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Fw 190A-8 Standard Wings 1:72 Eduard Weekend Edition The Focke-Wulf Fw190 was designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. His aim was to create a fighter that was not only fast and agile, but also reliable. It had a wide track undercarriage to improve ground handling and also utilised electric rather than hydraulic controls to reduce the risk of system loss in combat. The Fw190 also marked a departure from aircraft like the Bf109 and Spitfire as it combined a 14 cylinder radial engine with a development of the NACA cowling system. This choice was crucial as it meant that the Fw190 would not create additional demand for DB 601 liquid cooled engines. It also allowed a low drag profile for such a powerful engine. Despite early teething problems, the Fw190 first entered operational service over France in August 1941. It proved to be quite a shock for the RAF whose 1440hp Spitfire Mk.V, the best fighter available at the time, was outclassed in terms of firepower and all round performance, particularly at lower and medium altitudes. The Fw190A-8 was the ultimate evolution of the radial-engined fw190s and entered service in 1944. It featured improvements such as extra fuel, improved armour and nearly 2000hp output with emergency boost. The Kit As sure as night follows day in the world of Eduard Kits following on from the Royal, Profipack and standard boxing's; the Weekend Edition will be along soon. These new Fw 190 kits from Eduard are setting a new standard in 1.72 for excellence. The kit itself is made up of 92 plastic parts spread across of two sprues of dark blue-grey plastic and a single clear sprue with the now-familiar circular layout. The instruction book is a glossy, stapled booklet with full-colour painting diagrams. All together, the impression is of a quality package, at the great weekend price point. The quality of the plastic parts is second to none. The mouldings are clean and crisp and there are no traces of flash and no sink marks. The surface detail on the outside of the airframe comprises recessed panel lines and delicately engraved rivet and fastener detail. It looks absolutely superb. Eduard haven't skimped on the detail elsewhere, with sub-assemblies such as the cockpit being up there with high end resin items when it comes to the quality and quantity of detail. The cockpit is made up of over thirty parts (including photo etched details), which is a truly phenomenal for a kit of this size. Once assembled, the whole thing can be sandwiched inside the fuselage halves along with the firewall and the basic-but-good-enough-in-this-scale engine face. Setting the semi-completed fuselage to one side for a moment, construction turns to the wing. The lower wing is moulded as a single span, to which the main spar (which also forms the rear wall of the main landing gear bays) must be added. The other parts which form the structures and details of the landing gear bays must be added at this point, prior to everything being fixed in place by the addition of the upper wing surfaces. The ailerons are moulded separately to the rest of the wing, which opens up some possibilities for the diorama builder, as well as enhancing the level of realism. Turning back to the fuselage, the rudder is also moulded as a separate part, although the tail planes are solid lumps. In common with other kits of the type, the upper fuselage forward of the cockpit is moulded separately (in this case as two parts with a third for the cannon barrels). Once the basic airframe is together, its time to fit the undercarriage and other finishing details. Each of the main gear legs is made up of two parts, although you have the option of removing the plastic torque links and replacing them with photo etched versions. The wheels themselves are made up of nicely moulded tyres and separate hubs. This should make painting them much easier. Ordnance is taken care of with a drop tank and a single bomb, along with the associated racks and shackles. There are a number of small parts included to cover the final details, including the aileron balance weights and various aerials and antennae. The canopy deserves a special mention as there are four rear sections included; blown and unblown, with different parts for closed and open options. Two propellers are included as well, although only one is needed for the included options. Decals There is one small sheet of stencil decals and one for the aircraft markings. As seems to be standard now decal options are provided for two aircraft: Fw 190A-8 of 2./JG 54, Lt. Hans Dortenmann, Villacoublay, France, June 1944. Fw 190A-8 of 12./JG 5, Herdia Airfield, Norway 1945. Each option is illustrated with a four-view profile as well as detailed illustrations of the propellers or drop tanks where appropriate. Conclusion It is good to see this great kit now released as a weekend edition. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.XVI Bubbletop Weekend Edition 1:48 Eduard The Spitfire XVI was a variation on the IX that were built using Packard Merlins (licence built engines from the USA). They were optimised for low level operations and some had clipped wings, with a slightly bulged cowling to accommodate the changes. They were armed with two 20mm cannon with an additional pair of .303 machine guns inboard, and a great many of them had the reduced fuselage spine or bubble-canopy. Just over a thousand were built overall. The Kit We have reviewed both the ProfiPACK and Limited edition versions of the is kit from Eduard. Now Eduard have released this excellent kit as a Weekend Edition. The modeller gets 4 sprues of grey plastic, the canopy sprue and decals for two aircraft. Construction starts with the cockpit (where else!) detail parts are added to both sidewalls, then the rear cockpit bulkhead is added. The cockpit floor is built up along with the seat, the seat is then attached to its armour plate, and then to the floor. For this kit the seatbelts are supplied as a decal. This completed part is then added into the cockpit side and the control column is added. The front cockpit bulkhead along with the instrument panel is then added. Here the instrument panel is provided as a decal. The HUD is installed into the panel before it is attached to the cockpit side panel. Once all of this is finished the other cockpit side is installed. Once all of the cockpit is finished it can be inserted into the main fuselage along with the engine firewall, tail wheel housing, and front engine plate. The main fuselage can then be closed up. Construction then moves onto the wings. They are of conventional mode type with a one part lower wing, with left & right uppers. Concentrating on the lower wing the first job is to install the wheel wells. There are 15 parts for these which while a little complicated make up this complicated area very well. Once the wheel wells are dont the upper wing panels cane be added. The completed wing can then be attached to the main fuselage. The tailplanes are also added at this stage as are the engine exhausts, and the top engine cover. The separate tailplane control surfaces and rudder are added next. Construction then moves back to the main wing. The ailerons are added, then on the underside the (5 parts each side) radiators are added, then the separate radiator flaps are attached as well. The main wheels are added to their landing gear legs and the doors are attached. The tail wheel is added to its housing. The propeller is added to its spinner, then added to the aircraft, the pilots door is added, the cannon barrels are added to the wings; and then lastly the canopy is added. Bombs and pylons are provided in the kit, though they are not used for this boxing so they will make a handy addition to the spares box. Decals As seems to be the case with the Weekend editions you get two decal options with the kit. Both are for aircraft which took part in the 1949 Cooper Air Race. RW393, No.601 Sqn RAuxAF (Overall silver) SL718, No.612 Sqn RAuxAF (Camo) Conclusion It is good to see this excellent kit released on a Weekend Boxing. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

P-400 Air A Cutie 1:48 Eduard Weekend Edition The P-39 was developed to meet a proposal in 1937 for a single engine high altitude interceptor having the tactical mission of interception and attack of hostile aircraft at high altitude. Specifications called for a level airspeed of 360mph at altitude, and a climb to 20,000 feet in under 6 minutes. Armament was to be heavy including a cannon, the engine was to be liquid cooled, and the aircraft was to feature a tricycle undercarriage. Bell had previously designed the YFM-1 Aracuda featuring a mid-fuselage mounted engine to free up space for a large calibre 37mm cannon which would fire through the propeller hub. This was unusual as fighters were normally designed around an engine, not a weapons system. The Bell XP-39 would make its maiden flight in April of 1938 reaching 20000 feet in 5 minutes and maintain 390 mph. However it was found that top speed at 20000 feet was lower than the original proposed 400 mph. Bell would change the aircraft configuration for production to remove the turbo charger so production aircraft were only fitted with a single-stage, single-speed supercharger. Its been argued that Bell did this to save money, though its been said that testing showed aerodynamic issues with it. As a result production aircraft performance declined above 12000 feet and it was never able to serve as a medium level let alone high level aircraft. The RAF ordered the aircraft based on the XP-39 specifications however limitations of the "new" aircraft became apparent, and despite modifications it never was deemed acceptable. Only one Squadron No. 601 would use the aircraft operationally. All UK based aircraft would be sent to Russia, along with aircraft being built under contract in the US. In contrast to the UK, the USSR appreciated the P-39, although they would use it primarily in the ground attack role. The tactical environment of the Eastern front suited a low speed, low altitude aircraft much better. As well as in ground attack the USSR developed successful group aerial fighting tactics for the aircraft. 5 out of the 10 high scoring Soviet aces scored a majority of kills flying P-39's. Contrary to popular myth the Soviets did not use the aircraft for Tank Busting as the US did not supply any armour piercing rounds for the aircraft. The US requisitioned 200 aircraft from an order based for the UK, they called these aircraft the P-400 as they were advertised with a top speed to 400mph. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour these aircraft were deployed to the South West Pacific. Despite being out classed by Japanese aircraft the aircraft excelled in the ground attack. Pilots would fight Zeros and the aircraft were fairly even in the low level environment. By the end of 1942 over 80 Japanese aircraft were credited. These aircraft would go onto fly from Aleutian Islands, and serve in the Panama Canal Zone. The 81st & 350th Fighter Groups would fly in the Mediterranean TO but mainly on maritime patrol missions. Later the 81st would transfer to the Burma TO. The Kit The Eduard Cobra kit has been with us for a while now but it is still up to their excellent standards. It is being re-issued here in a dual combo boxing with added photo etch and resin parts. The kit comes on 3 sprues each of olive drab plastic, and a clear sprue. Construction starts shockingly enough with the cockpit area. The prominent radio area behind the cockpit is the first area to be built up, and the radios installed. The bulkhead behind the pilots seat is then installed. The seat is then installed along with the instrument panel. The front gear well is attached to the front of the cockpit along with the propeller shaft. Weight is indicated to be needed in this area due to the tricycle undercarriage, however there is no indication of exactly how much is recommended! Once the cockpit/wheel well assembly is completed it can added to the fuselage, and the two parts closed up around it. Construction then moves onto the main wing. This is of a conventional single part lower with to which top left & right wings are added. The insides of the main wheel wells are added along with the oil coolers which are in the wing leading edge. The right inserts will need to be added depending on the armament of your chosen option. If the modeller is going to add underwing tanks or bombs, then the holes will need to be opened up at this point. Once the wings are completed they can be added to the main fuselage along with the tail planes. The last job on the wings is to complete the underside cooling vents. Construction then moves to the main landing gear. As mentioned at the start of the review two sets of brassin wheels are included in the kit. Once the wheels have been added to the model along with the multipart main gear doors and their actuators. Once the main wheels are completed the nose gear can also be constructed. The nose wheel and its gear doors are also added. If bombs or fuel tanks are to be fitted (and the modeller remembered to open up the locating holes before!) then these can be added at this point. The main canopy is then added (full canopy masks being provided) along with the engine exhausts and cockpit side doors. The final touches are to add the pitot probe, wing guns, and lastly to assemble the propeller. Different bosses are provided for the different armament options. Decals As seems to be the norm with their weekend kits these days two decal options are provided. P-400 AP287 "AIR A CUTIE" 36th FS, 8 FG, New Guinea, Nov 1943. P-400 91st FS / 81st FG, Tunisia, Feb 1942. Conclusion The Eduard Cobra has been a round for a while now and its good to see it has been released in a Weekend boxing. It is also good to see that the slightly forgotten use of these aircraft in the New Guimea and Mediterranean TO's are getting some attention. Some people might be offended by the nose art, but its what the aircraft flew with. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Dassault Mirage IIIC 1:48 Eduard - Weekend Edition Sacré bleu! If you have not heard of the Mirage IIIC where have you been? The Mirage III is one of the most recognisable aircraft to emerge from the Dassault Aviation stable in post war France. The Mirage III grew out of French government studies for a light weight all weather interceptor able to reach 18,000 meter in altitude in Six minutes and able to reach mach 1.3 in level flight. The tail less delta combined the wing with an area ruled fuselage to achieve its speed. The Mirage IIIC would remain in French service from 1961 until 1988. Export order would be received from Israel, Argentina, South Africa, Pakistan, and Lebanon. The Israeli Mirage IIICs performed very well against the MiGs of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In addition Pakistani aircraft performed well in the 1971 war with India. The Kit The Eduard Mirage IIIC has now been with us since 2004 and it is still a great tool of this famous aircraft. Eduard have released it in various boxing over the years, the moulds still look as good as they did the first time around. In addition to the sprues with the fuselage halves, and the wings we get six additional sprues of parts, and one clear sprue. For a weekend edition the modeller is getting a lot of plastic here, and a decent set of underwing stores. Two types of fuel tanks, Sidewinders, Matra 530 missiles, Matra ATM-9D missiles, and rocket pods are provided. Construction starts in the cockpit area (quelle surprise!). It is quite something how many parts there are here and how much detail Eduard have packed in. The ejection seat is made up first and this consists of 6 parts including ejection seat firing handles. The cockpit tub is then built up, this consists of 18 parts! the instrument panel and side panels are provided as decals if the modeller does not wish to paint them. Next up on the construction list is the jet pipe, this has eight parts on its own. Once built this and the cockpit can be sandwiched between the main fuselage halves and the intake bullets added to the exterior. The next area for attention are the main wheel wells. These are built up from six parts each and attached to the inside of the lower main wing. At this time the modeller will need to open up the appropriate holes in the wing for the externals tanks/ordnance chosen. Before the lower wing can be attached to the main fuselage the intake are behind the cockpit needs to be installed. Once this is done the upper main wings can be attached. **Note here that due to the flap attachment area Eduard advise no glue is used here at all** Once the main wing is complete it can be attached to the fuselage. Now the main parts are together the intakes can be completed. Next up the modeller needs to select the right underwing pylons for the load being used. The cannon barrels are installed under the intakes at this stage, and on the wing the three part pose able flaps can be installed. The next stage is the construction of the landing gear. Again Eduard seem to have gone to town with the parts count, but this should provide a good looking gear. The front gear is moulded in with its retraction strut so it should be a more stable join than most. The front wheel is attached with a locking part holding it in. One the front gear is in the gear doors and separate retraction strut can be added. The main wheels are of standard two part construction and attach to a one part gear leg. These are installed to the wheel wells and their retraction struts added. The inner and out gear doors are then attached with their appropriate retraction struts. To finish off Eduard provide the modeller with both a pilot figure and boarding ladder if the mopddel wants to use them. The modeller can then add the canopies and choice of underwing stores. Decals With what now seems to be standard there are two decal options in the Weekend boxing. The decals are printed by Eduard, look in register, are glossy and colour dense. The two options are; Mirage IIIC, No. 92, EC 02/010, Seine, Armée de ľ Air, BA 120 Cazaux, April 1976 Mirage IIIC, No. 87, EC 03/010 Vexin, Détachement Air 188, Armée de ľ Air, Djibouti, October 1984 Conclusion This is a great kit from Eduard, and it is good to see it re-released in a weekend edition. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

MiG-15 UTI 1:72 Eduard - Weekend Edition The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was one of the most famous fighter from the early Cold War period. Although a Soviet design, the MiG-15 famously made use of captured German research on the aerodynamic properties of swept wings, and was powered by a reverse-engineered Rolls Royce Nene turbojet. The resulting aircraft was a triumph, easily outclassing straight wing jet fighters when in the hands of an experienced pilot. In order to ensure it could fulfil its intended role as a bomber destroyer, it packed a formidable punch in the shape of two 23mm cannons and a single 37mm cannon mounted in a pack under the nose. The MiG-15bis was the second major variant. It featured a range of small improvements, including an improved engine, revised arrangement for the 23mm cannon, redesigned airbrakes and, in some models, underwing hardpoints for unguided rockets or bombs. The MiG-15 made its combat début during the Korean War, where it proved a nasty shock for UN forces. It wasn't until the North American F-86 Sabre became available that the American forces had anything able to hold its own against the new Soviet fighter. The MiG-15 went on to become one of the most widely produced jet fighters in history and saw service with air forces around the world. The UTI is the dual seat trainer version of the MiG-15. The Kit Despite a lengthy delay caused by a problem with the mould which necessitated the re-tooling of the whole kit, Eduard's MiG-15 was warmly received when it was released last year. When it did finally emerge, it helped to cement Eduard's reputation for producing high-quality models which feature exquisite detail and superb engineering. Thanks to the way the kit has been engineered, all of the parts for the UTI version are provided on three new sprues, two grey and one clear; with sprue holding the flying surfaces carried over from the previous releases. Construction starts with the cockpit (shock!). The ejection seats are made up from two parts each with the seat belts being supplied as decals. Once these are complete they are added to the cockpit floor along with the front, middle, and rear bulkheads. The instrument panels are added to the front and middle panels, with the instruments being supplied as decals. The cockpit sidewalls also form the inside of the intake which curves around the cockpit. Decal again being used for the panels here. The front wheel well is added at the front of the cockpit at this point also. The instructions indicate nose weight to be added here as well. The rear jet pipe is built up, and when done this and the completed cockpit assembly can be sandwiched between the main fuselage halves. The rudder is then added. The main wings (conventional upper and lower construction) are then added, along with the one piece tailplanes. Next on the construction list the nose ring and intake parts are added to the front of the complete fuselage. The front wheel is added and the front gear bay doors are also attached. Panels are then added to the underside of the nose along with the cannon pod. Next up the main wheels are built up and added. Two different styles of hubs are provided with no indication of which to be used for either marking option (the modeller will need to check their references here). The wheels and outer gear doors both attach to the main gear legs. The inner gear door and the main retraction strut then need to be attached. The canopy is the next area to get attention. This is a four part affair which can be posed open or closed. As it is a bit complicated a one part closed canopy would have been a nice option to keep everything lined up, but it is not. You have the front screen, front canopy, middle pat, and lastly the rear canopy. Some of these parts are small and I can see problems getting it all lined up. Lastly to finish of the model the under wing fuel tanks and wing mounted pitot tube are added. Two different styles of wing tanks are included, but again there is no reference as to which to use, so the modeller is back to their references. Decals As with all Weekend releases it seems now Eduard supply two decal options; Iraqi Air Force, 1980 (as per box art) USSR as flown by Yuri Gagarin / Vladimir Seryogin 1968 In addition to the national markings a separate sheet of stencil decals is provided. Conclusion This is a great kit from Eduard and it is good to see it in the Weekend boxing. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Avia B.534 IV Série - Weekend Edition 1:72 Eduard Avia first flew a prototype single engine fighter biplane designated the B-34 in 1932. The first prototype was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12N V12 engine. A second prototype the B-34/2 was flown with an Avia Rr29 radial engine, however this had overheating and vibration problems. This aircraft was then re-engine with a Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs V12 engine. This second prototype was re-designated the B-534/1 in Spetember of 1933. In April 1934 this aircraft gained the Czechoslovak national speed record of 227.2mph. An order for 34 aircraft followed, which was increased to 147. At this time the aircraft was ahead of other countries with contemporary's such as the Gloster Gladiator and Curtis P-36 only being flown as prototypes or just entering production. The later IV series would feature an all metal propeller, a tail wheel, and enclosed cockpit. The aircraft was developed this far as the Air Force was reluctant to abandon the climb rate and manoeuvrability of bi-planes over the new monoplanes. The partition of Czechoslovakia meant that the B.534 never actually saw combat in the defence of the country. Slovakia was declared independent and their Air Force reformed using the B.534 but weakened as there were no Czech pilots. When Hungary invaded in 1939 two aircraft were lost to AAA fire and four more to fighters. Slovakian B.534s were further used during the invasion of Poland escorting German Ju 87 bombers. These same aircraft later served with the Germans in the Ukraine in summer 1941, and returned in 1943 for anti-partisan duties. The last recorded use of the B.534 would be Slovak National uprising in 1944. One aircraft downed a Hungarian Ju 52, this being the last recorded victory for a biplane. In addition to the Czech/Slovak use Bulgaria purchased 78 aircraft in 1939. These were used in a variety of combat roles including intercepting USAAF B-24 aircraft on the Ploiesti raid. No B-24 losses were attributed to B.534s but some of these aircraft did receive damage from the B-24s. After Bulgaria switched sides in 1944 B.534s were used to attack German troops. Some aircraft even engaged in combat with German 109s but due to the low altitude and the B.534s manoeuvrability combat was broken off, though one B.534 was shot down. The Kit The kit arrives on three sprues of grey plastic and one of clear plastic. The parts are well made with fine panel lines were needed, and realistic fabric effects. Unusually for Eduard a few parts are off the sprue (perhaps the kit had a rough journey from The Czech Republic!). Construction starts shockingly not in the cockpit but the lower radiator. The front and back parts are built up, with a decal provided for the rear face. Once the front and rear faces of the radiator are in construction can then move to the cockpit area. Internal framework parts are placed in both fuselage halves, along with other detail parts. The instrument panel is added (A decal provides the instruments). The pilots seat is made up, and along with the control column these are added to the cockpit floor. The floor has rudder pedals moulded in. Once complete the floor and instrument panel are added into the fuselage, and along with a rear deck parts these are sandwiched inside the two fuselage halves. Once the main fuselage is complete the top engine cover is then added. Next to go on are the tail parts. Each tail plane is a two part affair (front & rear) so they are fully positionable. The vertical tail is added along with a separate positional rudder. Once the tail is complete the construction moves onto the wings. A one part upper wing is supplied along with left & right lowers. The lower wings are added first and the kit gives a diagram to ensure the correct dihedral is obtained. The upper wing is attached by 2 sets of interplane struts joining the lower wing, and two sets of struts joining the fuselage. The finishing touched are to add the landing gear, propeller, underwing bombs (if needed) and the canopy. Rigging diagrams are provided if the modeller wishes to rig the finished model. Canopy The clear parts arrive on a circular clear sprue those familiar to Eduard kits will recognise. There is a one part canopy and three part canopy, this gives the modeller a choice to use an open or closed canopy. Other canopies not for use with this model are also included. The canopies are clear and free from distortion. Decals A smallish main decal sheet is supplied, along with a correction sheet. The decals appear in register, and are colour dense. Two options are supplied; Air Regiments No.4, 40th Flight, Prague (Kbley) April 1938 Dogan No.31, 2/2 Orlyak, Vrazhdebna airfield, Bulgaria, November 1944 Conclusion This is an excellent kit of an important Czechoslovak aircraft. Credit to Eduard for the one. In its weekend edition with two decal options this kit is great value for money.Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

MiG-21PF - Weekend Edition 1:48 Eduard My collogue has reviewed this kit before in its Profipak edition here. This is the same great plastic from Eduard but it is now released in a Weekend Edition. This does not have the photo etch parts and decal options of the Profipak. The difference here with the weekend edition is that a set of Eduard's Super fabric seatbelts are supplied, as well as two decal options. These are printed by Eduard and feature one small sheet of national markings & Bort numbers; and one larger sheet with extensive stencilling. The two aircraft options are; Red 40, USSR featuring Czechoslovak invasion markings, 1968. RED 851, German Democratic Republic 1965. Conclusion After the Profipak edition its good to see this kit released as a Weekend Edition for those of us who dont use all the additional bits, or for those modellers on a budget. Recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Bf 109E-7 Trop Eduard 1:48 Weekend Edition If you have not heard of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 then were have you been? The E-7 variant incorporated the developments of the E-4 with Armour and structural improvements, the change from MG FF cannons to the MG FF/M and the "square" canopy. In addition it introduced provision for an optional 300L drop tank, the first time the 109 would carry a drop tank. Alternatively a bomb could be fitted. The E-7 entered combat at the end of August 1940. A total of 438 E-7s would be built. The Kit On opening the box for this weekend edition the modeller is greeted with four sprues of grey plastic, a clear sprue, and a set of Eduard's super fabric seat belts. The moulding is top quality and there is no sign of any issues. Construction starts in the cockpit area, with the first order of business being to add some detail to the cockpit sidewalls. We briefly move away from the cockpit to construct the intake area on the underside of the engine. Once this is done we resume the cockpit proper and get onto the main area for the pilot. The control column is added along with the pilots seat, rudder pedals, lower instrument panel and landing gear controls. Then engine bulkhead is then complete along with main instrument panel and the gun sight. The next step is construction of the engine, and the armament which sits on top of it. If you are going to build the model with the engine cowl closed then most of the engine parts and the guns can be left off. It would be shame to do this however as there is a lot of good detail in this area. Once the engine is complete in either the fully constructed or basic form, it along with the cockpit and tail wheel are placed into the main fuselage and it is closed up. The next major construction step is the wings. These are a conventional lower one part main wing with left & right uppers. The wheel wells need to be placed inside the wings before they are closed up. Fully positionable flaps and slats are provided if the modeller wishes to pose them up or down. The underwing radiators are also added at this point. Once the wing assembly is complete it is mated up with the main fuselage. The next step is to attach the tail-planes and the rudder. The tail-planes are one part but the rudder can be positioned as needed. The main undercarriage is the next item to be constructed and added. These consist of a tyre with a left and right hub. A one part main gear leg is added with a separate main brake line which is a nice touch. These are then attached to the main gear door and installed onto the airframe. The external tank is also made and attached at this point if you are going to be using it. The last construction steps are to add the cowlings to engine if you are using them. The head armour needs to be attached to the main canopy, and all the clear parts assembled. Canopy The canopy from Eduard is very clear, and a crisp moulding. It should pose no problems. Decals The decals in Eduard's weekend options are certainly improving. Not only do you now get two options, but they have included some stencil data which was previously missing from the weekend kits. The decals are The options are; 2./JG 27, Ain El Gazala Airfield. Libya 1941. 1./JG 27, Ain El Gazala Airfield. Libya July 1941. Flown by The Co Oblt Karl-Wolfgang Redlich. . Conclusion This is another great boxing in their 109 series from Eduard. With the inclusion of two decal options, stencils; and a set of seat belts this Weekend Boxing is great value for money. Overall Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Siemens-Schuckert D.III - Weekend Kit 1:48 Eduard My collegeue has reviewed this kit before in its Profipak edition here. This is the same great plastic from Eduard but it is now released in a Weekend Edition. This does not have the photo etch parts and masks of the Profipak. The difference here with the weekend edition also is the decals. For this boxing two sets of decals are supplied. These are printed by Eduard and feature one small sheet of national markings, and one large sheet with the colour lozenge and rib tapes. The two aircraft options are; SSW D.III, Jasta 15, Chery-les-Pouilly, July, 1918 SSW D.III, 1611/18, Kest 4b Conclusion It is good to see this kit re-released, and in a weekend edition which is great value for you money. Recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Photo Etch detail set for Eduard Bf 109E-7 Trop Weekend Kit 1:48 Eduard This set I suspect would have been called the "Zoom" set before by Eduard. It is a basic set designed for their newly released Bf 109E-7 Tropical Weekend Kit. It is one fret of pre-painted photo etch parts for the kit. The parts are mainly for the cockpit. There are two multi part instrument panels, seat belts and rudder pedals, along with a new sidewall panel. Also included is the outside of the engine tropical intake, a part which looks much better in photo etch than plastic. Conclusion These parts will bring an addition to your weekend kit if the modeller should wish to spend a bit more money. Recommended. Review samples courtesy of

