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After P-40, -47 and -51 my dad builds a fourth and last USAAF subject, an Airacobra from Eduard in the sand livery of 46th FS on Makin Island. DSC_0001 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr

Su-17/22UM-3K Fitter Update Sets (For Kitty Hawk) 1:48 Eduard After a long time with no new toolings of the glorious Fitter, like London buses they all came at once. Kitty Hawk's range of variants has been expanding rapidly, and this set is designed for the UM-3K, which is shown in Polish Tiger-Stripe colours on the kit boxtop. 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 (49888) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, side consoles, side walls and floor skins are the primary parts on the painted set, with ejection seat details; coaming instrumentation, HUD and canopy internal structure also supplied. Zoom! Set (FE888) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (FE889) In case you don't already know, 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 two sets of crew belts, you also get a set of the pull-handles between the pilot's knees that gets him out of there in case of an emergency. Exterior (48951) This larger bare brass set contains some important upgrades, such as delicate new afterburner rings, with instructions for shortening the trunking for accuracy; new pitot vanes; filler caps for the fuel tanks; the recessed box for the sensor in the shock-cone; antennae on the nose, tail and the rest of the airframe; wing-root plates with the correct rivet pattern; weapons rail attachment surface skins; new strakes on the fixed inner wing as well as other details around the hinge point. The gun trough is replaced by a new detailed box, with breech details added to the gun, and a new door with ejection chute is provided to finish it off. Air Brakes (48952) The Fitter has four air brakes on the aft fuselage, and to detail the bays they must be squared off by removing the sections marked in red on the instructions, after which the new bays are folded up, internal detail is added, and they are glued in place instead of the kit parts. The kit brakes are then thinned, and a new detailed skin is glued to the inside face, while the kit actuator is used. Repeat until you have four and that's it. Masks (EX585) 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, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Masks Tface (EX586) Supplied on a 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. Review sample courtesy of

Hi all, this is a bf 109 g-2 trop of 6/jg53 based on sicily early 1943. The kit used was the eduard bf 109 g-2. All flying services, flaps tropical filter, cockpit & wheels have been replaced with self cast items ( as in the work in process) Masters gun barrels Eduard superfabric seatbelts Extracolor paints were used rlm 78,79,89 Decals were aero master for the balkenkreuz and code numbers. Extradecals for the swastikas Thank you for looking, comments are welcomed. Nick

Dear fellow Britmodellers, after a long time in-the-making (half a year, actually) my 1/72 Revell Lancaster B.III is finished. I added Aires resin wheels, Quickboost gun barrels and Eduard exterior set. Only few parts of the Eduard set were used, like the antennas. The model was painted with Gunze acrylics, decals are from the box, representing a machine of 100.Squadron in 1945. Main wings were cut on the upper sides for corrected dihedral. The Revell kit allows you to display the inner engines in an "open" position. To my disappointment, I made a series of mistakes, that spoil the results somehow. First, some dust residue from sanding has contaminated the inside of the canopy. Then, I only partially masked the front turret, forgetting the middle section (I still have no clue how I did this...) which is now Black instead of Clear. Also, the decal code letters on the fuselage side show some unpleasant 'silvering'. Well, we all know, sometimes you succeed, sometimes not! Even if this is not the best I ever presented in this forum, I hope you find my Lancaster acceptable. All photographs taken by Wolfgang Rabel of IGM Cars & Bikes. Exhaust stains created with Gunze H95 Smoke + H12 Black (outside lines) and Gunze Sand for the inner streaks Nose art - and the masking error on the front turret. Note the silvering of the individual code "Z". On the above image, you can see there's some dust settled inside the canopy. And the following image reveals silvering on the fuselage side decals: Left side engine displayed open, as provided by Revell. A very nice feature! Fully equipped bomb bay. Thanks for your interest, best greetings from Vienna! Roman

MiG-15UTI Dual Combo Eduard (4444) 1:144 The two seat version of the MiG-15 was a training aircraft that was allocated the designation UTI MiG-15. The majority of them were built in Czechoslovakia. The MiG-15 basic single seat underwent various upgrades and conversions, to fighter-bomber; Recce; target-towing and this two-seat trainer. Like all other Warsaw Pact aircraft that were allocated a NATO codename, the UTI MIG-15 was became known as the Midget. This latest release of MiG-15 variant from Eduard is another in their Dual Combo Super44 series, and comprises two complete kits in the box. The kit first appeared as a bagged single kit (#7130) at the 2017 E-day event. The first sprue is a new tooling that contains the fuselage and wing sections to make up the two-seater trainer version of the MiG-15 family. As with the other models, the panel lines are lightly engraved and deep enough for airbrushing a coat of primer and top coat; however these lines could disappear quite easily with brush painting. Turning the sprue over, we can see that the two-seat cockpit area is a complete intergral unit. This means that painting individual parts, such as the seats and instrument panels could be interesting. The second sprue is the same as previous kts like the MiG-15BIS etc., comprising the tail fin and tailplane items; undercarriage assemblies and various ordnance pieces, much of which is not required on this model The canopy is a single piece casting and looks to be well detailed. Difficulties in painting and detailing this tiny part are eased with the provision of a set of masks. There are 28 separate, and tiny, mask pieces for this kit! Decals and Masks The decal sheet is quite comprehensive, especially for a model which is only approx. 6cm (2.5 in) long, and provides nationality and serial markings for eight different aircraft: Czechoslovakian, fuselage number 2740 of 18th sbolp, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 Czechoslovakian, fuselage number 2512, built in 1955 and retired 1966. Currently on display at the Air Museum in Prague-Kbely Soviet red 1516 uchobny (training) of the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s. Finnish MiG-15UTI, c/n 922226 of Hävittäjälentolaivue 31 (Fighter Squadron 31), Rissala Air Base, Finland from 1962 to 1969. Indonesian MiG-15UTI, built in Czechoslovakia and delivered to the Indonesian Air Force, Jakarta-Kemajoran Air Base, Indonesia; late 1950 until 1973. These would have been operational during the Borneo Confrontation. One of four MiG-15UTI's built in Czechoslovakia for the Syrian Air Force. MiG-15UTI [874] sold to the Iraqi Air Force in the early 1970s and remained in service until late 1980s. Algerian MiG-15UTI #1755 delivered in the 1960s The artwork on the rear portion of the box shows colour profile views of the eight aircaft that can be built with this decal sheet. The instructions and colour details are clear and concise, all being incorporated in a handy A5 sized booklet. The booklet contains a short history of the MiG-15 fighter, including the MiG-15BIS and Mig-15UTI. An illustrated parts breakdown of the sprues, including shaded areas denoting items not required for this model, plus detailed illustrated instructions. This is another fine production from Eduard and should be a welcome addition for collectors of Soviet or Eastern European aircraft. Review sample courtesy of

Fw 190A-5 Cockpit, Fuselage Guns, and Engine Sets 1:48 Eduard Brassin The newly improved Fw.190A kits from Eduard have been coming thick and fast, with additional detail added from the box. For those that want more, there are a range of PE and resin update parts from Eduard's own ranges that are pretty much guaranteed a good fit and have been engineered to replace parts that just can't be moulded to scale in injection plastic. These three sets cover the cockpit, fuselage guns, an the engine area, which isn't in the kit, but can either be simulated by adding a complete new engine with all the ancillary equipment that goes with it. Fw.190A-5 Cockpit (648390) As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, this one arrives in the oblong Brassin box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection. Inside is a complete new cockpit for the A-5. A large complete cockpit casting dominates into which are fitted the seat, instrument panel, rudder pedals, control column, seat belts and a whole host of parts. As well as the resin there are PE parts and decals. Some of the detail here has to be seen to be believed. There is even a large resin part to fit inside the canopy for the pilots head rest and associated structure. Fw.190A-5 Fuselage Guns(648392) As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, this one arrives in the oblong Brassin box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection. This one contains the complete structure and guns located above the engine in front of the canopy. If not fitting an engine set it also contains the rear of the engine which is seen in this area. Compete resin cowlings are included which can be displayed on or off the model as needed. Fw.190A-5 Engine (648391) As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, this one arrives in the oblong Brassin box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection. Inside are a raft of engine parts in superb detail. Mike recently built one for the A-4 and reported the fit is astonishingly good. You can build the parts into sub-assemblies for painting, and if you approach it in a modular format the initial hesitancy of all that detail painting soon goes away. There are 22 resin parts, and sheet of Photo-Etch (PE), and only a small amount of trimming of the kit fuselage and lower wing panels is required, all of which is covered in the instructions. Placement of parts is important due to the accuracy of fit, so test-fit carefully and remove any paint from the mating surfaces to obtain the best, strongest join. With sympathetic painting and weathering the final result is unmatched by styrene moulding. Review samples courtesy of

FG.1 Phantom Update sets, wheels & masks 1:72 Eduard for Airfix Kit The new Airfix Phantom kit is a great kit, however that has not stopped Eduard from wanting to add their own brand of magic to the kit. Update Set (73628) Inside there are two frets, one coloured and one not. The coloured parts are mainly for the cockpit including new instrument panels, sides panels, and various levers. Also supplied are seatbelts and ejection seat handles for both seats , as well as the seat tops and pads. For the rest of the airframe new exhaust rings are provided, along with the main airbrake interiors and the prominent aux intake doors. For the canopies mirrors are provided. If the modeller only wants the the cockpit parts then they are available as a Zoom set. Full Set ZOOM Undercarriage Set (72668) This set really does what it says on the packet it contains a parts for the kits undercarriage. For the nose bay a new interior and door are provided along with parts for the nose leg. For the mains new internals are provided along with new skins for the main gear doors and complete doors for the smaller ones. New links are provided for the legs. In addition to the landing gear parts new vents are provided for the tops & undersides of the main intakes something which is missing on the airfix kit. Wheel Set (672174) As it says on the box this is a complete set of both main and both front wheels for the kit. These are more detailed drop ins for the kit wheels. A set of painting masks is also included. Masks (CX506) Eduard provide masks for both canopies and the wheels. Review samples courtesy of

