Search the Community

Dornier Do.335B Upgrades (for HK Model) 1:32 Eduard Brassin Dornier's pinnacle of WWII piston-engined fighters was kitted last year by HK Models in 1:32 for the first time in injection moulded styrene, and now Eduard have released a number of sets for those looking for even more detail than is already present in the kit, in Photo-Etch (PE) and resin. Interior (32825) This set comprises of two frets, measuring 7cm x 4.7cm and 7cm x 3.8cm. The larger fret is pre-painted and self-adhesive, while the smaller is bare brass and contains the more constructional elements. A tiny square of acetate is also included with the shape of the gun-sight's HUD printed to ease cutting out. The seat is given a new set of arms from folded PE, and the gun-sight is upgraded with additional details, including the aforementioned clear film. The footwell in front of the pilot's feet is overhauled with new parts, including the rudder pedals and their linkages, with a small foot-control on the starboard side. The majority of the pre-painted fret is devoted to the instrument panel and side consoles, which are a delight to behold, painted very finely with instrument faces and all the little knobs and dials a pilot could wish for. The main instrument panel is made up from two layers with an additional bezel added to the centre portion, while the side consoles are cleared of their moulded on detail before the new panels are installed along with a number of additional wheels, levers and other controls to give is a 3D look. The same approach is taken with the sidewall instruments, which are glued to the existing detail to augment them. You will need a short length of 0.8mm diameter rod to complete the job however. Interior Zoom! (33143) If you don't feel the need to add the extra brass parts to your cockpit, but would like to sparkly new instrument panels, or if you're just on a budget, this is the set for you, as it includes only the pre-painted, self-adhesive fret, as seen above. Seatbelts (32826) Supplied on a diminutive 3.5cm x 4.2cm fret with the various parts pre-painted, this set has enough parts to construct a highly detailed set of four-point safety belts for the kit seat, with realistic metallic fittings, as per the real items. Exterior (32364) This brass fret measures a healthy 14cm x 9.5cm, and contains plenty of upgrades to detail, some of which isn't strictly exterior, but still pretty useful to have. Both the kit supplied engines are trimmed with some small additional parts, along with lifting lugs for the block, with the front engine's rocker covers also fitted with a bracket. The supercharger intakes are covered with a fine circular mesh, and the gun bay gets more realistic curved feed-chutes for the cannons. The belly-mounted radiator bath has mesh inserts added to depict the radiator cores, and the outlets at the rear under the elevators are replaced with more detailed (and in-scale) doors, as is the one in the belly. The side-mounted doors need a small slit cut either side of the recess to enable correct fitting, which will require careful use of your razor saw. The engine cowlings front and rear are fitted with detailed fasteners, each of which requires four folds to create, and should look superb once installed. The annular radiator in the nose is then skinned with three radiator sections that fit over the kit sections. The gear bays are augmented with additional parts, most importantly on the inner edge of the main bays, which receive a skin depicting the framework, plus a layer of wiring, and a line of strengthening plates nearby. The nose gear receives a simple raised part, folded along pre-etched lines, but the bay doors are given new hinges, retraction mechanism and latches are provided for the bomb bay. The hatch for the crew ladder is given a new more detailed door, the inner doors on the main bays have a piece cut out and an edging strip added around the edge, and the main gear legs are spruced up with extra parts. Exhaust Stacks (632050) This Brassin set includes twenty eight replacement exhaust stubs for the 335's two engines, which if you know your DB603 is four too many. The front engine has a straight line-up of six stubs, which you can see on the pictures. The rear engine gives you the option of using six stubs identical to the forward engine, or replacing the front and rear stubs with alternatives fitted with small fins, the function of which is unclear. You'll have to check your references to see which type were fitted, but whichever ones you use, the detail is superb, with hollow exits and weld-bead lines. You will have to keep them on their casting blocks until you're ready to use them, as the stubs are handed and intended for specific engine. Wheels (632042) Arriving in Eduard's usual Brassin clamshell box, these resin wheels are a direct replacement for the kit parts, along with a full set of masks for them to assist in painting the hubs after the tyres. The hubs are separate parts, and are installed into recesses in the tyres, so could conceivably be painted separately from the tyres anyway. Detail is superb, and each tyre is subtly weighted without looking like it needs reinflating. A scrap diagram shows the correct orientation for each of the two types of hub. Muzzle Brakes (632058) Tagging along almost as an afterthought (this set arrived in June 2015) comes this small and inexpensive set from Eduard to improve the detail of your HK Do.335 in the offensive armament department. Arriving in the usual clamshell box, you will find the two parts on one casting block, pinned against the front by a protective foam insert. The parts are small, but beautifully detailed with the tiny rows of blast deflector tubes all perfectly represented with thin walls and hollow muzzles that reduce recoil on the real thing. The casting block is attached to the underside of each muzzle by a fine web of resin, which should be simple to remove with a sharp knife and a fine sanding stick, allowing the modeller to just fit them in place instead of the kit parts. For the price, you'd be churlish not to get a set, as their finesse is a big improvement over the kit parts, and even better than the sintered replacements available with one of the brass sets I've seen. I'd still use these resin ones. Masks (JX175) The Pfiel has a complex greenhouse canopy that is blessed with a large number of panes that are unusual shapes, so a masking set will be a boon if you're a bit wary of such things. The set covers every panel apart from the observation blisters, which are quite severe compound curves, and best covered with scrap tape or liquid mask. The time you spend masking up will be much reduced with this handy sheet of pre-cut kabuki style tape. Conclusion Another well-rounded "set of sets" to add more detail to your big Pfiel, from which you can pick and choose. You can of course purchase all the PE sets in the Big Ed set that you can find here, to which you'll just need to add the wheels and exhausts. Review sample courtesy of

