H-21 Upgrade for Italeri Kit

Published: December 3, 2023
Company: Brengun

THANKS to Brengun for providing more of their expansive line for us IPMS reviewers to address. For the Detail hounds, AMS, whatever among us, Brengun continues to provide really cool items for us to use. And this set holds great promise to upgrade the venerable 1/72 Italeri kit.

Notice I said 1/72. When I was digging through the “Review stash” to see where I could help, I saw this and… more

F-18G Growler

Published: November 21, 2023
Company: Platz

I opted to try this kit knowing full well it was Italeri plastic with Cartograph decals and Platz boxing - with their instructions.

The box has a great image of a real F-18G on the front When you open the box you find gray plastic with clear for the canopy and taxi lights. Cartograph decals (yay!) and a very well-laid-out instruction manual from Platz. (yay!) The Italeri plastic was… more

F-14A VF-111 "Sundowners" Decals

Published: November 8, 2023
Company: HAD Models

Thanks to HAD (based in Budapest, Hungary) for sending IPMS/USA this decal sheet. This was the first time I have used their products and I was impressed. When I went to their website, I noticed the Digital Camo products as well. The web site lists many different decal sets for other aircraft and is worth visiting.

The decals I volunteered to work are for the popular “Good Golly Miss… more

Nine Lives of the Flying Tiger (Asia at War series #43)

Published: September 30, 2023
Book Author(s): Albert Grandolini &Marc Koelich
Company: Helion & Company

Here is the overview from Casemate’s website:

The famed American Volunteer Group (AVG) created in August 1941, under the command of Claire Lee Chennault set an example of heroism for the American public opinion at the onset of the Second World War. This band of volunteer aviators serving under the Chinese Government tried to stem the tide of the Japanese onslaught… more

Cross and Cockade, “the Journal of the Great War Aviation Society, Spring 2023 Vol. 54/1 Magazine

Published: July 15, 2023
Book Author(s): Editorial Staff
Company: Cross & Cockade International

First, I must express sincere appreciation to the editors of Cross and Cockade; IPMS USA sincerely appreciate your provision of a great read.

I decided since I am closet WWI interest-type individual, (when Stationed in Germany I visited Verdun at least 10 times…) I might as well do some reading on “The Great War”.

The society itself has developed a large following (based on… more

A-24 Banshee

Published: July 9, 2023
Company: Brengun

UP FRONT thanks to Brengun for sending us this Gem… This kit is a re-release of Brengun’s earlier Dauntless. The A-24 was used by the Army Air Force in several theaters of operation, and pretty well seems to have been as successful in operation there as in Blue water conflict. (Midway anyone?).

Total time in work: 3 hours over a week including paint and decals. NO filler.

The… more

Travis Air Force Based USAF’S Transport Superbase in action

Published: May 11, 2023
Book Author(s): Scott Cuong Tran & Nick Tran
Company: Key Publishing Ltd

First, thanks very much to Casemate Publishing for providing IPMS USA a copy of this well formatted and image-rich minigraph. We appreciate the opportunity to review this book!

Travis AFB almost 30 years ago, (’93-‘]96) was one of my frequent TDY locations while overseeing the KC-10 fleet as the KC-10 Maintenance Chief for Air Mobility Command. Lots of great memories in working that… more

Soviet Pilot with Ejection Seat for Mig 19 Farmer

Published: May 11, 2023
Company: Aires Hobby Models

First the usual “thank you very much” to Aires for providing us another of their excellent resin items for review. We at IPMS USA truly appreciate your support…

This is a simple set for Trumpeters’ Mig-19 “Farmer”, in that the kit seat does not provide a figure for those of us who actually use them for scale and human factor in a kit. Consisting of five molded resin items (torso with… more

P-51D Clear Vacuum Canopy (Platz/Eduard Kit)

Published: April 12, 2023
Company: Brengun

So, we have a 1/144 Mustang out there from Platz/Eduard, and an interior detail set from Eduard as well, available on in their own release. The canopy on the basic kit is closed, and within the limits of thickness which can be successfully injected. It fits and looks nice (and the Eduard kit has a masking set to go with it.

Insane? Yep. But an open cockpit requires an open canopy.… more

Phoenix Aviation Modelling International

Published: April 12, 2023
Book Author(s): David Francis (Editor)
Andy Evans (managing Editor)
Company: Phoenix Scale Publications

With retirement, I have of course had to seriously curtail spending, and as such, just personally had opportunity to read and learn of this magazine by obtaining it from our reviewer corps. I had read a few kerfluffles online about jealous rivals, and this was an opportunity to find out exactly what this new Mag was about. For Simplicity, I am using PAMI as an abbreviated form of the magazine… more