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  1. Mi-8MT Seatbelt & Zoom! Update Sets (FE1341 & FE1340 for Zvezda) 1:48 Eduard The Hip has received a little attention from the model companies recently, and that’s no bad thing as she was poorly served in 1:48 until now. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Interior Zoom! (FE1340) A single nickel-plated and pre-painted fret is included in this smaller version of the usual Eduard package. This set contains a subset of the larger sets, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, involving a complete set of new layered instrument panels, sidewall details, and side consoles with added levers for the cockpit, and a visor skin above the pilots’ heads. The round-topped cabin door is removed, as are the moulded-in raised instrument panel details that are being replaced, adding a double set of traffic-light indicators for the passengers that may be leaving either vertically or via the rear ramp. Finally, there is a layered panel that is sometimes fitted where the cabin fire extinguisher is normally sited near the side door. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1341) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. You get two full sets of four-point crew belts for the pilots in the forward cabin in this set, complete with quilting details and comfort pads underneath the lap belts that keep the buckles from causing the pilots any discomfort. Review sample courtesy of
  2. #17/2023 Besides all the US naval stuff by my dad, he decided to turn Japanese a bit. New Eduard kit, a bit over-engineered, lots of detail but also many small plastic and PE parts. Fuselage to wing fit had some tension and needed work. Engine mount is fragile and you have to pay attention for perfect alignement. When the model was already finished, had to remove the prop and some engine parts to get it centered in the cowl opening, sat too low before. Built it up first in Japanese livery with the kit Hinomarus and painting it with Tamiya XF-70 and -71, used Risig Decals for the rest of the markings and overpainted all with AK Real Color Flat White with the original markings still shining through lightly. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235127899-surrender148-mitsubishi-a6m3-type-22-ijnrnzaf/ This aircraft was captured by NZ forces on Bougainville. Had been damaged by allied bomb attacks earlier. Brought back to flying condition, painted in the white "surrender" scheme and shipped back to New Zealand. Later restored to its original livery and resides now in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Full story here https://j-aircraft.com/walk/robert_montgomery/auckland_war_memorial_a6m3.htm DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0023 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0024 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0025 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0026 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0027 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0028 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0029 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr
  3. F4F-4 Gun Bays (648853 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’ve reviewed the superb new tool F4F-4 Wildcat from Eduard recently here, and I’ve even built one of the earlier F4F-3s here, so can testify to its excellence as a model kit. Just when you thought you could get your wallet back out safely, along comes another 3D printed resin set that will blow your socks off, if you’re even bothering wearing them any more due to the number of times they keep getting removed by each release. As good as the base kit is, you can always increase the level of detail over and above what’s achievable using injection moulded styrene, and this set proves that without question. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, it arrives in a shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and with the thick instructions folded around acting as padding. The parts are printed resin rather than the usual poured cast resin, so are attached to their print-bases via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little pip-like marks away, leaving them ready for action. There are two bags of 3D printed resin parts and one containing a large fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and you’ll need to do a little simple surgery to the wing parts of your kit, excising the bay cover panels, plus opening up the shell-ejection chutes and narrow access panels from the lower wings before you start. There is also a 1:1 template for you to mark out the interior of the upper wing so that you can thin the styrene by 0.6mm in preparation, which will have the positive side-effect of making the edges of the open bays a more realistic thickness, as well as shortening the spar to accommodate the bays. Each bay is built in mirror image, starting with the main body of the double inner bay, which has two small PE parts fitted into in the wall. The two resin guns are inserted barrel first through the holes in the front of the bay, gluing the breeches to the bay floor via slots and tabs. The ammo feeds are then laid over the tops of their location, followed by the ammo boxes from underneath later in the build. The process is repeated in a simplified fashion for the outer bay, which holds the extra machine gun that was added to improve firepower, with the moulded-in ammo feed disappearing downward. A link between the inner and outer bay is first fixed to the inner where the ammo boxes fit, then the outer bay is joined, with another area for the ammo that feeds the outer gun. The extended bay can then be inserted between the wing halves and everything glued in place, closing the wing around the bays, then adding the lip around both sides using the PE framing parts. The PE bay covers have another layer added to the centre, leaving the edges thinner, and looking like they should fit into the open bays. These are either laid on or near the aircraft, or folded forward non the top surface. This is by nature of the additional .50cal guns a more involved set than the early mark, but the instructions give the impression that lessons have been learned in simplifying the process. Conclusion The detail on these sets is phenomenal, and if you’re not wedded to having all your models buttoned up and ready for flight, they add tons of visual interest to your model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Anson Mk.I Guns & Lewis 97 Magazines (648844 & 648861) 1:48 Eduard Brassin PRINT We reviewed the newly tooled 1:48 AVRO Anson from Airfix here last year, and it’s a great kit that has made many WWII modellers very happy. Eduard’s new Brassin PRINT sets brings superb detail to the light armament that the Anson sometimes carried, despite it not being a combat aircraft, and that armament is how Faithful Annie achieved its only kill of WWII, when a brave gunner took out a Bf.109 in a lucky/gutsy attempt to keep the enemy from downing the aircraft he was in. There are two sets, one provides the three Lewis guns that were fitted in various locations around the airframe, the other provides extra magazines to fill the racks near the mounts for reloading purposes during a fight or weapons training. Both sets arrive in clear-fronted Brassin vacformed boxes, with the header card and instructions at the rear, whilst the 3D printed resin parts inside are safely stored inside a crystal-clear plastic clamshell box that sometimes has a sticky pad in the bottom to prevent the parts from rattling around the little box. Anson Mk.I Guns (648844 for Airfix) Printed on three bases, there are three incredibly well-detailed Lewis guns and one barrel for fuselage mounting, all of which far outstrip the finesse of the kit parts, and include their mounting posts, plus a half-dozen magazines, none of which will be needed to arm the guns in their emplacements. The small Photo-Etch (PE) sheet contains a vane sight for one of the weapons with a spare, and each gun mounts on the styrene parts from the kit, removing one kit gun that is moulded into its mount, and drilling out two 1.1mm holes to accept the uprights. Lewis 97-Cartridges Ammo Magazines (648861 for Airfix) This set contains one printing base that holds a dozen additional magazines for either your Anson model, or any other Lewis gun installation that accepts the ‘dinner plate’ style magazines, which all have their grab-handles printed integrally, just needing painting a red brown colour to represent leather. Conclusion The detail alone will bring extra realism to your model, with finer barrels and sighting equipment, with more detail squeezed into every square millimetre of the surface. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Time to complete the Hellcat pair by starting this Eduard Weekend Edition. DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr
  6. Hi Please see attached some photos of my recent spitfire, built from the excellent Eduard weekend kit, with some spare photo etch added. The decals are from Vingtor, representing an aircraft from 332 squadron, 1943, being flown by several Norwegian pilots. Not much to say about the kit, it goes together like a dream.
