Vickers Valiant BK. Mk 1

Published: July 9, 2011
Company: Airfix

Airfix. This iconic manufacturer that has come and gone, and returned throughout the years; they have returned under the support of Hornby, a well-established, forward thinking company, delivering what can only be described as world class kits. Reasonably priced, detailed far better than the old days, and coming back with models we have asked for; In this case, we have yet another example of what Airfix/Hornby can do; the Valiant! I have walked around underneath the surviving Valiant back in 1984 when visiting IWM Hendon, and it is a lot bigger than it looks in model form!

Included are 142 parts molded in medium gray plastic and clear. The overall texture is perfect for any of the required finishing options, and engraving is set so that after a coat of paint, it will still be… more

Airbus A330-200

Published: June 27, 2011
Company: Dragon Models

A huge “thanks!” to Alain at Dragon for providing IPMS/USA this kit. I was under the impression this would be a review of one of their famous 1/400 prebuild die-cast models… WRONG! This was a full-fledged build! This is the first of their new series of model aircraft which are to be built, not pre-made with Tampo markings…

Nobody does this scale like Dragon… Impressive off the bat; on to the model…

First: This is not just one model in a box; there are two A330’s in there! And markings for two, in this case “Air China”. Very colorful, and complex. Try painting that by hand, those of you who brag at being brush painters! In the box are two aircraft, one in-flight stand, and a set of landing gear. Now: if you have not experienced true microscopic modeling, try one of these… more

P-38 propeller and Spinner (with jig)

Published: June 23, 2011
Company: Quickboost

Thanks once again to Quickboost, and Aires Hobby Models for providing IPMS USA review items; more cool stuff for us!

This is a “well-then” item for me. I wondered why, and learned soon. Enclosed in the upgrade are propellers, spinners, and a jig to make sure the props are properly aligned. This is a cool set, and here’s why: in the side-by side pictures, you will note the kit items have a split spinner, with front and back parts. The props are ok, but could use a bit of “tweaking”. These are ok if you don’t mind a seam through where the props attach. I’ve built a few of these kits, and always had a bit of filler required to finish the spinner.

Enter Quickboost… filler no more! Remove the pour cast on the back by careful sanding, use the prop jig to mark and drill a hole on… more

SU-24M Fencer D Air Scoop

Published: June 23, 2011
Company: Quickboost

Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS USA review items; they have become quite prolific in output!

As usual, Quickboost provides a fast one-for-one replacement for the kit item, in this case the dorsal intake on the SU-24. A very visible item, the kit intake is a two-part box, and is “OK” out of the box; it uses the fuselage as its lower floor... Quick boost steps up and improves, providing an intake that has a more refined, rounded intake, and an exhaust section with the lower “floor” incorporated, which when carefully removed from the pour stub fits right in place of the kit items; it even has the locating tabs to make it easy.

I’ve heard some people ask “why” on other forums concerning Quickboost parts... In this case, having built the kit before, they just… more

H-13H Helicopter 2'n 1

Published: June 21, 2011
Company: Revell

One more excellent re- release from Revell; the copyright date is 1994 on this one, and I remember being able to purchase it for about the same price as it is being offered today. Thanks to Revell for providing IPMS USA this review item and the opportunity to build this kit again without collector prices!

This is a basic kit; originally released as a MASH bird, with a co-release of the MASH cast in another kit, targeted for the TV audiences. It is an accurate 1/32 kit of a late H-13; earlier versions had a single flat tank with non-tip weighted main rotor blades… Later ones had more power, twin fuel tanks, and weighted rotors to maintain rotor energy during autorotation. Up front, this is not a simple build.

The “2 in 1” theme refers to the options; gunship, medivac, and… more

De Havilland Mosquito FB VI Instrument panel

Published: June 9, 2011
Company: Airscale Model Aircraft Enhancements

Thanks first to Airscale for providing IPMS USA this product sample…. We sincerely appreciate it!

This is a simple, yet effective upgrade for the huge Airfix Mosquito. Consisting of a small set of instrument and panel decals, and an acetate sheet, the instructions guide you through installation. I unfortunately had sold my Mossie before this upgrade showed up; last week! (The postmark showed Dave Morrissette had put it in the mail back in March!). Lost in transit; a first for me. Guess I’ll be buying another Mossie… Because this would be an excellent upgrade to an already noteworthy kit.

If you have not viewed one of these instrument panel decals up close, let me warn you; addiction is a nice word. Absolutely a fantastic idea; the kit decals in the basic 1/24 Airfix… more

AIM-9X Missiles

Published: June 9, 2011
Company: Zactomodels

Thanks once again to Chris for providing IPMS USA more of his excellent products; in this case, a brace of modern snakes!

The AIM-9X program has been yet another joint effort (Navy/AF) intended to provide better weapons to our warfighters. The AIM-9 series is one of the more effective close-in weapons; it’s notoriously accurate, and usually does the job better than radar guided weapons. Of course, you are in a knife fight at this point if you must use these missiles, so effective and accurate are both pluses. The AIM-9X is the latest generation Sidewinder; it is tied in to helmet-cuing sight technology, and goes where the pilot is looking. It’s an excellent follow-on to the AIM -9L (Lima) and -9M (Mike)… both which have extremely successful history as lethal close-in air-to-… more

F-102A Delta Daggers Case XX Wings

Published: June 2, 2011
Company: Squadron Products

Squadron Products/MMD have partnered with Cartograf in providing us with four more new F-102 Decal sheets to go with their previously released Encore F-102 Case XX wing release of the (1992) Monogram F-102 kit. (In case you don’t know, the earlier Case X wing had squared-off ailerons and a “kink” to the wing… The Case XX wing has the curved leading edge which goes out to the extreme edge of the wing, and a diagonal extension of the ailerons. The previously released Monogram/Revell kits had the Case X wing, and the Encore and Promodeller releases had the Case XX wings…) Hats off to MMD for providing us these decal sheets!

I won’t go into model construction here; the decals are the stars! I opted to use the 57^th FIS markings from Keflavik for this build. The decals:… more

Lightning F6 Cockpit Set

Published: May 26, 2011
Company: Aires Hobby Models

Thanks once again to Aires for providing IPMS/USA the opportunity to review yet one more of their excellent cockpit sets.

Included are 10 resin parts for the cockpit tub, seat, instrument panel, and a control stick; there are also a couple smaller resin parts to represent the whiskey compass on the forward canopy framing. A photoetch fret is included to provide realistic seat harness components, including buckles, etc.

This is a simple and effective way to upgrade your standard Trumpeter 1/32^nd scale Lighting F6 cockpit. While the kit item is ok, this upgrade provides icing on the cake. Having previously reviewed a Quickboost Lightning seat with the seat and belts already cast on the seat, this one took a bit longer as I had to fabricate the belts. I used… more

RAF and British Commonwealth Fighter Pilot Mid-late WWII

Published: May 16, 2011
Company: Master Details

I don’t normally go for installing figures in my models; however, after this one, I may change my stripes and do so more frequently.

First

Thanks to master Details for providing this excellent product to us. It was quite a pleasant diversion from just slappin’ together plastic… and an excellent addition to most WWII British kits!

What You Get

A torso, four different arms, and two legs in resin. And four different heads in white metal, along with an oxygen mask and hose for separate parts. One head with goggles down and no mask, one with goggles up and mask in place, one with mask and goggles in place, and one with mask in place, goggles up. The flight gear is for non-tropical situations, i.e. standard European issue. This is a mid-to-late war flight… more