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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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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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Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
July 23, 2016
Company
Moebius Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$32.49

Moebius has followed up on their previous release of the 1965 Plymouth Satellite earlier this year with the Belvedere I, the economy priced B- Body. Referred to as a B-Pillar (“post”) vs. the B-Pillarless Satellite (“hardtop”), the low end Belvedere I was the basis of many a drag race car in the 1960’s, either in the super stock or altered wheel base classes. The kit is not a factory stock car as purchased off the dealer lot, nor the extremely rare A-990 super stock cars. As Moebius Kit Designer / Project Manager Dave Metzner said, the kit is meant “to represent the kind of Belvedere Sedan you'd see at a cruise night these days”. (For those awaiting a super stock drag car, stay tuned for the next version with a Hemi 426 engine.) This kit includes a very nice replica of the dual carb cross ram 426 Max Wedge engine or you can build the engine as a 426 cubic inch Commando V8.

Book Author(s)
Leroy Thompson
Review Author
Jim Stratton
Published on
July 22, 2016
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$20.00

This is the forty sixth volume in the Weapon series. This volume deals solely with the 45 cal. M3 sub machine gun, which was commonly called “The Grease Gun” because of its resemblance to the mechanics grease gun familiar to so many young men in the army. It has also been called Americas Sten Gun because like its British counterpart it was designed to be made with stamped metal welded together. This simple design made it really cheap to manufacture with a net cost of $33.33 to the government. It is hard to believe that this weapon was used by the military for almost 50 years.

This 80 page paperback book is full of pictures and illustrations. Both B&W and color. There is a picture or image on practically every page. The full color illustrations are in the fine detail that the Osprey books are known for. The five chapters cover the development, use and impact of the M3 “Grease Gun”. There is an extensive bibliography for additional resources for research.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
July 22, 2016
Company
Videoaviation
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$11.05

The Mark 82 serMK82 AIR is a 500 pound bomb modified with a BSU-49/B high drag tail assembly. The "ballute" air bag which deploys from the tail provides a high speed, low altitude delivery capability by quickly slowing the bomb and allowing the aircraft to escape the blast pattern. The tail assembly consists of a low-drag canister unit containing a ballute (combination balloon and parachute), and a release lanyard assembly that opens the canister releasing the ballute. The ballute assembly is made from high strength low porosity nylon fabric. When the bomb is released from the aircraft a lanyard unlatches the back cover which opens, releasing part of the nylon bag/retarder. Air turbulence at the rear of the bomb acts on that portion of the retarder, pulling the remainder out of the housing. Ram air inflation is accomplished through four air inlet ports toward the aft end of the ballute.

Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
July 21, 2016
Company
Lifelike Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.00

Likelike Decals from Japan just released a few new sheets, and this one covers the P-47D Thunderbolt. Having just reviewed the Mustang sheet released at the same time, you will find some similar comments in this review!

This is yet another example of Lifelike providing a comprehensive set of contents in a standard Ziploc decal bag. Along with a full color placement guide, there is one full page of decals, printed by Microscale, that contains most of the individual markings and a full set of stencils. There is an additional ½ page, also printed by Microscale, containing at least two sets of national insignia (including the oversized stars and bars common on the underside of both wings of some P-47s). Finally, there is a small third sheet, printed by Cartograf, that contains the personal insignia for each aircraft.

The 3 markings options are:

Book Author(s)
Erik Simonsen
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
July 20, 2016
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$44.95

Over the past 30 years Californian Erik Simonsen has worked as a manager and director of communications in the aerospace industry. An avid aviation photographer since the 1960s, Erik also has an intense interest in astronomy and has served as a planetarium director and program manager. Honing skills acquired from a graphics and fine arts background, his blending of aviation photography with special effects techniques has delivered eye-catching imagery. Erik Simonsen’s photography has been featured in corporate advertising and various aerospace-related magazines including, Aerospace America, Air Force Magazine, Aviation Week & Space Technology and Flight international. A member of the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP), American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Air Force Association (AFA), U.S. Naval Institute (USNI), The Planetary Society, and Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).