  7. Good day fellow modellers! I would like to present you my the latest model in a few words and a few more pictures. Criticisms, comments and suggestions are more than welcome. Spitfire Mk.Vb, 1/48 Eduard, 11149 (Eagle's Call Dual Combo) Pilot: Lt. Dominic S. Gentile, Debden-Essex/England, August 1942. Level of details: EXCELLENT! More suitable for a 1/32 scale! After famous Tamiya's Spitfire series in 1/32, the second place is certainly occupied by Eduard's Mk.V Spitfires! Accuracy: I did not make precise measurements, but I would say that Eduard has done a superb job here as well. On the Internet, didn't find any objections in this regard. And when we are talking about accuracy of the details, just worlds of praise. FIT: Almost flawless. First of all, I would like to point out that I am extremely satisfied with the fit! Parts with extremely complex geometry fall into place without need for a puty! I used puty in very small quantities at only 2 places: the upper cowling of the engine (given in two parts) and the connection of the lower wing with the fuselage. But Eduard's plastic made sure that everything was not ideal, which caused a slightly obtuse dihedral of the lower wings. The problem was easily solved by applying masking tape in order to stretch up wings to the right angle when assembling the body and the wings. Decals: A new type that gives the possibility of double treatment: as standard decals and as transfer decals. In both cases they worked great! If you prefer to peel off decal film, do it after 24 hours at least and after that (the peeling) immediately protect the decals with varnish. Decals have responded wonderfully to gunze's decal setting solutions. The box: Attractive with a brief history of RAF and USAAF units in which American pilots flew Mk.V Spitfires. There is also a review (of a few sentences) about each plane that is the subject of this Eduard’s boxing. The illustration is in the newer (already old) Eduard manner for limited editions - it's just a illustration of the plane (great one) with a symbolic, graphic background. Painting and weathering: I used Gunze C colors (standard RAF shades C361, C362, C363, C368) and the camouflage was done freehand (no masks at all). Weathering was done in the following order (conditionally): chrome silver (partly), chipping fluid, first layer of camouflage, marbling technique in several colors (used stencils for that), final camouflage, sponge technique, chipping the paint, wooden crayons, protective varnish, decals, protective varnish, powder pigments, protective varnish, panel wash (Tamiya), protective varnish, oil painting wash and final varnish. FINAL IMPRESSION: Absolutely for every recommendation! As far as I'm concerned, it's only the first in a row, and I'm not even an die hard fun of Spitfires! The model made for review purposes for online magazine Maketar plus (https://www.maketarplus.com/) and obtained by courtesy of Eduard. ...the few references photos (internet sources, for discussion purposes only): And "few" photos of details...
  8. Dear fellow Britmodellers, here's my 1/72 Italeri SM.82 Canguro, built from the box, with Italian Kits decals. Pictures by Wolfgang Rabel. Originally released in 2009, the Italeri model is the only injection-moulded kit of this interesting transport aircraft. The tooling quality does not meet today's standards, with chunky small parts, and ill-fitting larger components such as fuselage and wings. I used Eduard paint masks for the numerous side windows and cabin glazing, and added Italian Kits decals (IK 72003) to represent an aircraft of Transportgruppe 110 in late 1944. I painted with Mr.Hobby acrylics. Interior details of the cargo hold.... ... and the cockpit, where I added seatbelts from Tamiya tape ... Thank you for your interest.