Photo Etch & Resin detail sets for Eduard Avia B.534 1:72 Eduard The Avia B.534 from Eduard is a great little kit, and now re-released in a weekend edition. Eduard have come up with a whole slew of upgrades should the modeller wish to use them. Avia B.534 Self Adhesive PE For Eduard Kit 1:72 Eduard This fret contains colour self adhesive parts for the instrument panel. There are also seatbelts, forward and back parts for the radiator, rudder pedals, a control wheel. Other exterior parts are the pilots step, front air intake, ring & bead gunsight, and a strut mounted pitot tube. Finally new PE fins are provided for the kit bombs. Avia B.534 Wires and Stretchers 1:72 Eduard As the title would suggest this fret covers the bracing wires and stretchers for the aircraft. Also provided are the buckles for attaching these to the airframe. A comprehensive set of instructions is provided to show the positioning of all the parts. Better in fact than the kit instructions. B.534 For the Eduard kit Pre-Cut Masks 1:72 Eduard In keeping with their other pre-cut mask sets, this set contains masks for all of the transparent parts, as well as the main landing gear wheels. Also included are masks for the wings and tailplanes where there is a different edge to the camo. They are a great time (and stress) saver. Brassin Wheel & Spats B.534 For the Eduard kit 1:72 Eduard These are one part wheels & Spats, with masks to replace the two part items in the kit. These are well moulded and you can even read the DUNLOP on the tyres (if you have good eyesight!), however this sample did have a couple of uncharacteristic air bubbles you don't normally see from Eduard. The lines you can see on the left part are just flow lines in the resin and the part is smooth. Brassin Bombs & Racks B.534 For the Eduard kit 1:72 Eduard These are direct resin replacements for the kit bombs and their racks. These parts are excellent moulding with no flaws at all. Conclusion The new B.534 kit is a great kit on its own. If buying the weekend edition these embellishments are available from Eduard which will no doubt enhance your model. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

AIM-9E Sidewinder Missiles 1:72 Eduard Brassin The AIM-9E was a replacement for the original AIM-9B and entered service in 1967. This missile had larger forward canards and a more aerodynamic seeker head. It also had an improved rocket motor. The missile, still had to be fired at the rear quarter of the target, a drawback of all early IR missiles. This set from Eduard in their brassin range contains 4 complete missiles. There is a resin body which contains the rear fins, with the forward fins being supplied in Photo etch. There is also a rear rocket motor part supplied in PE. Nose caps are cupplied in resin for all the units if the modeller wants to use. The last item in theis package is the inclusion of missile markings on the small decal sheet. Conclusion Quality ordnance can always enhance the look of a model, these AIM-9Es from Eduard are excellent missiles. Recomended. Review samples courtesy of

JAS-39 Gripen Wheels - For The Revell Kit 1:72 Eduard Brassin This set from Eduard in their brassin range is a direct replacement for the kit wheel. These are well moulded on small pour blocks and should enhance the look of your kit. The set also inclused a set of wheel masks to help paint the wheels correctly Conclusion Wheels can be one area which let a kit down, in a lot of cases these resin replacements can make a difference, this is helped by the masks to paint them. Recomended. Review samples courtesy of