L-39ZA Albatros Weekend Edition 1:72 Eduard First flown in 1968, the Aero L-39 Albatros was the principle fast jet trainer of the Warsaw Pact. Designed and manufactured by Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic, the L-39 is a straightforward, versatile and cost effective aircraft. Unsurprisingly, the L-39 has been a considerable success on the real export market. It has achieved significant sales in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and has become one of the most successful jet trainers in the world. The L-39 is powered by a variant of the Ivchyenko AI-25TL non-afterburning turbofan engine also used in the Yakovlev Yak 40 regional passenger jet. Capable of producing 3792lb of thrust, the engine gives the aircraft a maximum speed of 466mph. The L-39CZA is an upgraded version specifically for armed training and the light attack role. For this it has strengthened under carriage and the ability to carry a 1,290 kg (2,844 lb payload. Another noticeable difference is the addition of the a GSh-23L 23-millimetre twin-barrelled cannon attached in a conformal pod under the cockpit, having a 150-round magazine. Although Eduards L-39 has been around for a while now, its still a very good kit and its always nice to see it available again, particularly so on this occasion as its part of Eduards budget weekend edition range. Inside the fairly spacious end-opening box are two large sprues of olivey-beigey coloured plastic, a single sprue of clear plastic, an instruction book and decals. The kit is made up of 63 parts, which is a fair amount for a small, simple jet aircraft like the Albatros. The mouldings are clean and crisp and there is no flash present on the parts. Surface detail is comprised of fine, engraved panel lines and recessed fasteners. The main thing to watch out for is the location of some of the sprue attachment points. Here and there, particularly around the leading edges of the wings and the fin, they intrude into the parts themselves. I would therefore recommend cutting these parts away from the sprue carefully and cleaning them up prior to assembly. The cockpit is nicely detailed and compares well to other similar kits in this scale. It is comprised of a tub with side consoles moulded in place, a rear bulkhead and a pair each of instrument panels, coamings, control columns and of course the VS-2R ejection seats. The instrument panels and side consoles are covered in fine, raised detail, which should look good under a coat of paint. Decals are provided if youd rather use them, but even if you dont its always nice to have the option. The ejections seats are pretty nicely detailed, and each is made up of no fewer than 5 parts. With cockpit complete, you just have to add the rather nice engine compressor face and exhaust nozzle before you can join the fuselage halves. Once this has been done, the rest of the model should be fairly quick to assemble. Unusually, both upper and lower wing halves are moulded as single spans, so theres no need to worry about alignment and dihedral. Youll need to drill out the pre-marked holes on the inside of the lower wing half if you want to use any of the supplied ordnance, although none of it bar the drop tanks will be required for the aircraft depicted on the decal sheet. The port and starboard horizontal tail surfaces are moulded as solid parts and control surfaces are all moulded in place. Theres no need to worry about detailing the undercarriage bays either. This is because the L-39s undercarriage doors automatically retract once the undercarriage has been deployed and, as they are rarely seen open on parked aircraft, Eduard have moulded them all in the closed position. The engine intakes have separate boundary layer splitter plates though, so this kit does have some nice touches where it counts. A decent selection of ordnance is provided, including two drop tanks, two small bombs (which look like KP-100 concrete practice bombs and the conformal gun pack that fits under the cockpit just aft of the nose gear. As mentioned above, only the drop tanks are used for the aircraft depicted on the decal sheet. The landing gear itself is quite nicely detailed, although it is quite spindly so be careful not to damage it during construction. The canopy is provided in three separate parts and can be posed in the open position if desired. As seems to be the norm now for its weekend kits (and its welcome) Eduard have provided two decal options for the kit; 1st Tiger Squadron 11th Fighter Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force, Zatec Air Base, 1991 618th Advanced Traning Squadron, Algerian Air Force, Tafraoui Air Base. Conclusion This is a really nice kit of an interesting aircraft. The overall quality of the kit is very good and it seems to offer a good blend of detail and ease of assembly. Its good that this kit has been re-issued, and with a couple of good decal options. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fokker Dr.1 Eduard 1:48 Weekend Edition The Blood Red Fokker DR.1 Triplane made famous by the Red Baron needs no introduction to nearly everyone. This kit has been previously reviewed by my collegue Dave here. The plastic in this boxing is exactly the same, just the markings have been changed. Decals For a weekend eddition surprisingly two decal options are supplied, along with set off superfabric seatbelts. First is the Red aircraft of Baron von Richthofen. Second is an Streaked Olive machine flown by Lt Freidrich Kempf, this has his name on the top wing. Conclusion This is a lovely little model of a very famous aircraft type. There is enough detail for most people and would make a great kit to keep the mojo a kick start if in a rut or just as a fun build over a weekend. This is now the second weekend kit I have reviewed which has come with more than one decal option and a set of Eduard's fabric peel off belts. It looks like the value for money in these weekend kits has been improved by Eduard, something we can all applaud. Overall highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

MiG-21R 1:48 Eduard - Weekend Edition Given the large numbers of MiG-21s produced for the Soviet forces it made sense for them to produce a reconnaissance version of the airframe. NATO would designate the MiG-21R as "Fishbed-H". All aircraft would carry the various sensors in a pod on the centre line of the aircraft. Four main types of pod could be carried; Type D Daylight PHOTINT pod Type N night time PHOTINT pod Type R general purpose ELINT pod Type T TV system pod. The use of the Type R pod made the Mig-21R one of the first Soviet aircraft to field an ELINT system. As well as carrying the centre line sensor pod the MiG-21R could carry two air-to-air missiles for self defence, or even Heavy rockets/rocket pods/bombs for offensive actions if needed. One notable feature of the MiG-21R was wingtip pods fitted with additional antennas. The Kit Eduard's MiG-21 range is now pretty much established as a great range of kits and it was only time until they added the Recon aircraft to the range. The weekend kit arrives as seven sprues of light grey plastic, a clear sprue and a set of Super Fabric seat belts. The surprise is the Eduard have given us a complete new wing for the R model with the wingtip antennas moulded on. Most companies I think would have included these as a small sprue for you to graft onto an existing wing. Thanks Eduard Construction begins shockingly with the cockpit area. The front wheel well parts are attached to the underside of the cockpit floor. The instrument panel is then made up from five parts. The modeller can paint the panel or use the decals supplied. The next step is to complete the engine exhaust. The exhaust is made up from 11 parts and looks to be fairly detailed for plastic parts. Once complete this is set aside for later. The main wheel bay is then constructed from 9 parts, and again this looks fairly comprehensive for plastic parts. Construction then moves back to the cockpit. The side consoles are constructed and placed in the appropriate fuselage halves. Again the modeller can choose between painting details or using the supplied decals. Once the side consoles are in, the cockpit floor, exhaust assembly, cockpit bulkhead; and nose cone are all placed indie the fuselage halves and they can be joined together. The tail, rudder and fuselage spine can then be added to the complete fuselage. This then complete the main fuselage and construction moves onto the wings. The wings are a one part bottom wing with split left/right uppers. If the side airbrakes are to be positioned open then they will have to be cut out from the wing. A variety of small parts are added to the wheel bays, along with the walls of the bays. The main wheels wells can then be added to the fuselage and the lower wing glued into place. The tail planes are added at this stage along with various linkages and intakes in the engine bay area. The upper wings are added next, along with their separate control surfaces. Work then switches to the underside. The main airbrake can be added in either the open or closed position. Flap actuators are added as is the under tail fairing. Work then switches to the undercarriage. The main wheels are built up along with tyres. The front landing leg is also assembled. These are attached along with the main gear doors. Last touches are to complete the ejector seat. This is 19 part affair in plastic! as good as some resin seats I have seen, and with the addition of the super fabric seat belts should really look the part. The canopies and pitot tubes are added and the underwing/belly pods/ordnance can be added. Drop tanks, large rockets and air-2-air missiles are provided for the modeller to use as they want. Type D, and R recon pods are provided for use under the main fuselage. A nice inclusion is RATO bottles to attach to the fuselage. Clear Parts The clear parts are up to Eduard's usual standard. Clear and free from distortion. Decals Surprisingly enough for a weekend kit Eduard have provided two sets of decals for the kit. Soviet 263rd Independent Reconnaissance Sqn, Afghanistan 1980 Cuban Air Force 1968. Aircraft 111 is now in the Havana Air Museum Conclusion This is a great kit from Eduard. Reconnaissance aircraft can often be overlooked in favour of fighters. Having this in a weekend boxing does bring the price down for the cost conscious modeller. However if you really want to goto town then Eduard have a slew of Brass, and resin parts to bling up your MiG. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

MiG-15bis - Weekend Edition 1:72 Eduard The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was the most famous fighter aircraft to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain during the early years of the Cold War. Although a Soviet design, the MiG-15 made use of captured German research on the aerodynamic properties of swept wings, combined with a reverse engineered Rolls Royce Nene turbojet engine. The resulting aircraft was a triumph, easily outclassing the more conventional jet fighters then in service. In order to ensure it could perform adequately as a bomber destroyer, it packed a formidable punch, with two 23mm cannons and a single 37mm cannon mounted in a pack under the nose. The MiG-15 was the original production version, which lacked the range of small improvements made to the follow-on bis variant. The MiG-15 made its combat debut during the Korean War, where it proved a nasty shock for UN forces. It wasn't until the North American F-86 Sabre became available that American forces had anything able to hold its own against the new Soviet fighter. The MiG-15 went on to become one of the most widely produced jet fighters in history and saw service with air forces around the world. Eduard have earned an excellent reputation with world-class models such as their 1:72 Hellcat and Messerschmitt Bf110, as well as the 1:48 MiG-21 and now the new 1:48 Bf109. Their models typically feature a mixture of exquisite detail and superb engineering which puts them right at the pinnacle of worldwide kit manufacturers. Now Eduard have followed up on the MiG-15bis profipack with a weekend edition as is pretty normal for them. The Kit Inside the sturdy box are three sprues of grey plastic and a clear sprue. The overall impression is of a really premium quality package. The quality of the mouldings is up to the usual Eduard standard. Details are clean and crisp and there are no flaws anywhere. As with other recent kits from Eduard, there is plenty of fine detail, with parts such as the cockpit comparable to high-end resin items. The surface detail on the outside of the airframe is comprised of recessed panel lines with delicately engraved rivet and fastener details. The kit does not have a massive amount of parts but is still fairly detailed and now doubt the best MiG-15 kit available in 1.72. The first step in construction is the cockpit area. A part seat is put together and then inserted into the cockpit. Like the real aircraft the cockpit sides form the inside of the intake as well. Front and