  9. Sopwith 2F1 Ship's Camel N6818 Do you know the Windsock Datafile 170 about the Ship's Camel? It contains a wonderful big color profile created by Ronny Bar. After Eduard released in June the new kit of the Ship's Camel in 1/48 as part of the new Camel series I had to built it immediately in that livre. As this marking is not part of the ProfiPack offering I had to mask it myself and used only some small stencils from the kit decals. Now it is finished so this is my model number 6 of this year. The last few days I made a wooden platform, and as I was able to finish the Camel today I had a bit of luck with the weather today to take outdoor photos at a lake. The following sets was used: 82173 Profipack Sopwith 2F.1 Camel 648725 Sopwith Camel 2F.1 Lewis gun (only the mounting, as the profile do not show a Lewis MG) 648677 Bentley engine 648660 Vickers Mk.I gun 648659 Camel seat 648674 Rotherham air pumps 3DL48038 Sopwith Camel SPACE The rigging was done using Gaspatch parts: RAF wire terminals and some turnbuckles of Type C. Additionally a lot of scratch work as usual in my projects. The airscrew, the outer struts and parts of the undercarriage are made from wood. Many parts are metal: undercarriage (soldered from brass), tail skid, inner struts, engine bearing and more. A detailed build log can be found at Scalemates. I guess this is one of my best models so far and I'm happy to have it in my collection now. And now have fun with the pics! The mentioned undercarriage: Cheers, Frank
  10. Bf.109F-4 Weekend Edition (84188) 1:48 Eduard The Bf.109 needs little introduction, suffice to say that it was the Luftwaffe’s mainstay frontline fighter throughout WWII, and went through many incarnations in the constant leapfrogging of technology in order to keep up with and in some cases surpass the allied fighters it was up against. The F variant was the second major redesign of the basic airframe, including a further uprated engine and the attendant strengthening of the airframe that required, plus adding rounded tips to the wings that remained for the rest of the 109’s career. It fought in small numbers toward the end of the Battle of Britain and was finally phased out of front-line service in 1942 to be replaced by the Gustav, some of the obsolete airframes used as Mistel chaperones, which was a dangerous task. The Kit This is a reboxing of Eduard’s recent tool that is based upon the original Emil tooling that was released as far back as 2013, as unbelievable as that might sound. The weekend Editions have traditionally been stripped-down basic kits with one decal option and nothing else, for the dedicated modeller to build and paint them over a weekend. They’ve clearly never met me! The kit arrives in a blue-themed Weekend top-opening box, and inside are four sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, instruction booklet and two decal sheets that contain four marking options plus a sheet that’s devoted to just the stencils. Detail is up to Eduard’s usual high standard, without the Photo-Etch (PE) that usually accompanies their ProfiPACK editions, which will doubtless please those that are PE phobic. Construction begins in the cockpit, with styrene details aplenty, plus a nice transparent fuel feeder pipe, which is clear so that you can mask the vision port and paint the rest. This was a lo-fi way for the pilot to quickly check whether his engine was sucking vapours, or had stalled for another reason. Seatbelt decals are included, and the instrument panel has a choice of a detailed panel to paint, or a flat panel to apply a decal to, although with plenty of softening solution, you could probably apply the decal over the raised details of the other panel if you wish. The sidewalls too are decorated with more decals, after which you can close the fuselage. Don't forget to trap the tail wheel between the halves, or you'll regret it later. The backplate for the spinner and exhaust stubs are installed, and the top cowling with gun inserts is glued into place along with the intake for the engine's turbocharger, a hinge section is fixed tothe top of the cowling, and flame-hiders exhausts that are pushed through from the inside on both sides. For the tropical options, a filter body is inserted into the turbocharger intake, wrapping a decal around the cylindrical section to depict the filter material. The elevator fins are each two parts and fit using pins, with separate elevators and rudder. The wings are based upon a full-width lower, adding main gear sidewalls and split upper wings, plus separate parts for the leading-edge slats (gravity deployed when stationary), ailerons, and the two-layer flaps that butt up to the back of the radiator bays, which have details engraved front and back, as does the chin-scoop. A scrap diagram shows the correct positioning of the flaps when they are deployed. The main gear is the same narrow-track stuff of earlier models, with separate tyres and hubs, plus captive bay doors, slotting into the bay snugly. Horn-balances are fitted to the ailerons to finish under the wings. In the cockpit, the gunsight is added from a partially painted (by you) clear part, and if you add a little translucent green/blue to the edge to simulate the thickness of the glass, it will improve the look of the finished part. The windscreen is glued into position, and the canopy has head armour inserted at an angle shown by the accompanying diagram, slotting in between the windscreen and fixed rear portion, the latter having an aerial inserted into the hole in the rear. The canopy can be posed open by adding a restraint from fine wire, and some decal options have additional armour applied to the front of the windscreen, which is best done with a non-fogging glue or clear varnish. The prop is a single part, which has the two-piece spinner clamped around it, after which you can either glue it in place, or leave it loose for travel and impromptu spinning if you like. Once painting is complete, a pair of strengthening straps are applied as decals under the tail on both side for two of the decal options only. Markings Contrary to Weekend Editions of yesteryear, this boxing has four decal options, with plenty of variation in colour and location of the airframes. From the box you can build one of the following: Bf.109F-4/Trop, Wnr.8673 Hptm. Hans-Joachim Marseille, CO of 3./JG27, Quotaifiya, Egypt, September 1942 Bf.109F-4, Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer, 8./JG54, Siverskaya, Soviet Union, 1942 Bf.109F-4/Z. Wnr.7420, Lt. Hermann A Graf, CO of 9./JG52, Kharkov-Rogan, Soviet Union, May 1942 Bf.109F-4/Trop, Wnr.10145, Fw. Rudolf Müller, 6./JG5, Petsamo, Finland, June 1942 The decals are printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. The stencils are on a separate sheet, and are marked on a page of the booklet, separate from the rest of the markings to avoid confusion from trying to read overly busy diagrams. Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view. Conclusion A welcome re-release of this excellent kit without the bells and whistles that some folks don’t need or want. If you change your mind though, they’re available separately anyway for you to pick and choose. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  11. F-86D Dog Sabre Upgrades (for Revell/Monogram) 1:48 Eduard The original Monogram tooling of this quite different-looking Sabre is quite aged now, originating just after the turn of the millennium, but it’s still the best kit in the scale, and has been reboxed in Revell and Monogram boxes (mostly) since then, the most recent being the boxing we reviewed here. Just because the kit is older, it doesn’t mean that it has been forgotten about though. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48116) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The decal sheet is filled with new 3D instrument panels that require removal of the moulded-in details, plus a short section from the top of the panel to match the new part. There are also decals for the two side panels, each of which have PE backing panels on which the decals are applied. The centre radar screen part is inserted in the middle of the new panel and has a PE hood to roll into shape. The coaming is filed down to correspond with the accompanying guides in red, then a replacement top is installed once the fuselage halves are together. In addition, there are wide side console decals, with a sloped edge, adding kit handles and some lengths of 1mm rod to give it extra relief, again removing the kit details, then adding skins to the inner edges of the cockpit sill on both sides. The early ejector seat is draped with a set of painted four-point crew belts, with a large RBF tag draped down the back cushion, and two more threaded through the side rails of the seat frame. The kit belts will need scraping and sanding away before this of course. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1351) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the crew belts, you also get a set of the comfort pad under the buckle, with a side-profile showing how the shoulder belts should drape over the top. They are identical in form and function to the SPACE set above. Masks EX940) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for all the wheels with a cut in the top for fine adjustment, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Masks Tface (EX941) Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the inside of the glazing so that you can paint the model’s interior and give your kit that extra bit of realism. Having used these sets on my own models now, I can confirm that they are extremely accurate, and it's good practice to place the outer masks first to act as a guide for alignment of the inner masks. Review sample courtesy of
  12. F-16 Exhaust Nozzle P&W F100 (648854 for Kinetic) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kinetic have recently overhauled their 1:48 F-16 range with new toolings an boxings appearing of numerous variants in the Air Forces of several operators. Eduard have been busily working on producing new sets to increase the detail, and we have the exhaust nozzle for the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine in for review. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a deep Brassin branded cardboard box to accommodate the diameter of the assembly, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags and the instructions folded around acting as padding. This set has just four 3D printed resin parts, but the detail is totally off the charts. The petals of the nozzle are crisp and well-detailed, which extends into the interior, where textures and shapes are replicated on every surface. The exhaust is attached to the hollow trunk, which is printed in a dark grey almost black resin, hiding the exquisite details rendered on the interior until it is painted, but we have attempted to bring out the details by lightening the interior in the photos. At the forward end of the trunk, the afterburner ring and rear of the engine are glued into position after painting using Gunze Sangyo Mr Color codes, which Eduard seem to prefer, and with good reason. The completed exhaust assembly then slots into the rear of the kit, the trunking sliding within the fuselage. Conclusion The detail is exceptional, and when painted sympathetically, it will look about as real as most modellers can achieve without selling their souls to some malign deity of their own imagining. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  13. WWII German 10-ton Jacks, Wire Cutters, Towing Cable Eyes & Trench Binoculars (635024,26,27,28) 1:35 Eduard Brassin PRINT The weakest point of an AFV kit is often the so-called Pioneer Tools that are carrier on and around the hull of tanks, half-tracks and other armoured and soft skin vehicles. They are usually simplified by necessity, and for simplicity’s sake they have chunky details that include a rough approximation of the clasps that hold the tools in position. To add additional realism to your models, these new 3D printed PRINT sets from Eduard’s Brassin range bring superb detail to these neglected areas, surpassing the detail of the rest of the kit at times. Although the sets arrive in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are held safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside the package to prevent crushing of the details. The parts are attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little upstands away, leaving them ready for action. Each set is printed in the same grey resin that seems to achieve the holy grail of 3D printing by being flexible AND strong, resisting damage from us ham-fisted modellers. The detail is phenomenal, and I’m almost tired of hearing myself typing that, but it’s true. WWII German 10-ton Jacks (635024) This set contains three jacks in glorious detail with four more incredibly thin printed claps each that hold it in place on the vehicle. It’s not easy to see the level of detail that’s there through the supports and protectors, so I took the liberty of building one up, which was a painless process, although you should be extra careful when cutting the grab handles and the jack handle from their supports, as it would be easy to damage them. WWII German Wire Cutters (635026) There are five pairs of wire cutters and a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) for the clasps for added realism. The detail is stunning, and I’m running out of superlatives. WWII German Towing Cable Eyes (635027) This well-protected print base contains ten towing eyes, enough for five cables, and when cut from the base there is a small hole in the bottom of the part that could be reamed out to accept braided cord or wire to complete the cable. WWII German Trench Binoculars (635028) There are five sets of trench binoculars on one print base in this set with recessed lenses top and bottom, as well as the adjustment dials at the base. These binoculars were often seen projecting from the commander’s cupola to permit him to view the outside without putting his head in harm’s way during combat. Conclusion Detail on all these sets is simply stunning in terms of quality, quantity and finesse, streets ahead of the traditional resin offerings that were standard just a short while ago. How time are changing. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  14. F6F-5 Hellcat Late (8229) 1:48 Eduard ProfiPACK The Grumman Hellcat was a US Naval World War II carrier-based fighter aircraft designed to replace the earlier Grumman Wildcat. Although the two aircraft do look externally similar, the Hellcat was a completely new design that was fresh from the drawing board, and featured the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 as used by the Chance Vought Corsair and the Republic Thunderbolt, amongst others. It proved to be a well-designed fighter able to stand up to the rigors of carrier operations and the rough air fields used in the Pacific Theatre of operations. Grumman's initial design was so well-sorted that the Hellcat became 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, helping the Hellcat achieve more kills in WWII than any other allied fighter. The -5 was the second production type with a more powerful variant of the R-2800 that was further augmented by adding water injection, whilst improvements to the flying surfaces and the armoured windscreen enhanced performance and survivability, plus adding a centreline station for a drop-tank to extend range as the missions stretched further into enemy territory during the Island Hopping phase of the war. Most other variants were based on the -5, given a letter suffix depending on what equipment was fitted. 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 flew them until the 1960s. The Kit This marks a welcome re-release of Eduard's range of Hellcats from earlier this millennium, with a few tweaks and changes to the package. The tooling is still the same, and that's already a well-known quantity, with plenty of detail that's augmented by the extras that come with the ProfiPACK boxing. Inside the gold-themed box you will find five sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, two frets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass - one of which is nickel-plated and painted, a sheet of pre-cut masks (not pictured), two decal sheets, and the glossy instruction manual that has the colour profiles printed on the rear pages. Detail is good, although it's not quite leading-edge technology that we now expect from Eduard's brand-new releases, but it's a good kit that captures the look of the Hellcat and gives the modeller plenty of markings options. Construction begins in the cockpit, with the instrument panel upgraded with a lamination of PE parts that have glossy printed domes over each dial for ultimate realism. The side consoles have PE overlays, or decals to place over the moulded-in details, and if you don't fancy the PE instrument panel there are also decals included for that area too. The controls are added to the floor along with the seat with multi-part four-point PE belts, rear bulkhead, control column and rudders, and the fuselage is then closed around it after some interior painting plus the tail wheel and an insert under the cockpit. The slot that should be opened if you're portraying an aircraft that carried a drop-tank is indicated in red, just behind the lower insert. The elevators with separate flying surfaces are next, and the rudder is added to the tail fin, with the option of posing it deflected if you wish. Up front the two banks of pistons are fitted together and have a PE wiring loom added, with a diagram showing how it should be bent around the pistons, and the bell-housing at the front contains the shaft on which the prop will later spin if you're careful with the glue. This is fixed in place on a stub at the front of the fuselage, then enclosed in a three-part cowling with a PE grille installed in the bottom section during assembly. The exhaust stubs are glued into their troughs, and peek out from under the cowling once in place. The wings on this kit are attached in the same manner as the elevators, fitting into recesses in the sides of the fuselage, rather than the usual slot and tab or full-width lower that you often see. This is due in part to the barrel-like fuselage and the wing placement on the lower middle of the fuselage, rather than at the bottom. Each wing has two halves and these have the gear bay and gun inserts glued within before closure, and then accept the flying surfaces at the trailing edge before they are slotted into the afore-mentioned recesses on the fuselage sides. Small details in the gear bay and recognition lights are added to the underside along with the arrestor hook in the tail, then they are joined by the main gear, which are sturdy single struts with separate oleo-scissors, retraction jacks, captive bay doors on small links, and crisp resin wheels with a separate outer hub to show off the internal structure. The spoke interstices are flashed over, so will need to be cut or sanded away from behind before fitting, and while this might appear a little fiddly, it is well worth the effort when you see the finished article. The main gear is fitted in place Along with a small forward-folding door, the correct location of which is shown in scrap diagrams to ensure you get it aligned correctly. A curved L-shaped pitot probe is attached under the starboard wing, painting the aft red, and the tip silver. Depending on your decal option you can fit bombs under the wings on stubby pylons with sway-braces, a centreline fuel tank with PE sway-braces fixed forward of the main attachment point, small bombs on pylons inboard of the gear bays that need holes drilling during wing assembly, or three rockets of HVAR or Tiny Tim types under each wing. The windscreen is glued to the front of the cockpit cut-out, and the canopy can be depicted open by swapping out the closed part (H1) for another slightly wider one (H2) from the clear sprue. A full set of canopy masks are supplied that are die-cut to match the frames, adding scrap tape to cover the convex top pane of the canopy where the tape masks couldn’t conform easily, or filling the area with liquid mask if you prefer. Toroidal masks are also included for the main wheel hubs, and small C-shaped masks are also provided for the tail-wheel, although they aren’t mentioned in the instructions. Finally, there are a pair of walkway masks for the wing roots that allow you to first paint the root black or dark grey, apply the masks and then lay the main colour down over it. Markings There are six decal options in this boxing, all of which are painted Naval Sea Blue all over, and differentiated by their unit markings and minor crew personalisations. From the box you can portray one of the following options: Lt. Eugene A Valencia, VF-9, USS Lexington (CV-16), February 1945 Lt Cornelius N Nopoy, VF-31, USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24), August 1945 BuNo.70597, Lt James L Pearce, VF-17, USS Hornet (CV-12), March 1945 BuNo.72663, Ens William A Sinnott, VF-24, USS Santee (CVE-29) July 1945 BuNo.72296, Lt Louis A Menard Jr., VBF-12, USS Randolph (CV-15), February 1945 Flottille 1F, PA Arromanche, French Indochina, 1951 The decals are printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The stencils are on a separate sheet, and are marked on a page of the booklet, separate from the rest of the markings to avoid confusion from trying to read overly busy diagrams. Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view. Conclusion A welcome re-release of this plucky, robust WWII naval fighter that saw extensive action in the Pacific, and a wide choice of decal options from various US carriers that served late in the Pacific theatre, plus a French airframe for good measure. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  15. F-16 Radar Early & Late (648855 & 648856 for Kinetic) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kinetic’s new F-16 kits are readily available now, and Eduard have created these new sets to detail up the radar with 3D printed details unsurpassed by most other methods of construction. These two sets both arrive in their own shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, the Photo-Etch (PE) in another bag with a piece of card to protect them), and the instructions folded around acting as padding. The sets contain the same number of parts, five parts on four bases in 3D printed resin, and one PE part, although the details differ very slightly. Each set is a drop-in replacement for the kit nose cone, the bulkhead sliding inside the front of the fuselage until it butts up against the lip, then the radar backing plate is attached to a pivot on the bulkhead, and has the PE radar panel applied to the front. The radome is superbly detailed, hollow and thin, with the angle-of-attack probes moulded/printed-in, and four studs printed on the inner lip that the instructions advise not to remove during liberation from the print base. There is also a hinge-point inside the radome that mates with its opposite on the bulkhead, using the kit pitot probe to plug the hole in the tip. The two unused parts so far are FOD guards that can be painted red and glued over the AoA probes for a parked up example, which is thoughtful. The painting call-outs are given throughout the instruction steps in Eduard’s preferred brand, which is Gunze Sangyo’s Mr Color range, with enamel (C codes) and acrylic (H codes) supplied along with the colour names underneath. F-16 Radar Early (648855) F-16 Radar Early (648855) Conclusion Gorgeous detail on both sets, inside and out. If you plan on modelling your F-16 with the radar exposed, this is exactly what you need, and there are definite differences in the two sets, as evidenced by the late having an egg-crate texture on the bulkhead, while the early version does not. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  16. Mi-17 Detail Upgrades (for AMK) 1:48 Eduard AMK released their take on the Soviet Mi-17 heavy military helicopter last year (2022), with subsequent boxings broadening the range. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Cockpit Interior (491352) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other bare brass for structural elements. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, sidewalls, equipment boxes and side consoles with added levers for the cockpit are in full colour, with two pairs of foot pedals for the crew controls; brackets, webs and stowage boxes for the cockpit interior; appliqué panels on the exterior; scissor-links for the oleos, and a set of two-part windscreen wipers. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48119) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The decal sheet contains a full range of instrument panels and equipment box fronts, complete with glossy dials and excellent 3D relief of the parts. The electrical panel is also replaced by a new front, with all the main decals having the traditional Soviet blue/green background around the instrument bezels. There are also drop light boxes with traffic lights in the cockpit that is replicated in the doorway of the aircraft to let the passengers know when to release a load or passengers from the door. The two main instrument panels have an additional layer added in the centre, further improving the depth of the panels, and of course all these decals should be applied over the background once the original kit details have been removed by scraping or sanding flat. The PE sheet contains two full sets of crew four-point seatbelts for the pilots, plus a couple of boxes on which some of the decals are applied to replicate missing boxes from inside the kit cockpit. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1353) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. Similar to those in the SPACE set above, the package contains two full sets of crew four-point seatbelts for the pilots, available for those not opting to go the 3D printed route. Cargo Floor (481110) This larger bare brass set contains an important upgrade to the floor of the passenger compartment, starting with a long skin for the floor with details and treadplate etched into the surface, adding numerous treadplated access panels over this, along with two long runners, the kit representations of which will need to be removed from the kit floor along with a trapezoid shape at the front. With the kit bulkhead between the cockpit and passenger compartment, the trapezoid shape on the new floor is augmented by laying a folded part with supports into position where the kit part would have been. Cargo Seatbelts STEEL (491353) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. The set comprises six sets of pale grey belts per side of the aircraft for application to the seats under the circular windows in the fuselage of the Mi-17, made from thirty-seven individual parts, and including belts for the jump seats found in the compartment. Masks (EX942) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, side windows and other clear parts, with a few compound curved panes handled by using frame hugging masks, while the compound curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape at your choice. Masks Tface (EX943) Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. Having used these sets on my own models now, I can confirm that they are extremely accurate, and it's best to place the outer masks first to act as a guide for alignment of the inner masks. Conclusion A great range of sets to pore over and choose from to improve the detail on your new AMK Mi-17 kit in the places that you are interested in to make the focal points of your model more impressive. Review sample courtesy of
  17. My dad continues his US naval aviation theme with an Eduard Hellcat, depicting the plane of Lt. Alexander Vraciu (1918-2015), who became an ace with 19 victories in total. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr
  18. Bf.110C ProfiPACK (8209) 1:48 Eduard The Bf.110 was twin engine heavy fighter of mid-30s design that was approaching obsolescence by the beginning of WWII, but with successive upgrades it soldiered on right to the end of the war, although hopelessly outclassed by that time, and easy prey to later war Allied fighter designs if it strayed too close to the front lines. The C variant was the first production variant made in significant quantities, and ran with more powerful Daimler Benz 601 engines with the familiar upwards sweeping exhaust stacks. There were many sub-variants of this variant, one of which had an experimental installation of a 30mm Mk./101 cannon in a blister under the nose of a dozen airframes, firing along a trough cut in the nose to give clearance for the short barrel and exiting shells. The more mainstream variants were generally used as Zerstörer destroyers/heavy fighters, for reconnaissance, as a fighter-bomber, or night fighter, with bomb racks installed when needed, improvements to crew armour, and uprated variants of the DB601 engines to give it more power. The D series that replaced it on