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F6F Exhaust Stacks (648683 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard have recently re-released their F6F Hellcat kit, which was originally released in 2008, and here are a set of resin exhausts to upgrade the details. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin sets 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. This set consists of four tiny resin parts on a single casting stub that will be simplicity itself to remove. Give them a quick soapy wash in warm water before you remove them to save losing them though, as they are quite wee. What they bring to the party is finesse and a more realistic looking hollow exhaust tip, all of which adds realism to your finished model. There’s not much more to say other than there are two paired pipes and two triples, all with clamps around them, the correct locations for which are shown on the front of the fuselage in the instructions. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sopwith Camel 20lb Bomb Carrier (648662 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Print At the beginning of WWI it had barely occurred to the combatants to use aircraft as anything other than rudimentary reconnaissance platforms, but as time went by the crews began carrying pistols, then rifles, and eventually bombs. Initially, the bombs were lobbed from the cockpit by hand at ad hoc targets, but as time marched on the aircraft became more capable and racks were created to make dropping the ordnance more predictable and accurate. The Camel’s rack could carry four 20lb bombs with remote release from the cockpit, turning the Camel into a true ground attack aircraft. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, a piece of foam and the instructions folded around acting as padding. This set is augmented with a “Brassin Print” label, due to the fact that that these delicate parts have been printed directly, rather than cast from 3D printed masters. Inside the box are five resin parts (it’s still resin after all), plus a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass. The finesse of the rack is incredible, and will take some care to remove from the webwork that connects it to the base. The bombs are attached to their base at their fins, and when cut free these parts are linked to the rack by a pin that fits into a socket on the bomb rack. Each bomb has a small PE clip affixed at the front between it and the rack, which prevents the arming spinner from rotating in the aircraft’s slipstream until the bomb is released from the rack. The rack attaches to the model by four rectangular pads that mate with depressions on the underside of the fuselage, completing the assembly. Colour call-outs are given throughout in Eduard’s usual brand of choice, Gunze Sangyo in order to do justice to the detail in this set. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sopwith Camel Engine – Clerget & Bentley (648676 & 648677) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s newly tooled Sopwith Camel has reached our shelves and stashes now, and here are a pair of aftermarket engines in gloriously well-detailed resin to upgrade your kit parts. You can see our review of the kit here, but remember to come back and read the rest of this review after. The engines fitted to the aircraft were sourced from various manufacturers to prevent a bottleneck from slowing down production of these much-needed fighters. Bentley and Clerget were the major producers, and these two sets depict the differences between the two. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. The differences between the two types are slight, but noticeable when viewed close up, mostly around the cylinders, push-rods and the exhaust collector ring. Clerget Engine (648676) The Clerget engine has finer cooling vanes on the cylinders and fewer joints on its exhaust collector tubing. The main resin part includes the cylinders, bell-housing and drive-shaft, with the exhausts slotting into a keyed hole in the rear, and the PE wiring loom plus aft ring slipping over the rear. The completed, painted assembly is then attached to the fuselage on the standard mounting point in the centre. Bentley Engine (648677) The Bentley engine has coarser cooling vanes on the cylinders and more joints on its narrower exhaust collector pipes, plus a slightly different construction order. The main resin part includes the cylinders, push-rods, bell-housing and drive-shaft, with a PE ring in front of the exhausts that slot into a keyed hole in the rear, then the PE wiring loom slipping over the rear. The completed, painted assembly is then attached to the fuselage on the central mounting point. Conclusion Detail is excellent in both variants, and as usual with Eduard sets the paint call-outs are given through the build in Gunze codes and colour names. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hey everyone I had a little rush of blood to the head earlier and I ordered the Brassin Tempest V Napier Sabre for the Eduard Tempest kit. So boyd by my Spitfire Mk.IXc (finished build) WIP I thought I'd get another WIP going in anticipation for when I get to start it. Box art.. And Napier Sabre... Cheers Iain

