What's New

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$92.99

ICM has been releasing quality kits, figure sets, and recently paints to support their vast library of releases. This one is a mouthful- the G917T Truppenluftschutzwagen, a 3-ton truck with a 2cm Flak 38 in the bed. This was an effective weapon for closeup air defense but could also target lightly armored ground threats as well.

What’s Inside the Box

You get essentially two kits in one with six light gray and one clear sprue for the truck and 5 light gray sprues for the flak 38. The truck sprues should look familiar as they share a lineage with kit # 35413 from 2013. Details are pretty crisp, although there are ejector sink marks on the bottom surface of the truck bed and inside some of the cab details. There are two decal sheets- one for the flak 38 and one for the two schemes for the truck.

Book Author(s)
Stefan Draminski
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.34

This is a nice compact publication filled with scale drawings of the various versions of the Ta-152. Accompanying these drawings are six color profiles and one over/under color profile. A nice edition is a decal sheet for two different Ta-152s in 1/48 and 1/72.

This is a nice, inexpensive book detailing the specifications and differences between the model C and model H variants. The addition of decals in two of the major scales is a genuinely nice touch. I can recommend this to anyone with an interest in Focke-Wulf aircraft. I thank Kagero for the review item and IPMS/USA for the opportunity.

Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.15

This book, covering the SBD Douglas Dauntless, is #13 (of 19 published to date) of a reference series devoted to famous WWII aircraft. It is published by Kagero Publishing (Poland). The book begins with excellent WWII era black and white cockpit pictures of the pilot's cockpit, though there are no pictures of the gunner's area. Next comes 4 pages of color paintings of a US Navy SBD-3 (USS Yorktown, Battle of Midway 1942), a USAAF A-24B, two late 1940's French navy SBD-5s, a US Navy SBD-5 (USS Lexington, 1945), a Mexican AF SBD-5 (1944), and finally a yellow wings US Marine SBD-1(1940).

Review Author
Phillip Cavender
Published on
Company
Yahu Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$6.99

Introduction to Yahu

Founded in Poland in 2013, Yahu Model is well-known for their high-quality, pre-painted photo-etched instrument panels. They offer a range of other products as well, including seatbelts, cockpit detail sets, and various enhancements for aircraft and vehicles.

About the Photo-Etch Set

The YML3504 set replicates the Scammell Pioneer’s dashboard and includes the winch placard. With pre-colored details, it makes achieving a realistic look straightforward and easy.

Comparison to the Actual Dashboard

This set provides an excellent representation of the actual Scammell Pioneer dashboard, capturing the look and layout with remarkable accuracy. While the package placard indicates compatibility with both IBG and Thunder Models kits, research and reference checks reveal that the panel is undersized for the Thunder Models dashboard and does not provide a proper fit.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Special Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$36.00

Special Hobby has provided the 1/72nd scale DeHavilland 98 Mosquito NF Mk. XXX “Night Predator” for review. The Mk. XXX was the first night fighter Mosquito variant with Merlin two-stage compressor engines.

Looking at Scalemates.com, this is a brand-new mold for 2025. The decal sheet represents six markings for the following:

Book Author(s)
Holger Müller
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

I thought the Chinese Chengdu J-7 was a copy of the Soviet MiG-21 (even the NATO names are similar with Fishcan and Fishbed, respectively). This was but the first of many misconceptions put to rest by author Holger Müller. As stated in the Introduction,

The development of the Chinese MiG-21 derivatives is not only an interesting technological history in itself, but also reflects the changes in the politics of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on a smaller scale: from its alliance with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to rapprochement with the West and the PRC’s own path of state capitalism.

Review Author
Phillip Cavender
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$74.99

The following excerpt is taken from ICM’s product website.

The unregulated growth and oversaturation of the United States [stock] market led to the Great Depression, beginning with the October 1929 stock market crash. This economic crisis fueled a rise in banditry, with bank robberies becoming particularly notorious. These crimes were made more effective by gangsters’ use of automobiles. As one analyst observed in the 1920s: “Cars and good roads have dramatically increased certain types of crime. We now see a new kind of automobile bandit who relies entirely on a car—whether robbing banks, breaking into homes, or mugging pedestrians.” The criminals’ success was further enhanced by Thompson submachine guns, which boasted rapid-fire capability, and earned the nickname “Tommy gun.” Notably, these weapons cost around 200 dollars – “about half the price of a Ford Model A automobile.”

Book Author(s)
Carlo Cestra
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$49.00

This is part of a series of books by Kagero on warships and I have a few of these and are truly indispensable when building a model of the subject matter. I was glad I got to review this book now as I am in the middle of building the Very Fire 1/350 Deluxe Edition and it was invaluable in helping with the Photo Etch and finals details on the build.

This book goings into great detail via illustrations of the Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship Yamato as it was in 1945.

The book is lavishly illustrated and includes a few 3D drawings, many of which are stunning.

The illustrations give so much details as one could wish for as a modeler or history buff.

I cannot recommend this book enough as its gives as much details as available on Yamato. Thank you to IPMS USA and Kagero for allowing me to review this great book.

Review Author
Jason Boggans
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$179.99

Box Art / Packaging

The ICM Wehrmacht self-propelled AA vehicles is delivered in the usual rigid box and all 3 kits are tightly packed. No loose parts were present and all kits were presented with no flash and insignificant sink marks, I did notice though that some of the parts were especially fragile, this caused me some build issues later on. The clear parts were well formed and fit nicely and no PE is present for this kit. Decals were supplied for each kit though understandably there were very few.

The Kits

Upon opening and examination there is some confusion as to exactly what is what within. This is a re-boxing of sorts with all 3 of these kits being individually available under separate SKU numbers. It is not especially difficult to identify which is which kit-wise, however the bagged kits do not match in all cases the SKU numbers called out on the instructions.

Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
Company
Stirlingkit
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$49.99

StirlingKit is a manufacturer/supplier of high-quality scale model kits, ranging from propellor, jet and automotive engine types. They cater to modelers ranging from beginners and kids, to advanced builders.This model was based off the Rolls-Royce Trent-900, high bypass turbofan engine currently used on the Airbus A380 and A350. The model was primarily designed for kids (under supervision) with an interest in jet engines and aviation. It was motorized and contained a rechargeable battery embedded within the stand. A USB cord was included to charge the battery.

This is the first IPMS/USA review of a StirlingKit model. Included below are links to the product, Turbofan engine kits, the official website and a 12% discount code for all of their products:

Product link: https://bit.ly/47Cmb94