the production lines was a longer-range version that could be stationed as far away as Norway and still loiter over Britain for a reasonable period. They were based upon the C, and used the same engines throughout production until they were replaced by the Emil, which standardised the fuselage extension introduced in the D. The Kit Arriving in gold-themed top-opening ProfiPACK box with an attractive painting of the subject engaged in a dogfight that it seems destined to lose to the faster, more agile Spitfires. Inside the box are six sprues of grey styrene, two of clear parts, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE), one of which is nickel-plated and pre-painted, a long sheet of yellow kabuki tape masks, two decal sheets, one of which is very tall and narrow, the other containing all the stencils for the model, which are dealt with on a separate page of the instructions for clarity. The instruction booklet is printed in colour on glossy paper, and has colour profiles of the decal options on the rear pages, shown from four angles, and with additional drawings that show areas that wouldn’t otherwise be visible. This boxing is based upon their 2007 release that is regarded by many as the definitive 110 in this scale, although additional parts and sprues have been added along the way. The detail is excellent, with many smaller parts contributing to the finished article. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is well detailed with a mix of styrene and PE parts, with a choice of PE or plastic instrument panels and side consoles, plus a set of PE seatbelts, all of which are pre-painted, adding PE rudder pedals instead of the plastic parts. The radio gear in the rear area of the cockpit is assembled with PE faces replacing the moulded-in detail of all the boxes, which must be sanded off before proceeding. The cockpit sidewalls are given a similar treatment, and it is all brought together to form a tub that encloses the radio operator and rear-gunner's stations, to which the pilot's separate section is attached at the front, with the belly cannon pack seen in the centre of the finished cockpit. The pilot's sidewalls are detailed with more parts, and the fuselage is closed with a mini-instrument panel added to the bracing between pilot and radio operator's stations, and shell ejection inserts fixed under the cockpit during closure. The gun-pack in the upper nose is built up and installed with ammo feeds, the upper cowling having two strengthening arches glued inside, and then added over the guns, the finished assembly mated to the front of the fuselage. The rear gun and fairing are made up and installed at the rear of the cockpit, adding a PE trigger guard, ring sight, and a pair of styrene drum magazines fixed over the top of the breech. The wings are mid-mounted, so are made in halves, making up the engine nacelles from two halves with a pair of bulkheads trapped within, and the roof is moulded into the wing lowers, with some structure and smaller details added before the nacelles are mated. Two sidewall parts add extra detail, and two-part intakes in the underside are created and installed, taking care with alignment. The radiators are attached under the wings, just outboard of the engine nacelles, and have PE radiator faces and splitters added to the styrene bay, one under each wing, then are covered over by the cowlings. The completed wings and elevators with vertical rudders at each end are added to slots on the sides of the fuselage, and the ailerons are separate parts that you can pose deflected if you wish, while the elevators and H-tails have all their flying surfaces moulded-in. A choice of tail wheel is included, one with separate yoke to hold the one-part wheel in place, or an all-in-one strut and wheel if you prefer. The main gear is nicely detailed and made up from eight parts including separate scissor-links, plus a two-part wheel with radial tread. Scrap diagrams show the correct positioning of the wheels and the retraction mechanism for the landing gear to assist with construction. Bay doors are added to each nacelle, adding mast, towel-rail and circular D/F antennae to the underside of the fuselage, mass-balances to the ailerons, plus PE mesh protected intakes and landing lights to the leading edges of the wings before the exhaust stacks are added to the nacelle sides. Made up from separate stacks of varying sizes and orientations, six sets of stacks assemble on each of four back-plates to be installed in the slots on the sides of the nacelles. The exhausts are not hollow lipped, but this shouldn't show too much on the finished items. The props are single parts with a spinner and backplate, attaching to the nacelles on a short peg. Glazing on Old Ironsides is extensive, but Eduard have included a full set of masks for this and the wheels, so rest easy. It is a complex arrangement, cherry-picking parts from two sprues, and adding some detail parts inside, which would be best glued with either PVA, GS-Hypo cement or even with clear gloss varnish. Separate parts are included to allow you to pose the canopy open or closed and the gun deployed with its glazing tipped back, so choose your parts carefully here. There are is an antenna and PE hand-holds on the sills and frames, with an armoured windscreen on some variants, as well as a the two-part hinged and sliding panel around the gunner's position, which is shown with two steps to obtain the correct look. Markings There are five varied decal options in this release, three wearing a relatively standard splinter camouflage, while two are a little bit out of the ordinary. From the box you can build one of the following: Bf.110C-2, Wnr.3578, 9./ZG26, Barly, France, August 1940 Bf.110C-4, Wnr.2095, 4./ZG1, Trier-Euren, Germany, June 1940 Bf.110C-2, Wnr.3257, Hptm. Heinz Wagner/Stfw. Adolf Schmidt, CO of 4./ZG76, Abbeville, France, August 1940 Bf.110C-2, Wnr.3026, Lt.K Koch, 1./ZG77, Kirkenes, Norway, October 1941 Bf.110C, 1./NJG3, Benghazi, Libya, May 1941 The decals are printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The stencils are on a separate sheet, and are marked on a page of the booklet, separate from the rest of the markings to avoid confusion from trying to read overly busy diagrams. Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view. Conclusion Another great Bf.110C boxing with the new removable carrier-film decals, and plenty of detail that is augmented by the inclusion of two sheets of PE. The Eduard 110 is now generally recognised as the definitive in this scale, and makes for a nice package. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  19. Hi everyone, Finished this late war Gustav a few days ago. It’s Eduard’s latest box for the G-14 AS version, using everything OOB except wheels and exhaust stacks. Painted with a mix from Mr.Hobby Aqueous, AK RC and MRP. Got my inspiration from a photo at E.Monbeeck Lu/Ga #4 publication.
  20. Soon to be started, gonna do the white surrender scheme DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr
  21. Hi comrades! Here is my take on Eduard's Bf-110G. Not the easiest kit to build. Some corrections made to belly (AIMS set), guns are by Master, radar aerials from AML, gun tunnels and brake lines are added from scratch. Thanks for looking.
