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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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Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
PJ Production
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$4.15

I have built several PJ Productions kits, done at least one of their conversions, and a number of their detail parts. I have real respect for Phillipe’s ability to produce a really good resin product.

You get one resin pour with 2 seats and 2 ejection handles. Both of the seats were free of flaws or bubbles, and those fine little handle assemblies were also flawless.

Rather than start from scratch with this project, I thought I would take a Mirage I had built previously and add the PJP seat. I could have used a Jaguar, but decided that it would be nicer to improve one of my several Mirages. Then I ran into the problem. Three of the four Mirage kits I’ve built have been PJ Production kits or conversions, and they already had good resin seats. OK, I was going to use a Dagger I built 20 years ago with Argentine markings from the Malvinas/Falklands war. And to tell the truth, I can’t remember whose kit it is.

Review Author
Mike Kellner
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$35.99

When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his underwater exploration, so when this kit came up for review, I was interested in learning more about it and building this kit.

The submersible is named "Shinkai” and can dive to a depth of 6500 meters (ed note: 21,320’); as of 2011, it is the deepest-diving vessel of its type, having been completed in 1989 and starting operation in 1990. It is currently operated by JAMSTEC (Japanese Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology) which was founded on April 1, 2004, as a semi-government research organization. Shinkai has a crew of two, plus one scientist, for a 3-person total complement. That sounds good until you find out they fit into a 2-meter diameter, 73.5mm-thick sphere made of titanium alloy.

Book Author(s)
Giuseppe Picarella
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$69.00

The very first thing I would like to say about this excellent book is that the title does it a disservice. This book does a great job covering ALL transport aircraft of the Japanese Army and Navy Air Forces during the Pacific War. In fact, out of the thirteen chapters in the book, only three are devoted exclusively to experimental aircraft.

Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
Company
Master Box Ltd
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$57.00

History Brief

German military car, type 170V, first appeared in military service in 1937. The car had advanced elements of construction for that time, such as the front and rear suspension system and X shaped oval tube frame. It was because of the excellent suspension system that the 170V was most widely used civilian car in the Wehrmacht. By 1942, a total of 86,615 model 170Vs were pressed into service and remained in production well after the war had ended. Featuring a 4-cylinder, 38 h.p. engine, the car had a top speed of 108 km/h and could seat 4.

Review Author
Michael Scott
Published on
Company
Wingnut Wings, Ltd
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$89.00

The Cockpit

Internal framing, fuel tanks, seat, instrument panel and fuel control panel, radiator and various pieces – is together. Even though there are a goodly number of parts, some quite small, everything fits together very well. It pays to ensure all the mould lines are off before painting. There are not many, but there are some. Also, test fit all of the parts and assemblies. Not that they don’t fit well, but to familiarize yourself with how they go together. Although the instruction book is excellent, there are a few areas that, to me at least, were not abundantly clear about exactly how things were supposed to mate up. The instruction illustration putting the long side rails around the floor, fuel tank, and radiator assembly appears to be a complex task but, once aligned properly, the two assemblies fit solidly together and, by looking at the engineering of the parts, it is pretty obvious how it goes together.