A-4E Skyhawk Update set (BIG49190) 1:48 Eduard BIGED for Trumpeter Kit Eduard now bring us a BIGED set for the new Trumpeter Skyhawk. This combines the Update set, Seatbelts, Airbrakes, RBF tags and Masks. The BIGED sets work out better for the wallet than buying all the sets as seperates. Update Set (49871) Inside there are two frets, one coloured and one not. The coloured parts are mainly for the cockpit including a new instrument panel, sides panels, and various levers. A new floor is provided along sides for the ejection seat, also new HUD parts are provided. For the airframe new parts are provided for the gear doors, and gear bays as well as the jet exhaust and rear chaff launchers. New parts are provided for the inside of the canopy and the fillers on the fuel tanks. Seat Belts (FE872) This contains a full set of seatbelts for the kits ejection seats It also contains ejection seat handles. All in the newer Eduard flexible steel, in full colour. Airbrakes (48939) This contains a full set of replacement speed brakes and interior well parts for the kit. RBF Tags (49103) This contains a full set of Remove before flight tags in the new flexible steel for your build. Masks (EX569) Eduard provide two sets of masks. These are for the canopy and the wheels. This BIGED Set is recommended if you want to goto town on your A-4. Review samples courtesy of

B-25 Update sets & masks 1:72 Eduard for Airfix Kit The new Airfix B-25 is a cracker of a kit, however that has not stopped Eduard from wanting to add their own brand of magic to the kit. Update Set (73628) Inside there are two frets, one coloured and one not. The coloured parts are mainly for the cockpit including a new instrument panel, sides panels, and various levers. Also seatbelts for the front seats, and parts for the seats themselves. There are parts for the nose including ammo boxes and feed chutes for the nose gun, and rear gun. There is a new wiring harness for each engine, and inside the main fuselage many panels for the side, as well as a crew access ladders. The set is rounded of with additional parts for the landing gear. If the modeller only wants the the cockpit parts then they are available as a Zoom set. Full Set ZOOM Bomb Bay (72667) This set really does what it says on the packet it contains a complete new bomb bay and bay doors for the kit. Some fo the kit parts are kept and enhanced by the PE but large parts need to be removed to be replaced by the PE. New fins and arming vanes are also supplied for the bombs. Masks (CX507) Eduard provide masks for the extensive glazing of the B-25 and the wheels. Review samples courtesy of

M113A ACAV Update set, Dashboard & Seatbelts 1:35 Eduard for AFV Club Kit These are designed for the new AFV Club Kit Dashboard & Seatbelts (36378) The main part of the set is the provision of seatbelts for the troop compartment of the M113. Belts are also supplied for the other three seats as well. In addition for the drivers compartment new controls and a dashboard are included as well. Update Set (36377) This set provides for new grills on tops as well as other internal features. New headlight assemblies are provided as well as frame for the top of the vehicle and other grab handles and small panels. Review samples courtesy of

Calling this one done. About 3 months ago I started work on Eduard's 1/48 109E-3. I got as far as doing the cockpit and engine, then moved house... Which - unsurprisingly - spelled trouble. Somehow in the move parts went missing. I lost the tail wheel, a few of the individual exhaust parts, and had put the decal sheet in a book that was knocking around my desk and has since gone awol... As the kit was already started I decided against spending more money on aftermarket decals / replacement parts. So this build is something of an improv project. It is infuriating me that the parts are missing - but I am telling myself it's undergoing some field repairs! The kit is - as I am sure most people on here know - beautiful in terms of detail and quality. However - I did have a few issues with fit - all my own fault it should be noted. My usual Tamiya approach of doing things in my own order really didn't work out with a kit of this higher complexity. Anyway - I decided on doing this as a Condor Legion aircraft. Mainly as I love the look of them, but also in part as it would make painting markings a lot easier than most others. I used Eduard's photo etch in the cockpit. The only decal on the kit is the engine serial - which as I am sure many here will note is not actually an engine serial - but adds some interest. The kit was primed with 3 shades of Citadel rattle can primer - white, grey, black. And then the main colour used was Tamiya rattle can Ocean Grey. Kit was then weathered with oils. Antenna is stretched sprue. And I used styrene rod for the rudder cables as the PE was driving me up the wall! Thanks for looking!

