Eduard Modern Weapons Sets (M36 CBU, Matra R-530, Magic 1 & 2) 1:48

[Mike]

Modern Weapons Sets (M36 CBU, Matra R-530, Magic 1 & 2)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

More things that go bang from Eduard's Brassin range, which keeps on expanding every month.  This time it's mostly French missiles, with a cluster bomb thrown in (hopefully not armed) for good measure.  As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card.

 

 

M36 Cluster Bombs (648325)

Used in Vietnam by the US with almost 200 bomblets inside that were propelled outward in an airburst to shower the ground with incendiaries.  Nasty!  The box contains four of these devices, the body of which is cast as a single piece in resin with the casting block at the fin end.  The rear of the bomb is fitted with a PE cap, and two small cruciform parts that are the arming spinners.  They can be mounted singly by the delicate lugs, or carried on a triple ejector rack (TER), which is available separately under code 648232, which we reviewed here a couple of years ago.

 

A set of stencil decals are supplied and these are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades.

 

 

 

Matra R-530 (648324)

A French medium to short range missile that preceded the successful Magic missiles.  In the box are two missile bodies with the aft fins moulded-in, and four separate larger forward fins that slot into the sides of the body.  A PE ring and exhaust nozzle is fitted to the rear, and seeker housing with clear resin infrared seeker head is attached to the front.  Alternately, a solid head can be used to depict the semi-active radar option.  Pylon adapters are also included for Mirage III and F1 carriage, both of which have separate sway-braces.

 

A set of stencil decals are supplied and these are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades.

 

 

 

Matra R-550 Magic (648322)

Designed as direct competition to the American Sidewinder, there is more than a passing resemblance too.  The box contains two missile bodies with moulded-in aft fins, and four separate steering vanes to the front, with another four fixed vanes in front of them.  A clear seeker head and PE exhaust top & tail the missile, with an alternative nose for a missile with its FOD guard in place.  Additional resin and PE parts are also included to display the missile unattached to its pylon for diorama use.  Resin pylons and adapter rails are included for the Mirage F1 and III for good measure.

 

A small sheet of masking material for the seeker heads and a set of stencil decals are supplied and the latter are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades.

 

 

 

matra R-550 Magic 2 (648324)

The sequel to the Magic added the capability to fire at a target approaching the missile, and included a change to the external material of the seeker to opaque as well as the internal electronics.  It added a valuable initial strike capability to engagements where the enemy was approaching head on.  Like the Magic 1 above, you get two missile bodies, four fixed and four moving fins, plus wingtip adapter rails for the Mirage F1 and pylons for the Mirage V and 2000s.  The clear seeker head is included again, but a decal for the opaque seeker head is added to hide the clear resin.  Parts for the FOD cover and for displaying the missile unattached are also included, along with the same PE set used for the Magic 1.

 

A small sheet of masking material for the seeker heads and a set of stencil decals are supplied and the latter are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades.  I've seen conflicting evidence of the seeker head being clear and a creamy opaque colour, so check your references if this concerns you, as I've been unable to reach a firm conclusion in my short research window.  Incidentally, the FOD covers can be a bare metal, red or yellow, so take your choice.

 

 

 

Working with resin

Take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding resin, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in.  Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them.

 

Review sample courtesy of