In Process

IA-58 Pucara

Right side view

German Soldier-Bicyclist, 1939-1942

Finished Left Rear

T-34/85 "No. 112 Factory Production"

15

Royal Class MiG-15 Quattro Combo

Completed left side

World of Tanks Cromwell

Trees 2

Lysander Mk. III Profipack

Underside

St. Chamond Late Type French Heavy Tank

front radiator

Jaguar XJR-9 IMSA (Daytona Type) Limited Edition

Rear

Bristol F.2B Fighter (ProfiPack edition)

Left Side

French Light Tank AMX-13

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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.

Box Art

Sd.Kfz.181 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E Tiger I Mid Production w/Zimmerit s.Pz.Abt.506 Eastern Front 1944
Review Author
Max Welliver
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$68.99

This is Dragon’s eighth and latest release of the Pz. Kpfw. VI Tiger 1. The kit contains many parts, great detail and a nice finished product. It is a re-box of Dragon’s 6700 Tiger 1 released in 2014.

A lot of the sprues have unused parts from the 6700 kit, as well as some other kits. The Zimmerit looks very realistic and there are many other goodies in the build.

Opening the Box

The sturdy Dragon box is filled to the top with parts, and is quite heavy. Each sprue comes in a plastic bag grouped with similar parts. Looking closer at the parts, they are highly detailed with molded weld seems, and molded Zimmerit.

The contents of the box include:

Box Top

Hasegawa F-22 Raptor "Ace Combat Mobius 1" Egg Plane
Review Author
Craig Gregory
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
Grade A Large
MSRP
$24.99

This is my sixth Eggplane and the second review of the Hasegawa Eggplane Series. As I mentioned before, they assemble quickly and are generally well engineered. This kit is no exception. I always attempt to try one new technique or skill on each of my builds; I wanted to practice a camouflage paint scheme. Also from experience I know that large decals are hard to get to conform to the typical Eggplanes contours. Therefore, I decided not to use any decals to for the darkest tone of the camouflage pattern,

I started by painting the engine exhausts (A2). I airbrushed them with a base coat of Tamiya XF-24 Dark Gray. I masked the center saw tooth band of the exhausts with Bare Metal Foil and painted the two remaining bands Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluminum. After the paint had dried over night I masked the entire painted outer surfaces of the exhausts with Bare Metal Foil in preparation for assembly.

Front Cover

Cross & Cockade International Spring 2017 Volume 48/1
Book Author(s)
Managing Editor: Mick Davis
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Cross & Cockade International
MSRP
$33.70

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Spring 2017, features a photograph of a single bay Sopwith 2FR2 Bulldog. The rear cover features three color profiles of aircraft in the Castellorizo, and the Loss of HMS Ben-my-Chree article. If you check out the web site link above, you can get additional sample pics of the current issue.

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front.

Product packaging

Me 262B-1/U1 Landing Gear
Review Author
Timothy Gidcumb
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$18.95

Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Scale Aircraft Conversions

SAC has made an adaptation of the Me 262B-1/U-1 landing gear in white metal for the 1/32 Revell kit. The set contains the two main gear legs with oleo scissors and retraction struts. The main gear leg, its retraction strut, and its mount are also part of the set. I have seen photos of some 262s with an oleo scissor on the nose gear strut, but apparently, the B model did not have it. These are direct replacements for the parts that come in the Revell Me262B-1/U-1. Comparing the kit landing gear and the SAC landing gear side by side you will notice a lot of similarities between the two. Overall this is highly recommended for stronger landing gear especially since the 262 had tricycle landing gear and the nose will be weighted to keep the model from sitting on its tail. This is a great addition to the Revell kit.

Book cover

Flying the Icon: Spitfire

Book Author(s)
Jarrod Cotter
Review Author
Timothy Gidcumb
Published on
Company
Fighting High Publishers
MSRP
$37.60

Description

The Supermarine Spitfire is not only one of the most famous British icons, but it is arguably the most widely-recognized and popular aircraft in the history of aviation. For many generations, it was said to be ‘every schoolboy’s dream’ to fly a Spitfire, and Flying the Icon: Spitfire aims to give the reader an insight into what that requires.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the first flight of Prototype K5054 on 5 March 1936, author Jarrod Cotter presents something entirely different from the previously published histories of the Spitfire. Having spent a great deal of time talking to Spitfire pilots past and present, attending flight operations briefings and Spitfire pilot training courses, he has used his ‘insider’s’ perspective to produce a book solely on flying this most iconic of all fighters.