WGr.21 for Bf 109G-6 (648399) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The WGr.21 or Werfer-Granate 21 rocket launcher to give it a full title was the first on board rocket used by the Luftwaffe in WWII. It was developed by Rudolf Nebel who pioneered wing mounted rockets in WWI. The unit was modified from the infantry 21cm Nebelwerfer rocket. It was a spin stabilised 21cm rocket carrying a 90lb warhead. Designed to be fired at long range towards bomber formations while the fighter stayed out of range of defensive machine gun fire. It was surmised a mass launch by a squadron would result in about 15% accuracy with 2 to 3 hits. With such a large warhead a good hit would be devastating, and even a non lethal hit would be demoralising. The weapon did suffer quite badly from ballistic drop, also aiming was difficult due to low launch velocities. The weapons did also pose large drag effects on the carrying fighter. While not a great success on their own mass launches did succeed in opening up the bomber formations for conventional attack. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the plastic box , with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts. The set includes two tubes and two rockets in resin with PE parts and a marking template for attaching them to the wings of your 109G-6. These are two highly detailed units and recommended if you want to add them to your chosen kit. Review sample courtesy of

Remove Before Flight Tags UK (32923) 1:32 Eduard These are a set of modern UK style remove before flight tags. There are 18 shorter tags and 52 of the longer tags. These are in the new more flexible steel material. Review sample courtesy of

Fw 190 A-5 Upgrade & Flaps sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard These are designed for the new Eduard kit. Upgrade Set (48949) Although not called a landing gear set, this is basically what this set is for. There are new main gear doors and parts for the gear wells, as well as additional parts for the gear legs. There are a few extra fuselage panels and reinforcement strips for the canopy. Flaps (48950) Exactly as it says on the packet this one provides a complete set of landing flaps and the interiors areas on the wing. This will involve some surgery to remove the plastic in the wing. Review samples courtesy of

Fw 190A-5 Light fighter (82143) 1:48 Eduard ProfiPACK edition. The Fw 190 came on-stream in 1941 and gave the RAF a shock with its superior performance to the older Bf.109 that it was mistaken for by many a hapless Spitfire pilot. The visionary designer Kurt Tank stripped down the aircraft as much as possible to give it the speed and manoeuvrability advantage the German Luftwaffe needed, which resulted in a small but pugnacious design with a twin-bank radial engine buried in a close-fitting nose cowling that could out-fly a Spitfire Mk.V in most respects below 20,000ft. The initial Fw 190A, they went from A-1 sub-variants, through A-2 with an improved engine and weapons, the A-3 with another power improvement and the ability to mount more external weapons, as the versatility of the airframe was realised. The A-4 was little different, with more armament options that could be fitted in the field, and after that came the A-5 all the way up to the A-10, and in ground attack versions we had the F, with the high altitude variant designed D, with the G replacing some of the later A variants that had either long-range tanks or specialist armaments fitted. The A-5 was developed when it was found the airframe was capable of carrying more weight than it was designed for. The engine was moved forward 6 inches, thus moving the centre of gravity forward allowing more weight to be carried further aft. The Kit The newly tooled early Fw.190A series has added much to Eduard's existing line of Fw 190 variants, and with tooling advancement used to improve the model, it is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a Butcher Bird for their collection. The ProfiPACK boxing includes extras to improve on the already excellent detail, and arrives in the traditional orange-themed box, which is adorned with a painting of the iconic Butcher bird engaged with a Spitfire. Inside are five grey/blue sprues, one clear, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a small sheet of kabuki tape masking material, two decal sheets and the instruction/painting guide in glossy colour printing. Due to the pick-n-mix nature of the sprues there will be a fair quantity of spares left after construction, which are marked on the diagrams with a pale blue overprinting. Construction starts in the cockpit, which is augmented with pre-painted PE side consoles and instrument panels, but also retained are the decals that can be applied to flat panels, as well as the engraved panels for those that prefer to paint their details manually. The tub includes the sharply pointed rear deck, to which you add the rear bulkheads, control column, seat, plastic or PE rudder pedals, pre-painted seatbelts and sundry other parts in styrene and PE. In order to close up the fuselage the cockpit assembly is inserted along with a bulkhead that closes up the front of the tub, two exhaust inserts in the cowling, and the engine assembly, which is only an approximation of the front row of cylinders, plus the reduction gear, as not much will be seen once the cowling is in place. The lower wings are full width, and have a spar fitted that runs to the ends of the gear bays, with detail on the face visible through the apertures. This is augmented by the wheel trays, various ribs and the cannon barrels that protrude through, with the upper wings added after painting of the bay roof detail that is etched into their underside. The completed wing assembly is then offered up to the fuselage, and the missing sections of the cowling with exhaust stubs, gun barrels and troughs are added to the top and bottom of the nose. The two-piece ring finishes the front cowling, and the flying surfaces are glued into to place, including separate rudder and ailerons, and fixed elevators. Two types of tyres are provided for the main gear, which have separate hubs, and fit onto the peg on the ends of the strut, with separate oleo-scissors and captive bay door parts. The retraction gear is installed on the inner side of the leg, and the centre doors fit to the central bar that splits the bays. The tail wheel slots into the rear, crew step, gun barrels and pitot probes are installed, then the three-bladed paddle prop is completed with spinner and fan behind it, with a peg at the rear fitting into a corresponding hole in the engine front. Different open and closed canopies are provided, and are outfitted with head armour before being added to the airframe along with the windscreen part. The last touch is to add the gear-down indicator pegs to the tops of the wings, which are made from tiny PE parts. If you are rigging the aerial wire to the tail, remember that if you pose the canopy open, the wire can appear relaxed, although many photos also show it taut, so check your references. Markings This ProfiPACK edition gives you five decal options, with plenty of variation between them, and don’t forget that you also have masks for the canopy and the wheel hubs to ease your painting job, which is always nice. From the box you can build one of the following: Fw 190A-5 light fighter 1/48 - flown by Oblt. Rolf Strohal, Stab I./JG 1, Deelen, the Netherlands, April 1943 Fw 190A-5 light fighter 1/48 - W. Nr. 0152 594, flown by Maj. Hermann Graf, CO of JGr. Ost, Toulouse – Blagnac, France, April 1943 Fw 190A-5 light fighter 1/48 - W. Nr. 0157 298, flown by Maj. Josef Priller, CO of JG 26, Lille - Vendeville, France, May 1943 Fw 190A-5 light fighter 1/48 - W. Nr. 538, 6./Schl.G 1 , Deblin - Irena , Poland , January 1943 Fw 190A-5 light fighter 1/48 - W. Nr. 1501, Oblt. Walter Nowotny, CO of 1./ JG 54, Orel, Soviet Union, Summer 1943 Conclusion With a good selection of decal options, highly detailed plastic and some PE, this is a lovely kit that will give you plenty of modelling fun. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

