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SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1/GR.1a Upgrades (For Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Airfix SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1/GR.1a was a long-overdue retooling of this type that brought much joy to the modellers of the world, and those from this forum in particular. We reviewed the Photo-Etch (PE), 3D SPACE and mask sets recently here, and now Eduard have another batch of upgrades, this time consisting of entire cockpits, exhausts, wheels, and a Löök set for quick upgrade of the cockpit. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black, orange-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as extra padding. The smaller resin sets are in shallow boxes, with the wheel set in a flat package that has the instructions behind the backing card, while the Löök set has the resin parts in a shallow crystal-clear clamshell box within the flat pack. GR.1 and GR.1a Cockpit (6481145 & 6481146) This 3D printed cockpit is a replacement for the kit parts, and brings with it the exceptional detail that is possible with modern high-quality SLA printing. The set consists of nine printed parts, plus a small slip of clear acetate with HUD glass shapes printed in black, a sheet of bare brass PE, and a small square of decals for the many dials and stencils found inside the area. The two sets are very similar, differing only between the coamings and seats due to minor changes between variants. Construction begins with the common cockpit tub, which has details printed on the rear bulkhead, console sides, and floor. This is augmented by the separate console tops, which have resin and PE parts applied before painting. A control column is planted in a recess in the floor, and a section of the launch rail is added to the rear bulkhead, following painting call-outs using Gunze C and H codes throughout, with colour names nearby. The ejection seats between the two sets differ, having the appropriate type included with each set, which has a highly-detailed surface, including seatbelts, with appropriate detailed painting instructions, plus drawings showing where to apply the stencil decals. The ejection handle is also shown with a striped surface, which if you’re not too good with a brush, you could always paint yellow, then use a fine Gundam Marker or one of the new brush markers to depict the black stripes. The instrument panel is common between the sets, and has two PE levers added, painting as you go, then applying two decals for the dials and other controls, fitting it into the front of the tub, accompanied by the appropriate seat for your set. The coaming and HUD are different between the sets, the GR.1 having a large rectangular hourglass-shaped glass fitted between its supports, while the GR.1a has an enclosed frame that supports two smaller film parts, as can be seen from the photos accompanying this review. Subtle differences matter. The cockpit is set within the nose section of the model, locating over the nose gear bay in the same manner as the kit, fitting PE sidewall inserts during the process, then laying the coaming for your set over the front of the opening. Detail is without par, and it is well-worth picking one up if you’re serious about the detail of your cockpits. GR.1 Cockpit (6481145) GR.1 Cockpit (6481146) Exhaust Nozzles (6481141) The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk.102 jet turbine engines that powered the Jag took a lot of flak from those familiar with them, jesting that the only reason the Jaguar took off was due to the curvature of the earth. They eventually increased available thrust to satisfy military requirements, but the stigma lingered. This set replaces the kit exhausts with a super-realistic 3D printed pair of Adour exhausts, consisting of four parts each, totalling eight. The deep, tapering afterburner ring has the rear of the engine printed-in, sliding the trunking onto the stator blades, which match grooves in the front end of the tubular trunk. At the rear, a set of exhaust petals are glued to the end of the trunk, with a separate ring surrounding it, which will hide some of the petal detail from your paintbrush or airbrush, so painting the exhaust before overlaying the ring is a wise move. This is carried out twice of course, and the assemblies are direct replacements for the kit parts C6, C9, C10 & C19. Injection moulded styrene cannot hope to compete with 3D printing, and the detail on the exhaust is stunning. Wheels (6481138) Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seam-line and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. Each of the five wheels in this set are attached to their casting base at the contact-patch, making liberation a simple task, with minimal clean-up. They have highly detailed brake detail on the inner hubs, and circumferential tread around the rolling surface, plus raised manufacturer’s details and specification data on the sidewalls to add extra realism. They are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, and a sheet of pre-cut masks are included for every tyre that will permit cutting of accurate demarcations between the tyre and rim with little effort. Löök Cockpit Set (644323) This set contains a combination of pre-painted resin and pre-painted PE parts to detail up your cockpit quickly and efficiently. There are four resin parts that make up the instrument panel in front of the pilot, plus centre and side consoles, all of which are cast in black resin, and printed with dials, switches and have added PE levers, to a higher standard than most of us can attain. The side consoles have two standard resin parts inserted in recesses on the port side, after painting them black to match the rest, adding a PE lever in a housing on the opposite console. Additionally, the complex four-point belts for the pilot are supplied in nickel-plated pre-painted STEEL, complete with canopy-breakers that protect the pilot from injury if the det-cord in the glazing fails to shatter it. Anti-flail leg-straps and other small parts finish the set. Review sample courtesy of

B-26B Bomb Racks PRINT (6481012 for ICM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin ICM made this reviewer very happy by releasing a modern kit of the B-26B Marauder last year, and yes, I still haven’t finished mine! There have been a ton of aftermarket sets already released from Eduard, but this set corrects a deficiency of the kit that becomes apparent when anyone wishes to pose their model with the bay doors open, especially if they don’t want to portray an aircraft with its bomb-load. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, it arrives in the a deep Brassin branded cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, two layers of foam padding, and the instructions folded around acting as further protection. The set is 3D printed, so the part-count is low, but as most of us know by now, it doesn’t affect the level of detail provided. In fact, to the contrary, the parts have detail far finer than could be rendered with traditional resin casting, which is detail that is moulded into the main parts with no issues regarding undercuts etc. Directly 3D printed parts are attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easily cut off, sanding the tiny upstands away, leaving them ready for action with little effort. They also don’t need any mould-release agent removing by a warm bath in soapy water, as they are repeatedly bathed in isopropyl alcohol or similar chemicals after they are cured to remove any traces of liquid resin. There are four print-bases, each one containing one large part, comprising two handed wall-ladders and the moulded-in bay edges that directly replace the kit parts with a highly detailed part that is so much better detailed on all sides thanks to the capabilities of 3D printing. The two central ladders are the remaining two parts, and these too are more detailed, having grab-handles integral to the sides, alongside the I-beams and rivet details. Each ladder has small holes in the upper ends, which need short lengths of 0.4mm wire pushing through to complete the detailing, then the completed parts are painted using Gunze Mr. Color codes for zinc-chromate primer for the main structure, and steel for the bomb shackles. Conclusion As someone that has built the bomb bay of the ICM B-26B, I would have wished for this set to be available back then, and if it wasn’t almost impossible to retro-fit it without destroying much of the work I have done so far, I would be doing it. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Mig-21bis Seat & Cockpit Upgrade Sets (672418 & 3DL72064 for Eduard) 1:72 Eduard Brassin & SPACE Eduard’s release of their 1:72 Mig-21 went down very well with modellers of this scale, in much the same way the 1:48 folks did when their kit was released. Eduard's new range of upgrade sets are intended to improve on the kit detail in their usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's small resin and SPACE sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package that have differential branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The resin parts are further protected by a clear plastic clamshell box with an adhesive pad that keeps the parts immobile during transit, resulting in less chance of damage. MiG-21 Ejection Seat w/Integral Belts (672418) There are three 3D printed resin parts on a single base, plus a small decal sheet with markings for the seat, which consists of a main part to which the headbox and ejection initiation handle are added, the belts being printed in-situ for enhanced realism once painted. Painting instructions are given using Gunze Mr Color paint codes in acrylic (H) and lacquer (C) codes, plus the colour names. A separate diagram shows the location of the two stencil decals and red patches on the “wings” either side of the pilot’s legs. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL72064) Eduard’s SPACE sets use advanced 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different coloured resin, creating highly realistic almost fully complete panels that are supplied in a decal sheet format. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really improves the detail on everything they print, especially at this scale where sizes of instruments and levers are smaller. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and other flat parts. The decal sheet includes replacement side consoles that have excellent detail, the port console having a kit throttle lever attached after the decal is applied. The main panel has the surface detail removed, including a hooded circular screen, applying the largest decal first, then fitting a kit part to the top-centre, which is decked out with another decal. The sub-panel in the centre has another decal applied, plus a PE pull-handle on the starboard edge. The aft bulkhead behind the pilot has all the raised details removed, so that the decal can be applied over it, with a rectangular hole in the centre for the seat’s launch rail. The cockpit sidewalls are separate parts in the kit, and these both have decals applied over the inserts and to the sills, ensuring the correct pair are applied to the port and starboard sides. The majority of the PE sheet upgrades the kit seat with a full set of belts, and adds a pull-handle between the pilot’s knees, plus controls for the seat on the port side. Review sample courtesy of

Westland Lysander Ammo & Wheel Sets (6481120 & 6481115 for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The recent release of a brand-new tooling of the doughty Westland Lysander, an aircraft linked inextricably with secret WWII operations by the British and the French resistance, was a bit of a surprise, reaching the shelves not too long after the reveal, and it’s a good kit, as you can see in our review here. You can always improve on styrene injection moulded parts by using different materials however, which is exactly what Eduard do as their original speciality. As usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package similar to their PE sets but with different branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Delicate sets, usually from the PRINT range, are further protected by a clear clamshell box that has a sticky label to keep the parts safe from damage during transit. They’re also very handy for keeping other small parts in once you have built your model. Lysander Mk.I Ammo Magazines PRINT (6481120) Consisting of eight 3D printed resin ammo cans, plus a circular carrier plate that holds seven, and construction couldn’t be much simpler. The eighth magazine doesn’t have a central hole through to the top, as this is the magazine that’s intended for the gun itself, to replace the part on the kit. The magazines are cut from their base and cleaned up underneath, as is the carrier, locating the holes in the centre of the mags on the small pins moulded into the carrier. Painting is similarly straight-forward, each mag painted a dark metallic, with a reddish brown for the leather carry handles, while the rack is the same interior grey-green as the rest of the cockpit. Lysander Wheels (6481115) This set contains just three parts, and is cast in traditional resin, with a pour block attached to the contact patches of the wheels so that they can be liberated easily without ruining the shape. As well as being more detailed than the kit parts, there is no seamline around the circumference to deal with, and the tail wheel is of the anti-shimmy type, with a recessed groove around it. They are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, and should save time whilst increasing detail and realism once sympathetically painted and weathered. You also get a set of kabuki-style pre-cut masks for the wheels, which will allow you to cut the demarcation between tyres and hubs with ease. Conclusion A base great kit made better by judicious application of relatively minor upgrade parts from Eduard. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

P-40E & P-40N Upgrade Sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Eduard’s shiny new tooling of the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk has been available in a couple of boxings for a little while, and it’s a fantastic kit straight out of the box. If you’re hankering for extra detail however, and many of us do, they have created a heap of sets that will satisfy your creative urges to whatever lengths you want to go to. The smaller sets arrive in a flat resealable package, the resin protected by a crystal-clear clamshell box, with a white backing card protecting the rest of the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The larger and more delicate sets as supplied in shallow Brassin boxes, which have the contents in bags, with the instructions folded around to add extra protection. Many of the parts are 3D printed resin, 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. P-40E Undercarriage Legs (6481074) This update provides a comprehensive overhaul to the landing gear and their small bays, and each consists of three resin parts that make up the strut and two bay doors, with huge upgrades to the detail. There is a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass included that provides a two-part skin for each bay roof, and adds stays for the bay doors, including a brake hose that threads up the strut from the bay, all using scrap diagrams to assist you with placement. P-40E Radiators Upgrade (6481097) Consisting of three 3D printed parts, this set replaces the radiator cooling gills under the engine in the nose of the aircraft. Some adjustment of the styrene outlet parts F29 and E2 are required, removing two stays, before you glue the bulkhead with triple mesh circles to the wider end after detail painting them, performing the same process with another bulkhead that is placed at the rear of the intake trunking. At the output end, the gills are replaced by a new highly detailed resin part, adding two lengths of 0.3mm wire that are 4.3mm long, with a helpful 1:1 drawing nearby to assist you with cutting if you don’t have a micrometer. P-40 Tail Wheel Bay (6481100) Comprising seven 3D printed parts, plus a small PE fret and a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-style masking material, this set replaces the bay entirely with a new highly detailed part, fitting the tail strut and a choice of two styles of wheels into the socket, with an optional PE hub cap covering up the exquisite