife build it, but she took off in our (real) ’65 rag top Mustang instead, and left me to it.

The Revell Snap-Tite 2018 Mustang GT is a nice representation of the styling changes being made to the existing 2017 Mustang. The car will soon to be released this Fall. The main omission on the Snap-Tite model are the rear vision door mirrors.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$2.73

Master Model of Poland produces small brass parts for detailing models, be they aircraft or ships. They have parts for aircraft in 1/32, 1/35, 1/48, 1/72, and 1/144, mostly pitot tubes, refueling probes and gun barrels.

The pitot part is a very fine piece of brass. The piece is much finer than the kit part.

I have somehow missed building a 1/144 Su-27 Flanker. This is a real oversight, as in the past I have built two Flankers in 1/72 for reviews. I really like the “back story” on the Ethiopian Flanker. The story of the woman pilot shooting down a MiG-29 with a Flanker is just too good to be true.

Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.00

The F-14 Tomcat was the Navy's best long range interceptor, but it is now retired. It was built by Grumman and was their last and best “cat” that they ever made. The primary job of the F-14 was fleet defense and it did this with a mix of missiles; the long range Phoenix, the mid-range Sparrow and with the short range Sidewinder. It could even use its 20mm Vulcan cannon for close in work. The last Tomcat, the F-14D, which this review is about, had new F110 engines with digital avionics and new ejections seats as well. That being the Martin Baker SUJ-17 NACES ( Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat).

Book Author(s)
Aaron Skinner
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Kalmbach Publishing Company
MSRP
$24.99

Aaron Skinner started out early in publishing, founding his High School student newspaper in the early eighties. He has been an avid modeler since the age of six (supported by his grandfather). He graduated from The University of Queensland in 1992 with his degree in Journalism and History. He has worked with several newspapers in Arkansas and Texas as a photographer and reporter from 1994 until in joined Fine Scale Modeler in 2006. He was promoted from Associate Editor to Senior Editor in 2015 and has authored several modeling books, including: Essential Skills for Scale Modelers (2011), Modeling Airliners (2012), and Airbrushing for Scale Modelers (2015). He is active representing Fine Scale Modeler and providing presentations at contests and shows, recently returning to Dallas for Squadron’s EagleQuest in June 2017.

Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.15

There are many firms who make and market brass aircraft accessories for the modeler, but none seem to match the skill and delicacy that is routinely exhibited by Master Model from Poland. One of the latest gems is the set for the Curtiss P-40 B/C US version in 1/72 scale. In this set one gets the following: four .30 cal MG barrels for the wings, two .50 cal cowling blast tubes, one pitot tube, two resin pitot heads, one front bead sight, and four photoetch rear ring sights. Master-Model does not recommend any one P-40 kit so for this review, so I used the latest Airfix kit the Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2 which I had.