BigED Set Tomahawk Mk.II (for Airfix BIG49189) 1:48 Eduard In case you're unaware, Eduard's Big ED sets are a great way to purchase all the sets you want for your model whilst availing yourself of a bulk purchase discount that can be quite tempting. The set arrives in a large cardboard envelope with the Big ED branding and a sticker in the top left that details what's inside. Within the envelope the sets are all still individually packaged to protect the frets from shuffling past each other and getting damaged until you're ready to use them. This set is for the new Airfix Tomahawk Mk.II, which is a reboxing of the P-40B in RAF Service. In the set you get the following: landing flaps (48941) Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the retracted flaps from the lower wing, plus scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays. The two flap sections (bay and flap itself) are constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape, with extra parts added along the way. The bays glue to the inside of the upper wing with the flap attached to the rear wall of the new bay via a fold. Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done. The bays have a rod running along the bay, which is 0.5mm thick and isn't included in the set, so you'll need to make sure you have some in stock, and a set of jacks are fitted later to obtain the correct angle once deployed. A small cover panel fits toward the middle, which is folded gently twice to match the profile of the bay ribs before it is installed. I've built a set of these for the previous P-40B boxing, and you can see how they look below. Detail Set (49875) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels that fit over the existing panel and sidewall details, are the primary parts on the painted set, with new seat in scale-representative PE; radio hatch interior detail; six mesh inserts for the intakes in the nose; cooling doors to the aft of the chin scoop; gear bay inserts; gear bay covers and brake hose parts as well as tie-down points for main and tail; access panels; ring & bead sights on the nose, and rudder actuator are also supplied. Seatbelts STEEL (FE874) In case you don't already know, 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. Masks (EX570) 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 the tail wheel, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Conclusion Your one-stop shop for Tomahawk Mk.II bits to go on your Airfix kit. Review sample courtesy of

