Right rear

Toyota AB Phaeton

Tail booms

de Havilland Vampire FB.5

Engine tulip

Arado 234b

Insert between front and back- perfect

F-14D Tomcat, Part 2 - Airframe and Weapon Construction

Build up 1

German Soldier-Bicyclist, 1939-1942

Forward Engine detail

Do335 A-0 Pfeil - Fuselage and Wing Build, Part 2

Completed kit

US Diamond T 969A Wrecker

Sprue C

Soviet JS-4 Heavy Tank

Nose Gear Detail

McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II, Part 1

Top and fighting compartment

British Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun Archer

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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.

Front cover

Tiger Tank Owners' Workshop Manual
Book Author(s)
David Fletcher
Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
July 5, 2011
Company
Zenith Press
MSRP
$28.00

When people discuss World War II armor certain tanks come to mind for the main combatants. For the United States it would be the Sherman tank, for the Soviet Union it would be the T-34 tank and for Germany the Tiger tank would come to symbolize that country’s armor might. The fame of the Tiger tank far exceeded the number produced or fielded. Certainly, for the average GI Joe the Tiger tank invoked a feeling of trepidation, so much that any German tank they met became the dreaded Tiger tank.

Zenith Press has produced a book that is a fine collection of articles written by experts of the Tank Museum at Bovington.

Covering the Tiger tank in general this book also covers in detail the restoration and return to operation of the Tiger tank “131” that resides at the Tank Museum. We have ten chapters of information to process so let’s begin.

Panther Ausf. A Late Production, "Black Knight"
Review Author
Robert Folden
Published on
July 4, 2011
Company
Cyber-Hobby
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$41.95

“Die Erzählung des Schwarzen Ritters”, translated as The Story of the Black Knights, is a popular comic book series set in WWII. The series follows Oberleutnant Ernst von Bauer and his 8th Tank Company known as the Black Knights. The series begins in the fall of 1943 on the Eastern Front, and follows the unit through the end of the war as they change vehicles several times (the unit uses Panthers, Panzer IVs, StuG IIIs, and even Jadgpanzers). The Panther A enters the story early on, after the unit loses their Panzer IV’s in a battle with the Soviets. By luck, they find several Panther A’s and fight back, repelling the “Reds”.

Box Art

Sd.Kfz 222 Leichte Panzerspahwagen
Review Author
Robert Folden
Published on
July 4, 2011
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$21.00

Dragon’s 1/72 scale line of Armor Pro models has become the standard by which all 1/72 armor kits are gauged. Dragon’s detail in such a small scale, including photo-etched detail, is what makes modelers flock to the local hobby shops to get the latest in the Armor Pro series.

Dragon’s newest addition to this series is the Sd.Kfz 222 Leichte Panzerspahwagen. Dragon has released this little WWII German Armored scout car in a 1+1 pack, similar to their 1/72 Humvee series. The box contains two complete kits, photo-etched parts, decals, and a single instruction sheet with color paint guides. The molding is clean with crisp detail and Dragon has done their best to hide injector marks and sprue attachment points.

Parts in kitset

Typhoon Mk.1B Gun Bay

Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
July 4, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$21.50

The Product:

The Aires set arrived in the standard blister pack we all have come to recognize. Secured in place with a small foam block accompanied with the familiar blue instruction sheet, the resin parts are highly detailed and somewhat delicate. My sample was flawless and bubble free. The set contains parts for both gun bays including the guns, ammo cans, feed chutes and multi part cover doors.

The Bottom line:

Front cover

World's Fastest Four Engine Piston-Powered Aircraft, Story Of The Republic XR-12 Rainbow
Book Author(s)
Michael Machat
Review Author
Phil Pignataro
Published on
July 3, 2011
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$32.95

The Republic Rainbow has been a long-time favorite aircraft of mine. I grew up on Long Island, not far from Farmingdale where Republic is located, and my father worked there for twenty-five years. Even without that close association, I would still appreciate the sleek lines and tremendous performance of this machine. Mike Machat with his new hardcover book puts a spotlight on post-war aviation and on this interesting aircraft.