hub detail. There are four toroidal masks for the wheels to allow for mistakes, then the bay doors with deeply recessed lightening holes are fixed to the sides of the bay, holding them at the correct angle with a single-part retraction jack that straddles the bay. P-40N Radio Compartment (6481133) This more complex set extends to nine resin parts, plus a small fret of PE parts to add even more authenticity to the superior detail of the 3D parts. You will need to provide three lengths of 0.2mm wire that pass through the compartment that represent the control wires, plus a length of 0.45mm wire that links two of the interior parts together. There are several boxes moulded into the opposite wall to the hatch, and these are augmented by the addition of four racks of equipment that are affixed in two stages, painting them as you progress. The hatch side of the set has the same sized three wires run through its length, although they are 2mm shorter than the other side. Once painting and weathering of the two sides is completed, the halves can be mated, creating a section of the interior that should mount perfectly within the fuselage halves, removing the hatch from the port fuselage half before you join them, using the accompanying diagram to guide you, although it isn’t entirely clear which side the filed away sections at the bottom corners are that are marked in orange, while the cut-out is marked in red. A new resin hatch with a two-part PE stay and a stowage box on the inner face are included, which hinges up and out from the top edge. The detail is truly phenomenal, and should reward the intrepid viewer that peers in through the open hatch. P-40N Wheels Diamond & Cross Thread Sets (6481134 & 6481135) Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. Both sets include pre-cut masks that supply you with a full set for the hub/tyres, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. In addition, a PE sheet includes optional hub caps for all three wheels. The main wheels are cast with the rear of the hubs integrated with the tyre, and the interior detail present is moulded with great fidelity, ready to be covered by the spoked front hubs, or the flat PE hubs already mentioned, although hiding away that detail would be a shame, but if you’re going for accuracy, it needs to be done. The tail wheel is supplied in two styles, one with circumferential tread, the other without. The two sets differ primarily in the tread moulded into the contact patch of the tyres, with the maker’s brand and technical details in raised lettering on the sidewalls for ultimate detail. There is a subtle sag in the bottom of the tyres to represent the weight of the airframe, and they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, having been engineered to the same tolerances as the axle on the kit (or resin) struts. Diamond Tread (6481134) Cross Tread (6481135) Block Tread (6481136) We don’t have an example of this set to show you at this time, but you can probably imagine what they look like, but we’ll update our review with photos when we’re able. In the meantime, the link below will take you to Eduard’s site if you’re curious. Conclusion Adding some or all this detail to an already excellent kit will give your model a huge amount of extra visual interest, and if you take the time to paint and weather it sympathetically, the results should be well-worth the effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F-35B Exhaust Nozzle (6481091 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Tamiya’s 1:48 range of F-35 super kits has grown to encompass the full trio of available variants with the recent addition of the F-35C, and Eduard are working through the range to offer upgrade options to the major areas where detail will be needed. This set is appropriate to the STOVL F-35B, which is the option chosen by the Royal Air Force for their carriers, in addition to the US Marines, Italy, and possibly Korea. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. Inside the box are five large 3D printed resin parts, all of which are roughly cylindrical, as you might expect. Detail is astonishing if you haven’t yet seen the level of quality that is achievable using this new technology, and is still impressive to the hardened viewer of these things. The exhaust “can” is covered with fine detail that is seen on the real things, and this attaches to a length of trunking that is covered with a waffle-texture on the outer face, and ribbing on the inner, plus a few diagonal strips that are where the nozzle rotates during the transition from horizontal flight to hover. The aft section depicts the rear portion of the engine, starting with another cylinder that fits to the trunk, all of the parts keyed so that they can only fit the correct way. Inside the shorter section are two fan sections that represent the aft face of the engine and afterburner ring, each one a separate part that should make painting straight forward. The fit is extremely snug however, so it is worthwhile sanding a little material from the two inserts, or leaving insertion until everything is painted and weathered. Once the assembly is complete, it locates in the fuselage on two cylindrical tabs of differing length on the top of the main trunk section. Painting instructions are given throughout the instructions in Gunze H and C codes, with colour names below. The lack of seams on any of the parts, increase in detail, and more realistic scale thicknesses where appropriate should result in a more accurate representation of this powerful and innovative focal point for your Tamiya F-35B model in this scale. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A-6 Engine & Fuselage Guns (6481102 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’ve just reviewed the new Fw.190A-6 kit in 1:48 from Eduard here, and it’s a great kit that will satisfy many builders straight from the box. If you’re hungry for more detail however, this new engine set will upgrade the kit with an extremely high level of detail that peels back the skin of the fuselage to expose the motive power of this WWII fighter, adding an extra focal point to your model. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a deep yellow and black themed Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, a foam sheet top and bottom, and the instructions folded around acting as extra padding. Inside the box are a large quantity of highly detailed resin and PE parts to construct a complete BMW 801 engine for the deadly Fw.190, which is so detailed due to Eduard's advanced CAD prototyping, 3d Printing and casting facilities, and their extremely talented model engineers. Incredibly, much of the detail is amalgamated into monolithic parts to reduce the number of castings, starting with the gun bay between the cockpit and the engine. The two ammo boxes have PE handles fitted, and are then glued into the single-part stepped bulkhead at the rear, which shows a triangular length of scrap resin behind that must be removed before construction. A hose it applied into a groove in the front of the bulkhead, followed by a single part that depicts the entire engine mount, attaching by its four location points astride the ammo boxes. The twin MG17 cannons on their supports are fitted to the top of the bulkhead after removing additional resin marked in red, adding wire around the bases for realism, and another resin part depicting the operating mechanism on each side. Additional wiring is added behind the gun breeches, their locations marked in colour, and their lengths given in addition to diameter. Both cylinder banks are printed as a single part, onto which the exhaust collector pipework is glued. A PE wiring loom and resin ancillary plate are added to the rear, the remainder of the exhaust tubing and clustered outlet pipes surround this, plus another wiring loom fitted to the front of the engine before the reduction housing, magneto, and optional prop-shaft are inserted, fitting several PE straps that hold the hoses and exhausts stable, and mounting a horseshoe-shaped reservoir and ancillary parts around the rear. Once completed and painted, the engine can be mated to the nose gun bay, setting it aside while the fuselage and lower wing parts are adapted to accommodate it. Red