Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Steven J. Corvi
Published on
March 15, 2023
Company
David Doyle Books
MSRP
$24.99

The author is David Doyle who is an American writer on historic military vehicles, aircraft, hardware and warships. He has written over 100 books published by various publishers. He also sells books through his own website. He has published through Schiffer publications on numerous occasions. David Doyle books can be purchased directly from the author!

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 15, 2023
Company
Tru-Color Paint
MSRP
$42.95

Rick Galazzo and Scott Cohen started Tru-Color Paint in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008, based on their experience in formulating paint for the commercial market. They reformulated the former Accupaint formulas and created this paint line. It is refreshing to see that in today’s day and age with model kits and supplies moving overseas, that these paints are made in the USA. They have five paint lines including automotive, aircraft, naval and military colors, including many sets to make a project easier by having all the colors in one box. Another huge bonus for me is that Scott Cohen wrote a personal letter explaining the paints for review, a request for new paint color suggestions, and genuinely supporting modelers and IPMS. Based on all this, I was eager to try these paints for myself.

Book Author(s)
Jon Diamond
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 14, 2023
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$34.95

The Battles of El Alamein were critical in the fight for North Africa and had the potential to change the course of the war. The German war machine was at the zenith of its power, with Britain and Russia absorbing defeats as they fell back on their lines. When the opportunity to review this book was presented, I jumped on it for several reasons: the history of this crucial campaign, the Images of War series’ reputation and Jon Diamond as the author. It promised to be a powerful book – and it delivered!

Book Author(s)
Sebastian Piechowiak
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 14, 2023
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter held several world record “firsts” in 1958: airspeed, altitude, time-to-climb, and becoming the first aircraft to hold all three simultaneously. It was also the first aircraft to be equipped with the M61 Vulcan autocannon, the first production aircraft to achieve Mach 2, and the first aircraft to reach an altitude of 100,000 ft after taking off under its own power. With all these records, it lasted a brief time with the USAF (until 1969 in the USAF and 1975 with Air National Guard). It did; however, serve with distinction with fifteen countries during the Cold War. It was built to intercept, hit with missiles, and run. Born during the end of the Korean War, it was the first aircraft to hit twice the speed of sound with pilot Joe Ozier flying a FY-104A (serial number 55-2955).

Review Author
Will Kuhrt
Published on
March 13, 2023
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$19.95

The Zoukei-Mura 1/32 Henschel Hs 129 B-2/RIII was first released in 2019. A new tool version of a Hs 129-B3 was released in 2022.

This SAC landing gear kit is formed of white metal and has excellent detail, as is customary with all SAC products. There are a total of 16 parts. Very little clean up is necessary. There is no visible flash on any of the pieces. After detaching, a light sanding of the spurs is all that is needed. Prior to priming and painting, it is recommended to wash the parts in a mild dish detergent solution to remove any mold release, finger oils, etc.

This replacement set is very nicely detailed and for a large kit such as the Hs 129 B-2RIII, it is an excellent way to increase the sturdiness of your model. I highly recommend this replacement set.

Thank you to Scale Aircraft Conversions for supplying this sample, and thank you for IPMS for the privilege to review it.

Review Author
Will Kuhrt
Published on
March 13, 2023
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/18
MSRP
$24.95

The BBI 1/18 F/A-18 Hornet is a fully-painted and detailed plastic display model and belongs to the “Elite Force” family of products. This is not a traditional plastic model kit nor is it a toy. These are prepared display models intended for the serious collector.

This SAC landing gear kit is a replacement for the BBI Hornet’s main landing gear. Because the canopy, all control surfaces and the landing gear are all functional-you can extend and retract the landing gear—they are prone to breaking.

This replacement set is very sturdy and for the scale, it has good basic detail.

Thank you to Scale Aircraft Conversions for supplying this sample, and thank you for IPMS for the privilege to review it.

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 13, 2023
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$26.95

Ian Baxter is a prolific author and has an impressive collection of photographs, many unpublished previously. The book follows the familiar Images of War format with brief introductions for each chapter followed by a lot of photographs to tell the story. After reading Ian’s book on Heinrich Himmler, the Architect of the Holocaust, I wanted to read, and learn more, about the mass deportation of some 438,000 Hungarian Jews. Ian Baxter did not disappoint. He illustrated how the Nazi final solution had become even more efficient and brutal in 1944 after the Hungarian change in government at the behest of the Germans. The Hungarian Jews, who until that time, were temporarily protected, were now open to joining their Jewish neighbors throughout Europe. Operation Höss was named after Rudolph Höss, the longest serving commandant of the Auschwitz camp system from 4 May 1940 to November 1943.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
March 7, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$9.30

This set is designed to provide replacement engine nozzles for Revell’s 1/72 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Dauntless kits. The package includes two complete nozzle sets consisting of the flameholder section, the exhaust tube and the nozzle.

As expected with Brengun, the resin parts are well cast and sharply detailed and are intended to be a complete replacement for the kit’ engines. As with any resin set, the first set is to wash the parts to remove and release agent residue. I then used a razor saw to remove the parts from the casting stubs. I have always struggled with this step as I can never quite seem to keep the blade straight all the way through, so I end up having to do some remedial sanding to even the parts up after removal.

Book Author(s)
Dariusz Paduch
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
March 7, 2023
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$37.00

Based in Central Europe Kagero Publishing House is the biggest publisher and exporter of English-written publications about military history, release nearly 60 titles every year. Kagero was founded in 1995, and began by delivering military titles in Polish. Their success led Kagero to start releasing books in English in 1998. Authors from Poland, Canada, USA, Australia and Great Britain, who were invited to cooperation, gave a beginning to a new range of products, which have put them on a position of one of the most recognized publishers on the market. Kagero has released more than 550 publications. Kagero is managed by Damian Majsak and his wife Joanna.