Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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F-100 Metal Landing GearPublished:
First, the usual “thank you greatly” to SAC for providing this set to IPMS USA. We appreciate the continual, long-term support from this manufacturer, and it’s always a good day when a package arrives from SAC HQ. This metal gear is exactly what SAC says it is; an improved version of the kit gear. From their website: “The Trumpeter main gear is too long. Our set corrects this problem. Also, we recommend the modeler purchase a set of ResKit wheels because they have much better detail and they lower the model by an additional 1 mm”. Out of the box, the kit has two different landing gear options; Plastic gear parts for a standard build, incorporating brake lines and other details, (which will begin to fail over time), and a cast- steel copy of the… more |
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DO-217N-1 Instrument PanelPublished:
I wish to express extreme gratitude to Yahu models for providing IPMS/USA with this release. Yahu has a history (since 2013!) of providing exceptional aftermarket Instrument panels at a reasonable price, and we appreciate their support! Designed for ICM’s 1/48 DO-217N-1 model, Yahu’s instrument panel and associated radio tuning faces make an excellent upgrade for a world-class model. I had not built any of ICM’s Dorniers until this set showed up, and the fact everything was a perfect fit into the existing kit parts made the experience even more pleasurable. Yahu’s set adds the additional bits required for an excellent upgrade out of the package. Yahu, unlike other companies, assembles their instrument panels for the modeler. Not that I don’t mind modeling using PE, but Yahu… more |
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Warpaint Series No. 143, "Boeing B-29 and B-50 Superfortress"Published:
A big “thanks” to the distributors at Guideline Publications for providing IPMS USA with this excellent book on the B-29/B-50 series aircraft. We fully appreciate your support! Written in the now-familiar Warpaint series format, this 115-page book contains a wealth of information. Comprised of 13 chapters with 12 tables of data and myriad photos, this is a considerable effort with much reading in store. That’s a personal affection of mine, where the written word adds much to the copious colour and black and white images contained therein. Using words enforces and supports the images, providing history and education for someone who may not be familiar with Boeing’s Superfortress family. I am not a fan of two-page pictures and lots of white space with few type space descriptions, a… more |
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F-100 Units of USAFEPublished:
A big “thanks” to the distributors Casemate Publishing for providing IPMS USA this compact encyclopedia of the first fully-supersonic fighter in Europe with the United States Air Force. We fully appreciate your support! This book is not to be overlooked by anyone who has even a fleeting interest in “Hun” operations in Europe. It is a definitive work in that the time period addressed was one of Cold war operations before USAFE congealed into the large force on the continent and UK most of those associate with the 1970-90 time period. Libya was a major training location for F-100 operations, and as the aircraft were phased out to be replaced with more modern tools of aerial warfare, so too were the continually changing political fields of potential conflict. Composed of 12… more |
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Douglas A2D-1 SkysharkPublished:
I am constantly impressed with companies in the Ukraine who still produce under the extreme situation of kinetic war. Clear Prop is not the first model I have purchased from them, and the kits have been, without question, some of the finest available on the planet. The Skyshark is one of those… I consider it an honor to review this kit, and express extreme gratitude to them for providing IPMS USA with this new release. The Skyshark, as a prototype aircraft, eventually succumbed to fiscal and technical pressures, (there’s that old “jet aircraft” thing with it’s fuel guzzling at the time) and has always been a fascinating subject to me. The counter rotating board-shaped propellers, centerline thrust twin engines, and the promise of carrying even more than it’s extremely successful… more |
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F-35A Landing Gear for TamiyaPublished:
Detail and Wonder is a new aftermarket company; they currently list The F-35 (Tamiya), F-4 (Meng), and recently the F-16 heavyweight (for later F-16C variants, Tamiya and by default, Kinetic) as target improvements for their products, producing landing gear with integral Wheels/tires/struts, Exhaust Nozzles, and some intake/exhaust FOD (Foreign Object Damage) prevention plugs. The subject of this review is the F-35A landing gear set; IPMS USA appreciates D&W providing us this set for review! The packaging is frugal but effective; no parts breakage was noted on my set, and opening them revealed three strut assemblies encased in protective foam inserts to prevent movement and crushing.Included in the box are two main gear struts, two main gear brake and oleo assemblies, a nose… more |
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F-35A Afterburner Nozzle and Intake/Exhaust PlugsPublished:
Detail and Wonder (D&W) is a new aftermarket company; They currently list The F-35, F-4, and recently the F-16 as target kit improvements for their products, (Tamiya F-35A, Meng F-4E, and Tamiya F-16, which means it will work on the Kinetic copy) producing landing gear with integral Wheels/tires/struts, Exhaust Nozzles, and some intake/exhaust FOD (Foreign Object Damage) prevention plugs. The subject of this review is the F-35 Augmentor Exhaust and intake/exhaust plugs… IPMS USA is grateful to D&W for providing us this set to review! The packaging is frugal but effective; no parts breakage noted on my set, and opening them revealed one exhaust nozzle and three separate intake/exhaust plug parts encased in protective foam inserts to prevent movement and crushing. The… more |
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AH-1G Cobra 'Over Vietnam with M-35 Gun System' (HI-TECH)Published:
It has been an honor to review Special Hobby’s new AH-1G kit, and hereby express extreme thanks to them for providing IPMS USA with this new release. We continue to be fortunate with their ongoing support of the reviewer corps! Special Hobby continues to provide subjects avoided by others… as a business model, this ensures they continue to exist and thrive on the concept of “do what others can’t or won’t”. (Note: the Air Force Reserve unit here in Oklahoma has always had “SH” as their Fighter unit tail marking, meaning what everyone should know it does. In the case of this review as a transplant Okie I shall use SH as an abbreviation for Special Hobby, intending it to mean “S-Hot” in their case for untouchable ability and a quality product) SH’s Huey… more |
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H-21 Upgrade for Italeri KitPublished:
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 thought “great, I can finally build the small version (Having the 1/48 model sitting in the box, I made a big assumption. 1/48 and 1/72 do not mathematically convert into equals. “why is this set of screens for the transmission and engine cooling intake too small when held up to the 1/48 model?” Stupid reviewer. Brengun, I sincerely apologize, you don’t get one of my fantastic, non… more |
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F-18G GrowlerPublished:
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 the negative. I purposefully did not read any reviews on the model from either company before beginning. This will be a simple review. First: the model was disappointing in that fit was either excellent (fuselage nose) or “sketchy” (intakes, wing root, ECM pods and the wing tip pods). I decided to save my expensive (what isn’t anymore) filler and jut build the model as if I were a… more |