rear bulkheads are added to the floor and sides to complete the cockpit. A separate control column is added. Decals are provided for the side panels. The front wheel well is made up from two parts and attached to the front cockpit. The next step is to make up the jet pipe/exhaust. This is two parts with a further part making the exhaust part of the engine. Once this and the cockpit are completed they can be added to the fuselage halves along with the rudder parts. The fuselage can then be completed. The next step to then tackle is to make up the wings. These are of conventional construction split top/bottom. Holes must be made for the drop tanks. Once these wings are complete they can be attached to the completed fuselage along with the tail planes. Final construction steps are to add the gun pack under the front fuselage, the nose intake ring and some external antennas. The landing gear can be made up, the front is a one part fixing where as the mains are four part affairs with separate hubs. Once the gear doors are attached the canopy can be added along with the drop tanks. Canopy A largish clear sprue is provided as seems to be Eduard's want. This seems to be a good idea as I have never had loose canopies rattling round their boxes, or any damage to clear parts. They are well moulded and thin for the scale. They look clear and should provide the modeller with no problems. Decals As this is the weekend edition only one decal option is provided. This is for a Soviet aircraft which had been in North Korean service at some time. North Korean markings are provided over which the modeller must add the Soviet markings if they wish. The North Korean markings will have to be suitable weathered to indicate an attempt at removal before hand though. As well as the standard decals a set of eduard seatbelts are also included. Conclusion Given how excellent the original bis edition was, it should come as no surprise that this kit is equally as good. It is both accurate and well engineered, putting other 1:72 kits of the type in the shade. The level of detail Eduard have packed in is superb, as is the treatment of surface details. Its great to see the weekend edition for those of us who don't like multiple decal options and all the photoetch etc Eduard throw in some of the boxes, or for those on a budget its a great way to get these new tool kits. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe Late Eduard Weekend 1:48 The Model Eduard are really getting their monies worth from the Spitfire moulds with this latest release of the Spitfire MkIXe Late Weekend Edition. But who can blame them, since it is probably one of the best kits available in this scale. As is the norm for the weekend editions, only one set of markings are provided and there is none of the resin/etch/masks you may find in the Profipacks. The build begins with the cockpit, and here some of the sidewall detail is moulded into the fuselage, with the rest being supplied as separate parts that fit to the lower sidewall inserts. The frame that holds the pilot's seat has recessed lightening holes that could be drilled out if you feel the need, and a sturdy mount for the seat and its two armoured plates behind it and in the head/shoulders area. The frame behind the pilot's seat is supplied as a top portion only, but little should be seen of that below the small rear glazed area anyway. Under the pilot's feet are the control linkages, as well as a further strengthening attachment point for the seat. The seat is built up from back and side parts, with the adjustment lever on the starboard side, and a flare rack in front, under the pilot's knees, which is then dropped into the cockpit with its armoured panel. The control column and linkage is built up from three parts, and then added in front of the seat along with a few additional sidewall details. The instrument panel is the forward bulkhead, and is supplied as either a single styrene part with raised instrument bezels on the surface, which you can paint or a flat plate on which the modeller can use the provided decal, The gun-sight and compass assemblies are then added to the panel, with the compass glued on the backside of the panel and protruding through the bulkhead opening between the pilot's knees, just like the real thing. Rudder pedals sit within the bulkhead, after which the other sidewall can be added, creating a neat assembly that is sandwiched between the fuselage halves after fitting the bulkhead to the engine-bay, the final frame to which the spinner attaches and the socket for the tail gear leg. If you're going to close the canopy, a couple of small segments of the sills are removed, as they won't be seen under the canopy, and would baulk its fitment if left behind. At this point, the leading edges of the wing root fairings are also attached. As is standard with the Spitfire wings in this scale (and most others), the lower wing is a single full-span part, and in this case, there is a stub spar that crosses the midline with around 3cm on each side providing a little strength to the wings, and forming part of the front wall of the landing gear wells. The upper wing section has been moulded with a thinner skin within the wheel well to give a more realistic depth, and also has details of the ribbing moulded into its surface. The balance of the wheel bay walls are constructed from short sections, which allowed Eduard to put some wall detail on them where appropriate, but take care getting alignment and orientation correct before committing to glue. Once the upper wings and separate wing tips are attached, the fuselage can be dropped into the gap and secured in place. The top cowling is a separate assembly, made up from two halves, and you have a choice which depends on which markings you intend to use. The exhausts that are fitted to each side of the cowling are slide-moulded to have a hollow exit, although the edges are a little thick when compared to the resin replacements. The exhausts fit into a pair of backing parts that give an impression of the engine within the cowlings, which must be almost unique on a stock kit at this scale, but it means that they have to be inserted before the top cowling is added, so must be painted and masked beforehand. The elevators are separate from the tail plane, and they are supplied as a single part with some impressive fabric and rib-tape texture on the surface. They must be installed before the rudder, and are locked in place by a pair of small parts that should allow then to remain mobile if you are careful with the glue. Ailerons are also separate, and these are of the metal type, so devoid of any fabric detail, as is correct. They can be posed at any sensible angle, and have small tabs at the hinge-points to improve the strength of their join. Underneath, the two piece chin for the engine cowling is added, with the chin intake built in, and the radiator housings are built up from individual sides, with the radiators themselves having very nice detailed mesh surfaces that should look good once painted carefully. The rear radiator flaps can be posed open or closed by substituting one jack-part for another, using the same panel, with the correct angles shown in a pair of scrap diagrams. Because of the almost scale depth of the wheel wells, the landing gear is built up the same way whether you are choosing to model it up or down. The only difference is that a small portion of the dished leg cover is removed so that they can fit within the bay recess. The tyres are provided in halves, with separate inner and outer hubs. If posing them down, the gear legs sit in a pair of keyed holes that ensure the angle and orientation are correct, but a pair of scrap diagrams provide clarification if you are unsure. The tail wheel is a single part that fits into the two-part yoke that terminates in a long shaft to plug into the socket within the fuselage that was installed earlier. Since the only option for this kit is to build an LF version the cut down wing tips have to be used. The Spitfire IX had a four-blade prop, and this is one of the last assemblies, consisting of single part for the blades, around which the front and rear plate of the spinner are clamped. This then fits into a small hole at the front of the cowling, and will need to be glued in place unless you do a little scratch-building. The cannons in the leading edge of the wing are installed to the outer stations, while the inner ports are faired over with a pair of hemispherical bumps. The canopy gives you the option of a two-part closed assembly, which has the sliding and rear portions moulded together, or a three-part open assembly to display your hard work in the cockpit. The windscreen is fitted with a circular rear-view mirror on the very top of the roll-over loop, lastly the aerial mast if attached to the fuselage via an insert. Decals The main decal sheet provides markings for just one aircraft, the decals for which are printed in-house by Eduard and are in good register, are sharp, and appear suitably opaque. They appear more matt than the Profipack decals. The decal used for the instrument panel then these too are very well printed and look quite realistic. No stencils are included in this edition. The markings are for Spitfire MkIXe LF, TE570, of the Czechoslovak Air Force, Letecky pluk 7, Letiste Praha – Kbely, Zari 1946 Conclusion Yes it's another Spitfire MkIX from Eduard, but hey, why not. It's a great kit, and even in this Weekend Edition will provide the modeller with with some happy modelling for a number of hours, with a nice model to be had at the end of the session. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc Early Eduard Weekend 1:48 The Model Having released what is possibly the best Spitfire model so far in this scale, in Profipack and Royal Class editions, this kit is now available in a Weekend Edition. This kit includes all the styrene of the Profipack edition, but loses the pre-painted etched parts, masks and all but one of the marking options. What you do still get is a load of parts destined to go straight to the spares box. The build begins with the cockpit, and here some of the sidewall detail is moulded into the fuselage, with the rest being supplied as separate parts that fit to the lower sidewall inserts. The frame that holds the pilot's seat has recessed lightening holes that could be drilled out if you feel the need, and a sturdy mount for the seat and its two armoured plates behind it and in the head/shoulders area. The frame behind the pilot's seat is supplied as a top portion only, but little should be seen of that below the small rear glazed area anyway. Under the pilot's feet are the control linkages, as well as a further strengthening attachment point for the seat. The seat is built up from back and side parts, with the adjustment lever on the starboard side, and a flare rack in front, under the pilot's knees, which is then dropped into the cockpit with its armoured panel. The control column and linkage is built up from three parts, and then added in front of the seat along with a few additional sidewall details. The instrument panel is the forward bulkhead, and is supplied as either a single styrene part with raised instrument bezels on the surface, which you can paint or a flat plate on which the modeller can use the provided decal, The gun-sight and compass assemblies are then added to the panel, with the compass glued on the backside of the panel and protruding through the bulkhead opening between the pilot's knees, just like the real thing. Rudder pedals sit within the bulkhead, after which the other sidewall can be added, creating a neat assembly that is sandwiched between the fuselage halves after fitting the bulkhead to the engine-bay, the final frame to