Wingfold

X-47B Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) - U.S. Navy

Finished model

Auto Transport Trailer

Intake

Alpha Jet A/E

Assembly

P-51D Mustang "Aces of the Eighth" Dual Combo

C Sprue

Panzer IV/70(A)

Body Assembled

Husky Mk. III

Painted Panther rear profile

Panzerwaffe Steel Cats - Panther and King Tiger Ausf B

Decals

Arado 234b

The Wight

Army of Ice

Figure

Panzer IV/70(A)

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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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Box Art

M706 Commando Armored Car in Vietnam
Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$29.98

The M706 Commando was used in Vietnam mainly for convoy protection. They had a bit more protection than the makeshift gun trucks the troops had been converting with 2 .30 caliber machine guns in a turret. They sometimes had other guns mounted on them to supplement their firepower.

TRUMPETER has released several different versions of the Commando in 72nd scale and Hobby Boss has done several in 1/35th scale. In fact, the box art for this kit is actually a build-up of the Hobby Boss kit and shows more details than what comes in the box. But let’s take a look at what is inside.

Cover image

M983 HEMTT & M901 Launching Station w/MIM-104 Patriot SAM System [PAC-2]
Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$75.99

The Patriot missile system came into the limelight when it was deployed to allied bases during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. I remember a lot of footage of it being fired at incoming SCUD missiles, where it had some success. I have always wanted a Patriot system in my preferred scale, and Trumpeter has released the system with its prime hauler, the M983 HEMTT.

You get over 150 parts molded onto 7 sprues of gray plastic, a sprue of clear parts for the cab, a few extra parts, 14 rubber tires, a die-cut masking set for the windows, and decals. The instruction booklet leads you through the 16 steps of construction, and there is a separate Painting & Marking guide in full color with color call-outs for several brands of paints. Unfortunately, there are no detailed painting instructions for the engine, inside the cab, etc., so I used references from the internet for my build.

Cover page

The Crimean Offensive, 1944 - The Russian Battle for the Crimea
Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$28.95

Ever since the German war machine occupied the Crimea in 1942, Hitler had been obsessed with the peninsula. In his eyes, the Crimea was the gateway to the Black Sea and the Romanian oilfields, on which his armies depended, and which were within distance of Crimean airbases. Hitler often referred to the Crimea as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier,” and for that reason, he said it was imperative to hold on to the peninsula at all costs

The Crimean Campaign was fought by German and Romanian forces as a part of Operation Barbarossa in late September 1941. While most Soviet forces were defeated, the Siege of Sevastopol lasted until early July 1942. The German 17th Army garrisoned Crimea with assistance from Romanian troops until the 4th Ukrainian Front recaptured Crimea beginning in November 1943 and ending in May 1944.

Book Cover

Warpaint Series #147 Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa/Oscar
Book Author(s)
Daniel Kowalczuk
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$23.00

The Warpaint series should be remarkably familiar to most modelers. This is #147 in the series and covers the Nakajima Ki-43. The book covers the development of and the service history of the type. The most numerous and famous of the Japanese Army Air Force aircraft, it was comparable to the Japanese Navy’s A6M Zero. One of the interesting facts is that to Japanese people, the Ki-43 is more famous and revered than its counterpart, the Zero! So much so that it is often the aircraft of choice for anime producers.

The book is filled with many wartime and immediate postwar photographs. One of the best features is the substantial number of color profiles covering Japanese, Republic of China, Manchuko, US captured examples, Royal Thai, French, Communist China, and Indonesian examples. Nice color photos of the4 surviving examples are also included.

ICM Special Forces Acrylic Paint Set

Acrylic Paint Set for Special Forces
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$25.00

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for Special Forces is no exception and consists of six 12ml paint bottles that are surprisingly not dropper-top style but are rather wide-mouthed. These paints are designed to be used with the following ICM kits (16101 – S.W.A.T. Team Leader; 16102 – IDF K-9 Unitz “OKETZ”; and 16103 – Delta Force Fighter, Mogadishu, 1993). The colors include:

  • Black (No. 1002)
  • Buff (No. 1032)
  • Green Ochre (No. 1059)
  • Camouflage Green (No. 1071)
  • Tan Earth (No. 1058)
  • Dark Blue (No. 1077)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating