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Well it's done - not sure what to make of this kit, it's full of 'niggles' and silly errors by Italeri but it does end up quite nice. If it was Revell pricing it would be great, but it's Tamiya pricing so feels overpriced for what you get, especially with the errors. Peter

GBU-43/ B MOAB 1:72 Eduard The GBU-43 MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or 'Mother of All Bombs' if you have a propensity for chaps and cowboy boots) is a large air-dropped weapon, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory for the US Air Force. The bomb is carried by specialist variants of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and is guided to its target by GPS. The bomb has only been used once in combat, mainly because of the significant risk of unintended civilian casualties that accompanies the use of this type of weapon. Eduard's MOAB is a decent-sized kit in itself. The kit comprises eighteen resin parts and no fewer than five decent sized frets of photo etched brass. The main body and wings of the bomb case separately to the nose cone and tail unit, with the prominent grid fins case individually. The resin is quite simply superb, with flawless detail and casting. The photo etched cradle/platform is a much more complex affair, with lots of folding and gluing of small parts of brass. In fairness to Eduard, they have sought to simplify the construction process by maximising the use of folds to reduce the part count, but I'd be willing to bet that even the most hardy folder of small brass parts will be wishing that Eduard had tooled a sprue of plastic parts for the body of the cradle. Persevere, however, and you will be rewarded with an impressive item, particularly if displayed next to a MC-130E or H. Decal options are included for a museum example and an in-service weapon. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-11 LGB (648342) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The GBU-11 is a 3,000lb smart bomb that is part of the Paveway family, which saw action in Vietnam before being replaced by more advanced weapons. It is a large bomb and has substantial fins in order to remain stable, with the seeker head and control section up front, looking small by comparison. Eduard As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin rectangular box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions wrapped around them. There are parts for two bombs, with one each for the body, fin unit, four guidance vanes that fit in holes in the sides of the control section, and a choice of seeker heads that are covered or uncovered. The tail fits to the body using a butt joint, so when removing the pouring stubs, ensure that the surfaces are flat or concave to get a secure fit. The seeker heads need a 0.9mm hole drilling in the back to fit on the peg on the nose, and a set of decals are supplied for the stencils. Colours and stencil positions are called out in a separate diagram using Gunze colours as usual. Review sample courtesy of

P-51D Mirrors, Gunsights, and Bazookas 1:48 Eduard Brassin - For Airfix Kit Eduard offer us three new resin sets to upgrade the Rear view mirrors, gunsight, and Bazooka rocket launchers. Rear View Mirrors (648359) This set gives replacement resin mirrors for the canopy frame of the round type. Three are supplied and either one or two can be fitted. The modeller with need to check their references however as there seems to be no pattern to the fitting of these. Gunsight (648361) This is a new gunsight to replace the kit version The main body is in resin with a PE shroud and film for the actual sighting glass. Decals are also supplied for the data plates. Three units are supplied in the pack. Bazooka Rockt Launchers (648337) These are a complete set of replacement launchers for the kit. For the rear of the tubes either empty or loaded ends are available. The racks to attach to the wings are also included as are PE sway braces. Review samples courtesy of

P-51D Wheels, Control Surfaces & Propeller 1:48 Eduard Brassin - For Airfix Kit Eduard offer us three new resin sets to upgrade the Wheels, Control Surfaces and Propeller of the new Airfix kit. Wheels (648335) This set gives new main wheels and the tail wheel. The main wheels have the diamond tread pattern, and come with separate hubs. The tail wheel is one part and comes with a new leg which is made from a different type of resin which is probably less prone to sagging. As well as the wheels a set of yellow tape masks are also supplied (not pictured). Control Surfaces (648345) These are a new Rudder, tailplanes, and ailerons for the Airfix kit. They are direct drop in replacements with some slight modification only needed to the fuselage where the rudder fits in. Hamilton Standard Propeller (648347) This is a new Hamilton Standard replacement prop unit. The blades are individual and seat into the top of the hub via a provided jig. When this is removed from the pour block the modeller will have to drill a locating hole in it. The unit is then fitted to the base and the spinner added. A small PE part is then fitted to the front of the spinner, as it is a small part 3 are provided as its a given the carpet monster will claim at least one! Review samples courtesy of

Focke-Wulf Fw.190A Update Sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Launched to coincide with the release of their new Fw.190A-4 kit, which we reviewed here, Eduard have created a host of sets that can be used to improve on the already impressive level of detail found in the box. There are so many sets that we will break them down between Photo-Etch (PE) and resin Brassin sets, and once posted, we'll cross link them for completeness. As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin rectangular box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions wrapped around them. The smaller set is supplied in their clear clamshell box with similar protection afforded by grey foam, and the instructions doubling as the header card. Some of the sets are specific to the A-4 variant, while others can be used across the whole range of A model 190s, which will be indicated in the sub headings. Fw.190A Wingroot Gun Bays (648356) This set permits the modeller to depict the wing root gun bays open, which first requires the removal of a portion of the upper wing from the kit parts, as indicated in red on the instructions. The lower wing is then fitted with blanking plates for the cartridge chutes and new resin barrels before attention turns to the new bay inserts. These have the gun breeches added along with a short length of 0.2mm wire from your own stock, arranged as per the scrap drawings, which helpfully have an arrow indicating the direction of flight. The bays are then inserted into the prepared aperture in the upper wing, and a PE bay lip is attached to the plastic to finish it off neatly. A small section of the lip that locates the wing spar will need removing, after which the wing halves can be mated and later in the build/painting the bay doors can be added to the lip that is moulded into the bays for a good strong joint. Fw.190A-4 Cockpit (648351) Consisting of resin, PE, decals and a small sheet of clear acetate film, the largest part of which is the cockpit tub with the aft decking and side consoles already moulded in. The separate seat is prepared with its cushion and a set of pre-painted PE seatbelts, and fitted to the tub after the removal of some moulding flash that is indicated in red. Resin control column, resin and PE rudder pedals, and the instrument panel are made up next, with the latter having the choice of using the PE panel with pre-printed dials, or a detailed resin part over which you apply a decal of the instruments. Your choice! The panel fits on ledges at the front of the side consoles, and the resin gunsight with PE and acetate parts slides into a groove in the upper panel. The cowling fits over the top, and it too has cut-outs that need clearing of flash beforehand. To fit the new cockpit inside the fuselage a pair of plastic wedges are removed from the inside, to be replaced with a detailed PE and resin trim wheel. The assemblies should then fit neatly within, alongside the kit bulkhead, assuming you aren't taking advantage of any of the other sets I'll be mentioning in this review. The set includes the opening mechanism and the pilot's head armour, which has a warning decal added to it after painting. The interior roll-over frame is resin, and has delicate PE bracing wires linking to the rear, all of which fits inside the canopy after painting. The canopy then installs as normal. Fw.190A-4 Engine (648352) Inside this unassuming box rests resin and PE parts to construct a complete engine for the deadly little Fw.190, which is so detailed due to Eduard's advanced prototyping and casting facilities. Incredibly, much of the detail is amalgamated into large parts to keep down the number of castings, starting with the two cylinder banks, onto which the exhaust collector pipework is attached. A PE wiring loom and resin ancillary plate are added to the rear, the remainder of the exhaust tubing and clustered outlet pipes surround this, followed by a complex assembly of flat and tubular frames that make up the engine mount. Another wiring loom is fitted to the front of the engine before the reduction housing and prop-shaft are inserted, after which the engine can be mounted to the fuselage. Red areas mark the parts of the fuselage cowling that should be removed, and four holes should be drilled in the plastic bulkhead to accommodate the engine mount parts, which clips within the fuselage halves and locates the assembly firmly within. The nose-ring mates to the remaining fuselage panels, and is joined by a replacement top panel with hoses added for extra detail. The missing panels are all supplied as thin resin parts, with exceptional detail, which is augmented by adding PE fasteners to the edges. They are shown posed open to the correct positions, and you can then choose to fit the kit prop, or leave it off and replace it with a shaft with splined ends if you wish. Colours are called out during construction in Gunze codes, which will help immensely with the complex task. Fw.190A-4 Engine & Fuselage Guns (648355) This set takes the engine set detailed above, and replaces the kit's blank internal bulkhead with a super-detailed alternative, to which the guns, ammo cans and additional plumbing are attached. You will also need some 0.3mm wire to complete the attachment of the gun breeches to the deck. The separate panel that covers the bay is also replaced by an exquisite resin part, with a set of PE fasteners installed around the sides of the bay for added detail. This complete set will allow the modeller to portray some maintenance and re-arming underway, and coupled with the wing gun-bay set with further enhance the candid look of the finished model. Fw.190A-4 Fuselage Guns (648354) If you just want to open up the gun bays, this set allows that by using the appropriate bulkhead parts from the full set (648355) alongside new parts that depict the rear of the engine in a slightly simplified manner, which will be dimly seen past the gun barrels. If you were to buy this set and the engine set separately (for whatever reason), you would end up with a few spare parts in the shape of the aforementioned engine rear plus its mount. Photo-Etch, Masks & Decals These additional sets can be found in a separate review here to save your scrolling finger. Review sample courtesy of