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

Lewis MkII WWI guns 1:32 Brassin With the burgeoning number of 1:32 WWI aircraft kits available it’s unsurprising that Brassin have started to release some aftermarket bits for them. In this case they have released a pack of two WWI vintage Lewis machine guns. They arrive in the now standard blister pack with the resin contents held in place by a nice slab of foam, while the etch sheet is sealed under a taped down piece of card. Naturally the quality of the resin parts is superb with some exquisite details. There will be the need for some cleaning up of the parts once the parts have been removed from their moulding blocks. Each of the two guns are made up of the barrel and breech sections moulded as one, with the resin handle attached to the rear, along with a resin cocking lever, barrel muzzle and ammunition drum. The only etched part is for the forward sight. Brassin have also included four spare ammunition drums to add to the aircraft racks. Conclusion For those modellers who have a collection of WNW or other 1:32 British aircraft kits, these guns will be a super addition to the finished models. As I’ve said before you can’t really go wrong with Brassin and this set goes a long way to prove it. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.IX Engine (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin (648112) The new kit from Eduard is probably the best Spitfire kits I've had the privilege to own out of the box, but that sort of detail just leads to wanting more. This set is perfect to fulfil that desire, and bares the whole engine from the firewall forward. Arriving in one of Eduard's oblong Brassin boxes, it contains five bags of resin in two shades of grey, plus a Photo-Etch (PE) fret and an eight page A5 instruction booklet. The size of the booklet and the CAD rendering of the finished engine on the front of the box are the first two clues as to the completeness of the reproduction of the engine, requiring only removing from their casting blocks, some sympathetic painting, and some modelling skills. It's not for the novice modeller, and you will be required to cut the nose off your kit's delightfully well moulded fuselage in order to accomplish the task. If you're ok with that, plus a little super-glue (CA), some PE handling, you should be fine. Construction begins with the engine block, and that is very highly detailed with separate reduction gear at the front, and a beautifully moulded "blower" at the rear, manifold detail in the top of the cylinders, and the words Rolls-Royce on the side of each head. The exhaust manifold Is made up resin and PE parts, and slots into the sides of the engine, with individual exhaust stacks of either round or fish-tailed designs provided. A plethora of control linkages pass back from the block over the Supercharger, which is mated to the firewall part, after which thick brass fuel hoses and the engine mounts fix to the top of the engine. The mount is made up from five parts, some of which will need a thin support film removing from in between the struts before they are mated to the C-shaped yoke that straddles the rear of the engine. Two more resin parts squeeze in between the struts, and it can then be glued to the short spar in the leading edge of the wing. The fuselage is then offered up from behind, with the bulkhead slipping inside the front, which has a ridge that has the dual function of setting the correct depth, while hiding the thick edges of the fuselage halves. The wing leading edge insert is then added according to the wing-type you have chosen, and the PE cowling attachment web is glued to either side of the engine, which will require a little curving of the parts to conform to the shape of the fuselage fuselage. The chin intake's innards are added underneath along with a PE insert that completes the edge of the fuselage underside, and should be painted to match the underside colour. Because the aircraft will have its engine cowling parts removed, you might be mistaken (after looking only at the instructions) in thinking that's all you get. Nope. You get a full set of cowling panels in wafer-thin dark grey resin, complete with plenty of interior detail that will allow you to pose them around the aircraft or on a diorama base if you feel like it. Painting instructions are shown throughout the build, and are in Gunze Mr Color codes, with a conversion to colour names on the rear page. If you're not familiar with Gunze paints, they're rather good, but if you're committed to another brand, any of the online paint conversion charts such as the Paint4Models will be able to assist with conversion. Conclusion A stunning example of what's achievable with modern CAD design and resin engineering, that produces a stunningly realistic looking engine. Take your time with the painting and gluing the parts together, and you will have a superb focus point on the front of your Mk.IX once you're done. I can see this being used on my second IX, as it's just too good not to. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Mk.20 Rockeye II 1:72 Eduard Brassin The Mk.20 Rockeye II cluster bomb unit or CBU is a free fall unit containing 247 dual-purpose armor-piercing shaped-charge bomblets. The unit is a clamshell design which splits up in flight to dispense the bomblets. The weapon has been used by the US Air Force, Navy & Marine Corps, and has been i use since 1968. The Eduard plastic pack contains six units of the Rockeye II, each is very well cast. A small PE fret is supplied for the rear of the units when they are removed from their casting blocks. If modelling the units in flight, or ready to go the vanes are on the noses. If the modeller wants to model the units before flight then the prominent nose protectors are supplied as seperate units. To finish off a small decal sheet with a multitude of stencil markings is provided. Overall the quality of these is excellent and the modeller will get much better results using these in 1.72 scale rather then the conventional plastic weapons supplied in two half's which I for one can never seem to get to look round. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-8/B HOBOS 1:72 Eduard Brassin The GBU-8/B was an electro-optical guidance kit for the US 2000 lb MK 84 bomb. HOBOS standing for Homing Bomb System. The kit consisted of a nose mounted black and white TV camera, body strakes and rear mounted flying surfaces. To engage a target the pilot had to manoeuvre the aircraft to align the bomb seeker while the Weapons system office watched a TV screen. Once the seeker had locked onto a target of sufficient contrast then the WSO would lock the seeker. After release the bomb would be guided to the target by the seekers programming. Unlike early paveway systems the HOBOS was a fire and forget weapon, however this advantage was lost as there were not always high contrast targets available, and the system was not as cost effective. In use it was found to be more unreliable than the paveways. The Eduard plastic pack contains two units of the HOBOS. each is very well cast. The clear TV seekers for the nose are supplied as separate clear resin parts. To finish off a small decal sheet with a multitude of stencil markings is provided. Overall the quality of these is excellent and the modeller will get much better results using these in 1.72 scale rather then the conventional plastic weapons supplied in two half's which I for one can never seem to get to look round. Review sample courtesy of

Etch Douglas C-47 Updates (for Airfix) 1:72 Eduard Having built the Airfix C-47 last year as a diorama, I was impressed with the kit. It went together very well and the detail was certainly good from the box. That said, us modellers know that we can always take it one step further when we build a favourite aircraft. Eduard provide the solutions to do this in their familiar etch 'flat pack's and Brassin resin. Both the interior and exterior are catered for. Brassin Resin C-47 Wheels (672 046) The kit wheels are well defined, but these resin replacements are superb with more accurate looking hubs. They are single piece direct replacements and include paint masks to make life easier. Like the kit parts, they are modelled in a weighted configuration too for a more realistic look. C-47 Interior (73513) The interior of the kit is well detailed, although naturally, the limitations of injection moulding present some opportunities for etch enhancement. This set give some nice touches to the cockpit area including self adhesive pre-painted main panel, control wheels, seatbelts and side panels. The cockpit floor gets a replacement surface too. A nice touch for the cabin are some inserts to fill the ejector pin marks left from the moulding process. A complete front door is included with hinges for the open position and the rear door gets etch handles too which if in the open position are prominent features. C-47 Interior (Zoom SS513) This set provides the self adhesive pre-painted fret included in the above set for a budget alternative just focussing on the cockpit area. C-47 Exterior (72587) A single sheet here provides a mix of noticeable and subtle improvements for the exterior of the kit. The gear legs get several enhancements including the 'X' struts and brake lines that feed up the drag link. A 3 dimensional boarding ladder for the rear access is included too. The engines are treated to the plug leads, oil cooler mesh's (front & rear) and exhaust support brackets offering a great improvement. The gear bays benefit from a number of surface panels and straps for the oil tanks.Finally, windscreen wipers, landing light apertures and aerials are included too. C-47 Surface Panels (72590) Given the small size of these sheets, it would of been good to see this one included in the exterior set rather than being an additional set to purchase. This set provides pretty much what it says on the pack. Included are window frames for the cabin windows & astrodome. You also get the wing joint reinforcement struts that are prominent on both the upper and lower surfaces with pleasant subtle riveting detail, but you will of course need to sand the raised areas from the kit parts to use these. Further 'toothed' surfaces are included for the reinforcement strips immediately outboard of the engines on the lower wings. Finally, several small panels for the fuselage and wings make up the rest of the set. C-47 Landing flaps (72588) One of the great things about the new Airfix kits is the regular inclusion of separate flaps so you can have them in the lowered position and the C-47 is one of these kits. The kit parts are OK, but this set will provide a much more scale accurate rendition of the lattice work on the inner surfaces as you would expect. However, they can be a fiddly affair in my experience with lots of folding of intricate parts, so have the swear box emptied before you start! C-47 Cargo Seatbelts (73514) The cabin seats are pretty basic with no seatbelts included, so this simple set is a great enhancement. I used masking tape on mine, but these would of provided a much improved look. If you have the rear doors open, they will be noticeable. A great benefit is the fact that they are pre-painted, so they can be added after painting your interior. C-47 Die Cut Window Masks (CX401) I'm a big fan of these, whilst the windows on the C-47 are simple shapes, this set will take the sting out of masking prior to painting. Conclusion There are a lot of sets provided for the C-47, and it would add up to a significant amount of money if you used them all. However, I've no doubt that using a few of the sets would much improve the look of your finished build. At some point I would like to build a civilian 'Dak' when released so will be intending to use several of these sets on it. Review sample courtesy of

