Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
|
P-61 Corrected Cowling, Propellers, and Engine DetailsPublished:
Thanks go first to Squadron Products for supporting IPMS/USA with these review items; without the support of our model companies, we would all be carving wood again. This accessory set contains two new cowls with corrected front opening, two sets of propellers, and engine gear box fronts with magnetos and control mechanisms. The price is right for what you get, too! First, the propellers are exactly the same as those I reviewed earlier for the Revell/Monogram P-61 kit. The spinner contains prop hub mount detail, and the props themselves are all separate; the propeller mounting bosses fit tightly within the spinner/hub area. Just be careful to set the pitch and prop run-out and you’ll have no problems. Center-drill a hole for the prop shaft, and they are complete. … more |
|
F-104 Pitot TubePublished:
Thanks very much to Iwona and Piotr at Master Model for providing us this review item. IPMS/USA is always excited to have high-quality products show up in our mailbox. Look at the picture and tell me I can say anything that will add to what you see. This is just an amazing little item; one turned brass F-104 pitot tube. Next to the kit injected item, it looks less chunky, is far stronger than plastic, and adds more than a little to the final product. It makes the kit pitot look like a wooden 2 x 4! I have purchased a bunch of these things, for not only the F-104 but other century series birds as well. They are that good! I rate this as higher than 10, as I can’t come close to this level of machine work. Thanks once again to Master Model for this item, keep them coming!… more |
|
F-15C “Eifel Eagles”Published:
32-061 $25.00 First, sincere appreciation to our friends at Twobobs Decals for providing IPMS/USA these review items. These sheets provided impetus for me to finally properly build an F-15 from one of my old units. Twobobs have consistently filled a niche for decals previously unavailable from other sources. Enclosed within the standard protective plastic sleeve are three decal sheets to mark F-15Cs from the 36th TFW at Bitburg AB, Germany accurately. Although this base is now closed, it used to be the hub of F-15 operations within central Germany. In my former life in the USAF, from 1988 through 1990, I was the F-15 Weapon System Maintenance Manager at 17th AF at Sembach AB, GE; we had to provide daily tracking and status of all our jets, as the “Cold… more |
|
P-61 Propellers and SpinnersPublished:
First, thanks once again to Gary at Squadron for providing IPMS/USA yet another review item. We count on the support of many companies, small and large; Squadron has survived just about every trial and tribulation imaginable for a business while continuing to provide excellent service and products! With Squadron having branched out into the aftermarket genre over the past few years, their in-house products continue to improve in quality. Such is the case with these propeller and spinner assemblies. The Revell/Monogram (RM) P-61 was, at the time of its release in 1974, a market-setter for detail. In many ways, it still is, but the kit propellers have a difficult-to-remove seam between the front and rear spinner halves, and there is no propeller mounting boss detail as is… more |
|
UH-1B HueyPublished:
Thanks once again to our friends at Revell for re-releasing the largest static Huey model kit once again and providing IPMS/USA a copy to review! We certainly appreciate the opportunity… A bit of history: This kit is a re-release of the former Monogram 1/24th UH-1B “Visible Huey.” Originally released in 1970, it is said supposedly to have been a one-time run due to low sales. That’s sad, because it’s a really great kit of a great aircraft, and the operating features actually worked well. I have provided pictures of my built-up visible Huey next to the new release version for those of you who have not seen one. (It is not for sale, and many parts shown are NOT in the review kit….I provide these pictures for comparison only). I’ve seen these go for over $600 as collector items.… more |
|
He-111 SA Interior, Harness, Bomb Bay SetsPublished:
First, exceptional thanks to our friends at Eduard and Jan Zdiarsky for providing IPMS/USA the bomb bay and interior to review! (I had already purchased the seat harness.) The really nice thing about Eduard PE is that their sets address minor appearance issues inherent in plastic kits. Resin is frequently an expensive option, and in 1/32nd scale, can be extremely… more |
|
SB2C-4 HelldiverPublished:
First, exceptional thanks to our friends at Revell for re-releasing “the Beast” and providing IPMS/USA a copy to review! This kit is a re-release of the former Monogram “Promodeller” Helldiver, originally issued in 1997. When you open the box, the only difference between then and now is that the molds have been around a bit longer, the instruction sheet is different, the decals are different, and the copyright mark on the underside of the elevator says “China.” One thing I noted was there were a few rough flash edges on the clear parts for the canopy; other than that, the kit is flash and sinkmark free. This is a fairly straightforward build; both cockpits’ interior detail is bountiful, and careful painting and dry brushing provides an appropriately busy appearance. The… more |
|
MiG-23 Afterburner Section (Open)Published:
Thank you to David Lajer at Aires for this review item (I don’t know if he did the work on this one, but it is beyond amazing…I hate the expression “Awesome”… too fluffy for something as utilitarian as an afterburner, but this is just a great set!). If you have ever had the chance to poke your head up the tailpipe of a MiG-23, you would be amazed at the complexity of the afterburner on that engine. Now, take that same thought, shrink down an actual engine to 1/32nd scale, and you would have this kit. Really. With this review, all I have to do is place the unpainted parts next to each other. The gray semi-detailed parts are the Trumpeter kit items; the well-detailed, yellowish resin parts (which are actually light gray but that’s photography for ya) are patently obvious… more |
|
F-16C Falcon Block 50/52 Cockpit SetPublished:
Once again a hearty “Thank you” goes to David Lajer at Aires for this review item. This is a simple cockpit upgrade, intended to be used on the Kinetic kit. Unfortunately, I thought this was for the Tamiya kit, but I am certain it can be used in either one; I have no Kinetic single-seat Block 50 kit, and no access to one, so I decided to build it in the “press on” mode, with intent to use it in my next Tamiya F-16. The cockpit tub is what we have come to expect from Aires - superlative! Detail abounds, and careful painting yields an excellent canvas for the rest of the model. Switches, hoses, and actuators are all included, and the control stick is molded on the sidewall, preventing the usual fiddling around we experience when installing such items. With careful… more |
|
Yak-38 Forger Aftermarket SetsPublished:
First, THANKS goes to David Lajer at Aires for these review items! Aires is a long-time supporter and provider, and we at IPMS USA appreciate this working relationship (…and thanks also to Steve and Dave for allowing me to review the cool stuff!).
Each of these small additions greatly improves what I feel is an already stellar kit. The Yak-38A was one of those aircraft in the cold war that did not receive much attention. It had the usual high accident rates for vertical takeoff jet-powered aircraft, but in the end it worked… and had really… more |