Eduard PBY-5A Catalina Updates (for Revell-Monogram) 1:48

[Mike]

PBY-5A Catalina Updates (for Revell-Monogram)
1:48 Eduard

Revell Monogram have recently re-released the old 1:48 Catalina, which is a great looking kit (save for the fat tail, which you can fix here), as well as enormous! It's quite an old tooling with all the expected levels of detail of the era, so the field is well and truly open for Eduard to weave their usual magic. So far there are five sets, four of which are Photo-Etch (PE) metal, which arrives in the usual flat pack with card insert, the last set being in Eduard's Brassin branded resin, which is in a shallow clamshell package.


Wheels (648192)
The A was a true amphibian, with retractable gear to beach without the previous "strap-on" gear of the earlier mark. These resin parts are a direct replacement for the kit parts, and affix to the axles without any modification needed. The contact surface is covered with a pleasant cross-shaped block pattern, and the sidewall has the raised maker's mark moulded in. The inner hub is a separate part, and slots into the rear of the tyre, securing on a lug to get the correct orientation. The outer hub is partially moulded in, with a spoked "cap" added over it to give the area superbly deep detail. The nose gear wheel is a single part, and has a subtle sag to it, as do the main wheels, which seems appropriate even on aircraft operating from standard runways. The lower pressure probably also made rougher beach terrain easier to navigate. You also get a set of pre-cut yellow kabuki tape masks (not pictured) to make painting that bit easier.

Interior (49697)
Comprising two frets measuring 7cm x 6cm and 7cm x 9.5cm, the smaller of which is pre-painted and self-adhesive, this set given a fairly comprehensive update to the cockpit, with various other sections of the interior seeing some additional parts. The pilots' seats have a set of seatbelts added, plus a foot rest with rudder pedals, and the nose gunner/observer also gets a set of lap belts for his uncomfortable looking "seat". Details are added to the centre console and the rear cockpit bulkhead after the moulded-in detail has been removed, while the instrument panel is completely covered by a new laminated and pre-painted panel, with details also added to the control column bar in the shape of instruments/switches, and what appears to be a compass in a cylindrical-mount. Lots of boxes and instruments are added to the cockpit sidewalls, although the moulded-in ribs could do with some stringers from styrene strip to add a bit of extra accuracy (there's a cutaway pic here, if you scroll down a way). The canopy moulding includes the roof of the cockpit, and out of the box has no detail. This is rectified with three control quadrants, a small instrument panel toward the front, and an equipment box at the rear.

Moving back in the fuselage, there is a map table near one of the waist-gun blisters, and the gun-stations themselves are given edging and a set of harnesses for the gunners. The forward bulkhead of the waist position is provided with a set of well detailed ammo racks that sit just outside the compartment, and the gun-shields have a small grip attached to each one.

Interior Zoom! (FE697)
If your need, skill or budget makes you want only the main cockpit sections, you can buy the cheaper Zoom! set that includes just the pre-painted fret shown above to improve detail where it counts.

Exterior (48827)
Measuring 7cm x 8.3cm, this set provides a number of details that will improve the look of the outer skin of your Cat with subtle parts that might not notice individually, but en masse add lots of interest. The engines receive a wiring harness each, and the aft section behind the cowling has an outlet covered by a mesh insert. A scrap diagram shows the correct location of the ends of the wiring loom, which will need as little patience to install correctly on each cylinder.

The rest of the set includes things like tie-down lugs on the floats and front of the aircraft, plus raised panels, frames around windows, recognition lights on the wingtip, windscreen wipers, lifting lugs on the wings, aerials, and a surround for the landing lights on the leading edge of the centre wing panel, which also have anti-glare panels projecting forward from the wing. A set of rudder and trim-tab actuation arms is also added to the tail if you're not removing it to replace it with the Belcher Bits part.

Undercarriage (48825)
A substantial fret measuring 10.2cm x 14.4cm, it includes a full set of skins for the three wheel wells, amongst other parts. The nose gear well inside the hull has its ends removed and replaced by new PE parts, with etched in detail, with the roof and sides being skinned with equally detailed parts. Additional strips, ribs and strengthening areas are added to give the bay a 3D look, as well as hiding the join between the bay and fuselage skin.

The main bays are also re-skinned, adding both detail and a missing wall section in the lower part of the bay. More detail is then layered on top of that, and the gear legs get a set of brake hoses, two oleo scissor-links per leg, and a replacement captive fuselage panel that weather-proofs the bay when retracted. A scrap diagram shows the correct orientation of the parts from the front when completed, suspended just above the top of the wheel. You can see this set in action here.

Floats (48826)
Another substantial set measuring 14cm x 9.2cm, and comprising almost entirely of skin parts for the large bland bays in the wingtips that the floats retract into in flight. The kit bays are utterly devoid of detail, so no preparation is needed, just a little glue. Even the upstands within the bay are skinned over after the main areas are done, so detail will be consistent throughout. The float strut has fine rivets moulded into the outer side, but nothing on the inner, so a skin for this and the sides is also included, with a triangular insert added with the latching mechanism in the centre, folded up from one small part. Finally, the X-shaped bracing strut is given a pair of hinge-caps at the centre for good measure. You can see this set in action in Mark's excellent build thread here – you'll have to scroll past the superb scratch-building, but I'm sure you won't mind.

Although I'm sure you won't want to, I wouldn't be expecting the floats to close up flush once you've got all that PE in the middle.

Conclusion
A super bunch of sets for the venerable but still good Catalina, all of which have merit. My only minor moan is that the exterior could easily have been integrated with the floats set to create one larger exterior set. Now all we need are sets for all the other internal sections of the Cat to save us from all that scratch-building!

Very highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of