Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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TSR.2 Air IntakesPublished:
Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS/USA me these review items; these little things make a big difference, and we appreciate it! OK, this is about as simple a review as you can get. These four vents are replacements for the kit items; the new QB vents are already hollowed out, and make a big difference in the appearance of the final product. These vents face backwards, and dump heat overboard. See the scan of the instruction sheet for Items 7F, 8F, 39A and 40A on the upper back of the aircraft. Most of us old school guys use #11 Exacto blades and twirl away, occasionally stabbing ourselves in the fingers, to get hollow intake/exhaust vents. Enter Quickboost! As we have come to expect, a fast one-for-one replacement for the kit items (See the photos… more |
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Mig 23 Intake and Missile RailsPublished:
This build was a perfect storm; From IPMS I received the Mig 23 review items for Zactomodels Mig 23 pylon set, and the seriously improved Intake ramp. I contacted Chris of ZACTOMODEL fame to order missile rails and Aphids; and he sent them on for review. Let’s say it up front: THANKS CHRIS (aka “Zactoman”,) for the cool modeling support items, and providing us these for review. We at IPMS USA appreciate the serious, undying support of distributors like you! First order of business once I learned of my fate in doing aftermarket for a kit I wanted but did not have: I had to buy a Trumpeter Mig 23M. OW! (But it was worth it) Editor's note: No product packaging images were provided.
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Mig 23 Decal SheetsPublished:
For the IPMS build involving various aftermarket parts for the Trumpeter Mig 23, I did not want to do the kit decal markings for the “M”. Therefore, I ordered the Linden Hill Warsaw Pact decal from Linden Hill imports. I told Guy at LHI I was doing the review and he threw in the second sheet (32012) for the ML, MLP, LMA, etc., as flown in Afghanistan and other places. Those will be used in a separate review later. Extreme thanks to Guy at LHI for providing us these items for review. We at IPMS USA appreciate the serious, undying support of distributors like you! I finished the build and proceeded to painting and decals. LHI decals are truly great; they work without setting solutions over gloss, and are accurate. The instructions are particularly well researched, and answer all… more |
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Mig 23 Intake Bypass Doors, and Control SticksPublished:
I received the bypass doors and Control levers from Quickboost via the IPMS lottery for use in my MIG 23 build. THANKS QUICKBOOST for providing us these items for review. We at IPMS USA appreciate your continued support! I started this review with the Quickboost bypass doors; Install the doors in the outer intake duct. All that is required is to remove the mounting lip on the intake, and carefully install them in a partially-open position. Nicely done Quickboost! The control stick is a work of art; three are provided. The three-button stick with the Autopilot “off” paddle is extremely well detailed, and a great improvement over the kit item which doesn’t really look like it should. Final verdict: an excellent effort from Quickboost! |
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Mig 17 Landing gear bays and gear doorsPublished:
The usual thanks go to Aires for providing IPMS USA with yet another great review item. A very simple upgrade to the Hobbyboss Mig 17 kit series; you’ll have to remove the inner details from the kit wings, glue the bay in place on the lower wing interior, and they are done. As to the nose: replace the nose intake splitter/wheel well with the resin item. Nose and main gear doors are also included. It’s worth the cash and time for these parts. Simple modeling skills required; the improvement is seen when the Aires parts are held up next to the kit items. This is a great time to be in the hobby, and Aires had obviously decided they are going to continue to compete for our hard earned paychecks. With sets like this, they are succeeding… well done Aires! |
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Focke Wulf FW-189 A2Published:
Thanks first go to Dragon USA for providing us this excellent new release; Can’t say enough as to how generous our suppliers are who provide these kits, which we at IPMS sincerely appreciate! The Great Wall Hobbies FW189 first hit the shelves last fall/early spring here in the U.S... Previous reviewers in other countries raved about the kit. They were correct… this is a gem of a model. When you open the box, you find five gray runners filled with finely-detailed parts, one extremely clear runner of canopy, armored fascia, and two types of windscreen, hinting at future cannon-armed releases. An excellent photoetch fret is included, with flaps, wiring harness for the engines, gunsights, rudder pedals and seatbelt/harness assemblies. Decals cover two versions, illustrated on a… more |
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F-111E Upper Heyford Decal SheetPublished:
The first order of business: Extreme thanks to Squadron Mail order/MMD for providing IPMS/USA yet another review item. These folks are one of the oldest and most well-known plastic model kit distributors in the world, and we appreciate their providing us with review items! This sheet highlights one of my favorite aircraft; the “Aardvark”, or F-111. Designed for use on the new Hobbyboss kits, it would be equally at home on the Academy versions. The markings on this sheet are for three aircraft of a unit that I used to track while assigned to 17th AF in Sembach, Germany; the 20th FW from Upper Heyford in the UK. They used to fly down and “practice bomb” us on occasion… quite a “free” airshow, and guaranteed to soil your pants if you didn’t see them… more |
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French Dragoon (Napoleonic Wars)Published:
This was a “mom saw it, and I bought it” modeling effort. Here in OKC (the home of Hobby Lobby Corporate) they have a discount outlet for the wedding crowd; and that is where they drop the occasional “model samples”; the store is called the “Basket Mart”…. Depends on when you show up if you get cool stuff. 98% of the time, nothing… but in this case I walked in and instant birthday gift for the horse-loving mother of mine, who just turned 21 this week. (HA!) Ya’ll know I am an aviation/naval/sometimes armor guy. And in this case, I had an opportunity to do something a bit different. Waaaay different. Having visited Waterloo, I was aware of the time period this model represents; Warfare was changing again, and the use of cavalry was still being finessed. This kit represents a… more |
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PD-62-8 Pylon and APU-60-1 Launch RailPublished:
If you have not dealt with “Zactoman”, and you are in to 1/32 Soviet aircraft, visit his website. Your wallet will automatically open… In this case, Chris graciously provided review items. When I built the Trumpeter SU-25 back about three months ago, I noted the outboard pylons were not included in the kit. Serious sadness, as I had never seen an SU-25 without these pylons. The holes for the pylon mounts were in the wing, but the pylons were not on the runners anywhere…. Who could figure out why? Cost cutting over 1/100 of a dime… In steps Chris at Zactomodels. He’s about as crazy about cold war Soviet aircraft as I am… and he has provided a 1 or so-hour solution to the missing pylon. The PD-62-8 Pylon and APU-60-1 launch rail he provides, along with the detail parts to… more |
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G4M Betty Interior Self-AdhesivePublished:
I can’t thank Eduard enough for their support of IPMS USA. We have ample opportunities to review their excellent products, and we reviewers certainly appreciate Eduard’s providing us with the finest photoetch on the planet! (An opinion of this reviewer, but I believe it’s true!) This is a simple conversion to the Tamiya 1/48 Betty kit interior parts. When you hold the basic kit items up with the Eduard upgrade you notice the difference. This set is intended to provide a better instrument panel and engine control cluster in the center console stand, and appropriate seat belts to better define the cockpit interior under Tamiya’s huge clear canopy. There are also several instrument panels for the side walls. As you can see the instrument panel is the star of this set.… more |