which the spinner attaches and the socket for the tail gear leg. If you're going to close the canopy, a couple of small segments of the sills are removed, as they won't be seen under the canopy, and would baulk its fitment if left behind. At this point, the leading edges of the wing root fairings are also attached. As is standard with the Spitfire wings in this scale (and most others), the lower wing is a single full-span part, and in this case, there is a stub spar that crosses the midline with around 3cm on each side providing a little strength to the wings, and forming part of the front wall of the landing gear wells. The upper wing section has been moulded with a thinner skin within the wheel well to give a more realistic depth, and also has details of the ribbing moulded into its surface. The balance of the wheel bay walls are constructed from short sections, which allowed Eduard to put some wall detail on them where appropriate, but take care getting alignment and orientation correct before committing to glue. Once the upper wings and separate wing tips are attached, the fuselage can be dropped into the gap and secured in place. The top cowling is a separate assembly, made up from two halves, and you have a choice which depends on which markings you intend to use. The exhausts that are fitted to each side of the cowling are slide-moulded to have a hollow exit, although the edges are a little thick when compared to the resin replacements. The exhausts fit into a pair of backing parts that give an impression of the engine within the cowlings, which must be almost unique on a stock kit at this scale, but it means that they have to be inserted before the top cowling is added, so must be painted and masked beforehand. The elevators are separate from the tail plane, and they are supplied as a single part with some impressive fabric and rib-tape texture on the surface. They must be installed before the rudder, and are locked in place by a pair of small parts that should allow then to remain mobile if you are careful with the glue. Ailerons are also separate, and these are of the metal type, so devoid of any fabric detail, as is correct. They can be posed at any sensible angle, and have small tabs at the hinge-points to improve the strength of their join. Underneath, the two piece chin for the engine cowling is added, with the chin intake built in, and the radiator housings are built up from individual sides, with the radiators themselves having very nice detailed mesh surfaces that should look good once painted carefully. The rear radiator flaps can be posed open or closed by substituting one jack-part for another, using the same panel, with the correct angles shown in a pair of scrap diagrams. Because of the almost scale depth of the wheel wells, the landing gear is built up the same way whether you are choosing to model it up or down. The only difference is that a small portion of the dished leg cover is removed so that they can fit within the bay recess. The tyres are provided in halves, with separate inner and outer hubs. If posing them down, the gear legs sit in a pair of keyed holes that ensure the angle and orientation are correct, but a pair of scrap diagrams provide clarification if you are unsure. The tail wheel is a single part that fits into the two-part yoke that terminates in a long shaft to plug into the socket within the fuselage that was installed earlier. The Spitfire IX had a four-blade prop, and this is one of the last assemblies, consisting of single part for the blades, around which the front and rear plate of the spinner are clamped. This then fits into a small hole at the front of the cowling, and will need to be glued in place unless you do a little scratch-building. The cannons in the leading edge of the wing are installed to the inner stations, while the outer ports are faired over with a pair of hemispherical bumps. The canopy gives you the option of a two-part closed assembly, which has the sliding and rear portions moulded together, or a three-part open assembly to display your hard work in the cockpit. The windscreen is fitted with a circular rear-view mirror on the very top of the roll-over loop, and the sliding portion has a small PE grab-handle/latch added to the front, which is a nice addition. and you use different parts for open and closed canopies. Lastly the aerial mast if attached to the fuselage via an insert followed by a small clear teardrop shaped bubble just aft of the mast and only used with certain marked aircraft. Decals The main decal sheet provides markings for just one aircraft, the decals for which are printed in-house by Eduard and are in good register, are sharp, and appear suitably opaque. They appear more matt than the Profipack decals. The decal used for the instrument panel then these too are very well printed and look quite realistic. No stencils are included in this edition. The markings are for Spitfire Mk.IXc, EN354, flown by 1st Lt Leonard V. Helton, of the 52nd FG, 4th FS, La Sebala Airfield, Tunisia, June 1943, in a similar scheme as EN315 above in Mid Stone, Dark Earth and Azure Blue colour scheme with a red spinner. Conclusion These Spitfires from Eduard are superb and no matter if you go for the Profipack or this Weekend edition the modeller is in for a treat. This edition is, in my opinion, really good value for what you get, loads of build enjoyment and a great looking Spitfire at the end. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

BF110D & Bf110G-2 Weekend Editions 1:72 Eduard The menacing looking BF110 first took to the air in 1936 and despite performance shortcomings as opposing aircraft developed, it continued in production until near the end of the war. With delays of the DB600 series engines, it wasn’t until the C series that the performance was considered suitable in its intended role. The D model introduced the capability for much improved endurance in 1939 and initially the Bf110 notched up considerable success as heavy fighter and bomber escort over Poland, Norway and France,. When faced with the RAF in 1940 who were operating defensively over their own territory, tides were turned when it got mauled by the nimble single seat fighters during the Battle of Britain. The Bf110 was progressively improved by adding several refinements and significantly more power with the G model when the DB605 powerplant was introduced. Despite the improvements it was outclassed in Europe by day and relegated to night operations for the remainder of the war in this theatre where it found its niche attacking allied bomber streams. With the advent of airborne radar and the 110 being a stable heavy gun platform, it demonstrated significant success in this role. Following on from the Profipack sets, Eduard have released the D and G-2 versions of their superb Bf110 kits in 1:72 scale. The Weekend kits are simply the plastic included in the Profipack boxings but without the etch, masks and a stripped down decal sheet. There’s a great deal of extra and common parts included in both kits, so to save duplication, I’ll review the common parts first then review the unique elements of each kit following on. Both kits come in top opening boxes, although the G-2 kit is packaged in a much larger box for some reason. Instructions are provided in A5 booklet format with good clear diagrams to aid assembly. The sprues are bagged in pairs whist the clear sprue is individually bagged. Sprues common to both kits First impressions of these kits are excellent. The quality of moulding on the medium grey sprues is as good as it currently gets in injection plastic with a combination of fine recessed panel lines, rivets and raised detail where appropriate. There is virtually no flash and a pleasant lack of sink marks throughout. Ejector marks are restrained to areas that won’t be on show. There are several quite fine parts that will need some delicacy removing them from the sprues, however the attachment points are equally fine. Construction starts with the cockpit as you’d probably expect. The D & G versions have different cockpit arrangements, so each kit has unique cockpit floors and interior details. The cockpit assembly sits between the two fuselage halves which are again different for the two versions. The fuselage sprue for the G model however is also included in the D kit as it holds some common parts (as well as being the fuselage for the C Model on the C/D Profipack). With the fuselage assembled, the tailplane bolts straight to the rear with the two tails mating either end. The wing has a slight matt finish to the surfaces with beautifully recessed panel and restrained rivet detail. Separate ailerons are included if you choose to have these slightly offset. Whilst the cockpit framework differs on both aircraft, all the parts are located on a common sprue. The parts are thin with very flat panels giving minimum distortion when looking through them. The biggest drawback with the Weekend version in my opinion is the lack of paint masks. This is a rather complicated canopy arrangement and pre-cut masks would be a real contribution to retaining your sanity! Both treaded and untreaded wheels are included on the common sprues as is a selection of drop tanks and bombs, however given that both kits reviewed here are configured as heavy fighters, the bombs are surplus to requirements. BF110D Only The D version has a different fuselage due to having an extended tail to accommodate a life raft which I’m guessing was a welcome addition when operating over water for the crews. There is a cable visible down the port side of the fuselage to deploy the life raft. Another feature used on the D in some cases was a huge 1050 litre belly tank which was given the name Dackelbauch (Dachshunds belly!). The example modelled in this kit did indeed use it. As if this additional fuel wasn’t enough, the D could also carry a further two 900 litre wing drop tanks with fins which are also included on D model sprues. Whilst the instructions don’t show these being used, it does give the capability to show a rather well hung 110 should you so wish. The nacelles are contained on their own sprue. Separate intake inserts are included to mate to the nacelles. Panel lines are finely recessed to match the wings. The decals represent one aircraft, W.Nr.3148 of 2./ZG76 based in Norway in spring 1940. The content of the sheet are quite limited cared to the Profipack boxing, but I guess are to help keep the costs down. That said, there is no loss of print quality, register being spot on and print very sharp. BF110G-2 Only Whilst this utilises the common fuselage included in both kits, it does introduce a great variety in gun armament configurations. Unfortunately, due to the single decal option, only one set up is catered for. No less than 3 forward firing options are included on the sprues: 2 x MG 151s in a belly pack 4 x 21cm under-wing mortars 1 x 3.7 cm BK cannon a belly pack The version included in the decal option utilises the belly MG 151’s and rocket mortars. Given the greater power of the DB605B powerplant on the G series, wider chord props are provided in contrast with the rather skinny ones in the D boxing. Decals are included for an aircraft of 5./JG 1 based at Wells in Austria during 1943-44. Again, the decal sheet is rather reserved in quantity, but quality is superb. Conclusions The Eduard range of 1/72 BF110’s are quite superb. There are some small parts in the boxes, so probably not the best kit for beginners or young modellers, but Eduard have set out to produce the best kit in scale for modellers with some experience and succeeded. It’s good that they provide a low cost option in the Weekend guise as an alternative to the Profipack boxings, however as mentioned earlier, given the rather busy canopy framework, the lack of paint masks and reduced decal options may require you choose carefully as to which route to take. Review sample courtesy of