areas mark the parts of the fuselage cowling and underwing areas that should be removed, and four slots made in the skin around the gun bay to accommodate the closures, trapping the combined engine and gun bay between the fuselage halves, adding a gun trough panel with heater ducts fixed to the top of the engine, first slipping the barrels into the troughs, then mating the intake-ring to the remaining fuselage panels. The missing cowling panels are all supplied as thin resin parts, with exceptional detail, which is augmented by adding PE fasteners to the edges, and PE hinges where they join the fuselage. They are shown posed open to the correct positions, held in place by lengths of wire from your own stocks, and you can then choose to fit the kit prop on the axle, or leave it off and replace it with a resin shaft with splined ends if you prefer. There is also a resin update set available if you wish to augment the detail in that area too, which can be found by clicking here. Colours are called out during construction using Gunze H and C codes, the location of wires/hoses are printed in colour with lengths and diameters given to aid you in selecting suitable wires from your stock, which will help immensely with the complex task. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A-6 Cockpit (6481101 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’ve just reviewed the new Fw.190A-6 kit in 1:48 from Eduard here, and it’s a great kit that will satisfy many builders straight from the box. If you’re hungry for more detail however, this new cockpit set will upgrade the kit cockpit to a higher level that justifies spending extra time painting and weathering the area, which is a typical focal point of most aviation models, with the exception of drones and UAVs. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. Inside are a mixture of traditional cast and 3D printed resin, PE, decals and a small sheet of clear acetate film, the largest part of which is the cockpit tub with the aft decking and side consoles already moulded in. The separate seat has a button-quilted cushion moulded-in and has a pair of pre-painted PE lap-belts added, fitting into the tub along with the control column after the removal of the tendril-like supports from the printing process, applying stencil and dial decals on the side consoles after detail-painting. The instrument panel lower section is made first, using either a lamination of two layers of PE and a blank resin panel backing, mounting a choice of resin centre sections that are used with the alternative resin panel with dials moulded-in and decals instead of using PE. In this latest set, there are levers and handles supplied as delicate 3D printed parts to be glued into recesses in the panel sides instead of shallow PE parts. The rudder pedals are also 3D printed, which gives them a more realistic look for less effort, beyond the capabilities of PE parts alone, which would have to be folded to shape. They are glued into the floor of the cockpit on their mounting posts along with the lower instrument panel that fits in place on the ends of the side consoles. A resin lever is fixed to the port side console, and the shoulder belts are laid over the top of the seat now in place, followed by building the resin gunsight with acetate glazing parts sliding into grooves in the mechanism. The completed gunsight is slotted into the upper panel, which you can build from PE and resin, or resin and decals in the same manner as the lower panel. The coaming fits over the top, and it has a cut-out on top to accommodate the gunsight that protrudes through. The starboard fuselage half has two lugs marked in red that are removed to be replaced by a resin winder handle, and once everything has been painted and decaled, the fuselage can be closed around the new cockpit, the kit forward bulkhead, and the resin coaming. The final resin part combines the pilot’s head armour and the support structure behind it in one highly detailed part, which should be detail painted according to the usual Gunze Sangyo call-outs, and has a red warning decal to be applied to the front of the head armour below the cushion, as shown in a separate diagram. That is then glued in place inside the clear styrene canopy appropriate to your decal choice from the kit. To fit the new cockpit inside the fuselage a pair of plastic wedges are removed from the inside, to be replaced with a detailed PE and resin trim wheel. The assemblies should then fit neatly within, alongside the kit bulkhead, assuming you aren't taking advantage of any of the other sets I'll be mentioning in this review. The set includes the opening mechanism and the pilot's head armour, which has a warning decal added to it after painting. The interior roll-over frame is resin, and has delicate PE bracing wires linking to the rear, all of which fits inside the canopy after painting. The canopy then installs as normal. Conclusion As the cockpit is one of the main focal-points of any single-seat fighter, the extra effort is well-worth expending, as the detail is finer and accurate, thanks to the capability of 3D printed parts, traditional resin, PE and decals, each with their own specialities. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

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

B-17F Guns (6481023 for Eduard/HK Models) 1:48 Eduard Brassin HK Models released their scaled-down 1:48 Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress kit, which has recently been re-boxed with extra parts by Eduard as the Bloody Hundredth, and it is an excellent kit. This set from Eduard is intended to replace the kit guns with more detailed and realistic resin parts with PE ring and bead sights for exceptional fidelity. As is now usual with Eduard's more compact resin sets, they arrive in a shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin and Photo-Etch (PE) parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. There are fourteen guns in the box on separate casting blocks, five of which have separate barrels, of which there is a choice of ten, the rest have barrels cast-in, five of which have a ball pivot in the midst of the cooling jacket to permit movement within their mounts. There are separate cocking handles where appropriate on another casting block, with PE ring and bead sights, again where appropriate, plus two U-shaped mounts for the top of post-mounted weapons in the waist. The ball-mounted weapons are sited in the windows on the side of the nose, and either as a single or twin mount in the nose glazing, depending on which variant you have chosen. The ball turret has separate barrels for ease of building and painting of the assembly, as do the top turret guns, and the Cheyenne mount in the tail, with a choice of intimidating flash-hiders or plain barrels to be fitted after main painting is completed to avoid damaging them where possible. Each mount has its own instruction step, showing which part to use, the type of cocking handle, ring and bead sights, and how the new resin guns and their barrels integrate with the kit parts, two of which need the guns and their pivots removing from the supporting shaft, replacing the top with a PE bracket as mentioned earlier. Colour call-outs are made during each step of the instructions, using Gunze H and C codes, with the name of the colour also provided in case you don’t have Mr Color paints or their codes to hand. Detail is exceptional, from the perforated cooling jackets to all aspects of the breeches of the weapons, enhanced by extra resin and PE parts for ultimate detail that won’t break the bank. Review sample courtesy of

