International Plastic Modelers' Society / USA

International Plastic Modelers' Society / USA

IPMS/USA

IPMS/USA

What If Your Next Build Started At The Museum, Or On A Tour: Episode 165

Plastic Model Mojo - Fri, 06/26/2026 - 22:00

A tiny paint question can turn into a big lesson about how the hobby actually works. We start with the everyday reality of scale modeling: reorganizing the model room, fighting distractions, and trying to protect bench time while life keeps piling on. Then we jump into listener mail that gets surprisingly deep, including how to choose an olive drab or Marine green for a Pacific Theater Sherman in 1/144 without getting trapped chasing a single “correct” shade.

From there, the conversation widens into what makes a model show truly successful. We argue that the best shows are not defined by trophy counts or vendor tables, but by the interactions they create between builders: the conversations, the techniques shared, the new friendships, and the seminars where you can ask questions in real time. Along the way we swap practical technique talk, from using small test plaques to develop skills, to mixing a workable Tamiya 4BO green, to why a gloss base coat can make or break a natural metal finish with paints like Alclad.

Our main guest is Mark Copeland, Director of Educational Travel for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Mark updates us on major museum expansion news, rare artifacts, and the excitement of preserving historic aircraft, then walks us through upcoming WWII history tours across the UK and Europe. If you’ve ever built a B-17, B-24, or Battle of Britain subject, you’ll understand why standing on the ground where history happened can change the way you build and the meaning your finished model carries.

If you enjoy thoughtful modeling talk with real takeaways, subscribe, share the show with a modeling friend, and leave us a five-star rating and review so more builders can find us.

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Categories: Podcast

GODDARD 1926 ROCKET in 1/48

Forums - Fri, 06/26/2026 - 12:02
HI ! Here another project I have completed in the past , if you like to vierw more pics, just follow this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FwAUKo6UHKx1ixt86 Enjoy ! Jmarc

Built Sideways Podcast Season 6 Ep.6: The Catch-up episode!

Built Sideways Podcast - Fri, 06/26/2026 - 01:00

On this episode the boy catch up on whats been happening in their lives on and off the bench, more off-the-cuff conversations here, with added spice!


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Categories: Podcast

Anyone recognize the manufacturer of this Triceratops?

Forums - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 13:23
Anyone recognize the manufacturer of this Triceratops? It's not injection molded and the parts are not hollow....very solid.

MiniArt's TWO 48th-scale Airfield Tractors Standard N Mod. 1938

The Modelling News - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 05:58
MiniArt makes lots of modellers happy with not just one but TWO Fordson tractors in the same box, but this time, both in 48th scale! I hope your airfields are ready! CAD, profiles, decals, sprue layout & the real things in our preview...Read on... »
Categories: News

Preview: Special Hobby & CMK kits for July

The Modelling News - Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:11
Special Hobby has several releases slated for July. Some new, some (re)newed. See them in our preview...Read on... »
Categories: News

War Dog Modeling offers a line of stands for holding various types of models (aircraft, ships, etc.) for painting and detailing. I was given the opportunity to try out the model car stand.The stand itself appears to be 3D printed. All the parts are...

Landing Page Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:00

War Dog Modeling offers a line of stands for holding various types of models (aircraft, ships, etc.) for painting and detailing. I was given the opportunity to try out the model car stand.

The stand itself appears to be 3D printed. All the parts are solid and strong, and it feels well-made. Mine came in an unmarked box, unassembled, with no instructions or photos. It was relatively easy to figure out how it all went together from the photos on their web site, but a photo or a simple exploded drawing in the box would have been appreciated. All the parts went together very easily, and no tools were required.

Another in ICM’s range of paint sets, this time for use with any WWII British armoured vehicles.The set contains the following 12ml paint pots from their range of generic colours; I have listed what I believe to be their intended uses:1041 Buff – Light...

Landing Page Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:00

Another in ICM’s range of paint sets, this time for use with any WWII British armoured vehicles.

The set contains the following 12ml paint pots from their range of generic colours; I have listed what I believe to be their intended uses:

  • 1041 Buff – Light Stone/Portland Stone
  • 1027 Gun Metal Metallic – tracks
  • 1054 Chocolate – possibly SCC.2 Brown, but this paint is too dark
  • 1059 Green Ochre – Middle Stone/Dark Stone
  • 1069 Extra Dark Green – Deep Bronze Green
  • 1071 Camouflage Green – SCC. 15 Olive Drab or Khaki Green No.3

The back of the box has a couple of drawings showing suggested uses for each color. The Camo pattern on the Churchill is like nothing I have seen before on a British tank, though it’s quite possible it was a special scheme in Italy.

Recent advances in 3D design and printing have made it much easier for new kit manufacturers to enter the market with subjects usually avoided by traditional manufacturers. A good example of this is MDesign of Bulgaria. MDesign produces 3D-printed kits...

