F3H Demon - Digital Volume 1

Published: June 10, 2014
Company: Detail & Scale, Inc.

Thank you to Bert Kinzey and Rock Roszak for bringing back a tremendous resource for the modeler, and introducing a new digital format. Thank you to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to test out this new and exciting way of researching the F3H Demon.

Overview

This review of an exciting new format of a familiar product will take two parts, 1) content coverage and 2) how effective and useful the digital e-book format is from a modeler’s perspective. I certainly would expect the first question a reader would ask is, "Why do I want an e-book format?" I like reading through traditional books as much as anyone else, with the page-by-page discovery of storyline or new information. I also have tons of books in my library, mostly residing on stoic-… more

F4F Pilot Standing with Parachute

Published: April 28, 2014
Company: Plusmodel

Thanks to Plus Model for sending this elegant aftermarket pilot figure for review, and thank you IPMS Reviewer Corps for letting me review it! I am very appreciative of the chance to contribute back to the scale-modeling community.

The pilot figure and parachute arrived in a 4 inch x 6 inch clear blister pack with the parts protected by a soft foam insert. A very nice color drawing of a USN pilot in flight gear is included, providing a great painting reference. The parts are crisply molded in gray resin with pour stubs conveniently located for holding during painting and nearly-effortless subsequent removal. The equipment and facial expression details are very well-defined. The standing pilot is wearing a standard parachute harness, goggles-up on helmet with headphones, oxygen… more

US Cold War Aircraft Carriers

Published: April 22, 2014
Book Author(s): Brad Elward, illustrated by Paul Wright
Company: Osprey Publishing

Thank you very much to the wonderful folks at Osprey Publishing for providing this new publication for review. Thanks are also due to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to explore a wonderful documentation and fascinating historical description of the earliest super carriers.

On opening the book you will find 48 glossy pages filled with text, 30 color photos, 11 black-and-white photos, 2 black-and-white drawings, and 7 color painting and diagrams. The softcover binding is 9.75 x 7.25 inches and a little less than a quarter-inch thick, with a color photo of the U.S.S America off the starboard bow. In 8 chapters, Mr. Elward provides a brief historical introduction explaining the roots of these early super carriers, and focuses on the Forrestal, Kitty Hawk and… more

Type 214 Class Submarine

Published: April 6, 2014
Company: Wolfpack Design

Thank you to the great folks at Model Rectifier (MRC) for providing this review kit. I appreciate your hard work bringing new products to the scale modeling community. Wolfpack Designs continues to bring forth a wealth of innovative aftermarket products and new kits. I am deeply appreciative of the IPMS Reviewer Corps crew. Their untiring efforts are often overlooked, but those efforts are critical to the success of the program.

The Type 214 class submarine is a German export version that is popular with many countries. This kit fills a nice spot in my 1:350 submarine collection, providing a nice contrast with the Typhoon and Ohio examples. A retired submarine officer told me that this particular class can have a very interesting tactical role in force… more

Area 51 Black Jets

Published: September 10, 2021
Book Author(s): Bill Yenne
Company: Zenith Press

Thank you very much to Nichole at Quayside Publishing Group, the parent corporation of Zenith Press for providing this book for review. Thanks are also due to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to explore a wonderful documentation and fascinating historical description. Author Bill Yenne has struck an excellent balance of historical facts and data woven together in a great story. I found the entire book to be engaging at all times. The book is not just a valuable reference; it is a great read as well. I remember building the Testors F-19 stealth fighter a long time ago when it first came out. I was disappointed when the F-117 Nighthawk became public a few years later, but after reading this book and seeing prototype photos I believe that Testors was not as… more

V-22 Osprey Landing Gear (Ita)

Published: March 23, 2014
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Many thanks to Mr. Ross MacMillan of Scale Aircraft Conversions and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to try this neat conversion and replacement set for the Italeri V-22. I am delighted to report on another sweet add-on.

The 5 white-metal parts arrived in a blister pack, backed by the distinctive SAC company logo. The heft of the parts is very noticeable. The main and nose gear mounts were loose in the package and the two retractor arms were attached to a metal sprue. The struts are polished and require little buffing and cleanup. The gear struts of the V-22 kit are directly replaced with the SAC parts. The main mount actuators are included and provide a nice bit of flexibility when installing the main mounts in the gear well. The arms fit into small holes in the wheel… more

Gloster Meteor MK 4

Published: March 7, 2014
Company: HK Models Co.

Mr. Neil Yan and the wonderful folks at HK Models deserve tremendous thanks for providing this review kit. I appreciate their work to bring new and unusual subjects to the scale modeling community. The IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps also deserves thanks for giving me the kit to review. I am only one member of a large staff in the Reviewer Corps, and I appreciate all the tireless team and individual work that goes into getting the material out to be reviewed and the finished write-ups published.

The Meteor appeared late in WW2 as a counter to the V-1 threat to England. It was the first operational Allied jet fighter, operated primarily by the RAF throughout its history. The design of the Meteor might seem primitive by today’s standards, but it truly was groundbreaking at the time. Many… more

PBM-5A Mariner

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Minicraft Model Kits

The wonderful folks at Minicraft Models deserve tremendous thanks for providing this review kit. I appreciate their work to bring new and unusual subjects to the scale modeling community. The IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps also deserves thanks for giving me the kit to review. I am only one member of a large staff in the Reviewer Corps, and I appreciate all the tireless team and individual work that goes into getting the material out to be reviewed and the finished write-ups published.

The Martin PBM-5A Mariner was a gull wing, twin-engine flying boat operated primarily by the U. S. Navy during WWII. The Mariner operated alongside its better known sister flying boat, the PBY Catalina. The PBM-5A was a tricycle amphibian, with prominent nose, dorsal and tail gun turrets, fixed wing… more

PBM-5A Mariner Metal Landing Gear

Published: February 19, 2014
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Many thanks to Mr. Ross MacMillan of Scale Aircraft Conversions and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to try this neat conversion and replacement set for the Minicraft PBM-5A. I am delighted to report on another sweet add-on.

The seven white-metal parts arrive in a blister pack, backed by the distinctive SAC company logo. The parts have a very noticeable heft. The main and nose gear mounts are loose in the package and the four retractor arms are attached to a metal sprue. The struts are nicely polished, and require little buffing and cleanup. The gear struts of the Minicraft PBM-5A are directly replaced with the SAC parts. The main mount actuators are included, and provide a nice bit of flexibility when installing the main mounts in the gear well. The arms fit into small… more

US Navy Albatross, Early Types

Published: February 6, 2014
Company: Caracal Models

Caracal Models has created an excellent decal set featuring numerous colorful US Navy schemes for Trumpeter's HU-16A Albatoss kit. This decal set also address the biggest deficiency in the Trumpeter kit, the absence of walkway decals. The three decal sheets included in the set are printed by Cartograf, and are accompanied by a color glossy eight-page placement and painting guide. Suggested paints are given in FS numbers. The decal colors are opaque and appear to match the FS equivalents accurately when compared to fan deck chips. The decals are just thick enough, going on easily without tearing and hugging down to the surface quite nicely using Microscale setting solutions. All marking were in perfect registration.

Six different marking options are provided, but there are only… more