Zouave 05

French Zouaves

Wheel detail

AFV Valentine Mk.III w/Rotatrailer

Finished model gunners position

SBD-5 "Battle of Philippines Sea"

Chassis

SAS 1/4 Ton 4x4 Patrol Commander’s Car

Underside assembly

Yakolev UT-3 (3rd Version)

Cockpit

Spitfire IX: The Longest Day - Dual Combo Limited Edition

Model with period railroad vehicle

Railroad Water Crane

T-34/76 front view

T-34/76 Factory 183

PE & Mask

Focke Wulf FW-190A-8

Finished

WW1 US Pioneer Skeleton Tank

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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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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.

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Box Top

F-35A Afterburner Nozzle and Intake/Exhaust Plugs
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
March 27, 2024
Company
Detail & Wonder
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$21.91

Detail and Wonder (D&W) is a new aftermarket company; They currently list The F-35, F-4, and recently the F-16 as target kit improvements for their products, (Tamiya F-35A, Meng F-4E, and Tamiya F-16, which means it will work on the Kinetic copy) producing landing gear with integral Wheels/tires/struts, Exhaust Nozzles, and some intake/exhaust FOD (Foreign Object Damage) prevention plugs. The subject of this review is the F-35 Augmentor Exhaust and intake/exhaust plugs… IPMS USA is grateful to D&W for providing us this set to review!

The packaging is frugal but effective; no parts breakage noted on my set, and opening them revealed one exhaust nozzle and three separate intake/exhaust plug parts encased in protective foam inserts to prevent movement and crushing.

The printer resin is an almost-black color, and the wheels are medium gray.

DW Phantom II Upgrade Set

F-4B Phantom II Landing Gear Upgrade Set and F-4B/C/D Exhaust Nozzles Upgrade Set
Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
March 25, 2024
Company
Warspite Model Company
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$24.00

3D basics: I really fell down the rabbit hole in this respect and very quickly found a whole bunch of information about the ‘art’ of 3D printing and other basics. While I can’t say I’ve mastered anything, I suggest that you consider these URLs as a jumping off point: Tom's 3D for basic information, Plugnplay3D, and 3D Printer Anatomy: 50 parts in 5 minutes (Basics).

Arma Hobby Hurricane MkIIC Jubilee

Hurricane Mk IIC "Jubilee"
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 25, 2024
Company
Arma Hobby
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$64.99

Arma Hobby has produced this kit for its tenth anniversary. Following the successes of its previous 1/48 scale Hurricanes (Mk IIc, Mk IIb, and now a Sea Hurricane Mk IIc), this “Anniversary Special Edition” Mk IIc comes with new parts. The Hurricane Mk IIc differs from the Mk IIb with the armament being four 20mm Hispano cannons instead of twelve .303 Browning machine guns.

From the Arma Hobby Website:

At the beginning of November, Arma Hobby celebrates its 10th anniversary! On this occasion, for modelers, we have prepared a special, jam-packed anniversary model kit - Hurricane IIC "Jubilee" in 1/48 scale.

This is a set with marking schemes from Operation "Jubilee" - the Allied Dieppe landing, with a box filled with a full set of 3D-printed resin accessories. This unique kit is released in a small, limited series for the 10th anniversary of Arma Hobby and will not be reissued!

Book Cover

Battle for Grozny Volume 1: Prelude and the Way to the City, 1994
Book Author(s)
Efim Sandler
Review Author
Will Kuhrt
Published on
March 23, 2024
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This well-researched book, The Battle for Grozny Volume 1, is part of the Europe at War Series, which contains 46 titles to date. The author, Efram Sandler was born in the former Soviet Union and is a former combat veteran of the Israeli Defense Force Armored Corp. He has authored or co-authored eight books of this amazing series.

In the mid-1990s, the south-central region of the former Soviet Union was in turmoil. The Republic of Ichkeria had declared independence and influence from Chechnya was growing stronger. The Kremlin and Boris Yeltsin, Russian President from 1991-1999, grew increasingly concerned over controlling oil and gas pipelines, which Dzhokhar Dudadev, leader of Chechen opposition, had seized. Yeltsin eventually launched a large-scale military operation on December 9, 1994.

Package

F-104G J-79 Exhaust Nozzles
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 21, 2024
Company
Fab Scale
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.99

These J-79 Exhaust Nozzles (for the Kinetic Kit No. 48083 primarily, and K48090 and K48093, and most likely any F-104 Starfighter that utilized the J-79 General Electric axial-flow turbojet engine) are a recent release by Chinese manufacturer Fab Scale. Fab Scale’s online presence is hard to find with the provided QR codes stating that the site can’t be reached). The same is for the supplier, Warspite Model Company. It is a shame as this three-piece exhaust nozzle set is exquisite!

The sturdy box protects the three pieces, each in their own protective Ziplock pouch. The instructions are the box art which shows the arrangement of the three parts. Removal of the 3D supports with a razor saw is easy and, after a quick wash, ready for assembly.