Landing Page Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:00

Recent advances in 3D design and printing have made it much easier for new kit manufacturers to enter the market with subjects usually avoided by traditional manufacturers. A good example of this is MDesign of Bulgaria. MDesign produces 3D-printed kits of unusual WWI subjects in a variety of scales. In this review I will be examining their new 1/32nd scale kit of the LFG Roland D.II. The Roland D.II was an attempt to develop a fighter from the successful Roland C.II two-seater reconnaissance aircraft. The D.II was not a success, it couldn’t match the performance of contemporary Albatros fighters and was more difficult to fly. The Roland D.II had a very short service life with Germany on the Western Front. The Roland D.II had a much longer career in Bulgarian service.

War Dog Modeling offers a line of stands for holding various types of models (aircraft, ships, etc.) for painting and detailing. I was given the opportunity to try out the model car stand. The stand itself appears to be 3D printed. All the parts are...

Landing Page Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:00

War Dog Modeling offers a line of stands for holding various types of models (aircraft, ships, etc.) for painting and detailing. I was given the opportunity to try out the model car stand.

The stand itself appears to be 3D printed. All the parts are solid and strong, and it feels well-made. Mine came in an unmarked box, unassembled, with no instructions or photos. It was relatively easy to figure out how it all went together from the photos on their web site, but a photo or a simple exploded drawing in the box would have been appreciated. All the parts went together very easily, and no tools were required.

AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, JLTV (1) - M1279US Marines (35-013). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of...

Landing Page Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:00

AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, JLTV (1) - M1279

US Marines (35-013). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of markings for nine options.

Reviewer’s Comments Another in ICM’s range of paint sets, this time for use with any WWII British armoured vehicles. The set contains the following 12ml paint pots from their range of generic colours; I have listed what I believe to be their intended...

Landing Page Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:00

Reviewer’s Comments

Another in ICM’s range of paint sets, this time for use with any WWII British armoured vehicles.

The set contains the following 12ml paint pots from their range of generic colours; I have listed what I believe to be their intended uses:

1041 Buff – Light Stone/Portland Stone

1027 Gun Metal Metallic – tracks

1054 Chocolate – possibly SCC.2 Brown, but this paint is too dark

1059 Green Ochre – Middle Stone/Dark Stone

1069 Extra Dark Green – Deep Bronze Green

1071 Camouflage Green – SCC. 15 Olive Drab or Khaki Green No.3

The back of the box has a couple of drawings showing suggested uses for each color. The Camo pattern on the Churchill is like nothing I have seen before on a British tank, though it’s quite possible it was a special scheme in Italy.

Preview: MiniArt's oar-some new boat set in 1/35th scale..

The Modelling News - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 05:34
MiniArt's accessories are filling the gaps in modellers' arsenals at a rapid rate – we have their two boats in 1/35th scale plastic presented in CAD in our preview...Read on... »
Categories: News

1/48 F-89C Scorpion

Forums - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 00:54
This is the 1/48 Revell(ogram) F-89C Scorpion. It's a relatively simple and straight forward kit with very good detail inside and out giving you very good "bang for your buck". I opted to add a Black Box resin interior which only needs the addition of some plastic to act as floor supports and the removal of the molded-in interior side fuselage cockpit detailing in order to fit the resin side panels in place. The kit interior is actually quite good though the rein seats with their harnesses molded in are a real step up from the kit seats. The rest of the build is OOTB except for the addition of sheet plastic wing tank fins that were commonly added to the plane later in its life. This kit does come with raised panel line detailing so I did rescribe 90% of the lines on the kit using a razor saw. I used Tamiya TS-30 Silver leaf as the overall NMF sprayed over an undercoat of Gloss Black. I then masked some areas and used both Alclad and AK Metallics for the varying panels on the model as well as Steel, Titanium, and Jet exhaust for the exhaust area. These are the kit markings and they gave me fits, tending to curl up at the edges badly. No amount of solvent would make them lie down, not even my strongest stuff so I resorted to "painting/plastering" some of them in place with some Future, which sucked them down in place when dry. I actually had to paint the black background for the tip tank stars as the black decals just wouldn't lie down and the edges frayed while trying to press them in place repeatedly. I also had to replace the nose numbers with black dry transfer rub on decals and use stars/bars and USAF decals from the spares box.. Except for the decaling phase, this was an easy build that took just 9 days. Now on to the next! Gil

This is a little out of order but I was building side by side and wanted to get the base finished to hold him when is done as the T-800 will weigh around 17-18 pounds. With the base (which is steps 108 to 120), it comes pre-painted in a gray and rust...

Landing Page Reviews - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 00:00

This is a little out of order but I was building side by side and wanted to get the base finished to hold him when is done as the T-800 will weigh around 17-18 pounds. With the base (which is steps 108 to 120), it comes pre-painted in a gray and rust and looks nice. Needless to say, I could not leave well enough alone. The base also includes the sound chip, the battery pack that supplies it and four colored spot lights. The base comes in four large plastic parts with many different parts to add to the top including a skull, bones, springs and various rock and metal bits. Underneath, there were four LED lights that will need assembled, a multipart battery pack and the wiring to power it all.