Bf110C/D & G Cockpit Etch Update Sets Eduard 1:72 for Weekend Kits The Eduard weekend Bf110 kits are great value and beautifully moulded. They are the same kit as you get in the Profipack series but without the masks, etch and more comprehensive decal options. If you've got one of the weekend kits and do fancy improving the cockpit, then Eduard have made this another option open to you. The quality of the pre-painted etch sets probably doesn't need much of an introduction as they've become a widely accepted form of upgrading and having used several of them, I've become a huge fan. Here are two sets, the first for the Bf110C/D lit, the second for the G-2 kit. Bf110C/D (Set 73469) Most of the enhancements cater for the cockpit interior, however a few key exterior parts are also provided. In the cockpit, you get seat harnesses, pilots main flying panel (only supplied as a decal option with no surface detailing in the kit) and front faces for the array of radio, electronic and switch panels. Throttles for the pilot and gun sights for the rear mounted machine gun are also in there. Externally, the little leading edge intake grills outboard to the nacelles are provided, as are the oleo scissors for the main gear, rear under-fuselage loop and strip aerials and the square bracing struts for two bombs. BF110G-2 This is largely the same as the C/D set, however slight differences in the aircraft lead to minor differences in the sets. As well as the parts listed above, a lattice seat cover for the radio operator is included in this pack as well as a different style of rear machine gun sight that mounts to the twin machine guns carried in this version. Conclusion Whilst the Weekend kits are very good straight from the box, the ease of upgrading using etch sets makes these very popular options. As such, I can highly recommend these based on use of such sets in other kits I've made. Review sample courtesy of

Hellcat F6F-3 1:48 Eduard - Weekend The Grumman Hellcat was a US Navy World War II carrier based fighter aircraft designed to replace the earlier Grumman Wildcat. Although the two aircraft do look similar the Hellcat was a completely new design from Grumman. The aircraft featured the Pratt & Whiney R-2800 as used by the Chance Vought Corsair & The Republic Thunderbolt. The Hellcat proved to be a well designed fighter able to stand up to carrier operations and the rough air fields used in the Pacific Theatre of operations. Grummans initial design was in fact so good that the Hellcat was the least revised aircraft of WWII. In total 12,200 Hellcats were built for the US Navy, The US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. The Hellcat is credited with more kills in WWII than any other allied fighter. Post war the Hellcat was phased out of day fighter service but continued in US service as late as 1954 as a night fighter. One notable exception was in late 1952 when F6F-5K Drones carrying 2000lb bombs were used to attack bridges in Korea. Post war the aircraft were also used by the Aeronavale (French Navy), using them in Indochina; and the Uruguayan Navy who used them upto the 1960s. The Kit Euards kit featues the F6F-3, which was the main production varient. On opening the fairly large box from Eduard you get 3 sprues of olive green plastic, one of grey plastic, and one clear sprue. All the parts are as you would expect from Eduard, crisp, well moulded and flash free. Detail is fine engraved panel lines and rivet detail. The clear parts are very well moulded, crisp and clear. Only one of the two front screens is for this model. For the main canopy you get a choice depending whether you wish to pose the canopy open or not, the second being slightly larger to fit over the fuselage. Construction starts as always with the cockpit. This is very well moulded and comprises of nine parts. There are no straps for the seat as presumably these were on a PE fret in the original boxing. Some tape straps would suffice I am pretty sure of. Once the cockpit is complete it is placed into the fuselage, at this stage the tail wheel is also added; and the modeller needs to open up a slot for the ventral fuel tank if its going to be fitted. The fuselage is then closed up. Next job is the engine and cowl. The engine is provided as two banks of cylinders and a front cap. Again I suspect things such as wiring harness etc were on a PE fret you dont get in the weekend boxing. However properly drybrushed and hidden in the cowl the engine should look just fine. The engine is then fitted to the front of the aircraft and the cowl placed around it. Following on from the front of the aircraft its time to move to the rear. The tail planes and rudder need assembling and fitting. Next it the turn of the main wings. The wheel wells need fitting to the inside along with the gun barrels. The wings are provided with separate flaps and ailerons. To finish off the landing gear and wheels need to be made up. These appear complex, the wheels are four parts each with the landing great and doors being 10 parts each. I can see them being a little difficult to get right. Once these are done under wing rockets and the ventral fuel tank can be fitted if need along with the prop. Decals This being the weekend edition there is only one set of decals provided. These are for F6F-3 BuNo 25813 flown by Lt. C "Ken" Hildebrant of VF-33 based at Ondonga in December 1943. Conclusion There is no doubt this will build up to make a good looking model. I for one am a fan of the bare bones approach from Eduard. With the weekend editions you get the same excellent plastic without all the resin and or photo etched parts I dont like. Overall highly recommended for those who like their modelling life a bit more on the simple side. Review sample courtesy of

Polikarpov I-16 Type 24 1:48 Eduard - Weekend Edition The I-16 was a Soviet fighter of revolutionary design. It was the worlds first low wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear to achieve operational status. The designer Nikolai Nikoleavich Polikarpov designed the aircraft optimised for speed with a short stubby fuselage similar to the Gee Bee racer. It was to feature cutting edge items such as a fully retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. Work began in June 1933 and full scale production began in November of the same year. The aircraft was designed around the Wright Cyclone SR-1820-F-3 nine cylinder engine. The construction was a mix of wooden monocoque and wings based around chrome-molybdenum steel alloy wing spar. Original armament was a par of 7.62mm machine guns mounted outboard of the main wheels. The Type 24 aircraft featured Four machine guns, two in the original wing positions and two synchronised in the fuselage. Landing flaps replaced the original drooping ailerons, a tail wheel was also added. This variant was powered by a Shvetsov M-63 engine developing 900hp. At the start of WWII Russian had 1635 I-16 variants. During the first 48 hours of Operation Barbarossa Luftwaffe attacks on I-16 bases reduced this to only 937 aircraft. The I-16 was surprisingly good in combat against the Bf 109E with Russian pilots using its superior horizontal manoeuvrability. However later versions of the 109 would prove to be much faster, and more heavily armed. One advantage in the Russian winter was the I-16 had an aircooled engine and were more reliable. In all over half of the produced aircraft were still in service when they were replaced in 1943. I-16 would also serve overseas with China. Germany, Romania and Finland would operate captured examples. The Spanish Republican Air Force used I-16s supplied by Russia, and after the Civil war these would be used by Spanish State Air Force, amazingly only being retired in 1952. The Kit The kit arrives on four sprues with one small clear sprue containing the front windscreen. The parts are all very well moulded with nice engraved detail. There is no evidence of flash anywhere on the parts. Construction starts with the cockpit and the interior of the fuselage. Some of the engine exhausts are added at this time along with internal features. The fuselage is closed up and the cockpit is added from underneath. The cockpit is fairly Spartan much like the real thing. No seatbelts are supplied, and the instrument panel comes as a decal, though you could paint the plastic panel if you prefer. I suspect the seatbelts and an instrument panel came as PE parts in the normal boxing of this kit. Once the cockpit and instrument panel are in the wings are constructed and added to the fuselage. Next job is to install the tailplanes, rudder and tail wheel. Once this is done construction moves to the front of the aircraft. The engine face is added along with the cowl. Additional exhausts are added, along with the machine gun blisters on top of the front fuselage. The next step is to complete the landing gear, this is fairly complex with quite a few parts, many of which are probably replaced with PE in other boxings. Luckily the instructions show a couple of different views so you can get the positioning of all of these parts correct. Finally the gun sight, windscreen and prop added to finish off your model. Decals This being the weekend edition there is only one set of decals provided. These are for I-16 Type 24 Pilot Boris F Safonov, 72nd SAP Northern Fleet, 1941. Conclusion There is no doubt this will build up to make a good looking model. I for one am a fan of the bare bones approach from Eduard, and also of this stubby looking aircraft. With the weekend editions you get the same excellent Eduard plastic without all the resin and/or photo etched parts I dont like. Overall highly recommended for those who like their modelling life a bit more on the simple side. Review sample courtesy of

Eduard Bf109E-1 Weekend Edition 1:48 Eduard We’ve reviewed several of Eduards Bf109E’s here on Britmodeller so the base kit is probably one that you’ve become familiar with if not in person, then in internet review sections at least. I reviewed the E-4 Profipack last September which was my first introduction to the series and I was mightily impressed. In the constant fight for the skies, the 109 went through many evolutionary improvements, the E series or more affectionately known Emil being designed based on the lessons learned fighting for the Condor Legion in the Spanish civil war. Infact a few saw service in that era although towards the final stages. The Emil received a much more powerful power plant in the shape of a Daimler Benz DB601 giving nearly 40% more power than its predecessor in the earlier models. The first models were the E-1 and E-3, the only difference between them being that the E-1 had Mg-17 machine guns in the wings, the E-3 having 20mm Mg FF cannon. The E-1/3 were the main fighter aircraft operated by the Luftwaffe until shortly before the Battle of Britain when the E-4 began to replace them. Settling on canon in the wings, a number of other improvements resulted such as improved cockpit armour and a more ‘squared off’ canopy. The kit Again, because we’ve done several reviews on the 109E series produced by Eduard, one can have a tendency to skip information out, however I’m sure not everyone has come across the kits and that’s the way I must approach the review. Eduard have developed a pattern of providing two formats of their kits. The first is the Profipack version which normally includes an extensive decal sheet, usually with 4 or 5 options, an etch fret and paint masks. The second is the budget series known as the Weekend editions. You still get the same great plastic kit, but usually a single option decal