Jump to content

IPMSUpdates

Member
  • Posts

    8,220
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    12

Everything posted by IPMSUpdates

  1. The Westland Whirlwind was a twin-engine fighter/bomber built for the Royal Air Force. It was conceived shortly before WW2 broke out and went into service almost immediately. It was an aircraft not readily mentioned that fought gallantly through the Battle of Britain and the other campaigns in Europe. The aircraft suffered from what many consider an underrated Rolls Royce engine. Although I have also read the propellors were to blame for poor upper altitude performance. Nevertheless, the Whirlwind could out turn the BF-109 and was formidable with its four Hispano 20 mm cannons in the nose. It was also a marvel of engineering in its construction and innovative designs. Unfortunately, all but one airframe was removed from service in 1943 and scrapped. View the full review
  2. The 9P149 is a tank destroyer of Soviet origin and in this example, it is a vehicle carrying radio guided anti-tank system designated 9K114 Shturm which uses the 9M114 Kokon (Cocoon) missile. Same missile as used by the Mi-24 helicopter. The kit comes in standard gray plastic in 15 gray sprues, two clear sprues, decals and 2 photoetch frets. Total is 790 parts many of which are very tiny as the entire vehicle is a about a scale foot long. There is an entire interior which covers the driver compartment, engine and transmission. You will decide how far you want to build the interior if you don’t decide to open the hatches. The interior is really nice but I didn’t find many references no color call outs on the instructions. View the full review
  3. I have been building 3D-printed resin kits from Vargas Models for almost two years now, and these are just getting better and better. If you are unfamiliar with this small but prolific company, Vargas Models specializes in unusual 3-D printed, limited-run armor models, and is now offering the M2A4 Light tank,the fourth variant of the M2 light tank family (formally Light Tank, M2), that served in the U.S. Army during the interwar period. A few of these vehicles went in with the Marines at Guadalcanal early in the war – it is one of these that this particular offering depicts. View the full review
  4. Floyd Werner and Werner Wings produces wonderful aftermarket and decals primarily (but not wholly) aimed at helicopters. That not surprising as that was what Floyd’s does- fly helicopters. This set consists of parts and decals to convert the Kitty Hawk 1/35th scale HH-60H to the Coast Guard version of the HH-60J Jayhawk. Wait, Kitty Hawk is out of business! Zimi Models to the rescue. They have reissued many of Kitty Hawks kits and that includes the Resue Hawk. Problem solved. The set includes seven well cast resin parts. The bigger pats are in white resin and include the extra fuel tank and the front fairing in front of the cockpit. Three of the seven parts make up the search light with the modeler supplying the lens.The last two parts modify the instrument panel with a moving map panel and a correct set of gauges. View the full review
  5. I have been building 3D-printed resin kits from Vargas Models for almost two years now, and these are just getting better and better. If you are unfamiliar with this small but prolific company, Vargas Models specializes in unusual 3-D printed, limited-run armor models, and is now offering the M2A4 Light tank,the fourth variant of the M2 light tank family (formally Light Tank, M2), that served in the U.S. Army during the interwar period. A few of these vehicles went in with the Marines at Guadalcanal early in the war – it is one of these that this particular offering depicts. View the full review
  6. The He-162 Volksjaeger has long been a popular model subject with great kits in all popular scales from Tamiya to Revell to Trimaster. It is an interesting plane and now we have an excellent book documenting the development to deployment to the end of the small jet fighter. Written by Robert Forsyth and Eddie J. Creek, this is a wonderful book with great profiles, pictures and information on the He-162. The chapter breakdown is as follows: View the full review
  7. A new set of 3D printed F/A-18E/F Super Hornet exhaust nozzles (late version) in 1/48th scale are provided by Detail & Wonder Studios for Hasegawa and Meng Kits. Note: There is no official website for Detail & Wonder Studios, but a Facebook page is available. In The Package & Product NotesThere are two (2) 3D-printed exhaust nozzles inside a small but very sturdy black box. Each nozzle is individually enclosed in a plastic Ziploc bag and cushioned with a foam insert. These are drop-in replacements for the Hasegawa and Meng kits. The printed resolution of the nozzle is immaculate and there are NO visible build-up layers. There is a lot of fine detail throughout the entire nozzle and some contrast color weathering will make them pop during the finishing stage. View the full review
  8. ICM continues to add to its excellent aviation figure series with this latest contribution, WWII Pilots of British Naval Aviation. The title of the kit is a bit of a misnomer as the included figures only feature a single pilot. The other two figures are a sailor and a naval officer. In addition, I was surprised to see that this set only included three rather than the usual four that ICM offers in such sets. All that being said, I’m actually quite taken with the figures provided. The naval sailor and officer are, to the best of my knowledge, the first ever offered in plastic in this scale, and the detail is lovely. The pilot figure comes with a beautifully detailed parachute and harness slung over one shoulder, and with very little modification (mostly the color of his pants) could be changed out to an RAF fighter pilot with ease. View the full review
  9. In yet another happy move, ICM has now released a set of very nice figures to support their growing line of 1/35th helicopter kits. Set in the Vietnam War era, this set of four figures depicts a typical support crew performing general maintenance on a helicopter, with a commanding officer pointing to an area needing attention. Three are wearing the standard working cap for ground personnel including one bare-headed figure. All four figures are in the casual ground *uniforms for maintenance work and are on the whole relatively easy to assemble. Some attention needs to be paid, however, to the loose hands that attach to wrists – obviously intended to provide some flexibility in positioning for your particular diorama. View the full review
  10. A new set of 3D printed F/A-18E/F Super Hornet exhaust nozzles (early version) in 1/48th scale are provided by Detail & Wonder Studios for Hasegawa and Meng Kits. Note: There is no official website for Detail & Wonder Studios, but a Facebook page is available. In the Package and Product NotesThere are two (2) 3D-printed exhaust nozzles inside a small but very sturdy black box. Each nozzle is individually enclosed in a plastic Ziploc bag and cushioned with a foam insert. These are drop-in replacements for the Hasegawa and Meng kits. The printed resolution of the nozzle is immaculate and there are NO visible build-up layers. There is a lot of fine detail throughout the entire nozzle and some contrast color weathering will make them pop during the finishing stage. View the full review