F-14A with Late Wheels BIGSIN Set (SIN64832 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Tamiya's überkit of the mighty and much-loved F-14 Tomcat is superb, and Eduard have now brought out a number of Brassin sets to further enhance the detail in the rear, where injection moulding can't offer the level of detail and finesse that resin can. Especially Eduard resin, which is amongst the best quality currently available. This collection of sets arrives in a flat black themed box reserved for the BIGSIN sets, and under the layers of protective foam and the instructions, you will find three ziplok bags of resin and one containing the Photo-Etch (PE) parts for two of the component sets, which are further protected by a piece of white card. F-14A Exhaust Nozzles The trunking is quite long on the Tomcat, so is made up of two parts. The shorter section contains the rear face of the engine, into which you place the delicate PE rendition of the afterburner ring, which is made up of four parts, and will need care in correctly assembling it, to which end a number of diagrams are provided to help. The main trunking is a tube with ribbed interior, and attachment rings for the forward end, and the exhaust petals that fit at the rear. The F-14 is usually seen with one nozzle compressed to its smallest aperture and the other relaxed, which is the way it is depicted here using two different mouldings. The finished assemblies slide inside the fuselage, and have a handy "top" inscription on each trunk to assist with alignment. Sympathetic painting will be the key to showing off these parts to their best effect, so spend some time researching the colours typically seen within the trunk and on the nozzles. F-14A Cockpit Set (648312) This set includes thirty one pieces of grey resin, one of clear, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, one of which is pre-painted and nickel-plated, plus a small sheet of decals for stencils etc. The instruction booklet covers three sheets of A4 on both sides, and is printed in colour to assist you in placement of parts. The first thing to note is that Eduard don't just produce a set and let you loose with a sanding stick, scalpel and Dremel to make it fit. They give careful consideration to how they can design the set with minimal interruption to the build of the kit, which shows in the later sections where the set is integrated with the kit fuselage. Building commences with the seats though, which are models in themselves. Each one is made from four highly detailed resin parts, plus a number of PE parts from a constructional point of view, and a further set of crew belts, which are all pre-painted so will take little work. Each seat also has a number of stencils applied once painting is completed to give that extra boost to realism. The work is duplicated for both seats of course, including the important ejection initiation pull-loops on the headbox and between the pilot's knees, as well as the anti-flail leg-restraints that pull taut moments before the rocket motor propels the crew member out of the cockpit on a column of flame and fury. The cockpit tubs are large and open, due to the need for room for equipment and good visibility from the large canopy, and here each one is built up separately in the same basic manner. A rear bulkhead is added to the main tub along with sidewalls and equipment specific to the jobs of the pilot and RIO. The detail on the bulkheads and instrument panels is mind-blowing, and scrap diagrams show how to paint them accurately, as always using Gunze colour codes. More decals are used to provide instrument faces in this old-fashioned (compared to the MFD cockpits of today) instrumented cockpit. Rudder pedals, control columns and stowage compartments are added to the assemblies, and once the pilot's instrument panel is painted and installed along with PE parts, the RIO's coaming with realistic material effect over the instrument backs is added before the two assemblies are brought together in the fuselage. Two kit parts are adapted to fit the cockpit, with only one raised section and a brace needing removal. Two pieces of styrene strip 1x0.75x3mm are added under the rear of the pilot's cockpit and four on the RIO's to locate them correctly on the cockpit tray, and that should be about it. Close up the nose, and add the adapted kit sill area, insert the seats you prepared earlier, and finally the pilot's coaming, with clear resin HUD lens. Wheels Early (648304) & Wheels Late (648290) Four resin wheels are supplied, two main wheels with separate hubs, and two nose wheels with their hubs moulded in. Detail is superb both on the tyres and their hubs, with plenty of brake detail on the back side, and the hub pattern is as crisp as you could want. The sidewalls have the marker's marks in raised relief, and the contact surface has circumferential tread cast in. A set of hub masks are included for good measure, pre-cut from a sheet of yellow kabuki tape. Review sample courtesy of