Various Aircraft Canopy (and other) Masks 1:48 Eduard 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 often get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. The new Tface masks go beyond (or should that be "within") the exterior, and provide additional masks tailored to the inside of the glazing to allow the modeller to paint the interior of their clear parts before attaching them to the model, so that matt finishes to the interior can be achieved, and a more realistic look obtained for the canopy. Here's a selection of the most recent sets that arrived without lots of lovely PE sets in tow. Bf.109G Erla Canopy Tface (EX581 for Eduard) The late war Erla canopy used only a few panels for a more streamlined look, which also improved rearward visibility immensely. As with the greenhouse below, you get all the panes inside and out, plus a pair of wingtip light masks too. Bf.109G Classic Canopy Tface (EX582 for Eduard) The original "greenhouse" style canopy with many facets will send some modellers insane, but here you'll get inside and out masks, plus a pair of masks for the wingtip lights into the bargain. F-35A Lightning II (EX567 for Meng) As well as the big curved canopy of this fifth generation fast jet, you also get a handy set of wheel masks, and as a bonus the faceted sensor window under the nose is also catered for. B-17G Anti-glare Panels (VE Production EX572 for Monogram) The factory at Lockheed Vega produced B-17Gs and used three styles of anti-glare panels on the nose, as well as two styles on the inboard sides of each of the four engine nacelles. The nose masks are full sheets of tape, while the highly curved surfaces of the nacelles are supplied as outline masks, which you must fill with your preferred masking medium to complete the task. Plenty of wartime photos and diagrams ease your way through this process, and assumes you spray the anti-glare shade before the main painting process. B-17G Anti-glare Panels (BO & DL Production EX568 for Monogram) Boeing's own Number 2 plant in Seattle also produced B-17Gs, as did Douglas in Long Beach, California, with two variations on the nose anti-glare panels, and two on the inner faces of the engine nacelles, with the same solid nose masks, and edge masks for the nacelles, which you must fill with additional masking to cope with the curves. Again, this assumes you paint the anti-glare panels first, with plenty of drawings and photos showing you the way. Review sample courtesy of

B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Updates (For ModelCollect 72201) 1:72 Eduard ModelCollect have made many people that are scared of the old Testors kit (self included) very happy with their new tooling of this incredible machine. Say what you like about "boring grey jets", but having seen one in the flesh it's still an astounding feat of engineering, and strangely graceful. 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 (ziplok for the larger sets), with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Interior (73624) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels and side consoles that surround the pilots are the primary parts on the painted set, with new controls; ejection seat details and seatbelts; a complete new crew access tunnel and ladder is fabricated, and a pair of new intake lips are also supplied, which I guess are near the cockpit. Zoom! Set (SS624) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Bomb Bay (72663) This large (A5) bare brass set contains a complete set of details for the main bomb bay, requiring all the raised details to be removed beforehand apart from the central spine, which is still skinned with new PE parts. The front and rear bulkheads are decked out with new skins and detail parts, the sidewalls have all new parts too, and the ribs along the roof of the bay are replaced by two-part PE ribs that have a T-shaped profile and curve to fit the shape of the bay. The front of the bay has spoilers added to disrupt the airflow enough to allow the bombs to drop out, and down the centre of the bay a set of stanchions along the spine of the bay holds the attachment beam for the centre bay doors, which gives the outward impression that it has two bays side by side. The kit's Multiple Ejector Racks that carry the bombs will need a small amount trimming from each end to cater for the two layers of PE on the bulkheads, with a scrap diagram showing where they should mount. Finally, a sheet of paper is included that has templates for the bomb bay doors printed in case you would like to make your own doors from thinner styrene for added realism. Either that, or you could opt for the Bay Doors set below. You will need some 0.3mm and 0.4mm wires, plus some lengths of 0.6mm styrene to complete this set, so check your stores before commencing work. Bomb Bay Doors (72665) If you choose not to make your own doors from styrene, this set may be for you, as it completely replaces the kit bomb bay doors, and also adds all of the delicate framework that is simplified on the kit. The set is bare brass of A5(ish) size, and each door begins as a piece of flat PE that is laminated to a framework, onto which the new ribs fit, which are then attached to the actuator arms that are included in this set. You will need some 0.3mm wire to complete the job, so ensure you have some on hand. Undercarriage (72664) This set completely replaces all the detail within the three gear bays, as well as the bay doors themselves. To maintain the strength of the assemblies however, the new PE skins are fitted within the existing kit bays, which must first have all their raised detail removed. More raised parts are added to the new skins for a more realistic look, with hinges and their pivot-points added to the bay sides. These are then attached to the new gear bay covers, which are laminated up and have extra parts attached to their inner skins, then linked to their hinge-points with styrene rod actuators from your own stock of 0.6mm rod. Masks (CX504) 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, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

