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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
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
July 22, 2011
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$29.00

The Panzerkampfwagen II, or Pzkfw. II for short, was a light tank produced as a stop gap measure by the German armaments industry for the German Armed Forces prior to and during the early stages of WW2. What the German High Command really wanted was the more powerfully armed Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks, but German industry found producing the more complex heavier tanks in any meaningful numbers beyond their capacity, at least initially. That said the Pzkfw. II series of light tanks went on to serve with distinction during the initial phases of the War, especially in the Polish and French Campaigns of 1939 and 1940, with nearly 1,900 vehicles of all marks eventually seeing production.

Book Author(s)
Andy Evans
Review Author
Jack Wade
Published on
July 22, 2011
Company
SAM Publications
MSRP
$32.94

This is another fine publication in this now well established series. This reviewer has collected several volumes in the series and this issue is indeed an improvement over earlier volumes in the series and is simply superb. Whereas earlier titles devoted a number of pages to obscure sometimes one-off experimental variants of the subject aircraft type, the more recent volumes have skipped the pedantic overview of the type’s development in favor of more thorough coverage of standard in-service variants including detailed walk around photos and operational history. Another welcome improvement is that this volume is printed in full color.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
July 22, 2011
Company
Platz
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$39.98

The General Atomics MQ-1B (L) Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV that is used mostly by the United States Air Force, but units have also been purchased by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Italian Air Force, and the Royal Air Force. Conceived in the early 1990’s as part of the General Atomics GNAT project, the first MQ-1 flew in 1994, and the aircraft have been in service since 1995. The Predators have been deployed to several locations (mostly classified) in the middle-east as well as Bosnia, Serbia, and some African nations. The aircraft has also been used by civilian organizations for border patrols and scientific studies.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
July 22, 2011
Company
MiniArt
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$26.00

MiniArt has created a lengthy list of structures, vehicles, and “artifacts” that can be used to enhance dioramas or serve as the main components of a diorama. The Goods Shed features an interesting “front” with windows and a large cargo door, with an attached loading platform and stairs. The structure lends itself to placement near a railroad track but can also just as easily be placed near a street or road.

This particular kit also comes with some extra goodies in the box, not shown on the box top or kit plans. Several lengths of “pipe” are provided in case one wishes to depict fuel or water delivery. Window shutters are included, as are parts for street lamps, iron fencing, and detail parts for the structure such as door hinges, a brick chimney, and other odds and ends.

Assembly:

Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
July 22, 2011
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$29.95

Master from Poland has added to their impressive line of Sea Master Series detailed ship gun barrels with this set of main and secondary guns for the Fujimi battleship Fuso. Included in this set are twelve 14” (360 mm) turned stainless steel barrels, and fourteen 6” (150mm) turned brass barrels. Both the brass and steel barrels are precisely tapered, with petite segmentations along the barrel length and at the ends. Each of the barrels has an ever so slightly flared open end.