Decals

2012 Subaru "BRZ" with Full Engine Detail

Sprue 15

StuG.III Ausf.G May 1943 Production mit Schurzen

Left low

T-90A wTBS-86 Tank Dozer

Completed 6

Nakajima Ki-84 Type 4 Hayate (Frank) Combo

Centerline Tank Installed

USN F/A-18E VFA-143 Pukin Dogs

8 port forward fuselage

F-14D Tomcat

Photo 17

Fokker Eindecker III Late – Part 1

Completed Model

Junkers Ju88S-1/3 ‘KG 66’

Finished model

Panther Ausf. D V2

Image 2

Yokosuka Ohka MXY7-K1 Kai

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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.

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 Top

Acrylic Paint Set for US Special Operations Aircraft
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 US Special Operations Aircraft continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. These paints are designed to be used with the following ICM kits (48290 – Cessna O-2A Skymaster; 48278 – B-26K Counter Invader (Early); and 48279 – B-26K Counter Invader). The colors include:

  • Deep Green (No. 1009)
  • US Dark Green (No. 1072)
  • Extra Dark Green (No. 1069)
  • Tan Earth (No. 1058)
  • Rubber Black (No. 1039)
  • Sky Grey (No. 1033)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating

Package

Ju 88 WWII USAAF/RAF Bomber
Review Author
Will Kuhrt
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$99.99

ICM continues to manufacturer interesting subjects, and this plane fits that mold. Per Scalemates, this Ju 88 kit is the newest iteration with the first ICM Ju 88 kit appearing in 2015. It was followed by two releases in 2016 with new parts, five Ju 88 kits released in 2018, one in 2019, two in 2022 and 2023 and finally two in 2025.

The standard ICM box lid depicts beautiful artwork of the USAAF version flying over a deep blue sea and islands. Inside the box is a large plastic bag containing seven gray sprues and a separate bag with clear parts. The assembly manual, decals and an ICM painting chart is also provided. The manual has clearly labeled parts and color callouts. There are several mislabeled parts (discussed later). Also, the sprue diagrams only depict two parts which are not used. In reality, there are many more parts that are not used in this kit build due to them being optional. The last page has two full-color painting diagrams of each version (USAAF and RAF).

Cover

HOTOL - Britain's Spaceplane
Book Author(s)
Dan Sharp
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Tempest Books
MSRP
$65.00

Mortons Media Group was established in the 19th century and has been producing book-length publications since the early 2000s. The company established a dedicated books division in 2019, and Mortons Books has already earned a reputation for publishing high-quality titles by authors who are true experts in their field. For the best reads on rail, aviation, nostalgia and history, look no further. This book is part of their imprint: Tempest Books address all aspects of aviation history are covered in authoritative detail. The aviators and aircraft of the Second World War are profiled by our titles alongside more modern fighters, bombers, reconnaissance, and transport aircraft. 'Secret projects' and experimental designs are also an important part of the Tempest Books portfolio.

Box Top

Bristol Beaufort Mk.1A with RAF Pilots
Review Author
Chris Martin
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$107.99

ICM continues their run of “dioramas in a box,” this time by kitting their recently released Bristol Beaufort Mk1A with tropical air filters (Kit 48311) with their RAF bomber and torpedo pilots (Kit 48090).

Background

The Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber entered service with RAF Coastal Command in late 1939. In the spring of 1942 all of Coastal Commands Beauforts were sent to the Mediterranean for use in attacking German convoys that were resupplying the Afrika Korp in North Africa. The high temperatures encountered in this region of the world required the carburetor air intakes to be modified to allow greater air intake.

The Beauforts were initially stationed in Malta, but would later be moved to Egypt and the Pacific and Far East.

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.