I have to make a confession first, I never finished a scale model of the Bf 109 So time to change this. As I had the three new kits in my stash, why not to do a "comparative" build of them. They are from largest to smallest box - Eduard, Tamiya and Zvezda. Upon opening the boxes, the Eduard box looks rather empty. The Tamiya box looks to have more in it. And the Zvezda box is full up to the rim! But this is a bit misleading as several frames are from the older F model. There are plenty online reviews of the three kits and they are all reasonably favorable. According to them, the Zvezda kit which is based on their F model lacks in details and looks rushed. Eduards Mk.II kit is now in 1/48 at last, but still has some shape issues. And Tamiya with the latest addition looks to be another shake the box kit to build it. So lets start the comparison with the wings. As can be seen, there is a slight variation in wing span. The Zvezda wing is actually a bit shorter still as it isn't casted with the dihedral in place. Here a close-up of the two bulges and the difference in shapes And here the a picture how these two bulges do look. Lets move to the top of the wing. Here the length diffrence is now more visible, with the Zvezda wing about 1mm too short. And the comparison of the undercarriage bulge. To compare the fuselage is a bit tricky due to the construction of the engine covers. The Eduard fuselage is maybe placed a bit too forward. Considering this, they are equal in length. Also note the different shapes and sizes of the bulge under the horizontal stabilizers. And these bulges on the real aircraft. It looks there was a bit of variation on the real aircraft too. But there are differences in the representation of maintenance panels. The res circle show the missing panels. I believe Tamiya has one too many, Eduard is correct and Zvezda has some missing. The Tamiya instructions have this to say about the panels above and the bulges below. And here the other side. The two bulges are very noticable on the Tamiya kit, very tiny on the Eduard kit and none existent on the Zvezda kit. Here a close up. One known issue with the Eduard kit is the fuselage height. In comparison with the Zvezda kit, it is 0.6mm too high. Comparing the Zvezda and Tamiya fuselage results in a perfect match. I am sure that all three kits will result in very nice models of the Bf 109 G-6. The Tamiya kit looks to be the easiest build. Eduard has some nice details and Zvezda needs a bit of work. My goal is to have the three models built in similar finishes prior painting. That means that I will rivet the Zveda and Tamiya kit. I may use after market parts for the wheel and exhaust which would also correct the other problem on the Eduard kit, the too wide opening for the exhaust. My next update will be a comparison of the cockpits ready for painting. I won't use the Eduard PE parts in the cockpit to have a fairer comparison. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers, Peter

My first model in a loooooooooong time (18 years). The Eduard Profipack of Spitfire Mk.IXc.