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

Mig-21PF Update Sets 1:48 Eduard Eduard's new PF kit is reviewed here, and as usual there have been a number of sets produced in-house to add even more detail to what is supplied with the kit. All but the Brassin cockpit (which is in a big Brassin box) arrive in the usual flat Eduard packs with white backing card and instructions sandwiched between the layers. Interior (648185) This resin set is a direct replacement for the kit parts, and a substantial update it is too. The kit's combined cockpit floor and nose bay roof is cut in half and mated to the large resin tub, which is already festooned in finely moulded detail. The tub itself is further detailed with PE parts, some of which are switch panels with holes that the bumps on the sidewalls show through to simulate the many switches in the cockpit. The instrument panel gives you three options all of which are attached to a resin backplate. Option one involves a lamination or pre-painted PE parts with instrument dials printed on the rear portion, option two uses the PE dial faces and a resin front part, while the third option has a blank rear section and resin instrument panel. How many people will use option three, I don't know. The finished panel slides into slots on the side of the tub, and is closed up with the addition of a super-busy rear bulkhead, and a resin control column with PE detail part. Once the fuselage is closed up, the resin coaming is added along with a few more boxes around the top of the sidewalls, after which the cockpit framing is added from PE, with separate parts making the task a little easier. More framework fixes to the edges of the canopy, and some detail parts are added to the interior for additional accuracy. The final part of the job involves constructing the seat from resin and PE, with a set of PE seatbelts to finish off. If you've seen one of the Eduard ejection seats before, you'll know how good the detailing is. The seat is added last onto a resin spacer that sits at the bottom of the cockpit. Fabric Seatbelts (49071) If you prefer a more naturalistic look to your seatbelts, this set offers realism in spades. The "Super Fabric" gives a totally authentic drape to the belts, and when mated with the PE buckles and fixtures you get an almost perfect scale appearance of the belts that makes them worth additional (and sometimes fiddly) effort. I'm a big fan of these, as pioneered by HGW, who have licensed the technology to Eduard. Exterior (48828) Concentrating effort on the wheel bays, the exhaust tube and landing gear, this set measures up to 11.2cm x 7cm, and is packed with parts for your Mig. The main bays are given cabling/hosing as well as some small structural parts, and the bay doors are skinned with framework part to complete the effect. The brake lines are added to the gear legs, as are the short lengths that attach to the back of the hub. The nose wheel is less comprehensive as little will be seen, but a set of hoses and hinges are added for good measure. The exhaust tube is treated to a pair of circumferential rings to add detail, and the forward section is fitted with a more detailed afterburner ring. Under the tail there are a number of panels to add, plus a length of cable that I used to know the function of, but now eludes me. The last items in the set are detail skins for the bottoms of the pylons, giving the impression of rail detail, plus a few exhaust skins for the S24 and R3S missiles. Conclusion More of the same. Good sets for you to choose from based on your focus, budget or skill with PE and/or resin. The cockpit set is the jewel in the crown, and will probably be the most popular, closely followed by the superb fabric seatbelt set. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.V Resin Enhancement Sets (for Airfix 1:48) Eduard Brassin The new 1/48 Airfix Spitfire Vb kit has been made to feel very welcome in the market for 1/48 Spitfires and that's no mean feat! It's considered an accurate representation and stands up well against the Tamiya kit that's been out for some time. It's not surprising then that it will get plenty of attention from the aftermarket manufacturers creating a win/win/win scenario for Airfix, modellers and the aftermarket producers. Eduard has established itself as a leading supplier of resin upgrades with typically excellent fit under the brand of it's Brassin range. Looking at the quality of these sets, I expect them to follow that tradition. Spitfire Mk.V 'Fishtail' Exhaust Stacks (648 182) Offered as direct replacement parts for the kit, these resin parts are beautifully detailed. Most Mk.V's were fitted with this type of exhaust as it offered a slight thrust improvement over the earlier types. The outlets of the exhausts are hollowed out with stunningly thin edges and the welded sections are faithfully reproduced as you would expect. Spitfire Mk.V Exhaust Stacks (648 179) These exhausts are the type that was phased out early in the Spitfire V development and replaced with the fishtail type provided above. I would recommend doing your research to ensure you purchase the correct type for your build if planning to use these given the rarity of their use in Mk.V service. Again, they are superbly cast with accurate weld joins and hollowed outlets. Spitfire Mk.V Radio Compartment (648 184) The radio for the Spitfire was carried aft of the cockpit and access was through a door on the port side of the rear fuselage. If you're wanting to build a diorama or super detailed Spitfire, then this option is worth considering. The fuselage interior is provided as cast parts that simply mate to the inside faces of the kit fuselage. An etch radio mount is then added to support the resin radio stack centrally. You will need to cut out the access door in the fuselage to view this extra detail, but a replacement door is provided for this purpose. Again, the detail is top notch, however visibility of this fine work is going to be quite limited once the kit is built, so this should be considered before committing. Spitfire Mk.V Wheels (648 178) Again, making full use of the casting ability of high quality resin, Eduard have produced these rather stunning wheels. The detail is incredibly sharp with the tyres showing off the 'Dunlop' text and mould lines around the circumference of the side walls. Separate 5 spoke outer hubs are provided giving the added benefit of making painting much easier. The inner hubs are slotted to allow direct replacement of the kit wheels on to the gear legs. Spitfire Mk.V Cockpit (648 183) This set necessitates a larger box such is the quantity of parts contained in the set. The complete cockpit interior is beautifully recreated in this set with nothing left out. Some of the parts are delicate and given the nature of them being cast to blocks, considerable care should be taken when cutting them free. An example of this is the control column. A hasty removal could leave you with several parts to glue back together. Assembly starts with the control panel being built up and mounted to the front bulkhead and the compass fitted. The rear bulkhead then follows with etch armour plate being fitted. The intricately moulded floor pan is then used to mount the forward bulk head assembly on along with the rudder pedals and control column. Next comes the seat assembly which includes rear framework and etch rear armour and perforated front lower lip. Finally, all the remaining main parts are fitted on to the floor pan creating an entire cockpit sub assembly. The Airfix kit has separate cockpit internal side walls. This is a great benefit to the Eduard set as it means that they have been able to replace the kit parts with far sharper and more detailed resin parts without the need for the modeller to go on a cutting and sanding spree to shoehorn the detail in there! The etch sheet is put to further use with various controls and seatbelts giving a comprehensively detailed result. As you would expect with such an aftermarket makeover, plenty of dry fitting should be done to make sure you are able to close the fuselage up afterwards. Given the intricate detailing including in this set, it is target towards more experienced builders who are used to using etch and resin. Conclusion These sets allow a 1/48 Airfix Mk.V to be turned in to a masterpiece either as a stand alone model or as part of a period diorama. The detail & quality is second to none and the range provides a modular way to enhance your Spitfire to suit a range of budgets and skill levels. If using the more intricate sets, a good set of modelling tools will make the job much easier such as an etch former and tweezers as a minimum. Review sample courtesy of

