Eduard Spitfire VIII Updates (for Eduard) 1:48

[Mike]

Spitfire VIII Updates (for Eduard)
1:48 Eduard

If you've read our review here, you might be thinking about some updates to further improve detail, even though the kit out of the box is superb. That's just the way we modellers seem to be. Eduard's new sets have been released at the same time as the kit, and give the modeller options of personalising their models with extra detail and open panels/flaps. We have six resin and Photo-Etch (PE) sets, with the Brassin sets coming in the usual long card box, while the PE sets arrive in the standard flat pack with backing card and instructions sandwiched between. So far we have six sets for you to pick and choose from, as follows:

Cockpit (648199)
This resin set is a complete replacement for the kit cockpit tub, which also duplicates a couple of PE parts due to the fact that it may be installed by some modellers with only the forthcoming Weekend edition. In all, there are twenty nine pieces of resin, a sheet of pre-painted PE, and a small sheet of acetate for the HUD glazing. This is glued to the resin base and then attached to the instrument panel, which as usual with Eduard's sets, gives you a choice of either layered PE or a resin panel, just in case you think pre-painted panels are "cheating". This then attaches to the foot-well frame, which is in turn attached to the curved resin floor skin. The floor is detailed with control linkages and cross-members, and the two frames behind the pilot, the front of which is fitted with PE head armour, and mounts the highly detailed resin seat, which holds the back armour between it and the superbly thin frame. A PE rack for flares can be installed on the seat edge if you fancy it, and fit a full set of seatbelts in pre-painted PE.

The lower sidewalls are already festooned with detail not possible in styrene, to which are added more in the shape of resin and PE parts, of which there are quite a few. The end result is just the right amount of busy, as befits the real thing. A resin rear-view mirror is included for the top of the canopy too as a bonus, of the circular type only however.

Engine (648200)
Containing fifty six pieces of rein and a fret of PE brass, this set isn't one you'll finish in a few minutes. You'll also need to cut the nose off your Spit, and remove a chunk of the lower wing, so you'll need your razor saw. The detail in the box is amazing, and once you've cut off the moulding blocks, you'll soon have the basic engine built, which consists of twelve of the larger resin parts, including the supercharger. A number of linkages are added to the sides of the engine, and the exhaust manifolds are built up from resin and PE with the stubs inserted individually from a choice of straight or fish-tailed pipes. A highly detailed resin firewall is added to the rear, locating on a small block low down out of sight to give the assembly additional strength. A pair of large diameter pipes are trailed across the top of the engine from the bulkhead to the front of the engine, with a wish-bone shaped third hose sitting over the supercharger. The engine-hangers are built up from two very complex N-shaped supports with a horse-shoe shaped cross-member, and two more V-shaped supports running to the front of the engine, all of which are added from underneath. Hanging from the beams is the oil-cooler, and under the supercharger is a heat-proof panel that keeps the chin intake air cool, which is added later.

At this point the engine can be added to the shortened fuselage, which already has a set of location tabs moulded inside the new front. Once glued in place with epoxy or CA, you add the two PE frames that support the cowling, close up the wing root using the kit insert, and add a small PE insert in the base of the wing centre to reinstate the wing skin, which should be sprayed the same colour as the wing exterior. I've made that sound quite uncomplicated, but you'll be detail painting all the way through, so it should take some time. Not mentioned in the instructions, but present in the box are a full set of detailed-on-both-sides cowling parts for you to place wherever you see fit, either on the wing, on a bench in a diorama, or just propped up nearby on your shelf.

Upgrade Set (49708)
This small set measuring 7cm x 4.7cm has a few elements that are pre-painted, but the majority are brass, plated with a shiny silver metal (I must ask them whether that's nickel one of these days). The parts are used to add a little detail to the kit cockpit in the way of hoses, control lever, and even some small braces between the aft visible fuselage frame. A yellow wire bundle is applied in the starboard footwell, and a flare rack (also seen in the resin set above) for the pilot's seat front. A PE compass bracket, textured grips for the rudder pedals, detailed radiator fronts, and PE radiator flaps, and replacement bay doors for the retractable tail-wheel are also included.

Flaps (48834)
Although the pilot of your Spitfire model would seemingly leave himself open to a fine if he left the flaps down on the field, a set of dropped flaps add additional visual interest to any model, so many of us do it anyway. This set will allow just such heresy with the removal of a section from the lower edge of the wing, a template for which is helpfully included on the 11cm x 7cm fret of PE brass. You'll also need to scrape the upper edge of the wing thinner, and remove a tiny panel on the upper wing that indicates to the pilot that he has his flaps down. With that work done, the construction of the flaps is quite straight-forward, with a few folds, a twist of the ribs to the upright position, and some CA on the flap bay, and a small number of skins for the inboard end where the bay dives away into the fuselage. Hinges are added to the roof of the bay, and the fold/twist/glue process is repeated for the flaps. A 0.8mm rod is needed for the hinge in the flaps, plus a little 0.3mm wire for the link between the inner and outer sections. A small slip of PE is added to the wing to fill a gap, and the little flap indicator door is detailed with its open door, the end of the bracket (on a small plastic pedestal that you glue in place), and the retraction arm that operates it.

Surface Panels (48835)
An unusual and niche set that provides lots of inspection covers for your Spitfire, should you want to pose it in a maintenance situation. Measuring 11cm x 7cm, the fret contains seventeen templates to cut out a number of inspection and access panels that are dotted around the Spitfire (mostly on the wings), which you can cut out, thin from the inside, and place a PE surround behind the hole, and pose the replacement PE hatch cover appropriately open, or placed nearby. It also includes a PE cockpit door and fuel filler cap for good measure. Although the hatches are for the most part small, apart from a couple on the fuselage sides, you're going to have to find out what is behind them and fabricate the details yourself.

SuperFabric Seatbelts (49074)
If you're not yet familiar with SuperFabric, it is a technique of printing a seatbelt in a 3D flexible "ink" that can be peeled from the backing sheet and installed in your cockpit using white glue to hold it in place. You are warned not to use CA with lots of exclamation marks, so I tested it on the edge printing. As you can see on the photo, it softens the printing, so would probably result in a bit of a mess. The buckles and fixtures are over-printed in silver, with black used to simulate rivets. They're not quite as realistic as the Fabric belts with PE fixtures, but they're also a lot simpler, so will suit many looking for a quick fix. I'm not entirely sure about the toffee brown of the belts however, which is at variance with the pale bone colour of the PE printed belts on their other sets.

Gun Bays (648201)
This resin set contains nineteen resin parts, and a sheet of PE brass - all the parts you need to create two highly detailed gun-bays for your Eduard kit that is exposed by cutting the requisite panels from the wing. The instructions show the panels to remove, and a new set of scale-thickness panels are included in resin with PE stiffeners to replace them when you have completed your model. Once cut from their casting blocks the main bay frame is mated to the PE floor, and various rib parts are added along with the guns, their ammo feed, and ancillary parts. A PE strip is glued across the rear of the cannon breach, and four more go into the narrow bay door to stiffen it. The inner edge of the bay frame is also the sidewall of the landing gear bay, so must be painted that colour during construction, whether you believe it will be silver, interior green or underside colour – that's up to you!

Detail is excellent, and if you take the time to thin the edges of the bay you cut out, it will both give you a little wiggle-room, and a more realistic finish. As always with sets of this type, test-fitting and fettling are paramount.

Review sample courtesy of

[Mike]

Review updated to add Gun Bay Set 648201

[Work In Progress]

It almost certainly is nickel, by the way

[Mike]

Thanks... I don't like to assume these things