Spitfire Mk V.III / IX / XVI Radiator Fairings (672173) 1:72 Eduard Brassin The wing radiators are distinctive on all Spitfire models, here the resin from Brassin gives more finesse to this part than the kit plastic (which TBH is pretty good). The pack contains two radiator housings, the flap (which can be added open or closed) and a small sheet of PE for the internal parts (be warned these are very fine). As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in a plastic box , with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts. Recommend if you want to add a little something extra to your 1/72 Spitfire. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk. VIII 1:72 Eduard ProfiPACK Edition More than any other aircraft - at least on this side of the Atlantic - the Supermarine Spitfire has attained legendary status. The type's role in the Battle of Britain, combined with its enduring presence at air shows, have combined to ensure the Spitfire is the one combat aircraft pretty much everyone can identify. One of the ultimate Merlin powered variants was the Mk. VIII. The Mk. VIII was intended to be the next major production variant after the Spitfire Mk. V, but the Mk. IX, intended to be an interim design while the Mk. VIII was being readied, proved to be up to the job. Nevertheless, it was the third most numerous variant after the Mk. IX and Mk. V although it served exclusively overseas. Supermarine's chief test pilot, Jeffrey Quill, considered the Mk. VIII the best Spitfire from a flying perspective but was scathing of the extended wingtip fitted to some early Mk. VIIIs, insisting that it did nothing other than reduce the rate of roll. The Kit Eduard's range of small scale Spitfires are typical of their recent output: exquisite detail and superb – if complex – engineering which puts them right at the pinnacle of modern kit manufacturing. This Weekend Edition of their Spitfire Mk. VIII joins the Mk. IX and Mk. XVI in replicating the 1:48 scale range of Spitfires that were released a few years ago. The quality of the mouldings is up to the usual Eduard standard, with clean, crisp details and 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 (which, in turn, should tell you how good Eduard's resin cockpit is). The surface detail on the outside of the airframe is exquisitely rendered, with fine recessed panel lines and delicately engraved rivet and fastener detail. Eduard take an uncompromising approach when it comes to detail, resulting in a cockpit that is extremely well detailed. The pilot's seat is made up from three parts, while the cockpit sidewalls have been moulded separately in order to maximise the amount of detail they have been able to pack in. Once the cockpit has been assembled and painted, it can be fitted between the vertically split fuselage halves, along with the engine firewall, a blank part into which the propeller is fitted later on, and the pilot's head armour. The breakdown of the wing is no less complex. As you might expect, the lower wing has been moulded as a single span, with separate upper wing surfaces. Between the two you must sandwich seven parts which together make up the walls of the main landing gear bay. The ailerons and wing tips have been moulded separately, which allows for the extended wing tip fitted to some early Mk. VIIIs to be used (one of the decal options has the extended wing tips). The same applies to the rudder and elevators. Multiple alternatives are included on the sprues, so make sure you use the correct version for your intended subject. The upper and lower cowlings are moulded separately, with the former split along the middle. Even the wing radiators are made up of six parts each, with the surface of the radiators themselves picked out in photo etched metal in this boxing. Turning the model over, the undercarriage is just as detailed as the rest of the kit. Each of the main landing gear legs is made up of seven parts, with the tyres moulded separately to the hubs and photo etched parts to represent hub covers (where fitted). The separate tyres will make painting easier and the wing cannon barrels are moulded separately, which means they can be added at the end of the build in order to avoid accidental damage. The transparent parts are nice and clear, and of course the canopy can be finished in open or closed position as you wish. Decals Decals are in house from Eduard and should pose no issues. There is a main sheet and a supplemental sheet for the stencils, markings are provided for a generous 6 examples; JF330, flown by AVM Harry Broadhurst, 1943 MD280, flown by F/Lt. Paul Ostrander, No. 155 Squadron RAF, Burma, 1945 HF Mk.VIII, flown by W/C Robert Gibbes, CO of No. 80 Fighter Wing, Dutch East Indies, 1945 MT714, flown by F/Lt A. W. Guest, No. 43 Squadron RAF, Ramatuelle Airfield, France, August 1944 JF470, 308th Fighter Squadron , 31st Fighter Group, , Fano Air Base, Italy, 1944 – 1945 MT560, flown by Lt. Antony Brooke Woodley, No. 145 Squadron, Bellaria – Igea Marina, Italy, March 1945 Conclusion This is a welcome new release from Eduard in a ProfiPACK box. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fortress Mk.III Upgrade sets (BIG72133) 1:72 Eduard BIG ED - For Airfix Kit Eduard offer us a Big Ed set for the Airfix kit. The set combines The Cockpit Interior, Seatbelts, Front interior, and rear interior sets. The BIGED sets work out better for the wallet than buying all the sets as seperates. Front Interior Set (73616) This set has both a colour nickel fret and a traditional brass one. Parts are provided for the side panels inside the nose, the bomb-sight & mounts, hatches, machine gun barrels, mounts, ammuntion boxes & feed chutes. Radio boxes, electronics boxes, the doorway back to the cockpit, front access hatch, radar parts, and mounts inside the astrodome. Rear Interior Set (73617) This set has both a colour nickel fret and a traditional brass one. Parts are provided for the inside fuselage, equipment racks and mounts, bulkheads, doors, racks, radio operators compartment, crew doors, crew toilet, hatches, waist machine gun barrels, mounts, ammuntion boxes & feed chutes, and the rear gunners compartment with sight. Cockpit Interior (73567) This set has both a colour nickel fret and a traditional brass one. Parts are provided for the pilots seats, cockpit panels, throttles, instrument panel, cockpit bulkhead, the front upper gunners position, and many internal fittings. Seatbelts (73568)This set provides two full sets of harnesses for the pilots and lap belts for the crew positions. The belts are in the new steel. This BIGED Set is recommended if you want to goto town on your Airfix kit. Review samples courtesy of

AGM-154A/C Block I (672175) 1:72 Eduard Brassin The AGM-154 is a medium-range cruise missile, or Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) that is air-launched from a distance that saves the launching aircraft from having to engage with the target position's defences. It glides to its target from up to 17 miles at low-level launch, and 68 miles at high altitude launch, with a 1,000lb payload in a compact form factor. The wings fold back for storage and carriage, and deploy once launched to improve the weapon's glide-slope to the aforementioned levels. The A variant uses GPS and inertial navigation throughout its flight, and carries a cluster of smaller submunitions that are armour piercing incendiaries that are designed to penetrate and destroy armoured targets. The C variant adds infrared for terminal guidance and carries a single two-stage warhead that improves penetration by a fraction of a second so that the 2nd charge blows through the initial damage. There are two missiles in the pack, with resin parts for the body and wings, plus PE for the fins. A small sheet of decals for the stencils is also included. The wings are separate, so can be posed open or closed, and they are then covered by a top-section, which has one of the two suspension lugs on the top. The horizontal stabilisers are added to each side into depressions in the missile body, and the four diagonal vanes fit into similar depressions for a good snug fit. The colours are called out in Gunze codes as usual, and decal placement is detailed on the painting diagram for your ease. These are highly detailed units and recommened if you want to add them to your chosen kit. Review sample courtesy of

AN/ALQ-184 ECM Pod (Short) (672169) 1:72 Eduard Brassin The 184 pod is an Electronic Countermeasures & Electronic warfare Pod designed to provide an aircraft with a dgree of self protection against radar threats. Its modualr design allows for multiple frequency band capabilities, the pod is available in two & three band configurations. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the plastic box , with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts. The set includes a one piece pod with a small sheet of marking decals. This is a highly detailed unit and recommended if you want to add some protection to your chosen kit. Review sample courtesy of