  11. HISTORY The Bell P-400 was a development of the Bell Model 14 P-39 Airacobra series, which originated in the late thirties. It was an unusual design in that it featured an engine mounted behind the pilot, and a cannon firing through the propeller shaft.It also was equipped with a tricycle landing gear. It was designed for high performance, and the U.S.Army ordered quite a few before the beginning of World War II. View the full review
  12. HistoryThe Bell P-400 was a development of the Bell Model 14 P-39 Airacobra series, which originated in the late thirties. It was an unusual design in that it featured an engine mounted behind the pilot, and a cannon firing through the propeller shaft.It also was equipped with a tricycle landing gear. It was designed for high performance, and the U.S.Army ordered quite a few before the beginning of World War II. View the full review
  13. New P-47D Thunderbolt “Razorback” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144th scale Platz/Eduard kit. There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory. The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it. Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no spacing thus making it a closed canopy installation. Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in you hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will also be needed to smooth the rough edges. View the full review
  14. New P-47D Thunderbolt “Bubbletop” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144th scale Platz/Eduard kit. There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory. The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it. Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no space thus making it a closed canopy installation. Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in your hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will also be needed to smooth the rough edges. View the full review
  15. New P-47D Thunderbolt “Razorback” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144th scale Platz/Eduard kit. There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory. The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it. Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no spacing thus making it a closed canopy installation. Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in you hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will also be needed to smooth the rough edges. View the full review
  16. New P-47D Thunderbolt “Bubbletop” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144th scale Platz/Eduard kit. There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory. The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it. Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no space thus making it a closed canopy installation. Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in your hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will also be needed to smooth the rough edges. View the full review
  17. Casemate Publishing is distributing a Helion & Company published book on the topic of Italian Soft-Skinned Vehicles of the Second War World. The publication has two volumes. This review covers Volume 2. The book is broken down in the following sections Medium and Heavy TrucksArtillery TractorsSpecial Purpose VehiclesTrailersPlus three appendices: Camouflage and MarkingsItalian Vehicles ManufacturersVehicles produced in Italy while under German Control (1943-45)While information on the Italian Navy, Italian Air Force and Italian Armored Units is not that difficult to come by, information on their soft-skinned/support/ancillary vehicles is harder to find. But this publication fills that gap well. View the full review
  18. Reviewer’s Comments: The David vs. Goliath nature of the inception and survival of Israel in the Middle East provides an element of fascination to those interested in military history, especially the air war component. Israel came into existence at a time when technology was taking giant leaps forward, but due to mixed support of the birth of the small nation, restrictions and embargoes played heavily into the Israeli Defense Force’s ability to build up its air arm. In this alone it battled great odds to piece together a hodge-podge of aircraft in their early years, but understanding the value that air warfare brought to them in their tenuous geographic and political situation, they continued to spend significant resources to develop a competent air force. View the full review
  19. until
    The model builders club FLIGHT 19 is proud to host our first annual Gundam Model Show & Competition, featuring multiple competitive scale categories, awards, raffle prizes, & giveaways provided by Tate’s! Entries start at 11am, and judging begins at 12:30pm.
  20. until
    IPMS Model Contest, Saturday November 9th, 2024, NEW LOCATION! Williamson County Expo Center, 5350 Bill Pickett Trail, Taylor, TX. 76574 Times: 9AM to 5 PM. Gundam Contest with special judging rules. Figure Contest with OPEN judging rules. All other categories IPMS rules apply. Show Theme is 'The Movies.' New Categbories! Classic kits pre-1980 for Armor and Aircraft. 'I've Improved' One dozen special award categories. Over 75 vendor tables! For more information and downloadable formsgo to www.AustinSMS.org
  21. until
    Annual Contest and Swap Meet
  22. until
    IPMS Sacramento SilverWings Presents: SILVERCON 2024 Our annual show and contest will be held on Saturday May 18th 2024 at the Town &Country Lutheran Church located at 4049 Marconi Ave. Sacramento CA. 95841 Theme: 1944 (any car, truck, plane, tank, ship, ect., made, took place in a famouse battle or event, ect., is eligible for the theme). Registration 9-Noon Raffle: Noon ENTRY FEE: Adults (18+) $8.00for first two & $2 each additional entry. Junior (7-17) $4 first two and$1 for each additional entry. Children (6 & under) entrys are free. FREE entry to spectators/visitors PARKING - FREE 8 foot vendor tables $40 each, 2 or more $35 each. Vendor Coordinator: Gerald Clements 916-346-2419 bigjer009@gmail.com 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place awards will be given in 40+ categories. The category sheet will be posted on our Facebook pageonce is it finalized. Awards will also be given for: Best Navy, Best Armor, Best Aircraft, Dennis Trimble memorial Best Vintage Kit, and Best of Show
  23. Helion is a UK-based company that produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through to the present day. Helion was established in 1996, and since then they have published over 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year, for readers around the world. View the full review
  24. This is the fourth book in the War in Ukraine series (currently at five volumes). The first two volumes were reviewed by Orlando Reyes of the IPMS/USA Review Corps: View the full review
×
×
  • Create New...