F4U-1Corsair Cockpit Set Brassin 1:32 Cockpit Set (632039) Having reviewed a fair number of add-on sets from Eduard for he Tamiya 1:32 Corsair I thought they had done everything possible, but it turned out I was wrong, especially when this set arrived from them. The set is packaged in a pretty sturdy top opening cardboard box, inside of which are an amazing number of parts, including both resin and etched brass, surrounded by foam padding for complete protection. The larger than normal instruction sheet provides some of the clearest diagrams I’ve seen from Eduard/Brassin which will help greatly in getting the most out of this set. There are forty seven resin parts in a mixture of medium and dark greys, plus two clear resin parts, a sheet of pre-painted etched brass. The detail on the resin parts is nice and sharp, with good depth, although some parts have small sections of flash which need to be removed on top of the removal from the casting blocks. The cockpit is literally a tub made up of the front and rear bulkheads, what would be the fuselage side walls and the lower fuselage interior, which has the lower windows in the need of flash removal. The kits interior rib detail needs to be completely removed to allow the fitment of the tub, which shouldn’t take too long with a nice sharp curved blade and some sanding sponges. The moulded detail on the bulkheads and inner fuselage parts needs to be seen to be believed, add to this all the smaller sundry parts and you will have a truly amazing cockpit. Yet the modeller will still need to add their own small wire parts for which the dimensions and shape are provided in the instructions. When it comes to the instrument panel, Eduard have included both a full resin item as well as one that is made up of an etched sandwich, between which a decal is attached, whichever takes you fancy. Presonally I would use the etched one, but fit it out with Airscale decal instruments and some Clear Glaze. The resin is further enhanced with the addition of the two etched brass sheets, one of which contains the pre-painted seat belts which are quite complex, but with care and attention will build into a pretty amazing representation of the real things. Also included on the etched sheet are a number of levers, but the majority of these are taken from the kit, as even Eduard appear to realise they couldn’t improve on them. Conclusion The Tamiya F-4U Corsair is already an outstanding kit with very few problems or vices that haven’t already been fixed by other aftermarket companies. The kit already has a very nicely detailed cockpit so I do wonder whether this set will sell that well, but I’d imagine Eduard have thought of that. The level of detail and the superb moulding is really quite amazing, and with some careful painting and weathering it will look amazing. So, if you absolutely have to have every aftermarket release for your build then you will need this one. Highly recommended Review samples courtesy of

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/II Wheels 1:32 Brassin Brassin have released this set of replacement wheels designed for use with the new Revell 1:32 Spitfire. Arriving in a blister pack the set comprises of a pair of tyres, which, while looking pretty plain due to the lack of tread, the side walls are detailed with the manufacturers name and type number. There are a couple of dimples just before the raised lettering which doesn't appear right as they are not visible on the images of real examples, unless they are meant to represent the inspection stamps that are visible on some tyres In any case these can always be filled and sanded flat.The inner and outer hubs are separate; with deep recesses for the five spoke outer hub and good brake detail on the inners. The tyres are connected to their moulding blocks by a small block where the weighted flat section is, and fine webs that run about a third of the way round the tyre. The positioning of the attachments means that it shouldn’t take too much to clean up for use. The outer hub is moulded in a similar arrangement as the tyres, but the inner hubs are moulded with the rear face to the moulding block. This will require the use of a razor saw to remove them, then a careful sanding down to the required thickness will be needed before fitting. Nothing too taxing for those used to working with resin items. To aid with the painting there are also a set of masks provided which should make life easier. Conclusion All in all a very nice and simple add-on to the new Spitfire and one which will provide the finer detail required on what is a clearly visible area of the model. The only thing I'm not sure about is the dimples before each set of raised letters, but I'm sure one our resident experts will confirm they are present or not on the real thing, I don't think they should be there so could be a little faux pas by Eduard, although easily fixed. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire 30gal. Slipper Tank 1:48 Brassin Having already released a 90ig slipper tank for their Spitfires, Brassin have now released the smaller 30ig version. The detail inside and out is superb with some beautifully moulded rivet detail and the deformed metal around them, since this tanks were of fairly lightweight construction they appear to have started off with a load of dents around the rivet lines. The casting block is attached to the trailing edge of the tank, making removal and clean up a doddle. Since the part had detail moulded on the inside it could well be used in a diorama, rather than just being fitted to a model. Brassin have provided etched parts to simulate the rear retaining hooks, which also allowed the tank to topple away from the aircraft when jettisoned. Conclusion This is a very simple but effective upgrade to your Eduard 1:48 Spitfire, or any manufacturers for that matter. Great moulding, great detail, what more can you ask for? Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

