Cockpit detail

Hurricane Mk. I

Underside of elevators and tail skid

Sopwith Triplane

9 F-4EJ Painted

F-4EJ (Final Flight)

Completed Kit -2

Messerschmitt Me-309 V-1/V-2

Front

Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero

Front with doors open

Piranha Super Spy Car

Sprue D

Soviet JS-4 Heavy Tank

Figure fronts

WWII RAF Airfield

Finished Left Rear

P-51 Mustang 1a

Option A

LVTH6A1 Fire Support Vehicle Cannon Teal

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

Crossroad Eastern Front, WWII era

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
February 21, 2011
Company
Master Box Ltd
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$29.99

If some of this review seems like déjà vu all over again, it is, as this is the second time that I have been afforded the opportunity to review a Master Box BMW R75 motorcycle. But there are some great changes with this release. Included in this delivery is a photoetch fret containing parts to build up the wheel spokes, as well as five figures (two Russian and three German). A separate sheet is included for instructions on the wheel assemblies, with directions for assembling the figures shown on the back side of the box; along with a photo of the parts sprue for them.

I am still very impressed by what the folks at Master Box have released, as this remains a solid representation of the R75.

Set packaging

Spitfire Mk. VIII Interior S.A. (self adhesive)
Review Author
David Goudie
Published on
February 20, 2011
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$29.95

Eduard Model Accessories has produced another fine set of photoetch parts to help complete your Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VIII. The set is for up-detailing the cockpit and you should need to add nothing more to make the cockpit area a highly accurate replica.

As an added bonus the parts in this set are prepainted and have an adhesive backing.

There are two frets, made from stainless steel and a clear film with four marked rectangles to replicate glass faces on instrument panels and gunsight reflectors.

Set packaging

Spitfire Mk. VIII Seatbelts
Review Author
David Goudie
Published on
February 20, 2011
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$19.95

Well, then, now here’s a set of photoetch that I can really get into: pre-painted seatbelts with the straps, buckles, adjusters, and quick-releases. The set includes the lap belt and shoulder harness.

The quality of the workmanship by Eduard shows through on these and I am anxious to do my Tamiya Spitfire using them. By the way, this set appears to be identical (with the exception of the color) to Eduard’s set 32667 (Spitfire Mk.IX late seatbelts) and thus interchangeable. Good to know if you can’t find the specific set you are looking for.

While I love to look at completed and installed photoetch assemblies, I often feel that they are the bane of my existence. A love-hate relationship if you will. The carpet in my hobby-cave gets more than its share of them. This set is pretty simple and most of the parts are within my skill level size. They will surely beat the old masking tape/foil straps and fuse wire hardware I used to use.

Package parts

F-22 Raptor Exhaust Nozzles
Review Author
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
February 20, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$24.95

Aires now offers a resin a replacement exhaust set for the Revell F-22 Raptor. This set has very well detailed resin pieces molded in the standard Aires grey resin, and are flash and bubble free; as well as a small photoetch set. They also include a 3-page, blue paper diagram, which is a real help.

The resin pieces include the burner cans, turbine faces and nozzles. There is also a small photoetch for the turbine fans and which really will make the exhaust detail just pop out at you when looking at the model from the rear, especially when it is compared to the original kit parts. One thing about the F-22 is that the exhausts are a very distinctive and major feature.

The biggest improvement in this set over the kit parts is that you get one-piece exhausts, doing away with a seam. Also, the thrust augmenters are one piece, another seam you don’t have to deal with.

Bf 109F-4 Canopy Mask
Review Author
David Goudie
Published on
February 19, 2011
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$14.95

Masking to paint a kit canopy can be a pretty complex and time consuming thing. Not to mention possible (probable) paint bleed under the mask to mess-up the clear areas. Eduard has a solution for this in the form of a sheet of die-cut masks for specific aircraft. This set is for the Hasegawa 1/32 scale Bf 109F-4.

You get a small (1-7/8” x 2-5/8”) rectangle of a very thin, tough material on a peel away surface. The die-cuts are almost invisible and I had to hold them at an angle to my light source to actually see the individual pieces. That is precision!