F-22 Nozzles

Published: May 24, 2022
Company: Aires Hobby Models

A huge “thanks!” to our friends at Aires; they continue to provide IPMS USA with plenty of review opportunities for upgrades to our favorite aircraft…!

This is a simple conversion to the Hasegawa kit parts. Included are augmenter burner cans, turbine faces with integral mounting pegs to fit the Hasegawa kit, flameholders in photoetch, and the nozzles themselves. Instructions are clear… more

IJN "Tone", Heavy Cruiser with "Jake" Seaplanes

Published: January 24, 2011
Company: Tamiya

Thanks once again to Stevens International for providing IPMS with yet another review kit. Without your support (and our purchasing the items) companies like Tamiya could not continue to provide us with new, interesting kits to build!

The Tamiya “Tone” arrived in a very long box. It was the same size box as a battleship kit would be; think 1980’s “Bismark”. I dove in and was… more

Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot A

Published: January 5, 2011
Company: Trumpeter

First comment

Thanks to Stevens once again for providing yet another superlative Trumpeter kit for IPMS to review. The best we can do for appreciation is to buy kits they offer; and this one is worth every dime! I’ll go on record as saying this was the best Trumpeter kit I’ve built.

On the porch

“Hey, that’s a big box”. It’s also a heavy box. Postman is rolling… more

Metal Landing Gear for E-2C Hawkeye

Published: December 19, 2010
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

I have heard some ask “Why pay for landing gear that’s already in a kit?” The simple reason to use SAC gear comes down to basic physics: Metal gear makes for a robust structure that doesn’t fail under the weight of a model. Resin models are where metal gear is required (but sometimes not provided); on large plastic models, this requirement is particularly noticeable on aircraft with offset… more

Me 163S "Habich" Two-seat Trainer Glider

Published: October 9, 2021
Company: Pavla Models

First, thanks to Pavla for first producing and then providing this kit to IPMS/USA for review; your excellent products continue to amaze me!

This is an extremely simple kit; yet it has complexity in the fact that it is a limited production item and therefore has ejection pin towers for cleanup. Fortunately these are all on the inside of the kit parts… it also has extremely small… more

F-102 Cockpit and Landing Gear Wells

Published: November 3, 2021
Company: Aires Hobby Models

Continuing the build of F-102’s: Having just built the Encore F-102A, I had offered my services to build one of my stash Revell/Monogram F-102A kits around these Aires items. They are simple upgrades, with major appearance improvements. Aires continues to set an almost unbeatable standard for detail. Their fit has improved greatly over the years, and once complete, you have a work of art at… more

F-5E Alconbury Gomers

Published: May 24, 2022
Company: Twobobs Aviation Graphics

Once again, aircraft from “My era”, the early 1980’s, are starting to appear on decal sheets. RAF Alconbury was a busy place; Not only for the RF-4C’s that were stationed there, but the U-2R (TR-1 at the time) was a common sight. And in between all that activity, the dart-shaped F-5E’s of the 527^th Aggressor squadron claimed AR as home. They were frequently deployed to other… more

BMP-3 MICV Early Version

Published: October 18, 2010
Company: Trumpeter

Thanks first to Stevens International for providing this kit. Once again, we are blessed with excellent review opportunities through their gracious provision!

I am an occasional armor modeler. Having built BMP 1 and 2 versions from DML many years ago, I was interested in what Trumpeter have provided. Let's move on to the build and see…

When you open the box you are greeted by… more

F-16I Sufa Cockpit Set

Published: October 15, 2010
Company: Aires Hobby Models

This upgrade provides excellent cast cockpit tubs, instrument coamings, and ACES II ejection seats. Included are side controllers; the control sticks are molded into the side panels. Score high there; no disappearing act on the joystick or those throttle levers while trying to attach them to the panels. Detail is unmatched on the resin. The photoetch fret contains all the myriad little bits… more

English Electric Lightning Ejection seat, Exhausts, and Wheel Wells

Published: October 13, 2010
Company: Aires Hobby Models

The first thing: Thanks once again to AIRES for providing IPMS/USA with these remarkable detail items! Your support is most welcome… we truly appreciate it!

I first saw a Lightning at RAF Mildenhall’s Air Fete 1984. I had been on station for less than a month, and was in modelers’s heaven, Canon AE-1 in hand. USAFE was a true force with fighters everywhere, and the RAF… more