US 250lb Bombs 1:32 Brassin This set of two US 250lb M-57 bombs from Brassin are pretty much scaled up versions of the 1:48 set reviewed HERE. Due to the increase in size these bombs there is a little extra detail provided. The casting is just as well done, with some very fine details, such as the bomb lugs, with both US and British styles, (one or two lugs), moulded onto the bomb casing. Assembly is nice and simple, as once removed from the casting blocks and cleaned up it’s just a matter of fitting the etched “wire” into the rear of the casing, attaching the rear arming vane, sliding the box tail into place and attaching the front arming vane. Then it’s just a matter of painting, adding the supplied decals, and weathering. Since they were introduced in 1943 and weren’t removed from the weapons list until the 1960’s they can be used on virtually any WWII/Korean/Vietnam War aircraft, although with something like a Skyraider you will need to purchase quite a few two bomb sets. Conclusion As is becoming the norm for Brassin these bombs are really well manufactured. Great moulding, good attention to detail and since they were so widely used, they will make an excellent addition to any modellers armoury. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Me109G WGr.21. Rocket Pods Brassin 1:32 Brassin Set 632034 Just when I thought that Eduard couldn’t produce anything else for the Revell 1:32 Me109G kit they go and release this set of WGr.21 Rocket Pods. Packaged in a clear styrene bubble pack with a layer of protecting foam, the set provides parts for two rocket pods, one for each wing. Each pod is made up of the tube, rocket and aerodynamic nose cone, plus the bracing stays. The cast details are really well done, being very fine and realistic, even to the point that Eduard make a note that the seam down the side of each tube must not be sanded away as it is the weld seam and is meant to be there. The set is easy to use, it’s just a matter of removing the parts from the casting blocks, a quick clean up with a sanding sponge, then assemble. Each rocket has a PE base glued to the rocket motor end, slide the rocket into the tube then attach two PE rings to the rear of the tube, and the optional aerodynamic nose cone is then attached. The suspension lug is then fitted to the midpoint of the tube and the bracing struts applied to their respective positions. A brass template is provided to scribe the lower wing panels and drill the holes for the struts and suspension hook. With this done the PE suspension hook and plate are attached to the wing along with the pods themselves, followed by the PE wire running from the rear of the pod, down the rear left inboard strut and into the wing, job done. Conclusion If you want to add extra weaponry to the lovely Revell 1:32 G-6/G-10 then this is certainly one way to go. With the beautifully moulded details it will certainly enhance an already great looking kit. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

