Pat Villarreal
Reviews By Author
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"Fighters of Operation Rutter" DecalsPublished:
Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the fighters of WWII Operation Rutter. Planes represented are three Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb’s and one Hawker Hurricane Mk. II. This 1/48th scale decal sheet covers four schemes:
In the PackageThere is one decal sheet provided with all the individual markings for each airplane and this includes the roundels. General aircraft… more |
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P-51D Details, Flaps, and Photo EtchPublished:
Brengun has released a detail set for the P-51D Mustang in 1/144th scale. Kit manufacturers recommend are Platz, Eduard, and Bego (all from the same mold). In the BoxThis detail set will provide enough material for two complete Mustangs and consist of parts for the cockpit, wheel wells, and wing flaps. To bond these parts during installation will require CA (Super Glue). The resin parts will replace the flaps, cockpit yoke, and gunsight. The photo-etched parts will add detail to the cockpit floor, side panels, instrument panel, seat belts, and underwing interior of the wheel wells. For flap installation, some surgery will be needed to remove the kit’s flaps so cutting tools like a razor saw or similar will be needed. Conclusions… more |
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Marston Mat, WWII US Landing MatPublished:
ICM has released a new 1/72nd scale WWII US Marston Mat (aka PSP, Perforated Steel Plate). The molded plastic has great recessed detail and all you need to do is apply the paint. In the Box The base is made from injected light gray styrene, and the molded detail quality is very fine for 1/72nd scale. Size is 2.5 X 5 inches (63.5 X 127 mm). Four plates of the mat are included. If glued side-by-side, a mat of 10 X 5 inches can be obtained. The parts are wrapped in a single plastic bag and encased in a very sturdy cardboard box. A slipcover fits over the box and has a painted close-up of what the mat should look like. The instructions are for a 1/35th scale Marston Mat set but you get the general idea but at smaller scale. The painting… more |
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USMC F-4J Phantom II "VMFA-333 Fighting Shamrocks", Part 2Published:
Review ProcessThis is a box stock build with no aftermarket products used during the assembly process. From Part 1, we move on to painting and final assembly. Surface primer was applied using Mr. Surfacer 1500 White, which was heavily thinned with Mr. Surfacer Leveling Thinner. A 4:1 mixing ratio allowed for a lighter coat of primer while not filling in some of the shallow recessed details. After a day of drying, the underside was airbrushed with Tamiya XF-2 White with a little gray added to make it an off-white color. The upper surfaces were then painted Tamiya XF-80 Royal Light Gray, which, in my opinion, looks like Light Gull Gray (FS16440). The aft exhaust area was then masked and airbrushed with Alclad Steel. To add the vertical striations, I cut Tamiya tape into… more |
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USMC F-4J Phantom II "VMFA-333 Fighting Shamrocks", Part 1Published:
Academy has released a re-boxing of their 1/48 scale F-4J Phantom II, this time with markings for VMFA-333 “Fighting Shamrocks” and VMFA-232 “Red Devils”. The first boxing of the Academy “J” variant was in 2014, and this re-boxing was produced in 2024. In the BoxThe kit is enclosed in a sturdy box and each sprue is enclosed in its own plastic bag, except for the ones that are doubled up, primarily the ordnance. The sprues are injected in three colors (gray, white, and black) and one clear sprue for the windscreen, canopy, and light parts. Instructions are well-illustrated and easy to follow, containing 17 steps for assembly completion. It is worth noting that on the last page (parts location diagram) in the bottom right corner, in very small print, is a list of… more |
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Yak 1/7/9/3 Wing Fuel GaugesPublished:
Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps with a 1/48th scale detail set for the Yak 1/3/7/9 wing fuel gauges. This is a generic set that will work on any Yak 1/3/7/9 airplane kit. In the PackageThe fuel gauge detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched fret. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it. Assembly is required to install the bezel to the gauge face, and you will need to reference the instructions to determine the correct gauge for a particular Yak variant. I would also recommend adding a drop Clear Gloss (like Future or clear UV resin) on the gauge once the bezel is installed to give it a glassed in look. ConclusionsOverall, this is a nice detail… more |
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J2M3 Raiden Instrument PanelPublished:
Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a 1/72nd scale instrument panel for the J2M3 Raiden that will fit the Hasegawa, A-Model, and Sword kits. In the PackageThe instrument panel detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched instrument panel already assembled and one PE etched sheet for cockpit side panels. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it. ConclusionsOverall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your J2M3 Raiden instrument panel. The close-up picture shows off the very small detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing. I want to thank Yahu Models for providing the J2M3 Raiden instrument panel set and IPMS/… more |
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Fw-190D Instrument PanelPublished:
Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps with a 1/72nd scale instrument panel detail set for the Fw-190D that will fit into the Tamiya, AZ, and IGB kits. This set also includes photo-etch (PE) details for the side instrument panels and seat warning placard. In the PackageThe instrument panel (IP) detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with two photoetched IPs already assembled and one PE etched sheet for side panels and a seat warning placard. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it. ConclusionOverall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your Fw-190D instrument panel in 72nd scale. The close-up picture shows off the minute detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity… more |
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DeHavilland Mosquito Landing Gear (1/72)Published:
Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a set of 1/72nd scale metal landing gear for the Airfix DH Mosquito B.XVI/PR.XVI kits. These parts are drop-in replacements and provide a more robust landing gear set given its metal properties. In the PackageThe metal pieces are packaged in a clear blister package with cardboard backing. There are no instructions. Review ProcessThe metal landing gear set is used as drop-in replacements for parts F1, F36, and F37 for the under wing gear and G1 and G18 for the tail wheel. The kit’s remaining plastic parts are needed to complete the rest of the landing gear assembly. The metal used is malleable and has some give to allow for any minor bending that may be needed, since there is some… more |
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P-39 Airacobra Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a set of 1/48th scale metal landing gear for Arma Hobby’s P-39 Airacobra kits. These parts are drop-in replacements and provide a more robust landing gear set given its metal properties. In The PackageThe metal pieces are packaged in a clear blister package with cardboard backing. There are no instructions. Review ProcessThe metal landing gear set is used as a drop-in replacement for parts A13, A20, A21, and B66. You will need to use plastic kit parts A33 (nose strut) and B48 (oleo torsion arms) to complete the landing gear assembly. The metal used is malleable and has some give to allow for any minor bending that may be needed since there is some slight deformation when… more |