IJN Type 96 25mm AA Guns & Ventilators (653021 & 653018) 1:350 Eduard Brassin One of the areas of many maritime kits that is lacking in detail is generally the deck fixtures and fittings, which are limited in finesse by the capabilities of injection-moulding technology. Traditionally, Photo-Etch (PE) was used to create more detailed fittings for such kits, but these usually involve complex folding, and as they are made from flat sheet, there are always compromises. The advances in 3D Stereo-Lithographic Resin (SLR) Printing in the last several years have given increasing levels of detail, and decreasing layer thicknesses that are bordering on the invisible with the latest generations. This permits the creation of infinitesimal details that would otherwise be impossible to make by hand without super-powers and a microscope, and the method used to form these parts allows overhangs and extreme detail to be incorporated into a single part that can be put to use almost immediately. This pair of sets is intended for 1:350 Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) kits, replacing the chunky, and sometimes blob-like deck details with parts that are almost unbelievably detailed. Although the sets arrive in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box within the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling around. The parts are printed resin, 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. IJN Ventilators (653018) This set includes four print-bases totalling seventy parts depicting fourteen different ventilators, five of each type, that vary from small vertical pipes with a pair of tapering cones at the top, to an enormous cylindrical part with a mesh panel on the side, all of which are drop-in replacements for the parts they supplant. The instructions show drawings of each type, and confirms that all of them should be painted the same camouflage colour(s) as the rest of the ship. IJN Type 96 25mm AA Gun (Triple) Printed on six rectangular bases, some of which are linked together, this set provides eighteen gun platforms in grey resin, split into two blocks of nine, with and without large ring sights on both sides of the triple barrels. A small PE fret is included to depict the splinter-shields on each side of the gun, which are folded into an L-shape and glued to the front of the battery to keep the gunners a little safer during battle. Conclusion If you have IJN ships in your stash or in your future, these new sets from Eduard are going to be just what you need, and they’ll be easy to get hold of thanks to their market penetration. The detail must be seen to be believed. Review sample courtesy of

Calling this one finished, 1/48 scale Royal Class kit. Not without some issues but easily overcome with a few basic modelling skills. Figure is by Reedoak and is excellent. beautifully rendered and printed. Base is an old Verlinden cardstock jobbie, Magic Missiles are Brassin items and the exhaust is Reskit. Finished with Mr Hobby, MRP and Tamiya paints for Airframe and Vellejo for the pilot figure. Decals are from the kit. WIP :- Cheers for looking in.

P-51B/C Seat with Belts Type 2 & 3 PRINT (6481040 & 6481041) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new range of Mustang kits in 1:48 are a sight to behold, pushing injection-moulding technology to achieve exceptional levels of detail, but as with all styrene kits you can always improve by using different media to create key parts. Although these sets arrive in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about. The parts are printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like supports that are easy to cut off and sand the little upstands away, leaving them ready for action. Both seats are printed with integral belts that have a realistic drape to them, with all the furniture present already, and no assembly required, just remove the seats from their bases and sand/cut back the tiny raised marks. Once done, you can go ahead with painting and fitting in the cockpit as a drop-in replacement for the kit seats. There are three styles available, of which we have two today. P-51B/C Seat Type 2 (6481040) P-51B/C Seat Type 3 (6481041) Conclusion Both seats have superb detail moulded-in and simple preparation. Once you’ve painted it, it’ll be a focal point of your model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-24H Wheels (672380 for Airfix) 1:72 Eduard Brassin We’ve recently reviewed the new Airfix Consolidated B-24H Liberator here recently, and it’s a fine kit. The Kit wheels are in two halves with two more parts for the hubs, which means you have the resultant joins around the circumference to deal with, and limitation to detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seam-line and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are typically a drop-in replacement. As usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, it arrives in a flat resealable package similar to their PE sets but with different branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. This set includes four resin wheels on their own casting blocks, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a set of pre-cut masks on kabuki-style paper washi tape material. The attachment points are on the contact patch of the tyres where they are flattened out due to the weight of the airframe, so it should be straight-forward to cut them free with a razor saw, filing the remainder flush. The detail is exceptional, including diamond tread on the rolling surfaces of the tyres, and hub details are upgraded, although the option of fitting flat PE hub caps will hide the hubs away, but for accuracy’s sake it must be done, unless you don’t want to, of course! There are two nose-wheels, with a choice of eight or nine spoked hubs for you to use after checking your references. Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks provide you with a full set of masks for hubs/tyres, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A Seat w/Integral Belts PRINT (6481038 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s 1:48 Fw.190A kits are well-crafted, but now we have a technology that can create parts with exceptional detail and fidelity that simply makes a drop-in replacement for focal points of the model. Although this set arrives in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about during shipping and in storage. The parts are 3D printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the remnants away, leaving them ready for action. Consisting of a single part on its own base, the new seat is a direct replacement for the kit part, and has the seat belts and base cushion moulded/printed-in. The belts are naturally draped over the shell of the seat, and due to the technology used in 3D SLA printing, there are gaps engineered where the four-point belts curve around the sides and back of the seat, offering an enhanced realism that improves on previous methods for depicting belts that have gone before. All the supports are located on the rear and underside of the seat shell, so that clean-up will be easy, the modeller simply ensuring that the slightly raised location points are removed where they might be seen or may impinge on proper fitment of the part. Once sympathetically painted, the seat will be a fine focal point of the cockpit of your next Fw.190A project. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-24J Engines PRINT (6481029 for Hobby Boss) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Hobby Boss followed their 1:32 Liberator last year with a new tooling in 1:48, which was the first in this scale (my preferred scale) since Monogram’s excellent but dated kit from the 1970s, which although it had raised panel lines could be built into a decent replica with help. This new one from Hobby Boss is crying out for super-detailing, and Eduard are making that a possibility. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. There are two segmented bases containing eight parts in 3D printed resin, four engines and four adapters to ensure a snug fit of the parts on the kit nacelle bulkheads. The engines are attached to their bases via fine support tendrils, which can easily be removed, but take care not to accidentally remove the wiring loom that is engineered into the front face, as they are also fine and could easily be mistaken for more supports. There is a useful scrap diagram in the top-left of the instructions that shows the various wires and push-rods along with painting call-outs in Gunze Sangyo codes, which is Eduard’s preferred brand. Once cut from their supports, the engines should be painted and weathered, followed by fitting the adapter-plate to the rear, and inserting a 6.8mm length of 0.3mm rod from your own stocks into the bell-housing at the front of the motor to act as prop-shaft. That will allow you to hang the kit propellers from the front, but improving the detail a thousand-fold. There are also smaller scrap diagrams that show the removal of a tab from the bottom of the nacelle housings, with the part numbers called out, and the remainder of the tab thinned down to 0.7mm for easy fitting of the new engines. Detail is stunning, and the inclusion of a wiring loom on a twin-row radial will save hours of modelling time trying to get lengths of lead wire to stick somewhere near where they should be without covering the parts and yourself with superglue. VERY highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F-4E Parachute (672382 for Fine Molds) 1:72 Eduard Brassin A lot of fast jets land at high speed, and need to slow down in a hurry, especially if they have landed at a shorter runway than usual. They do this by applying the wheel brakes, air-brakes, but also many jets have a parachute pack that they can deploy at the rear to further retard the speed of their aircraft. The ‘chutes don’t go on fire because they’re made from a tough, fire-resistant material, but also because the aircraft’s throttles are either at idle or in reverse, assisting with the braking. The F-4 was designed primarily as a carrier aircraft, where it would usually land using an arrestor hook, which brought it to a halt in a hurry, but that puts a huge stress on the airframe, shortening its lifespan, so is to be avoided when possible. When landing on runways, rather than deploying an arrestor wire, which is specialist equipment that might not always be available, they use parachute packs that are deployed from a compartment within the rear of the aircraft, inflating due to the airspeed, allowing some of the air to bleed through the slots in the material, as they’re intended to slow it down, not pull the tail off. They were used as a matter of course on even the longest runways, although crews were trained on parachute-free landings, just in case. The Set The ‘chutes utilised to slow an aircraft’s roll aren’t excessively large, and at 1:72 scale it fits with room to spare. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, it arrives in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, two sheets of protective dark grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. There are five 3D printed resin parts in two separate Ziploc bags, plus a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass in another bag with a sheet of white card protecting it from bending in the box. Adding a parachute to your Phantom model will be key to a landing or post-landing taxiing diorama, and the detail is exceptional, even having a flattened edge to the ‘chute where it presses against the runway after initial deployment. Construction begins with sliding the resin para-pack compartment into position, which has the door moulded open and out to the rear. The parachute is printed as a single part, which is attached to the base on the outer edge, and should be simple to remove and clean-up, adding a 1-4mm length of 0.27mm styrene rod from your own stores to the top, fixing the drogue bag to the end, and the drogue ‘chute itself on an eight-pointed PE star that represents the short lengths of cord that allows it to open. Between the parachute and the compartment is another 43mm length of 0.5mm rod with a 1mm ferrule for the last 2mm, all from your own stock, which ends with a 3D printed O-ring that gathers the individual cords of the parachute. These cords are depicted by fine PE strips that are anchored at the inner end by a strip, enabling you to form it into a small circle, spreading out the opposite ends so they can be attached to the circumference of the parachute, locating them on the tabs that project from the underside of the billowing ‘chute. Markings There are paint call-outs in Gunze Sangyo codes throughout the build, many of the cords are in white, the parachute and its lines yellow, and the drogue ‘chute in a light tan colour. Check your references for your particular example for fading or colour variance if you want to achieve maximum accuracy. Conclusion This is quite an unusual set that you’d think would be a niche product, but maybe its existence as a relatively simple method of creating a ‘chute-assisted landing scene will create the market and result in a lot more F-4s in landing dioramas going forward. Clearly the 1:48 set we reviewed some months back was a success, and maybe now we’re more likely to see a proliferation of these sets for other aircraft and scales. You could of course use this set with other branded Phantom kits, but you may have to do some work on the housing to make it work. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

P-51B Birdcage Canopy Cockpit (6481033 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new Bird Cage Mustang went under the microscope here, and now we have a finely detailed 3D-printed resin cockpit to augment the already impressive detail you’ll find in the kit. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the new deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin and other parts safely cocooned in bags, a foam sheet in the top and bottom and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside the box are forty-three resin parts of various sizes, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) that has been nickel-plated and pre-printed, a sheet of decals and a slip of clear acetate with the gunsight glazing shapes printed on. The instruction booklet tells you remove some sections of interior detail on the fuselage halves, which are marked out in red for your convenience. It’s worthy of note that there isn’t a pre-painted PE instrument panel in this set, but there are a host of decals for the instruments and placards, which you apply along the way toward a complete cockpit. Construction begins with the seat in a choice of three styles that are printed as one part each, and are decorated with pre-painted PE four-point seatbelts, a common headrest that attaches to the seat armour and mounting rail part, adding a cushion/stowage with a PE hook over the top. The seat is attached to the new highly detailed floor and is fitted out with the control stick, fuel hose, and a small instrument console, with detail painting and decaling instructions throughout. A bulkhead between the pilot and rear of the compartment is inserted behind the seat, adding hoses and other parts for detail, with a choice of three styles of rear compartments behind the pilot. Two options involve installing different equipment boxes to the floor, and another rear-facing instrument on the bulkhead. Two types of radio gear can be fitted to the pallet and after detail painting it is straddled by a pair of ribs toward the rear, which will allow it to be mounted as a second layer above the equipment on the floor, which will still be seen by the intrepid viewer. The third option involves the original kit fuel tank that has its attachment pins removed before it is glued to the floor, mounting a palette with equipment, and the ribs replicated from the other options, then wiring it with a 20mm length of 0.6mm wire from your own stock. The resin sidewall parts are well detailed to begin with, but they are both augmented with additional resin parts that vary between cockpit fitments, as well as having their own painting and decaling diagrams to complete the task. The result will be an exceptionally well-detailed pair of sidewalls, with a choice of variant specific instruments, providing you follow the instructions precisely. The three resin gunsight options have their glass replicated by a piece of acetate sheet of varying shapes and sizes, installing it on the kit coaming, which has a small portion cut away beforehand for one option, using the appropriate coaming for your chosen gunsight. The main panel is a resin part that has decals applied depicting the instruments, with more decals on the lower centre panel, mounting the new detailed rudder pedals on pegs in the rear, setting their alignment with reference to a scrap diagram showing the assembly from the side. The cockpit and sidewalls are brought together to create a tub, then the kit fuselage is closed around them, adding the coaming assembly, another small equipment box, and kit canopy to finish the set off. Conclusion A super-detailed set for a superb model of a legend of the skies with the original canopy style. Excellent use of 3D printed resin to improve a focal point to your model, with a choice of equipment options to add individualism to your P-51B. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A-10C Ejection Seat with Integral Belts PRINT (6481035 for GWH) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Great Wall Hobby released their new A-10C Thunderbolt II kit last year to applause, as it offered modern levels of detail in 1:48 to this highly regarded aircraft at the peak of its use. The kit is well-detailed, but in the usual fashion, you can improve on even the best injection-moulded parts with the use of other media, particularly 3D printed resin, which is starting to take over in the after-market world of scale modelling. As usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, the set arrives in a flat resealable package similar to their PE sets but with different branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The resin parts are further protected by a clear plastic clamshell box within the package, which has a sticky pad on the inside that helps to hold the parts in position. This set consists of five printed resin parts, one of which is also pre-painted. Your eyes do not deceive you, the ejection handle between the pilot’s knees is indeed yellow with black stripes, saving you a delicate job. A small decal sheet is also found in the package to apply after painting is complete, using Gunze Sangyo colour codes that are called out throughout the instructions. The main portion of the ACES II seat is printed as one in extreme detail, adding the headbox top with its canopy-break “ears”, the seat cushion, the afore-mentioned ejection handle, and a launch rail behind the seat that is also shown as a blue ghost image in position, allowing the completed seat to be slid down the cockpit’s aft bulkhead into position. The moulded-in belts have the potential for ultimate realism if sympathetically painted, as they are draped in a typical fashion to that of a real Thunderbolt, as if the pilot has just left. There are nine different decals on the small sheet, most of them doubled up, so you should have some spares if you make a mistake. Eduard decals also have removable carrier film that can be carefully peeled off when the decal is set, leading to a more realistic look to the finished model. It’s a focal point of the A-10 due to the prominent position of the pilot that gives him or her a bird’s eye view of the battle-space, so well-worth the effort to add to your model. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Next project lined up and ready to start. Box is a bit battered but the contents are all good, one I've had in the stash for years so I might as well build it.

P-39N Airacobra Resin Upgrade Sets (for Arma Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Arma Hobby recently launched a brand-new tooling of the P-39 Airacobra in a growing range of variants, and it’s a well-detailed model, but as usual, you can always improve on injection-moulded parts by using other mediums. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, and this batch are suitable for most P-39N variants. 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. Upgrade Set (491484) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete new nine-part layered instrument panel and centre console with three levers; trim wheel; gun cocking handles; the extensive radio box, plus other details for the floor and rear bulkhead; making up two more boxes and adding more details on the cockpit sidewalls. There is also an entire pilot seat that is folded up to form the chassis, adding extra strengthening layers to critical areas, and the diagonal strip across the back of the base. Externally, the kit oleo-scissors for the main and nose gear legs are replaced by more in-scale parts, the belly-mounted intakes are given new in-scale doors with a mesh insert at the rear, and a filler cap for the drop-tank is also supplied. Going back inside again, a rear-view mirror and ring sight are fitted to the windscreen from inside, with paired handles fixed to each of the kit doors after removing the moulded-in nubs. Zoom! Set (FE1484) 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 (FE1485) 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 four-point crew belts, you also get a comfort pad for under the buckle of the harness. Masks (EX1073) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, and a set of hub/tyre masks for all the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort, plus a circular mask for the landing light. Masks Tface (EX1074) 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 as there are seldom any raised frames on the interior of canopy parts, it's good practice to place the outer masks first to act as a guide for alignment of the inner masks. Conclusion Super detailed modular sets that raise the kit’s quality above the already excellent level that is found in the box. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

P-39 Airacobra Resin Upgrade Sets (for Arma Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Arma Hobby recently launched a brand-new tooling of the P-39 Airacobra in a growing range of variants, and it’s a well-detailed model, but as always you can always improve on injection-moulded parts by using other methods. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, and this batch are suitable for most P-39 variants, so will fit just as well with any of the boxings. Although these sets arrive in flat packages, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box within the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about. The parts are printed resin with the exception of the gun barrels, 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. Exhaust Stacks Fishtail (6481049) This set is a straight-forward replacement for the kit exhausts, consisting of two parts that are incredibly well-detailed, and have hollow tips, with a splitter between the two halves of each outlet. Simply cut the parts from the print base, and use them as you would the kit parts, but fixing them with super glue (CA) instead of the usual plastic glues. Exhaust Stacks Rounded (6481050) Identical in use as the set above, these exhaust stacks have hollow rounded tips as part of their detail upgrade from the kit parts. Gun Barrels (6481053) Traditionally cast from resin, these four parts include two gun barrels with perforated jackets, plus a choice of two styles of muzzle for the centre-of-prop 30mm cannon, one with a shroud around a recessed barrel, the other unshrouded. They are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, but take care when handling them, as I managed to ping off a barrel when putting them back in their packet. Pilot’s Seat (6481054) Consisting of one print-base with a highly-detailed seat, plus a small fret of STEEL Photo-Etch (PE) that is nickel-plated and pre-painted for your ease, this set replaces the kit’s seat directly, and the added dimension and realism of the belts will be far superior to the decals that come with the kit. The seat has many strengthening grooves moulded-in, and the belts will drape well over the seat’s sides due to the softness and thinner gauge of the material that it is etched from. Conclusion An interesting and useful range of simple sets that raise the level of detail on the base kit with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