Started this over the last couple of days, and finally got to the point where there's something to show I also have the full Brassin set - consisting of Seat, Nozzle and wheels Work unsurprisingly starts in the cockpit, the first stage with the Brassin is replacing the seat rails with the resin replacement, complete with a couple of PE spacers Then primed with Black Styrenex primer, followed by Mr Hobby Aircraft Grey as a base Then started painting and weathering the seat and cockpit floor - not started on the actual cockpit yet, and the seat is simply slotted in the rails for the moment Peter

German 88mm Submarine Main Gun 1:48 Eduard Brassin 648-327 Having made resin aftermarket guns for the big Revell 1:72 submarines, Eduard-Brassin have started to release a scaled up version of the 88mm main gun for the huge Trumpeter 1:48 Type VIIc U-Boat. The set is contained in the standard cardboard box used by Brassin, with the parts well protected by foam blocks. The guns parts, even in this scale are quite small, but are really well detailed with plenty of small fragile parts, so take care when removing from the moulding blocks and cleaning them up. U-Boat 88mm gun - [648327]. Unlike some sets where only the barrel of a gun is changed, this pack contains not only the barrel, but the whole mounting. The resin parts include the pedestal, mount, breech bock, barrel mounted rangefinder and optical sights, elevation quadrant, elevation and turning wheel fittings, the elevation and traversing wheels, fittings for the rangefinder, and the prominent crew waist supports. There is a tampion and clamp to be fitted to the muzzle, which is missing the cable that could be seen attached to the tampion and wrapped around the barrel and connected to the gun mounting, although the instructions do give you the length and size of the wire required to make it and how it is wrapped around the barrel. The same is done for the breech cover and what looks like a telephone cable attached to the mounting. As always, check your references as from June 1943 the Atlantic-boats had landed the deck gun. Only in the Mediterranean and the Northern Sea boats kept their guns for a few months longer. In July 1944 some of the VIIc boats from the 8th Flotilla in Konigsberg got their guns back for the patrols in the Baltic Sea against the Russians. A number of Captains were also allowed to re-fit the deck gun when operating in the Indian Ocean. From the quick bit of research I have done, it looks like U-552 kept the gun long after it should have been landed. Conclusion This is a fabulous model in its own right. The detail is superb, as we have come to expect from Brassin and It’s great to see this prominent gun being released as it gives modellers the chance to improve on the kit details, The resin is superbly moulded with some very fine detail and will look great mounted on this impressive submarine kit, or even on its own as a vignette. Review sample courtesy of

US Mk-82 Bombs with Mk.15 Snakeye Fins 1:32 Brassin Whilst some of the big 1:32 scale kits provide a decent selection of weaponry in the box, they aren’t always up to the standard we seem to have come to expect when attaching them to our masterpieces. This is where Eduard and their Brassin range come in and the ever expanding catalogue of resin bombs, particularly Mk.82’s, come into play. Arriving in the pretty standard cardboard box, the set has parts for six complete bombs. The casting is up to the usual standard, with some very fine details, such as the bomb lugs moulded onto the bomb casing, although one had managed to be broken in the box along with one of the retard tail fins. I think Eduard need to rethink their packaging, at least separate the bombs from the tails. Assembly is nice and simple, as once the fins and bodies are removed from the moulding blocks and cleaned up, it’s just a matter of joining them together, then deciding what fuse type you’re going to fit. There is only one short propeller armed and the option of just having a plain nose cap for an un-armed weapon. Then it’s just a matter of adding the etched brass tail ring, painting, (any colour as long as its olive drab it seems), adding the supplied decals, and weathering as required. Conclusion As is becoming the norm for Brassin these bombs are really well manufactured. Great moulding, good attention to detail and an excellent addition to any modellers armoury. Review samples courtesy of