Tempest Mk.II Gun Bays (648638 for Eduard/Special Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Brassin After everyone finished jumping up and down with glee at the release of Eduard’s new Mk.II Tempest in 1:48 with its cylindrical cowling and massive radial engine, the detail hounds started to wonder what extras would be around. So far we’ve had a number of sets, and now we have the Gun Bay set. The gun bays on the model are moulded closed, so the first thing you'll need to do it cut the wing apart, making a T-shaped hole in each upper panel, following the panel lines shown in the instructions. You'll also need to chamfer the inner side of the landing light blister inside the lower wing, or your bays won't fit. On first looks, this set appears identical to the Mk.V bays, and to a great extent that is correct, but for the rear lip on the trailing edge of the wing, which has been changed, presumably to make construction easier. The whole bay frame is moulded as a single part per wing, and is given a PE floor with the lower wing internal structure depicted. The two ammo boxes fit into the top of the T each side of the cannons, which are added after, and plumbed in with some small resin parts. The rear of the bay is a mixture of resin and PE parts to obtain the correct thickness of the trailing edge once the bay is offered up to the underside of the upper wing. It fits within the hole, recessed to give a more realistic look and thickness to the bay edges, which are then lined with PE parts that replicate the lip and fastener locations, with the front sections inlaid with more PE to depict the hinges so that the new resin bay doors can be attached folded forwards, while the aft section is loose and usually laid upside down on the wing when removed. A CAD image shows their correct orientation, and Mr Hobby paint codes are called out throughout construction to aid paint choices. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sabre F.4 Wheels (648673 for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin 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. This set arrives in the usual Brassin-themed flat pack, with a white backing card keeping the package square and the instructions wrapped around it inside. The wheels are each separate parts on their own casting blocks, while the two protruding inner hubs are to be found on another block together. The detail is excellent throughout, with tread, maker’s name and technical details on the sidewalls, plus a slight sag at the bottom where the casting block attaches. This makes for easy removal, as it is the part that won’t be seen, so if you’re a bit rough with it no-one will see anyway as long as it’s flat. The nose wheel has deep spoke detail moulded on both sides, with all wheels having a deep hole in the rear for attachment to the kit gear legs. In addition, a set of kabuki tape masking material (not pictured) that is pre-cut for your convenience is included, allowing you to cut the demarcation between tyre and hub cleanly and with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

Lancaster B.Mk.I Detail Upgrades (for HK Models) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin After their successful 1:32 Lancaster, HK Models have since brought out one for modellers of the 1:48 persuasion, leaving the old Tamiya kit a little bit further toward the back of the stash. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. 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. Wheels (648656) This wheel set contains the two main balloon tyres on separate resin casting blocks, while the grooved anti-shimmy tail wheel is found on another block. Although the tyres of most WWII Lancs were treadless, there are a number of circumferential lines on the shoulder and sidewall, all of which is depicted here along with the manufacturer’s name and data stencils, all in raised lettering that is crisp and legible, providing you have the eyesight or magnification. In addition, a set of kabuki tape masks (not pictured) have been cut to shape in order for you to cut the demarcation between tyre and hub with very little effort, and no wobbles due to a twitch of the paint brush. Löök Set (644118) This set contains a combination of pre-printed resin and PE parts to quickly and efficiently detail up your cockpit. There are four resin parts that make up the large instrument panel and its pedestal with throttle box in front of the pilot, with glossy faced dials already painted for you on black resin. Additionally, the PE set of four-point belts for the pilot, and another six sets of lap belts for the rest of the crew in their various positions and seat-types. Undercarriage (481062) This larger bare brass set contains some important upgrades to the landing gear bays, beginning with removing a small shackle off the gear legs to replace them with more accurate and detailed parts. Inside the bays, the sidewalls are skinned with a riveted panel on each side, then the web-work that blocks the view of the inside of the wing is given an overhaul with stiffener plates all over the joins at the top and bottom, all of which are riveted for extra interest, as per the real thing. In the roof of the bay, two curved stringers are made up and glued into the roof panel, joined by the front bulkhead that has the moulded-in detail in the top section removed to install the new more detailed skin and rib parts, with the moulded-in lateral rib adjusted slightly to accommodate the new stringers. To either side of the stringers are a pair of formed ramps that help to cradle the landing gear when in the bay. This of course is carried out twice to cover both bays. Review sample courtesy of

Boeing B-17 Wheels Block-Tread (648643 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin 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. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. One bag contains three wheels on their own pour blocks, plus two more blocks with four hub parts that are added once removed from their blocks. The tail wheel is a separate part, and all three have a slight weighing at the bottom to represent the weight of the airframe on them. All wheels are incredibly detailed from tread to hubs and sidewall contours, with manufacturer and stencil data in raised writing, all perfectly crisp and legible. In addition, a set of kabuki tape pre-cut masks are included for all three wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation cleanly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