  22. F-35A Exhaust Nozzle & Ejection Seat Sets (648860 & 648858 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Tamiya can’t be described as prolific producers of new toolings, but their kits usually impress when they arrive, with the new F-35A in 1:48 being one such triumph of styrene engineering. Eduard have wasted no time in producing upgrades for those in our hobby that ask more of their modelling experience, and we’ve got two sets in for review from their Brassin range. As is now usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the new Brassin cardboard box, the exhaust nozzles having a deeper box due to its size, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. F-35A Ejection Seat (648858) This set replaces the kit part that is highly visible in the aircraft’s goldfish bowl of a canopy, which although it is tinted gold makes the seat and/or pilot a focal point of the model. Consisting of a bag of nine 3D printed resin parts, and another with a pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) sheet and a small sheet of decals inside, both protected by a sheet of card. The seat chassis is printed as a single part, into which you place the seat cushion and headrest, followed by the back cushion that locates on three rounded pins that have matching depressions in the chassis. The central buckle for the seatbelts is resin and installs in a groove in the seat cushion, and is joined by either a resin or PE ejection pull-handle that is positioned just forward of the belt. Around the back of the seat, there are some short lengths of 0.3mm wire you need to provide, with lengths and shapes given to assist you with accurately cutting and shaping them, then a frame is glued over the seat back, and more short wires are added between the two parts. Finally, an oxygen bottle for high-altitude ejections is strapped horizontally across the frame, with a large roughly triangular box fixed above it behind the headbox. Turning the seat around, the seatbelts are made up and installed in a three-step process, which is best done after painting to protect the metallic and pre-painted belts from splashes. The location of the decals are shown on the last step, showing the colours of the various areas, although colour call-outs in Gunze Sangyo Mr Color codes are given throughout the instructions. It’s a superbly detailed set that will improve the cockpit immensely with some careful painting. Incidentally, the right seat handle was broken off on my example, but was simple to glue back in place with a little super glue, so check yours for damage. F-35A Exhaust Nozzle (648860) This set has just four 3D printed resin parts, but the detail is simply off the charts. The petals of the nozzle are crisp and well-detailed, which extends into the interior, where textures and shapes are replicated on every surface. The exhaust is attached to the hollow trunk, which is printed in a dark grey almost black resin, hiding the exquisite details rendered on the interior, which we have attempted to bring out by lightening the interior in the photos below. At the forward end of the trunk, the afterburner ring and rear of the engine are glued into position after painting with Gunze Sangyo Mr Color, the codes for which are used throughout. The completed exhaust assembly then plugs into the kit parts G17 and G18 within the fuselage. Again, the detail is exceptional, and when painted sympathetically, it will look about as real as most modellers can achieve without selling their souls to the modelling gods for additional skills. Conclusion Two 3D printed sets that will upgrade very visible aspects of this new kit from Tamiya, and really are worth the extra effort to use. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  23. Hi all - here's my most recent project, Eduard's MiG-15bis in 1:72 scale, from their 7461 Weekend Edition boxing. It's in the colours of a Soviet Air Force aerobatic team, flown by Major V.M. Fokin in 1951. All brush painted with Vallejo acrylics, everything OOB. This 'weekend edition' took me the best part of 3 months - partly due to my very incremental personal modelling rhythm, but also due to a number of frustrations: Construction - Reading others' experiences of this kit mad me aware that I would probably have alignment issues with the nose - despite extensive dry fitting, this was very much the case. Boatloads of Milliput needed and all the attendant filing, sanding, rescribing, etc. Not why any of us got into modelling is it! Painting - My paint for the dark blue upper surfaces was Vallejo's Model Air 71313 Dark Mediterranean Blue. A very pretty colour but the worst coverage of any paint I have ever used. Could hjave been a duff batch but even straight out of the bottle it was watery and rubbish. I must have put on about 10-15 coats and it's still translucent under bright light. As a brush painter you live or die by the coverage of your paint and this was awful. It also made touch-ups very difficult... you really don't want to be doing 10 coats of paint to touch up some masking imperfections! Stencils - Par for the course with Eduard but there were a crazy amount of stencils, which took the best part of a week to complete at my pace. Nothing to be done really but it does suck the life out of a project a little. The red stencils do look good on the dark blue though. Canopy masking - I use Mr Masking Sol R. Normally produces acceptable results but for some reason here it performed really badly - when demasking I lost huge chunks of paint from the canopy frame (more dark blue to repaint, lol) and I was left with a jagged edge on other parts if it. Next time I will just cough up and buy the precut masks. Varnish - I wanted a nice shiny finish. Given the subjecr was from an aerobatic unit we can assume the VVS would have kept these birds pretty clean. I used Mr Super Clear gloss, but I really wasn't happy with the results - not a smooth finish and looks grainy under the light (I did polish between coats so I did everything I could to keep it shiny). Could have been user error but I think next time I need a glossy finish I will just go with a single coat of satin. All that said - the MiG-15 is a beautiful aircraft and it's an unusual scheme. I wouldn't recommend the Eduard kit to an inexperienced modeller and I wouldn't recommend the dark blue paint to anyone! I think it came out OK-ish in the end as long as you don't look at it too closely 😅 I've also added a couple of comparison pics with an Airfix MiG-17 I built a couple of years ago. I think seeing it next to the familar shape of the 15 makes the crescent-like 17 look even cooler and otherworldly...
  24. Hi Comrades! Here is my recently completed Spitfire IXe from Eduard "Operation Velveta" limited edition kit (with Techmod decals) Great kit! The model depicts the prototype at the end of 1949 with highly weathered look. No stencils, no antenna wire. Thanks for looking
  25. Hi Gang, After some deliberation have decided that I will be building an Eduard Grumman Hellcat Mk.I (F6F-3) in 1/48th Scale So far have got a Techmod Decal set for the aircraft and am planning to use the scheme for 800 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Emperor in September 1944, I fancy doing an aircraft with the Invasion Stripes in the Extra Dark Sea Grey/ Dark Slate Grey/ Sky scheme. Am off on my hollibobs next week so the build will begin when I return. I intend picking up one of the new Eduard Brassin Look Instrument Panels, some Eduard Resin Tyres and a set of Master Brass Barrels for the aircraft too. Many regards Matt
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