F4U-1 Corsair Engine Set Brassin 1:32 Engine Set (632032) It seems that now Brassin have just about done every conceivable upgrade for the Revell 1:32 Me109 they now have time to turn their attention to the Tamiya 1:32 Corsair, with the release of this engine set. As with the majority of larger Brassin sets, this one comes in a cardboard box inside of which are four bags of resin parts, with five of the larger resin parts loose and one sheets of etched brass/nickel. These are all very well protected by blocks of foam. The large instruction sheet is very well laid out clear, and certainly a big improvement on the standard instruction sheets. A lot of the parts are very fragile and care will be needed when removing them from the moulding blocks. The larger parts look pretty easy to remove and clean up as they are only attached to the moulding block on one edge. The detail on the completed engine is such that it could easily be assembled and displayed as a model in its own right, although a scratch built engine stand will be required. There are 81 resin parts, in a mixture of medium and dark greys. The detail on the resin parts is pin sharp, and with a good depth, which a dark wash will help bring out. The eighteen individual cylinders, nine for each bank, are attached to what I guess could be called the engine block ensuring that the cylinder fitted to the top centre of the front bank is the correct item. Each cylinder is then fitted with a spark plug on the forward face. The intake manifold is then attached to the rear, making sure that the ends meet the cylinder intakes correctly. The etched wiring harness is then attached from the front and the “leads” fixed each of the spark plugs. The fastener ring is then fitted, followed by the reduction gearbox case, which has been moulded with the two magnetos and spark advance unit fitted. In addition to the provided PE, a lot of the other pipework and wiring has to be provided by the modeller, but the instructions give detailed information of the thickness, length and position of each part. Once the wiring is complete the cooling gill part is affixed to the rear of the engine, followed by the exhaust manifolds, the lower two of which need to be sourced from the kit, whilst at the front, the cowling nose section is attached. Finally to display the engine off, the two resin cowling side panels are fitted out with strengthening/ fastener strips and either left off or attached at the hinge points and a suitable length of rod used to prop them open. As shown in the picture taken from the Eduard store below. Conclusion The Tamiya F-4U Corsair is already an outstanding kit with very few problems or vices that haven’t already been fixed by other aftermarket companies. The kit already has a beautifully detailed engine so I do wonder whether this engine set will sell that well, but I’d imagine Eduard have thought of that. It is a fantastic piece of moulding with an amazing level of detail which as stated above, might be better being shown off in its own right or as part of a diorama. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Me262 Wheels 1:32 Brassin To replace the wheels in the Trumpeter kits, Eduard/Brassin have released this set of resin parts. The parts come in the standard blister pack with two layers of foam protecting them. On opening the quality of parts really stands out. The tyres, with very finely engraved treads, the mains with radial treads and the nose with transverse are beautifully moulded with a more natural look than the kit parts. Clean up of the wheels should be quick and easy as the webs holding them to the moulding blocks are very thin. Any excess left after removal will only require a quick swipe of a sanding stick to tidy up. Also included in the set are the inner hubs, with nicely rendered brake details and attachment holes that match the kit axles. The outer hubs have a finesse and depth to them that would be impossible to do in injection moulding. The hubs are on quite large moulding blocks for their size, but since they are on the rear of each item it’s just a matter of razor sawing them off and flattening them with a sanding stick. The set also comes with a set of masks to aid in painting which are always very handy. Conclusion This is another very simple but useful upgrade set from Eduard/Brassin for your Me262 kit. They will certainly be quite a noticeable improvement in this scale. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt detail Set Part 3 Brassin 1:32 Engine Set (632025) Brassin are going mad for the Revell 1:32 Me-109G6 along with their other sets, such as the cockpit and undercarriage sets as reviewed HERE. They have now released this amazing set containing a complete and very detailed engine and upper fuselage deck. As with a lot of Brassin sets, this one comes in a cardboard box inside of which are seven bags of resin parts and two sheets of etched brass. These are all very well protected by blocks of foam. The large instruction sheet is very well laid out clear, and certainly a big improvement on the standard instruction sheets. A lot of the parts are very fragile and care will be needed when removing them from the moulding blocks. The larger parts look pretty easy to remove and clean up as they are only attached to the moulding block on one edge. The engine could easily be assembled and displayed as a model in its own right it is so well detailed. There are 59 resin parts, (if you include the separate exhaust stubs as one), in a mixture of medium and dark greys. The detail on the resin parts is pin sharp, and with a good depth, which a dark wash will help bring out. The engine block is a single piece casting and it is onto this that most of the other parts are attached, including the propeller gearbox and oil tank at the front, comprehensive ancillary drive, with accessories on the rear, numerous pipes, fittings, turbo charger, engine mounting beams etc. Even with all the detail included there are a number of pipes that need to be scratch built from wire, but it’s all well explained in the instructions. Alternative parts are included, particularly on the firewall bulkhead and machine gun deck, depending on whether the G6 or G10 are to be built. The machine guns and ammunition boxes are also included along with their associated spent cartridge chutes. Naturally there will require a fair bit of surgery on the forward fuselage of the kit to enable the engine to be fitted, but to aid with the improved look of the finished article, Brassin have provided a pair of replacement engine cowl panels and air intake for the port side panel. These are joined at the top centre line by the well moulded alternate teeth of the piano hinge and held open with bracing struts. Conclusion Considering the retail price of the Revell kit it does allow those who want to go the whole hog in detailing it that extra bit of cash to do so. In my mind this engine set is a must, even if you don’t mount it on the aircraft it’ll look great, but if used in conjunction with the other sets you could be onto making a masterpiece up to museum quality. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt detail Sets Part 2 Brassin 1:32 With Eduard having produced a number of etched sets for the Revell 1:32 Me-109G6 it looks like their sister company are now getting more involved, other than just releasing wheel sets as reviewed HERE. The three new sets we have been kindly provided with here offer the modeller to add even more detail to the Revell kit and at the same time providing them with an alternative to other manufacturers. Cockpit Set (632022) Arriving in a top opening cardboard box, inside of which are a large number of parts, both resin and etched brass, surrounded by foam padding for complete protection. The larger than normal instruction sheet provides some of the clearest diagrams I’ve seen from Eduard/Brassin which will help greatly in getting the most out of this set. There are 25 resin parts in a mixture of medium and dark greys, plus two clear resin parts, two sheets of etched brass, one pre-painted and a small acetate sheet for the gun sight glass. The detail on the resin parts is nice and sharp, particularly on the side walls. The cockpit is made up of the cockpit floor including the lower section of the rear bulkhead, two side walls, front bulkhead, seat bucket, joystick, footrests, a choice of central cannon breach covers, upper rear bulkhead, two styles of gunsight mount, rudder pedal uprights and oxygen regulator. There is also a choice of two instrument panels, on for use with the etched parts and one on which you could use instrument dial decals, such as those from Airscale. The resin details are enhanced with the addition of the etched parts, and these include the trim wheels along with the chain drives, gunsight glass mounts, rudder pedals with foot straps, joystick enhancements, various rods and brackets for both side panels, as well as the canopy opening mechanism on the starboard panel. The pre-painted seat belts are quite complex, but with care and attention will build into a pretty amazing representation of the real things. Also on the painted sheet are the various layers that go to make up the detailed instrument panel. The plain etched sheet also provides optional panels for use on either the early or late versions of the G6. Even the canopy receives addition detail in the form of the armoured glass, (clear resin), and internal structure for the opening section, not to mention the support strut to keep this section open, plus vents and grab handles on the windscreen section. Undercarriage Legs (632 021) This set is part of Brassins increasing range of undercarriage legs produced in bronze. Not only is the detail really very good, but using this material means the legs won’t begin to buckle, particularly under the weight of all the resin and etch that is now on offer for the kit. They have been designed to fit into the kit undercarriage recesses, so no further modification is required. The set also includes a pair of new undercarriage doors made out of resin. The doors are only lightly affixed to the casting blocks, so cleaning up after removal should be a doddle. Exhaust set (632 020) This isn’t quite as simple a set as it first looks. Whilst the rows of exhaust stubs are moulded in one piece and are a simple slot in replacement for the kit parts, before the etched parts can be used the kit needs to be modified. The upper and lower vanes need to be carefully cut away from the fairings and also a small section of the fairing lip on the fuselage parts. The etched vanes can then be glued into position, followed by the resin exhaust. Conclusion Just when you thought that there couldn’t be anything else to be added to the Revel Me109, Brassin come along and blow that thought away with these sets. The cockpit set is wonderful and will really stand out with some careful detail painting and weathering, the exhaust set is very nice and will add some finesse to the nose are, but it’s the bronze undercarriage legs that really do it for me as they are not only strong, but look great. They probably won’t be cheap, but when you’ve put so much effort in building your ultimate Me109, it deserves to be standing on these superb legs, particularly when matched with the corresponding Brassin wheels. Review sample courtesy of