Bf 109 Upgrade Parts (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard's Bf 109 kits are known for their quality, that does not stop them offering a wide range of update sets to further improve the plastic. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Bf 109F seat early (648329) This is a well cast seat complete with a set of colour photo etch seat belts, it is a drop in replacement for the kit parts. Bf 109F&G Pitot tubes (648332) This set has three replacement pitot tubes in resin to replace the kit parts. These will I suspect be more susceptible to damage than the kit parts despite look more realistic. Review sample courtesy of

SE.5a Upgrade Parts (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Eduard's new tool kit of this famous WWI fighter is a little beauty and you can see our review here, but you can always itail, or budget. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. The Photo-Etch (PE) set arrives in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Two Blade Propeller (left 648296 Right 648297) Available in two flavours, spinning left and right, the clockwise rotating prop being applicable to the (at this time unkitted, although I believe the parts are in the box) Hispano-Suiza 8b engine, and the other for the Wolseley Viper engine variant. Pick your two-bladed prop and marvel at the detail, with a separate boss and spinner plate provided in PE. Left – Anti-Clockwise (648296) Right – Clockwise (648297) Radiator – Wolseley Viper (648298) This highly detailed resin replacement for the kit part consists of five resin parts and four PE parts, the former making up the body of the radiator, the latter providing the mesh detail for the panels for maximum detail. It is a straight-forward drop-in replacement for the kit part. SE.5a Guns (648299) Another drop-in replacement set for the kit, which consists of both the Lewis and the Vickers machine guns, plus the tripod mount for the cowling Vickers, and the over-wing mount for the Lewis gun, which also has two spare magazines of two different capacities. A small PE sheet includes a rack for a spare mag under the gun mount (over the instrument panel), the firing handle, sight and trough for the Vickers, plus blade sight for the Lewis gun. You will need two lengths of 0.2mm wire to complete the firing mechanism for the Lewis, which you will have to provide from your own stocks. SE.5a Stretchers (48915) This is the solitary PE set in this review, and at first the term "stretchers" might seem a bit obscure, but on reading the instructions it becomes clear. They are what I would call the turnbuckles that the aircraft's rigging is attached to, either in single runs, or doubles. As well as including three runs of thirty eight single loops, twenty seven of the double loops, there are also two templates provided to assist you in drilling the twin 0.3mm holes at the wing roots and the opposite ends under the upper wing. Turnbuckles are a handy short-cut for rigging, allowing the modeller to glue their chosen rigging material of choice in place without having to repair the paint-job after. The stretchers are glued into their holes during the build, after which the aircraft can be painted, and (with care) the rigging can be attached when main painting is completed. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire IXe Gun Bays (648334) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard are slowly working their way through all the Spitfire variants in 1:48 and they are great kits. The gun bays are not open on the kits however. This set includes twenty two resin parts, and a PE Sheet. The set gives you two complete wing gun bays, with the guns and ammunition boxes plus the surrounding structure and new panels for the top. Some surgery is needed to open up the top of the wing, but that is fairly simple. Conclusion The kit parts are good enough if you want the wing all closed up, but this resin replacement is just so much better in terms of crisply moulded detail that it has to be worthy of consideration for the detail hungry modeller who wants to open up the gunbays Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

CBU-97 Cluster Bombs 1:72 Eduard Brassin CBU-97 Cluster Bomb (672128) Containing ten bomblets called "Skeets", these containers are designed to be dispensed over enemy vehicles, with the Skeets detecting targets and launching kinetic penetrators downwards toward the more lightly armoured topsides of vehicles. The set includes six canisters with separate tail fins that you must glue to the main body. A set of stencils are also included on a small decal sheet, with painting guide. Eduard's Brassin range are a great source of munitions for the aviation modeller, especially the huge variety of weapons carried by modern jets. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. The casting is is top rate and these are to be recommended if you need them for your build. Review sample courtesy of