Sopwith Camel Upgrade Sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin We’ve just reviewed the brand-new tooling of this important WWI Allied fighter here, and it’s a grand little model. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), Brassin resin 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. SPACE Cockpit Set (3DL48038) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The 3D decal sheet contains a pair of wood textured instrument panels with two additional appliqué dials each that sit forward of the main dials. The PE sheet has the two wide leather lap belts, complete with perforated buckle eyelets and finely-etched cord for attaching them to the seat. This little set with improve the detail immediately, although it would have been nice to have two sets of belts to match the two panels. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1215) 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 in the 3D cockpit set above, the small fret contains the two wide belts with perforated buckle eyelets and fine attachment cords. Resin Seat (648659) With just the one part in the package, you could be forgiven for glossing over this replacement seat, until you see the detail that has been shoe-horned into this tiny part. The wicker construction has been represented in astonishing detail, with the lighter middle section translucent due to its scale size. It is clearly designed in 3D CAD, and it also has tiny tendrils linking it to the casting base, which should reduce the amount of effort needed to remove it from its block, preventing damage to the delicate part. If you’re interested in detailing your cockpits, this is a must-have. Vickers Mk.I Machine Guns (648660) There are four resin parts in the package, representing the two breeches and the two cooling-jacket wrapped barrels, with detail parts on a small PE sheet, including the ring-and-bead sights as well as the trigger lever. Detail is exceptional again, showing off all the intricacies of the gun’s design. Wheels Type 1 & 2(648657 & 648658) These two sets supply wheels that are broadly similar on first glance, but show their differences on closer inspection. The Type 1 have wider rim details with radial fins around its circumference, and a similar smaller detail around the centre of the hub. The Type 2 has a very thin lip around the rim, and a similarly understated centre. Both types have the same subtle impression of the spokes under the fabric outer hubcaps, with a flat surface on the rear. They are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, with small contact-patches mating them with their casting block to ease the task of removing them, which is further simplified by the fact that these early pneumatic tyres have no tread. Both sets come with kabuki tape masks (not pictured) to cut the demarcation between tyres and hubs, plus a set of decals for the sidewalls of the tyres that say “Palmer Cord Aero Tyre 700 x 70”. There are six per set to give you a little opportunity to recover from screw-ups. Type 1 (648657) Type 2 (648658) Rotherham Air Pumps (648674) This tiny detail set arrives on a tray-style casting block, which has protective upstands at each end, preventing the parts from being damaged during shipping and handling. Also included is a small fret of PE that includes parts for five styles of brackets that vary depending on which strut they are attached to, and two styles of pump plus three styles of blade to spin this air-powered fuel pump system. Not mentioned in the instructions but detailed on the 3D drawings are the hoses leading away from the pumps, which you should be able to replicate with some fine wire, but check your references to be sure. Conclusion That’s a lot of detail for such a small WWI fighter. It’s a great kit, and these sets can be used to make it even better. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-142 Popeye 1 (648651) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The AGM-142 Popeye is an Israeli developed stand-off missile that has the hilariously inappropriate UN code “Have Nap”. Yes – a dirt nap. It is powered by a rocket motor, although some later versions have a jet engine instead, and can be controlled by the launching aircraft or elsewhere, using inertial guidance, infrared or TV, and carrying a fragmentation or penetrator warhead, depending on the target. It is in use with a number of countries, and America was a user up until 2004. As is now usual with Eduard's more compact resin sets, they arrive in the shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, one of which is made from bubble-wrap, and the instructions folded around acting as further padding. There are two missile units in the box, and they are large, cylindrical pieces. The various fins and nosecone are in a separate bag, while the decals are hidden inside the folded instruction sheet. Construction is straight forward after removing the parts from their casting blocks, which should also be pretty easy due to Eduard’s commitment to keeping the pour gates to an absolute minimum area. The nose cone fits on a keyed joint, which will need a little fettling in order to get a good join, which I tested out to ensure I wasn’t talking nonsense. Two sets of tail fins are slotted into rectangular slots on the forward larger fins, and round pegs for the smaller aft fins. You will need to ensure that you get these parts perpendicular to the missile body and lined up with each other to ensure a good look, with another two “whisker” fins on the nose, fitting snugly into their slots. The painting guide is printed in colour on the instructions, and as usual quotes Gunze colour codes along with the colour names to assist with painting using other brands. The stencils dotted around the weapon are also shown on the same diagram, and from my experience with their decals, they should provide no issues. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-15(V)1/B (648624) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The GBU-15 was a development of an earlier type, and was intended to neutralise (read: vaporise) high value targets, saved for special occasions due to the unit cost, using a TV guidance system that was initially only able to be used in daylight hours. The (V)1/B was the initial version, with more capability such as night vision added in subsequent variants, but it was originally intended for use solely with a Mk.84 dumb bomb, having the seeker head and guidance fins added to the basic unit, plus forward fins that are unusual because they look as if they have been fitted backwards, with the long taper toward the rear. As is now usual with Eduard's medium resin sets, they arrive in the deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, one of which is made from bubble-wrap, and the instructions folded around acting as further padding. There are two bomb units in the box, and they are pretty large as LGBs go. The forward fins, clear seeker heads and FOD guards are in a separate bag, while the decals are in their own. Construction is straight forward after removing the parts from their casting blocks, which should also be pretty easy, due to Eduard’s commitment to keeping the pour gates to an absolute minimum. The forward fins fit into slots in the body, remembering to go against your instincts and put them in the correct way round. You also have a choice of employing the clear seeker that slots right into the hole in the nose, which also has detail moulded into it, or cutting off the nose and installing the FOD guard instead. Unfortunately, they don’t give a value for the amount to remove either on the paper instructions or online, but from eyeballing it I’d estimate 3mm, but check your references before you put saw to resin. The painting guide is printed in colour on the front of the instructions, and as usual quotes Gunze colour codes along with the colour names to assist with painting. The few stencils dotted around the weapon are also shown on the same diagram, and from my experience with their decals, they should provide no issues. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

RP-3 60lb Rockets for Tempest Mk.II (648641 for Eduard/Special Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Brassin This set arrives in a familiar shallow Brassin cardboard box, and contains eight resin rocket bodies with moulded-in fins, eight launch rails, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass and a small decal sheet, which anyone with the set for Mk.V Tempest will recognise immediately, as it is a rebox with a new name. The rockets need their exhausts drilling out with a 1mm bit, and are then decked out with numerous PE fittings that facilitate their attachment to the rails later on. The rails are handed, so take care when installing them, then glue the rockets in place and attach the launch command wire to the back of the rocket and the rear of the pylon. Strangely, Eduard still shows the tails hanging down from the wing in their CGI rendering, which is only the case on the ground when they have been fitted to the rails but aren't yet plugged into a socket. Remember this though, and you'll be fine. As usual the paint codes are in Gunze shades, and the decals are also shown in place on the same diagram. Review sample courtesy of

Tempest Mk.II Cockpit (648639 for Eduard/Special Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new Hawker Tempest Mk.II in 1:48 has been received with great excitement and more than a little bit of drool by many modellers, as it represents the pinnacle of injection moulded kit design at the moment, and a well-loved aircraft to boot. You can always improve on perfection though, and using resin to produce parts of excellent fidelity by creating masters using 3D CAD software and 3D printing is the perfect medium to create even more detailed parts for your model. A great many modellers will be perfectly happy with the detail in the base kit, but if you’re a stickler for detail, fancy the challenge of increasing the fidelity of your cockpit, or just felt like getting one, this set is just what you’re looking for. Arriving in the deep rectangular cardboard box that larger Brassin sets use, inside are three Ziploc bags containing fifty-five resin parts, a fret of nickel-plated pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a small decal sheet with instrument dials, and a slip of clear acetate with shapes printed in black ready for cutting out. It is cushioned by a thick sheet of grey foam, and a thick instruction booklet printed in colour on both sides of A4 sheet, folded in half. It’s easy to get confused with these individual leaves fluttering about the desk, but Eduard have numbered the steps, and if you put a couple of staples in the left margin (landscape format), you’ll be able to keep them in sequence. The detail is orders of magnitude better than the already excellent kit cockpit, and the sensible breakdown of parts and their attachment to casting blocks will make the task much easier than it otherwise may have been. Finally, the method of casting that Eduard have developed means that bubbles are almost unheard of in their sets, which is another area of concern removed. If you’re familiar with the cockpit of the Tempest, you will know that it is a framework with the floor suspended in the lower fuselage, so construction begins with the side frames, which have many detail parts added to the frames, plus the side console on the left and right, both of which are substantially different in terms of form and function from each other. The colour call-outs are made in Gunze codes throughout, which makes the task much more pleasant too. The side frames are then linked by the addition of a section of the wing spar and a number of cross-braces, including a scrap diagram to assist with placement of the parts. Two instrument boxes are placed low down on the side frames, then the floor is begun, starting on the central section with control linkages and brackets for the floor “foot trays”, and a slot for the control column, which has two choices of grip. The rudder pedals glue atop the cross-beam and have an adjustment wheel added to the centre, and is then glued in the front of the floor arrangement, which is itself inserted into the framework and integrated with more scrap diagrams holding your hand. The seat is next, with adjustment lever and lower mounts added first, then the PE lap belts in full colour. It gets inserted into the rear of the framework, then is boxed-in by a cross-brace that has the top seat mounts, another cross-brace with fabric cover, then a fuselage structural frame at the rear. The fuel tank is placed straddling the frame in front of the pilot, with the instrument panel sitting right up against it, and festooned with decals and some PE controls, adding a compass with another decal in the bottom centre. The pilot’s back armour panel is glued to the cockpit sill insert along with a Y-shaped section of the shoulder belts that sits behind a rail that the straps drape over later on. The gunsight has two clear acetate parts attached, one of which can be fitted flat down or angled, with a PE cover over the top, and a piece of 0.3mm wire from your own stores leading away from the unit. It is inserted above and in front of the instrument panel on a two-legged bracket that slots into slots in the top of the panel. Before the fuselage can be closed up, the sidewalls, which already have moulded-in ribbing from the box, are detailed with more resin and PE, including an additional decal. Finally, the fuselage can be closed up around the new highly detailed cockpit, with the addition of the kit’s styrene front bulkhead, then the cockpit sill insert and the two shoulder belts are added into the top of the newly minted fuselage. Conclusion When you break it down, it seems a much easier process, and the improvement in detail is excellent. It’s probably not suitable for novices, but anyone with some experience of resin construction should manage perfectly well, and the results will be well worth the effort. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Tempest Mk.II Upgrade Sets & Masks (for Eduard/Special Hobby) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin We’re so lucky to get so many brand new Tempest kits in 1:32 and now 1:48, with this latest Tempest Mk.II ProfiPACK a superb exercise in the current state of the art of styrene injection moulding. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail even further in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin sets 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. SPACE (3DL48030) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. This set includes rudder pedals with adjustment wheels; a new set of four-point seatbelts for the pilot; levers for the instrument panels, while the 3D decals cover the instruments on the main panels; the side consoles; compass and adjustment wheel on the throttle quadrant. Exhaust Stacks(648654) This set contains just two parts on a single casting block, which replace the kit parts as drop-in replacements, offering a squared-off hollow lip to each of the eight exhaust stubs, and including detail around the stacks, and the curious angling outwards of the top pipe on each side. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1208) 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. It includes a set of crew belts that consist of a pair of lap belts and the shoulder belts with the section that passes down the rear of the seat to its anchor point on the bulkhead. Masks Tface (EX796) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything needed to mask the exterior of the canopy, but also give you another set of masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. The highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a set of masks for the tiny tail-wheel hubs, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

ADM-160 MALD (648623) 1:48 Eduard Brassin After a false-start at the turn of the millennium, the second iteration of the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy piqued the interest of the US military again, with a longer range, more powerful turbojet engine, and a different shaped profile to the fuselage, but otherwise very similar to the unsuccessful first version. It is designed to be air-launched and carry out a pre-programmed course that can be adapted if necessary by the launching pilot. It can fool the enemy into thinking it is a range of Allied aircraft from a single-seat fighter to a heavy bomber, helping carry out the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) without risking any crewed aircraft. Recently, a jamming capability has been added to the missile’s repertoire, and Raytheon have been working on a lighter composite fuselage and a data-link back to base to improve general situational awareness. Other options include adding Electronic Counter-measures (ECM) to the mix. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. This set includes resin parts for three missiles with wings that can be posed open for flight, or swept back into the closed position for storage or carriage on an aircraft. A Photo-Etch (PE) panel covers the wing join, a resin FOD cover fits over the intake (if it's not in flight), and at the rear of the Missile/Aircraft/Drone are two PE meshes panels that are used to steer the airframe and also hide the casting block at the rear of the fuselage. A small sheet of decals are included in a separate bag with the PE sheet for the stencils, and as usual with Eduard kits, there is a diagram showing the colours in Gunze codes and locations of the stencils. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-53B w/BRU-61 (648620) 1:48 Eduard Brassin During the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rules of engagement between the Allied forces and those of the enemy led to numerous issues where the employment of even small Laser-Guided Bombs (LGBs) resulted in serious collateral damage due to the fact that the enemy weren’t in isolation, and sometimes used the civilian population as a human shield. In order to address this, a requirement for a Small Diameter Bomb was issued, resulting in the SDB, which was capable of hitting stationary targets. After some unrelated political scandals, an improvement was made to the type, called the SDB II or GBU-53B, which was capable of chasing down moving targets and uses sensor fusion to optimise the search and targeting, landing a 250lb bomb on an objective without the surrounding devastation that accompanies larger warheads. Their small size gives the added bonus of the ability to carry a substantial number of these useful weapons on the BRU-61 quad-launch rail, permitting 8 or 16 bombs to be carried by one aircraft. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around, acting as padding. Inside are two bomb racks and eight bombs that have separate clear seeker heads, and moulded into the body are the air-deployed wings that give the weapon the stand-off capability that was missing from the original variant. In service the bomb is called Stormbreaker, and it will doubtless be in service for the foreseeable future in its present or upgraded form with the existing F-18, F-15 and F-22 fleets, plus the F-35 in US and Allied service. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

American Mk.44 Torpedo (648625) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Mk.44 was a US-designed light weight air-launched weapon developed in the 1950s and used until the late 1960s and beyond by a number of NATO air forces. In RAF service the torpedo was carried by the Nimrod and Shackleton, amongst others. 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 parts for two torpedoes, with the main body the largest part. The casting block is attached to the blunt nose of the torpedo, which should make for an easy clean-up, while the propeller is moulded onto a cylindrical peg that inserts into the aft of the body, and is surrounded by a ring that slips over the prop and lodges onto four support fins. The decal sheet contains stencils for the weapon, plus a pair of grey stripes that are applied to the body, and an access panel that is also grey. Each of these decals has one spare in case you make a mistake. The painting diagram shows the colours using Gunze colour codes and colour names, which should be sufficient to convert if you don’t have that brand to hand. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lockheed C-130 Wheels (672263 for Zvezda) 1:72 Eduard Brassin ` 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. This set arrives in Eduard’s standard flat packaging with a card insert and instructions behind the four resin wheels within. The wheels are attached to their blocks by the contact patch, with narrow out-riggers to each side that improve casting reliability and mould release. The detail is pretty good, deep circumferential tread is engraved and the wheels have the right amount of sag you seem to see on a full loaded Herc In addition, you get a sheet of yellow kabuki tape (not pictured – it doesn’t photograph well) with six pre-cut donut masks ready to assist you in cutting the demarcation between tyre and hub with as little effort as possible. Conclusion It’s a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, and the detail is excellent, adding some welcome realism to your model, while simplifying construction and making painting easier. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.II Cockpit (648621 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin If you have one of Eduard’s new Spiotfire Mk.IIs in 1:48, this new resin set to upgrade the detail in the cockpit from excellent to exceptional. The set arrives in the familiar shallow black Brassin cardboard box, and inside, protected by the folded instructions are three bags of resin and Photo-Etch (PE) that make up the set, as well as the aforementioned instruction sheets. Within the bags are thirty-two resin parts, a sheet of nickel plated and pre-painted PE, a small decal sheet with instrument dials and placards, plus a small slip of acetate sheet with the shapes for the gun-sight glazing printed upon it in duplicate in case you lose one. Clean-up of the resin should be done carefully with a scalpel or razor saw, and the casting blocks have been sensibly placed to help with this. Give the parts a bath in warm soapy water (not hot, which might deform them), and they should go together like any other kit. The instrument panel is made up from a lamination of three layers of PE and one of resin, one early, one late, with an optional resin only panel with decal if you don't like the printed PE. This fixes to the frame through which the pilot's feet reach for the rudder pedals. The frame behind his head is backed with a PE armour panel and head cushion, while the cockpit floor is made up by the addition of the rudder pedals and their linkages, the wing spar and other equipment. The instrument panel frame slots into a groove in the floor, and the control column slots into the linkage assembly. The pilot's seat is made up from a resin body, PE armour and connectors, with a resin frame, after which yet more PE is added to firm up the connections, adding adjustment handle and the prominent flare rack that sits under the pilot on the front lip of the seat. The previously built-up frame is added to the floor along with the frame behind it, and the seat is installed on the small mating points along with its belts that slip through the framework. Attention then turns to the sidewalls, which are based on thin resin skins that have much of the interior detail moulded in, with extra resin and PE parts added to complete each one, including the twin cylinders that typify early Spits. Before they are added to the sides of the cockpit assembly, a little bottle on a rib is added between the seat and next frame back, after which you have a proper cockpit tub. The upper sidewalls are detailed inside the fuselage with PE and resin parts, and once complete and painted, the assembly is placed within the fuselage halves. The roll-over protection frame is outfitted with a resin bracing piece and added behind the pilot's head. The resin and acetate gun sight fits to the top of the instrument panel, and you have a choice of two types, with circular or rectangular glazing. A number of additional PE wires are inserted later from outside, and the placard decals that are provided are applied to the sidewalls during construction, with colour call-outs using Gunze codes throughout. Conclusion With careful painting you will have the ultimate cockpit for your Spit Mk.II, adding a fantastic focal point to your model. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-62 Walleye II (648616) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Walleye was an early guided bomb that was surprisingly successful given the analogue nature of the electronics and the relatively short gestation of the type. It was initially called a missile, but as it was unpowered that was somewhat disingenuous. It used television for guidance, requiring the pilot to designate a picture of the target on a screen in the cockpit, then after launch the aircraft could turn for home leaving the weapon to home in on the target unaided. It was first used with great success in Vietnam in 1967, and was found to be an accurate weapon that reduced the likelihood of collateral damage, although it suffered a little from having a relatively light payload. The Mk.I Mod.3 had extended fins, and was also known as the ER/ERDL. The Mk.II went a long way to increase the destructive power, almost doubling the payload for a little more punch (and paunch), remaining in service thanks to upgrades until just after the first Gulf War, which also marked the last hurrah of the A-7 Corsair II that carried it. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the new Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, the main bodies going as far as having bubble-wrap bags to protect the wings, and the instructions folded around acting as padding in addition to the foam sheets. The set includes parts for two surprisingly large and chubby Walleye IIs, which are much chunkier than the predecessors, to give them the greater explosive capability of these later variants. The main bodies have the four large wings moulded-in, with either a clear television camera in the nose, or with a 2.3mm of the tip removed, the protective FOD cover can be installed instead. At the rear is a resin spinner with two PE blades from the tiny Photo-Etch (PE) sheet. The decal sheet includes stencils for each bomb, which are painted overall white with a red FOD cover, and the spinner at the rear is painted steel. Conclusion Detail is excellent, even extending to a representation of the camera inside the nose, although no painting instructions are included for that area, although it’s usually a light to medium metallic colour. Again, check your references if you are unsure. The casting blocks should be easy to remove and clean up neatly, thanks to the tapered flow gates and sensible location of the casting blocks. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SC50 German WWII Bombs (632170) 1:32 Eduard Brassin Bombs. They’re thrown or dropped from the bomb bays or pylons of aircraft, and unless they’re dud or on a timer, they go bang when they hit the ground, generally making a mess of anything nearby. During WWII the Germans did a lot of bombing of the British Isles and other countries they didn’t like using their standard iron bombs with the nomenclature SC followed by the weight in Kilograms. The SC50 was one of the smaller bombs, sometimes carried by fighters or other aircraft that weren’t capable of lugging anything larger over long distances, or when they wanted to make lots of small holes instead of a few big ones. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside are parts for eight bombs, which have the four fins cast into the body, with the casting block joined at the tips of the fins. Four “whistler” tubes are included for each bomb, and these are fitted to the sides of the fins, and give the bombs that typical whistle as it drops, presumably to instil even more terror into their intended victims, in a similar manner to the Jericho Trumpets on the gear legs of Stukas. There are also separate suspension lugs on a cylindrical plug that fits into a corresponding hole just behind the moulded-in fuse depression on the “top” of the bomb if it was carried horizontally on a pylon. A set of stencil decals are included with yellow or red stripes that differentiates between otherwise identical HE and fragmentation fill variants, with additional stencils on the topside around the lug and fuse showing type, fuse & other check marks. The colour callouts are Gunze as usual, but there were some variations in in the body colour later in the war, so consult your references if you are unsure. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-84D Harpoon Missile (648619) 1:48 Eduard Brassin In the mid-60s, America watched in horror as a Soviet-made missile was used to sink an Israeli Destroyer in the Middle East, causing them to accelerate their Harpoon programme that would give them their own effective anti-ship missile. By 1977 the first Harpoon missiles were being delivered, and various different blocks saw the type develop its capabilities, with several thousand delivered to US and many allies over the years. The AGM-84D is a capable weapon that can be carried by ships, aircraft and even submarines, travelling at low level to targets over the horizon. A later block was able to re-attack in the event of an initial miss, thanks to improved avionics. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside is a bag of resin parts and another bag with stencil decals and a small Photo-Etch (PE) sheet protected by a piece of white card. There are parts for two missiles, which have eight separate fins and a choice of either a seeker head moulded into the forward fuselage part, or an alternative FOD cover moulded in. The PE parts are folded up into a pair of small grab-handles that attach on either side of the FOD cover to aid clean removal by the ground/deck crew. Colour call-outs throughout are in Gunze codes, and are repeated in a separate diagram that also shows the location of the many stencils on the weapon. Another superbly detailed weapon set from the masters at Eduard. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-62 Walleye I Mk.I (648614) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Walleye was an early guided bomb that was surprisingly successful given the analogue nature of the electronics and the relatively short gestation of the type. It was initially called a missile, but as it was unpowered that was somewhat disingenuous. It used television for guidance, requiring the pilot to designate a picture of the target on a screen in the cockpit, then after launch the aircraft could turn for home leaving the weapon to home in on the target unaided. It was first used with great success in Vietnam in 1967, and was found to be an accurate weapon that reduced the likelihood of collateral damage, although it suffered a little from having a relatively light payload. The Mk.II went a long way to rectify this, almost doubling the payload for a little more punch, remaining in service thanks to upgrades until just after the first Gulf War, which also marked the last hurrah of the A-7 Corsair II that carried it. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. The set includes parts for two Walleyes, which are surprisingly large, given their relatively light explosive capability. The main bodies have the four large wings moulded-in, with either a clear television camera in the nose, or with a 2.3mm of the tip removed, the protective FOD cover can be installed instead. At the rear is a resin spinner with PE blades from the tiny Photo-Etch (PE) sheet. The decal sheet includes stencils for each bomb, which are painted overall white with a red cover, and the spinner at the rear is painted steel or silver, depending on which part of the instructions you read. A quick check of your references should soon clear that up though. Conclusion Detail is excellent, even extending to a representation of the camera inside the nose, although no painting instructions are included for that area. Again, check your references. The casting blocks should be easy to remove and clean up neatly, thanks to the tapered gates and sensible location of the blocks. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SUU-23 Gun Pod (648612) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The SUU-23 was a further development of the SUU-16 gun pod, and has a GAU-4/A Vulcan gatling gun at its heart. It was a development in the 1960s to give the F-4 Phantom back its gun, having been left out of the design thanks to the power of the “missile mafia”, who convinced everyone that guns and dogfights were a thing of the past. Inside the aerodynamic fairing is the self-powered gun and an ammo tank to feed the gun up to 1,200 rounds, which sounds a lot, but given the rate of fire doesn’t last long. It wasn’t all that accurate due to the aerodynamic buffeting and vibration caused by use, but it was still a lot better than nothing. This set contains resin and Photo-Etch (PE) parts for two pods, which are made up from two body parts, with a choice of blunt of taper rear, with a fairing at the front that protects the skin of the aircraft against damage from any stray rounds, cartridge fragments and combustion residue. The gun barrels have a PE end-cap with 6 perforations depicting the muzzles. There is a choice of three types of pylon, with a helpful list of kits that each pylon is intended for, either Academy, Hasegawa or Zoukei-Mura kits, and the moulded-in anti-sway braces need 1mm lengths of 0.6mm wire or rod for their tensioners. Painting instructions are given using Gunze codes, with Olive Drab being the main colour. The decals are included for the stencils, of which there are many, so ensure there’s a nice glossy surface to apply them onto. Conclusion Detail is excellent, and you have enough for two projects as they usually fit on the centreline of whatever's carrying it. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lysander Twin Browning Machine Gun (648584) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard have reboxed the 1:48 Lysander kit from Gavia a few times over the years, and one of those times has been a pretty recent affair. They usually include some goodies in the ProfiPACK box, but there’s always a little more in the way of detail the modeller can add. This set contains a twin Browning mount for the rear gunner, and as usual with Eduard's smallest Brassin sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. This set contains eight resin parts on four casting blocks, plus a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) for the finer details. The guns are moulded with a full-length cooling jacket, and mount on either side of a cruciform bracket, with ammo feeds curving up from below. Each barrel is fitted with two tiny PE parts near the muzzle, a central sight and an auxiliary sight on brackets mounted to the right barrel. A larger bracket is attached to the rear of the breeches and forms the top half of the twin grip mount, which are small resin spindles that slot into the depression in the lower arms of the mount and glue to the PE bracket at the top. The completed assembly is then a drop-in replacement for the kit gun, and you are given colour call-outs in Gunze codes throughout the build. Detail is up to Eduard’s usual exemplary standards, and preparation is simplified by the slim attachment points on each resin part, and you must remove the “bubble-catcher” prong moulded into the tip of each barrel before you finish. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of