F4U-1 Corsair Wheels 1:32 Brassin To replace the rubber tyres in the Tamiya Corsair kit, Eduard/Brassin have released this set of resin parts. The parts come in the standard blister pack with two layers of foam protecting them. On opening the quality of parts really stands out. The wheels, with their distinctive treads, are beautifully moulded with great depth of the internal vanes. The holes between the vanes will need to be carefully cleaned up as there is a thin veil of resin flash over them. Clean up of the wheels should be quick and easy as the webs holding them to the moulding blocks are very thin. Any excess left after removal will only require a quick swipe of a sanding stick to tidy up. Also included in the set are the inner hubs, with brake details and attachment holes that match the kit axles. The outer hubs with their spokes will also need to be carefully cleaned up as the triangular holes between the spokes are also flashed over, but the flash is quite a bit thicker than on the wheels. This looks like it will be quite a tricky job, but will be worth it in the end. Fortunately it will be easier to paint the wheels as there is nice mask sheet included in the pack. Conclusion You can’t really go wrong with Brassin and this set goes a long way to prove it. It’s not perfect mind, as the flashed over holes in the wheels and especially the outer hubs, really shouldn’t be there with modern tooling, even in resin. Other than that I can happily recommend them. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt detail Sets Eduard/Brassin 1:32 Revell produced are cracking kit in their 1:32 Me-109G-6 particularly for the price, but it have some shortcomings and Eduard believe the detail also needed to be spruced up. With this in mind they have released a selection of sets for this kit, and an additional one for those modellers who would like to use the kit in a diorama. All these sets can be found in the Big Ed set or bought separately, it’s entirely up to the modeller to decide how much detail they would like or need to add. The relief etched brass is up to their usual high standards yet the instructions still let them down and really should be clearer on how parts are folded and fitted. Detail Set (32788) The two sheets contained in the standard poly sleeve provide parts for both the interior and exterior, so no need for separate sets. The majority of parts are on a medium sized relief etched sheet whilst the smaller sheet containing the cockpit parts is mostly pre-painted and self adhesive. For the cockpit the set includes a new seat support and panel for the rear bulkhead, new seat pan, a pair of very well detailed rudder pedals, trim wheel control chains and support bracket. The instrument panel is made up of several layers with the instruments printed on the backing plate, as other sets of this nature a drop of Klear or Aqua Gloss will be needed to represent the instrument glass. On the side walls there are several new or replacement instrument boxes and pre-printed faces, along with new cable runs and pipework. Each of the alternative gunsights receives new reflector glass supports, lens surround and brackets. Externally the set provides new radiator front and rear grids, a new intake grille, internal fittings for the radiator housings and main wheel bays; brake pipes and replacement lower undercarriage leg doors. The ailerons are given new end plates and the slats are provided with new internal lip strips. There is a nicely detail aerial mounting bracket on the tail fin and strap for the drop tank. Finally, each of the alternative canopies receive new armoured back plates and handles for the windscreen frame. Interior Zoom Set (33128) This zoom set contains only the above pre-painted sheet and allows the modeller to build a well detailed cockpit without the hassle of getting bogged down with detail that might otherwise be deemed superfluous. Tools and Boxes (32351) For those modellers that want to use their model in a diorama, whether in a workshop or on the line then this two sheet set will be just for you. The main part is the carry case, which, once folded to shape is fitted with four carry handles, two per side. Into this are fitted four shelves, two shallow ones for the general tools, such as spanners, snips, hammers, cutters and the like, (all provided), and too deeper ones in which the more specialist tools are held, all safely kept in place by various spacers and locking parts. Also included is a large tool roll, which when assembled and painted up should look great lying on a wing on the grass by the aircraft. The roll is also well populated with the more popular tools such as screwdrivers, cutters, rule, adjustable spanners etc. Seatbelts (32784), and (32791) These two sets of seatbelts give more choice to the modeller, they can either buy the all etched brass set, which is pre-painted and go through the process of annealing to make them more flexible to sit in the seat pan correctly, or go for the fabric ones which should sit more naturally. Both sets come with a full selection of buckles and clasps and whilst whilst quite fiddly to assemble they will really help make the cockpit stand out from the crowd. Brassin Wheel Set (632 018) In addition to the etched sets Eduard, in their Brassin range have also released this set of replacement resin wheels. The inner and outer hubs, plus the tyres are all separate, making painting so much easier. Detail is also enhanced with the tread looking very nice and the brake details more representative. Once removed from the moulding blocks it shouldn’t take to much cleaning up before they are ready for use. Conclusion This is another great selection of sets from Eduard, who seem to be churning them out like it was going out of fashion, yet keeping the standard high. The tool box set is my favourite and I hope they produce more diorama sets in the future. The rest of the sets will go towards making the finished model look top notch, particularly when the Brassin wheels are used as well. Review sample courtesy of

Supermarine Spitfire MkIX 1:48 Brassin Continuing Eduards releases for their own Spitfire MkIX they have released these two sets of resin wheels, which should also be ok for other manufacturers kits. Both sets come in the now standard blister pack and held in place by a foam pad. The outer hubs are separate for the wheels/tyres but the inner hubs a moulded in place. Set 648 115 contains plain tyres and four spoke hubs, whilst set 648 118 contains tyres with a block type tread, again with four spoke hubs. The mouldings for both sets are very nicely done with no sign of flash and will require a minimal amount of clean up due to the way they are connected to the moulding blocks by thin webs. Each set also comes with a set of paint masks which will certainly help with the painting of the inner hubs but shouldn’t really be needed for the separate outers. Conclusion Another great pair of wheel sets from Eduard subsidiary Brassin that will give, I think, a pair of very nicely detailed extras to any Spitfire model that used the four spoke wheels, not just the Eduard kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of