Bf 109F Cockpit Set with Early seat (648330) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard are slowly working their way through all the Bf 109 variants in 1:48 and they are great kits. However there is only so much injected plastic can do, their cockpit sets bring a whole new level of detail for the modeller. This set includes nineteen pieces of grey resin, four of clear, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, one of which is pre-painted and nickel-plated, plus a small acetate sheet. The instruction booklet covers six sides of A5 on both sides, and is printed in colour to assist you in placement of parts. The set gives you a complete new cockpit including sides and floor which will fit into the model with some work being needed on the kit moulded details. A mix of resin and PE goes into this to create a small model in itself. There is the option of using a one art instrument panel, or a multi par one using the PE & film supplied. Though lets be honest if you are going to the time, trouble, and expense of this set then it really has to be the multi part affair. Conclusion The kit cockpit is good enough, but this resin replacement is just so much better in terms of crisply moulded detail that it has to be worthy of consideration for the detail hungry modeller. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bf 109G-4 Cockpit Set (648340) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard are slowly working their way through all the Bf 109 variants in 1:48 and they are great kits. However there is only so much injected plastic can do, their cockpit sets bring a whole new level of detail for the modeller. This set includes twenty pieces of grey resin, four of clear, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, one of which is pre-painted and nickel-plated, plus a small acetate sheet. The instruction booklet covers six sides of A5 on both sides, and is printed in colour to assist you in placement of parts. The set gives you a complete new cockpit including sides and floor which will fit into the model with some work being needed on the kit moulded details. A mix of resin and PE goes into this to create a small model in itself. There is the option of using a one art instrument panel, or a multi par one using the PE & film supplied. Though lets be honest if you are going to the time, trouble, and expense of this set then it really has to be the multi part affair. Conclusion The kit cockpit is good enough, but this resin replacement is just so much better in terms of crisply moulded detail that it has to be worthy of consideration for the detail hungry modeller. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Modern Weapons Sets (M36 CBU, Matra R-530, Magic 1 & 2) 1:48 Eduard Brassin More things that go bang from Eduard's Brassin range, which keeps on expanding every month. This time it's mostly French missiles, with a cluster bomb thrown in (hopefully not armed) for good measure. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. M36 Cluster Bombs (648325) Used in Vietnam by the US with almost 200 bomblets inside that were propelled outward in an airburst to shower the ground with incendiaries. Nasty! The box contains four of these devices, the body of which is cast as a single piece in resin with the casting block at the fin end. The rear of the bomb is fitted with a PE cap, and two small cruciform parts that are the arming spinners. They can be mounted singly by the delicate lugs, or carried on a triple ejector rack (TER), which is available separately under code 648232, which we reviewed here a couple of years ago. A set of stencil decals are supplied and these are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades. Matra R-530 (648324) A French medium to short range missile that preceded the successful Magic missiles. In the box are two missile bodies with the aft fins moulded-in, and four separate larger forward fins that slot into the sides of the body. A PE ring and exhaust nozzle is fitted to the rear, and seeker housing with clear resin infrared seeker head is attached to the front. Alternately, a solid head can be used to depict the semi-active radar option. Pylon adapters are also included for Mirage III and F1 carriage, both of which have separate sway-braces. A set of stencil decals are supplied and these are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades. Matra R-550 Magic (648322) Designed as direct competition to the American Sidewinder, there is more than a passing resemblance too. The box contains two missile bodies with moulded-in aft fins, and four separate steering vanes to the front, with another four fixed vanes in front of them. A clear seeker head and PE exhaust top & tail the missile, with an alternative nose for a missile with its FOD guard in place. Additional resin and PE parts are also included to display the missile unattached to its pylon for diorama use. Resin pylons and adapter rails are included for the Mirage F1 and III for good measure. A small sheet of masking material for the seeker heads and a set of stencil decals are supplied and the latter are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades. matra R-550 Magic 2 (648324) The sequel to the Magic added the capability to fire at a target approaching the missile, and included a change to the external material of the seeker to opaque as well as the internal electronics. It added a valuable initial strike capability to engagements where the enemy was approaching head on. Like the Magic 1 above, you get two missile bodies, four fixed and four moving fins, plus wingtip adapter rails for the Mirage F1 and pylons for the Mirage V and 2000s. The clear seeker head is included again, but a decal for the opaque seeker head is added to hide the clear resin. Parts for the FOD cover and for displaying the missile unattached are also included, along with the same PE set used for the Magic 1. A small sheet of masking material for the seeker heads and a set of stencil decals are supplied and the latter are located using the painting diagram that also gives colour call-outs in Gunze shades. I've seen conflicting evidence of the seeker head being clear and a creamy opaque colour, so check your references if this concerns you, as I've been unable to reach a firm conclusion in my short research window. Incidentally, the FOD covers can be a bare metal, red or yellow, so take your choice. Working with resin Take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding resin, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in. Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.XVI Cowling (648307 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard's new 1:48 Spitfires are excellent kits, but the limitations of injection moulding mean that their top cowlings have to be made from two halves due to the bulges over the exhaust stacks that are so characteristic of any Spit, whether it's Merlin equipped or Griffon powered. Eduard have created a series of resin replacements for those that it bothers, either because they dislike filling seams, are worried that the seam may reappear as they sometimes do, or just want to save a little time. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. There is only one part in the box, with the moulding block attached at the front end, with protective bars running along the sides, and flash between them and the cowling. Cleanup will be the work of moments, as the front of the cowling is hidden by the prop, and you've got no work to do that might jeopardise all that delicate detail. Review sample courtesy of

