Left fender

Pz.Kpfw.III (F) Ausf.M w/Schurzen Smart Kit

Finished

A-4M Skyhawk

Misc image 9

WWII Wehrmacht Infantry Set

Gun bay detail

F4U-4 Corsair Late Version with Propeller and Cowling Upgrades

Image 7

Model T RNAS Armoured Car

Right Side

Sd.Kfz 251D

Image 7

Tornado GR.1/IDS

13

A-20G Havoc

Box contents

U-9 Grand Prix Car Model

Construction

U-Boat Type 'Molch' – WWII German Midget Submarine

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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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Product Picture

15cm s.IG.33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer
Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$67.99

Dragon has recently released five new kits, none of which have been available in plastic before, at least not in the released versions. Instead, modelers would have had to scratch build them or buy expensive resin conversion sets.

This review covers one of the kits; the 15cm s.IG.33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer. This Czechoslovakian 38(t)-based vehicle looks unusual, sporting the large-caliber, 150mm field howitzer used on a variety of other (mostly larger) German AFV’s. Just imagine the recoil from that gun when fired from the diminutive Hetzer!

Intended as a replacement for the Grille, only 30 were built, from December 1944. Operational history is scarce, but based on the few images available it was apparently used in combat on the Eastern front.

This is an unusual armored vehicle and promises to build into an unusual subject for German WWII armor fans.

Book Cover

"Panzergrenadiers to the Front" plus Companion Map Book

Book Author(s)
A.Stephan Hamilton
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$75.00

The book goes into details of the formation, deployment and combat actions of the Panzergrenadier Division “Brandenburg” on the eastern front on the last few months of World War Two. The hardback book comes with a companion book of all the campaign maps with corresponding references to the book pages and chapters.

This is the first book to take a deep look at the famous Panzergrenadier-Division 'Brandenburg' from its formation and its five-month campaign in the Eastern Front at the end of the Second World War.

'Brandenburg' was created in December 1944 from several burnt-out commando regiments and the remnants of a few conventional units supplied by the Ersatzheer.

The unit fought in some of the most dramatic and relatively unknown late war battles in Poland, Silesia, Saxony, and Czechoslovakia. The book has been created by using many never before published accounts by soldiers who were with the unit in the final months of the war.

Decal Schemes

244th Sentai Part 3 Decals
Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Lifelike Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.00

History

The 244th Sentai was formed in 1942 from the 144th Sentai with their primary mission being homeland defense. The squadron received the Ki-61 in 1943 and gained fame as an elite bomber interceptor unit. Detachments of this unit also served on Okinawa but the majority stayed in Japan for defense. A very good web site dedicated to this squadron can be found here http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~s244f/ and you will need to translate it as it is in Japanese.

Lifelike decals have issued or re-issued decals for the Ki-61s of the 244th Sentai as parts 1,2 & 3. Initially produced for the Hasegawa kit, they could also be used on the Otaki kit. Now that Tamiya has released their kit you now have one more, and a really nice one, Ki-61 kit to choose from.

Box Art

Sea Hurricane
Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
Company
Fly Models
MSRP
$55.00

Like many limited-run model companies, Fly Models’ first kits were fairly small. I had the distinct pleasure of building one of their Ba-349 Natters when they first came out, and was impressed by the level of effort expended on this design by this fledgling company. It’s still one of the prides of my collection.

Box Art

Volllkettenaufklarer 38 w7.5cm Kanona 51 L24
Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$59.99

Dragon has recently released five new kits, none of which have been available in plastic before, at least not in the released versions. Instead, modelers would have had to scratch build them or buy expensive resin conversion sets.

This review covers one of the kits; the Volllkettenaufklarer (reconnaissance) 38 w7.5cm Kanona 51 L24 Hetzer. This Czechoslovakian 38(t)-based vehicle looks unusual, sporting the short-barreled, 75mm infantry support gun used on a variety of other (mostly larger) German AFV’s. Just imagine the recoil from that gun when fired from the diminutive Hetzer!

Intended as a fully tracked reconnaissance vehicle based on the Bergepanzer 38, several prototypes were tested, including a single vehicle mounting a 7.5 cm K51 L/24 gun. Needless to say, operational history is non-existent. This is an unusual armored vehicle, and promises to build into an unusual subject for German WWII armor fans.