Left rear

FIAT Mefistofele

Body assembly from back

H-34 US Navy Rescue

Cockpit Detail

TBD-1A on Floats

Back Side

French Light Tank AMX-13

Right front

Bf-109E-1 Weekend Edition

Front Sensors

AH-64A ANG "South Carolina"

Shuttle Tile Decal Test

NASA Space Shuttle "Discovery" w/747-100 SCA

Finished

P-39N Airacobra

18

Tom McEwen's Mongoose Rear Engine Dragster

7

Model A Standard Phaeton Soft Top (1930s) with US Cars of the 1930s-1940s Paint Set

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.

Box_Art

U-2R "Dragon Lady" Senior Span
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$83.00

Historical and Reference Notes

As you delve into this project, you should really become familiar with the basic U-2 story from its origins in 1953 all the way to its usage in 2025 – that’s over 72 years.

I recommend Wikipedia’s history, which I warn you, is extensive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2

US Air Force: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104560/u-2stu-2s/

Several terrific YouTube videos (each of contain U-2S a/c):

Packaging

P-39 Airacobra Landing Gear

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.00

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a set of 1/48th scale metal landing gear for Arma Hobby’s P-39 Airacobra kits. These parts are drop-in replacements and provide a more robust landing gear set given its metal properties.

In The Package

The metal pieces are packaged in a clear blister package with cardboard backing. There are no instructions.

Review Process

The metal landing gear set is used as a drop-in replacement for parts A13, A20, A21, and B66. You will need to use plastic kit parts A33 (nose strut) and B48 (oleo torsion arms) to complete the landing gear assembly.

The metal used is malleable and has some give to allow for any minor bending that may be needed since there is some slight deformation when coming out of the molds. Also, seam lines will need to be cleaned up before painting, just like the plastic kit parts.

Cover image

JS-2 Stalin Tank
Review Author
Ron Bell
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/56
MSRP
$33.50

The Stalin tank series was developed in the Soviet Union during WW II to deal with the German Panther and Tiger tanks. It had heavy, well-shaped armor and a powerful 122mm gun that could pierce the frontal armor of nearly any Axis tank at over one thousand yards. Its greatest drawback was that the main gun used two-piece ammunition, which slowed down the re-loading time, thus putting the tank at a disadvantage in a “shoot out” situation.

Package

A-1H Skyraider (USAF) Wheels and Paint Masks
Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$8.50

Aires has provided the Reviewer Corps with a resin replacement set of USAF/VNAF A-1H/J Skyraider wheels in 1/72nd scale. USAF/VNAF Skyraider wheels used stamped steel rims which are different than the spoked US Navy version. This resin set will allow a more accurate build of a USAF/VNAF Skyraider.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with paper instructions and vinyl paint mask. The instructions detail the use of the vinyl masks. For the Hasegawa kit, these are replacements for parts C10 & C11 (wheel & rim).

There are two (2) wheels from the traditional pour moldings for these resin replacements (not 3D generated). The quality is excellent, and the rim edges are pronounced for those who prefer to paint the rubber part of the wheel.

Review Process

I started by giving the resin part a warm soapy bath to remove any release agent. Then I cut away the flash at the base.