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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Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
October 2, 2016
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$7.50

The master metalworker of Poland, Piotr, just keeps cranking these things out… THANKS VERY MUCH for sending IPMS USA another of your growing line of turned metal Pitot tubes, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on to me to review….

This is the now-expected, much improved upgrade to the kit plastic. Consisting of 1 metal pitot tube and a radome adaptor directly replacing the kit pitot probe, this is an easy addition to improve the longevity of your kits’ appearance… The usual warning about being careful with the needle-like probe applies.

The Mirage III pitot tube is a multiple- angle, different diameter item; look at the finished product to get what I am saying. There is just no way for us mortals to turn a needle into a tube looking like this with the boundary-layer differences of the actual item. It’s really interesting how this all works, but that’s a physics lesson for others to teach.

Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
January 9, 2022
Company
Advanced Modeling
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$11.99

This is the second Russian exhaust nozzle set made by Advanced Modeling that I have reviewed. AMG 72023 provides eight resin pieces that will make two AL-31F exhaust nozzles used in the Su-27 family. The castings are very delicate with very fine details that are better than any plastic Su-27 exhaust nozzles made. Fabrication is very simple, I started by using a razor saw to remove the casting plugs and cleaning the cut edges with a sanding stick. I then pre-painted the inside surfaces and placed part RP03, the afterburner ring into part RP04, the aft exhaust body using superglue to attach the two.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
September 28, 2016
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

THANKS VERY MUCH to our friends at Eduard for providing IPMS USA another of your huge line of resin aftermarket kit improvements, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on to me to review….

This is a simple upgrade to the kit plastic that makes a HUGE difference in the blood pressure of the builder. The Hasegaga GR7 and 9 kits’ Harrier hot and cool air exhaust duct nozzles are molded in halves, with an almost-impossible-to-fill centerline assembly seam. These Brassin nozzles come complete as single-cast, seamless ducts with all the appropriate depth and detail we have come to expect from Brassin. The nozzle vanes themselves are EXTREMELY thin and look like the real thing.

Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
September 28, 2016
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$16.50

The Fw-200 was an all-metal four-engine airplane that was originally designed as an airliner. As war broke out, it was modified for use for long-range maritime patrol, reconnaissance and as an anti-shipping patrol bomber in addition to a transport. Revell has modeled this airplane twice in 1/72 scale but recently Trumpeter has added the airplane to their line-up. The Trumpeter kit is a great improvement on the Revell kits in both detail and accuracy, but as always Aires/Quickboost has found some areas to improve the kit.

This set consists of new control surfaces; ailerons, elevators and the rudder. The kit parts for the ailerons and the rudder each consist of two parts that must be glued together. The replacement parts are single items eliminating the glue step. More importantly, the kit parts feature severe surface detailing showing construction details. The replacement parts feature a more subtle version of the construction.

Book Author(s)
Lieuwe De Vries
Review Author
Mike Lamm
Published on
September 28, 2016
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$24.00

The latest title in the “Spot On” series published by Mushroom Model Publications focuses on a variety of special camouflage schemes featured on F-104 Starfighters from around the world. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-engine, supersonic jet interceptor developed for the U.S. Air Force in the late 1950s. The plane was remarkable for its speed and set a number of word records; however, it was more notable for its controversial safety record and the Lockheed bribery scandal. Despite these misgivings, the F-104 family of planes was flown by U.S. pilots into the mid-70s, and with more than a dozen countries around the world until 2004, when Italy retired the last of their F-104S planes.