P-51B Malcolm Hood Canopy Cockpit (6481032) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new Malcolm Hooded Mustang went under the microscope here, and now we have a finely detailed 3D-printed resin cockpit to augment the already impressive detail you’ll find in the kit. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the new deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin and other parts safely cocooned in bags, a foam sheet in the bottom and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside the box are forty-three resin parts of various sizes, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) that has been nickel-plated and pre-printed, a sheet of decals and a slip of clear acetate with the gunsight glazing shapes printed on. The instruction booklet tells you remove some sections of interior detail on the fuselage halves, which are marked out in red for your convenience. It’s worthy of note that there isn’t a pre-painted PE instrument panel in this set, but there are a host of decals for the instruments and placards, which you apply along the way toward a complete cockpit. Construction begins with the seat in a choice of three styles that are printed as one part each, and are decorated with pre-painted PE four-point seatbelts, a common headrest that attaches to the seat armour and mounting rail part. The seat is attached to the new highly detailed floor and is fitted out with the control stick, fuel hose, with detail painting instructions throughout. A bulkhead between the pilot and rear of the compartment is inserted behind the seat, adding hoses and other parts for detail, with a choice of three styles of rear compartments behind the pilot. Two options involve installing different equipment boxes to the floor, and another rear-facing instrument on the bulkhead. Two types of radio gear can be fitted to the pallet and after detail painting it is straddled by a pair of ribs toward the rear, which will allow it to be mounted as a second layer above the equipment on the floor, which will still be seen by the intrepid viewer. The third option involves the original kit fuel tank that has its attachment pins removed before it is glued to the floor, mounting an equipment palette with equipment and the ribs replicated from the other options, and wiring it with a 20mm length of 0.6mm wire from your own stocks. The resin sidewall parts are well detailed to begin with, but they are both augmented with additional resin parts that vary between cockpit fitments, as well as having their own painting and decaling diagrams to complete the task. The result will be an exceptionally well-detailed pair of sidewalls, with a choice of variant specific instruments, providing you follow the instructions avidly. A built & painted example from Eduard’s website The three resin gunsight options have their glass replicated by a piece of acetate sheet of varying sizes, installing it on the kit coaming, which has a small portion cut away beforehand, using the appropriate coaming for your chosen option. The main panel is a resin part that has decals applied depicting the instruments, with more decals on the lower centre panel, mounting the new detailed rudder pedals on pegs in the rear, setting their alignment with reference to a scrap diagram showing the assembly from the side. The cockpit and sidewalls are brought together to create a tub, then the kit fuselage is closed around them, adding the coaming assembly and kit canopy to finish the set off. Conclusion A super-detailed set for a superb model of a legend of the skies with my favourite canopy style. Excellent use of 3D printed resin to improve a focal point to your model, with a choice of equipment options to add individualism to your P-51. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bristol Bulldog Resin Upgrades (for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin These new sets for the recent Airfix Bristol Bulldog, the penultimate RAF biplane fighter with interwar origins, which has pleased many modellers that have been waiting for a modern tooling of this classic. Although they arrive in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from moving around. The parts are directly printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little raised points away, leaving them ready for action. The resin wheels are loose in their bag, as they are more robust and less prone to damage during transit. Gun Barrels PRINT (6481044) This simple set contains a pair or 3D printed Vickers .303” machine gun barrels that were mounted in troughs on either side of the cockpit. The kit parts are necessarily simplified to cater to injection-moulding techniques, so these drop-in replacements should bring a vast improvement in detail. They are both attached to the same print-base in opposition, like a pair of crossed swords, and have tiny supports that should be cut away, taking care not to lose the barrels in the process. Minimal clean-up will be needed, as the supports are on the insides of the barrels, where they will rest against the kit fuselage after installation. Wheels (6481045) Each highly-detailed resin wheel is cast on a separate base, with minimal attachment points, the largest on the tyre’s contact patch with the ground, so any errors you might make in removing them from the block will be hidden. In addition to the drop-in replacement wheels, there are is a small sheet of pre-cut masks of yellow kabuki-tape, and a small sheet of decals that have “Palmer Cord Aero Tyre” in white to be applied to each side of the tyre carcasses, with a total of six to allow for mistakes. Pilot’s Seat PRINT (6481046) Consisting of a single seat part with frame and adjustment mechanism on a small print-base, plus a set of four-point seatbelts for the pilot, it should be a simple task to upgrade the cockpit detail of your Bulldog. The print supports are all on the underside of the seat’s frame, and should be easy to remove, priming then painting it as per the colour call-outs using Mr Color paints, then applying the pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) belts as shown in the instructions, attaching all the parts to the model with Super Glue (CA). Conclusion These simple sets should improve the detail and look of your new Airfix Bulldog quickly and without breaking the bank. They also lack the perceived difficulty of working with traditional resin, although CA should still be used for attachment of the parts. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bf.109G-10 Cockpit PRINT (672388 for Eduard) 1:72 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new 1:72 Bf.109 has hit the spot for a great many modellers, and those that wish to improve the detail further can take advantage of this new PRINT set from Eduard’s Brassin line. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. Inside the box are eleven 3D printed grey resin parts, a small pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) fret, a slip of acetate sheet with the gunsight glazing outlines printed in black, and a decal sheet. Thanks to the ability of 3D printers to produce parts with undercuts using supports, the main cockpit floor also has a great deal of detail moulded-in, including the seat and the base for the rudder pedals. The control column is a separate part, as is the combined front bulkhead/rudder pedals/cannon breech fairing part, of which there is a choice of two, adding PE straps to the pedals, and gluing your choice to the front of the cockpit, applying a decal to one of the breech fairings. Four-point PE seatbelts are made from two-part lap belts and two shoulder belts, which are draped over the seat and glued into position before moving to the next step, which adds the cockpit side walls, adding detail parts to both along with some stencil decals, fixing the starboard side first, making the instrument panel with decals, then trapping it in place by adding the port side wall. You have a choice of two variants of the Revi gunsight, the 12c or the 16b, both supplied on the print bases, and with two individually shaped acetate parts glued in place according to the detailed instructions. Your choice is then glued into the centre of the main panel, using the final two acetate parts to provide the glass for the new rear-vision head armour part that is glued inside the kit canopy. Before inserting the cockpit between the fuselage halves, the raised details moulded into the cockpit area are removed according to the red marked areas on the instructions. The canopy opener is provided with a PE retaining strap that holds it at the correct angle when opened. Markings Decal placement is called out through each step of the instructions, as is the suggested colour, using Eduard’s perennial favourite brand, Gunze-Sangyo, providing both H and C codes in a linked box, with the colour name below. Conclusion The kit cockpit is well-detailed, but this replacement set goes further, providing much more detail, more decals, and a highly detailed gunsight. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of