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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
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Furball Aero-Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.99

Furball; a dogfighters’ term for a fighter-themed modeling company. We sincerely appreciate Furball Aero-Design’s support of IPMS USA and their providing one more of their great products for review. And thanks to the reviewer corps leaders for sending this set to me to review!

Everyone who loves to mask flaps and slats on white-belly marked F-14’s, raise your hands. (Not you, Scott, I know you hate Navy stuff and won’t touch them). Long story there...

Anyway, for the other hundreds who didn’t raise your hands and laboriously mask off the white slats and flaps on your Tomcats with bits of masking tape and swearing profusely, Furball has a simple solution: This very fine vinyl mask set!

To use: assemble Tamiya’s F-14 wings, and do all your prep work (seams, etc). Stick the wings on a holding fixture (I found the kit runners had some candidates), then primer with white.

Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$54.99

Airfix has a long tradition of packaging kits into gift sets. This tradition continues with the release of the Bomber Command Gift Set. As you can see from the box, profits go to an RAF charity. They have blended their ground support set with a Lancaster Bomber, making for a Bomber Command gift set. I have had the opportunity over the past several years to review the newer kits that Airfix is releasing, and I have been very pleased with their choice of subjects, improved instructions, and ease of assembly. This continues with this gift set. Airfix usually adds some extras to their gift sets. This gift set includes little plastic bottles of Humbrol paint that correspond to the painting instructions. It also has two little tubes of plastic cement. Having never used Airfix cement, in spite of its smell, I certainly like it better than the traditional Testors plastic cement.

Book Author(s)
Neil Thornton
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$35.00

Neil Thornton’s book takes a fresh look at one of the most famous battles in British history, that being the battle that took place at Rorke’s Drift on January 22-23, 1879. Author Thornton indicates, in the book’s title, that it presents a new perspective to a very well-known and documented engagement.

Thornton puts forward a new narrative based upon a significant quantity of documentation, reasonable and logical conjecture upon some aspects of the defense of Rorke’s Drift, and in so doing, points to the conduct of John Chard VC, 5th Company Royal Engineers, as not only exemplary but one of the most important factors in the successful defense of the brief, but ferocious fighting between the Zulu army and the British Soldiers.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
David Doyle Books
MSRP
$22.95

The book explores the history of both the Kubelwagen and the Schwimmwagen in photos.

The visual history series of book mixes rare and visual stunning archival imagery with pictures of restored vehicles.

The book has some extremely interesting and diverse photos of both vehicles. A number of photos that I had never seen before made this a very fascinating book. I could spend hours looking at the pictures that are worth a million words! There are some wonderful pictures showing captured versions – idea for model inspiration.

The pictures depict many versions of the vehicles and there is some very detailed walk around photos included. The close up pictures are great at showing the details of the vehicles.

I whole heartily recommend this book to everyone with an interest in these vehicles; it has great reference photos. It is a great book for modelers.

I look forward greatly to others in the series, especially if they are by David Doyle.