Images of War: Tanks and Armour at Leningrad 1941–1944 is a photographic military history by Ian Baxter, published by Pen & Sword Books⁠ as part of its long-running Images of War series. The book is a 144-page paperback containing roughly 150–200 black...

Landing Page Reviews - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 00:00

Images of War: Tanks and Armour at Leningrad 1941–1944 is a photographic military history by Ian Baxter, published by Pen & Sword Books⁠ as part of its long-running Images of War series. The book is a 144-page paperback containing roughly 150–200 black-and-white photographs, many of them rare or previously unpublished.

The book focuses on the armored warfare surrounding the Siege of Leningrad, beginning with the opening of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 and ending with the German retreat in early 1944. It concentrates primarily on the German side of the campaign, especially the armored units of Army Group North and their advance toward Leningrad.

Among the formations discussed are:

Images of War: Tanks and Armour at Kursk 1943 is a forthcoming entry in the long -running Images of War photographic-history series from Pen and Sword Military. It focuses on the German armored formations that participated in the Battle of Kursk during...

Landing Page Reviews - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 00:00

Images of War: Tanks and Armour at Kursk 1943 is a forthcoming entry in the long -running Images of War photographic-history series from Pen and Sword Military. It focuses on the German armored formations that participated in the Battle of Kursk during Operation Citadel in July 1943, widely regarded as the largest tank battle in history.

The book is written by Ian Baxter, a prolific historian specializing in German military history of the Second World War. Baxter has produced numerous illustrated campaign studies emphasizing archival photography, unit organization, and battlefield conditions.

What the Book Covers

The emphasis is on:

Preview: Two more new kits from Trumpeter in June...

The Modelling News - Sun, 06/21/2026 - 07:19
Trumpeter has picked two great subjects for their June releases. We have colours, decals, sprue & CADs, showing features of them both in our preview...Read on... »
Categories: News

MGPC EP. 126 "Are you a Builder or a Collector?"

ModelGeek's Podcast - Sat, 06/20/2026 - 08:00

What’s Crack-a-Lack’n Modelgeeks! Welcome to Episode 126 of The Modelgeeks Podcast!  In this episode, the Modelgeeks give the usual run down on what's going on in their respective model worlds.  Nemo shares with the listeners that he will be featured on an upcoming MH-53E release from Furball-Aero design!  He also talks about the Red Pill 1/32 F-4B that finally landed in Southern Maryland.  May be the only one in Maryland! 

The Geeks run through the listener email and give a little insight to the LCS program (hint: it is funny!) The listeners share that the Spitfire episode by El Presidentè was a “cracker” of an episode! (see what we did there) lol.  We received a ton of pics focused on your finished builds and uploaded them to the Modelgeeks website.  Keep ‘em coming!  Nemo also gives a tip on how to successfully apply 1Man Army masks and how to produce excellent results. 

The topic for the Episode is “Are you a Builder or Collector?"   The geeks ask the question and give their thoughts on what they think and what it means to be either one.  The geeks give some pretty good explanations on which side of the coin you fall on and to keep it fun, no fence riding and you have to pick one or the other. 

The Pro Geek for the Episode and the winner of the Hypersonic Models NF-104A conversion is: Jay Howard!  The Beginner Geek for the episode, and the recipient of a Detail and Scale title of your choice is: Jared Jamieson!

Congratulations to our lucky winners and if you want to have a chance at the drawing, check out Pateron and sign up at either the Pro Geek or the Beginner Geek level to be eligible!

You can interact with us through social media, Facebook, Instagram, and email:  contact@modelgeekspodcast.com 

Be sure to check out our website: www.modelgeekspodcast.com.

Make sure you check out our  community on Facebook, The ModelGeeks Model Shack

We also want to thank each of our sponsors for their support. We are very lucky to have their support. When you have the time, pay a visit to their web sites, and have a look at their fine products.

Sponsors:

Detail and Scale
Furball Aero-Design
Tamiya USA

Bases by Bill

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Hypersonic Models

Matters of Scale

Kotare Models

Squadron
 
Also, if you're interested in the model shows, click the link below!
IPMS USA Events Page

We are very fortunate to be able to join the scale modeling podcast community and are in the company of several other really GREAT podcasts. Hopefully, someday we’ll earn our wings and be able to keep up with those guys!  Please check them all out at Scale Model Podcasts.

Blogs:
The Kit Box
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Model Airplane Maker

We can’t thank our listeners and sponsors enough, thank you guys!  Be sure to keep the emails and gallery pics coming!  Now get to the bench and build something!  Take care everyone, out from the Geeks, Later! 

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Categories: Podcast

VICTORIAN HELICOPTER in 1/48

Forums - Sat, 06/20/2026 - 04:58
HI ! Here another project I have done in the past , of course it's scratch , You can view the WIP on this GOOGLE page : https://photos.app.goo.gl/1aQYVACsXQoBYDGB8 Enjoy ! Jmarc