sheet and no etch or masks. That is what we have here. My first observation is the fact that rather than the normal beige plastic, the four sprues of this kit are moulded in a medium grey colour which is great for taking review pictures !!! Obviously, you get a different set of instructions because there’s no etch to consider. Whilst the Profipack ones are printed in colour on gloss paper, the Weekend edition instructions come on standard paper in black and white. Construction starts with the cockpit. Now whilst the kit lacks the etch of its Profipack brother, the injection moulded detail in the cockpit is not something to be sniffed at. Finesse of the detail is superb with plenty of small details to keep you out of mischief. Trying to produce trim wheels that look scale accurate in 1/72 in injection moulded plastic is difficult, but Eduard have done as a good a job as we’re likely to see. The front panel is a little less traditional in that it’s produced in two parts, upper and lower. The lower part fits to the cockpit tub, bit the upper part fits to the nose section behind the engine and the two sub assemblies come together afterwards. The seat looks a little plain in comparison with the rest of the kit in general and lacks seatbelts, so unless you have an etch kit to use in your collection, making some from your scratch build materials is necessary if having a bare seat concerns you. The engine is another source of finesse, however it also presents a challenge which I’ll pick up later. There’s considerable detail within the engine and nose gun arrangement that allow you to leave the cowlings off to reveal it all. With the assembly built, it fits between the fuselage halves in the usual manner along with the cockpit tub. The Mg-17’s are beautifully moulded and with the right painting skills will look quite exquisite sat above that chunk of Db601. The exhausts are individually formed again showing off what Eduard have managed to do with their moulding process. The ends of the exhausts are slightly and cleverly hollowed and there’s weld lines along each one, so don’t assume this is flash and sand it off ! Now if you choose to have the cowlings closed, you still need to use the engine block as the exhausts are fitted to it. This is where the challenge comes in. You need to fit the engine / exhaust assembly before fitting the cowlings, but that then makes painting a bit of a challenge. The fit of the exhausts in the cowling opening is very snug, so there’s very little room to mask the exhausts if you paint them before fitting. I’d be interested to hear how people have dealt with this challenge as to the best way of dealing with it. I suspect fitting the individual parts through the opening after painting will be too fiddly. With the fuselage zipped up, next is the wings. As with the fuselage, the detail on the wing surfaces is simply stunning. Very restrained panel lines are supplemented by ultra-fine rivets, quite literally leading the market in this respect. A great feature of the kit is all separate surfaces, flaps, ailerons, rudder and elevators are all individual and nicely moulded. The fabric surfaces have a nice sag effect, however I appreciate that this produces mixed opinions. If it bother you, a few extra layers of primer or similar with a light sand afterwards should tame it down somewhat. With the flying surfaces attached, attention turns to the smaller bits. The wheels have separate hubs that fit from either site of the tyre in two halves. The detail in these is excellent and give the option to pre-paint the parts before fitting eliminating the usual hassle of getting a neat demarcation line around the tyres. The canopy has a rear armoured glass panel that care will be needed to fit without getting glue marks on your canopy. Some reserved dabs of PVA might be the best option. The clarity of the transparencies is superb, very little distortion. For some reaon, three of the clear parts had detached from the sprue upon inspection of the kit. Construction finishes with the fitting of balance tabs , prop and mast. The decals I have to say, this is my only real disappointment with the kit. Having been spoilt with the Profipack a few months ago, I appreciate that it’s good business practice to differentiate them with the Weekend editions, but none of the stencils are included in the Weekend edition (unless mine are missing). You get one decal option as listed below which I can understand, but as the artwork on the box clearly shows the stencils on the aircraft, it’s disappointing that they are omitted from the kit. The decal sheet provided whist very simple, do look to be of good quality, rich print and very sharp. The markings are provided to represent Bf109E-1 6./JG 52 based at Husum, Germany in 1940. Paint scheme is the infamous yellow nose / rudder of the period with usual RLM 70/71 upper and RLM 65 lower mottled along the sides. Conclusion This is a great kit in most respects. The detail and quality is superb for the very reasonable retail price that the weekend editions sell for. The profipack does spoil you with the etch and very useful paint masks, so if you are looking to get an Eduard 109 kit, you should weight up the pro’s and con’s of each before making your decision. Whist the decal sheet is somewhat disappointing, I cannot commend highly enough on the quality of the plastic, I couldn’t find any flash and you really have to look hard to find anything that resembles a sink mark. Built up kits indicate that the lines are pretty accurate with no major issues. Review sample courtesy of

Airco DH-2 1:48 The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat biplane pusher aircraft which operated as a fighter during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The DH.2 was the first effectively armed British single-seat fighter and enabled Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots to counter the "Fokker Scourge" that had given the Germans the advantage in the air in late 1915. Until the British developed an interrupter gear to match the German system, pushers such as the DH.2 and the F.E.2b carried the burden of fighting and escort duties. The D.H.2 first flew in July 1915. The D.H.2 was armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun which was originally able to be positioned on one of three flexible mountings in the cockpit, with the pilot transferring the gun between mountings in flight at the same time as flying the aircraft. Once pilots learned that the best method of achieving a kill was to aim the aircraft rather than the gun, the machine gun was fixed in the forward-facing centre mount, although this was initially banned by higher authorities until a clip which fixed the gun in place but could be released if required was approved. Major Lanoe Hawker devised the clip. He also improved the gunsights, adding a ring sight and an "aiming off model" that helped the gunner allow for leading a target. The majority of D.H.2s were fitted with the 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine, but later models received the 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J. The arrival at the front of more powerful German tractor biplane fighters such as the Halberstadt D.II and the Albatross D.I, which appeared in September 1916, meant that the DH.2 was outclassed in turn. It remained in first line service in France, however, until No. 24 and No. 32 Squadron RFC completed re-equipment with Airco DH 5s in June 1917, and a few remained in service on the Macedonian front and in Palestine until late autumn of that year. By this time the type was totally obsolete as a fighter, although it was used as an advanced trainer into 1918. A total of 453 D.H.2s were produced by Airco. The Model The model comes in Eduards usual, colourful blue, white and yellow box with a depiction of a DH-2 apparently in flight on the front. Upon opening the kit is well wrapped in a poly bag with the decals and instructions loose. The model is produced on three sprues in the standard beige styrene. Being a weekend edition, there are no resin or etched parts. All the parts are nicely moulded with no visible imperfections and only a few moulding pips. Due to the nature of the aircraft, some of the parts look pretty fragile and will need to be carefully removed from the sprues and some gentle cleaning up, particularly the tail booms. The build starts with the cockpit, the floor of which is attached to the lower wings. Onto the floor plate the seat supports, seat, joystick and compass, (with decal compass card), are fitted. Onto one half of the fuselage the rear bulkhead, rudder bar and support, oil tank, engine mount and rear lower fuselage panel are attached. Before closing the fuselage up, the instructions show you have an option on the style of instrument panel which attaches to the machine gun mount, but no information about which would be correct for this particular aircraft, so a bit of research will need to be carried out to determine the correct arrangement. With the fuselage sides glued together, this assembly is then attached to the lower fuselage/wing structure. Onto this the rear upper deck is added. In the next step, the main undercarriage is built up with the aerofoil centre section/axle is attached to the double struts each side along with the one piece wheels. This assembly can be rigged off model and put aside for fitting later. At this point the wings can be built up. The fuel tank halves are joined and will probably be best painted before fitting, once the model is complete. There are four pairs of main struts and two pairs of wing/fuselage struts to be fitted before the single piece upper wing is attached, being careful to get everything lined up and square with the lower wing. Rigging is a personal thing, but it may be an idea to rig the complete structure before continuing with the rest of the model. The engine can now be built up with its separate ignition harness and the four bladed prop before attaching to the rear of the main aircraft structure. At this point the undercarriage assembly can also be fitted. The trickiest part of the build is the tailplane and its fragile support booms. The tailplane consists of a single piece vertical section to which the single piece vertical tailplane, rudder and tailskid is attached. The booms are then fitted to the main assembly with a spreader bar attached to the rear, just forward of the tailplane, which is fitted the four attachment points on the rear of the booms. Alignment is critical to keep everything square in both the vertical and horizontal plane. The tail booms can then be rigged in accordance to research photos, as there is no detail in the instructions for this section. The final part of the build is the fitting of the machine gun in the forward fuselage along with the magazine racks on the port side and the external rudder cable attachment. Now whilst the painting guide and box cover show it, there is no clear windscreen included in the box, so one may have to be scratched from clear plasticard. Decals The single option given on the decal sheet is for aircraft 5967, flown by Robert H.M.S Saundby of No 24 squadron RFC, A Flight, France July 1916. There are also decals for the instrument panels, struts and even the tyre markings. The decals are well printed, in good register appearing quite opaque, even in the white areas. Conclusion This is a lovely looking model of an aircraft from bygone times showing an interesting way of getting around the lack of fitting forward firing machine guns. The rigging will be a challenge for beginners, but with plenty of care and patience it should end up a really good looking model. Shame about the missing windscreen though. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of