P-38F Turbochargers & Air Intakes (648285 for Academy) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Academy P-38 is about the best of the kits available of this attractive and capable aircraft in 1:48, but even they need a little help to reach modern standards, so here is some of that help. This set was released late last year, but fell victim to the back of one of my cupboards, and has only just come back to light. On the basis that it's better late than never, and due to the fact that they're still in stock at Eduard, here they are. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Inside are twelve resin parts and a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) to add the fine details. Due to the way the turbochargers are semi-recessed in the top of the engine nacelles, they have a front and rear portion, plus two intakes each, one above and one below the wings. The kit intakes and a strake must be removed first, and the strake is replaced by a fine PE part, with a PE heat shield around the "banjo" end of the turbo. Pretty simple, all told! When handling resin, take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding resin, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in. Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them. Review sample courtesy of

F-14A Exhaust Nozzles (648311 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Tamiya's überkit of the mighty and much-loved F-14 Tomcat is superb, and Eduard have now brought out this Brassin set to further enhance the detail in the rear, where injection moulding can't offer the level of detail and finesse that resin can. Especially Eduard resin, which is amongst the best quality currently available. The set arrives in the usual black box for larger castings, and under the layers of protective foam and the instructions, you will find two ziplok bags of resin and one containing the Photo-Ecth (PE) parts, which are further protected by a piece of white card. The trunking is quite long on the Tomcat, so is made up of two parts. The shorter section contains the rear face of the engine, into which you place the delicate PE rendition of the afterburner ring, which is made up of four parts, and will need care in correctly assembling it, to which end a number of diagrams are provided to help. The main trunking is a tube with ribbed interior, and attachment rings for the forward end, and the exhaust petals that fit at the rear. The F-14 is usually seen with one nozzle compressed to its smallest aperture and the other relaxed, which is the way it is depicted here using two different mouldings. The finished assemblies slide inside the fuselage, and have a handy "top" inscription on each trunk to assist with alignment. Sympathetic painting will be the key to showing off these parts to their best effect, so spend some time researching the colours typically seen within the trunk and on the nozzles. Review sample courtesy of

SE.5a Upgrade Parts Part II (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We reviewed the diminutive WWI fighter here, and soon after a gaggle of improvements to the prop and radiator of the Wolseley Viper equipped variant were released, reviewed here. Take a short breather, and here they are again with more prop and radiator options, but for the Hispano Suiza engined aircraft. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Four-Bladed Propeller (648318) A delicate four-bladed prop with separate boss and PE spacers to replace the kit parts. The prop is well-supported on a cruciform casting block, with a myriad of joints making for quick and easy clean up compared to solid gates. A few swipes of your favourite sanding sticks will see it ready for paint and installation. A spare spacer (in fact 3 due to a packaging error) were included in my sample, in case the original gets taken by the carpet monster. Radiator for Hispano Suiza four-bladed prop (648319) To be used in conjunction with the prop above to depict a Hispano engine example in glorious detail with resin radiator and PE details to complete the assembly. The completed assembly is then installed in the front of the engine compartment along with a PE detail ring and a short length of 1.9mm diameter rod from your own supplies. Radiator for Hispano Suiza 2-bladed Prop (648320) This set is for the… well, you probably guessed what it was for already. It includes the radiator housing, PE front grille, and the two cores to the sides of the main aperture. A brace fits between them under the prop, and the whole thing just replaces the kit parts to depict a Hispano engine SE.5a. Review sample courtesy of

Modern US Weapons – CBU-105, CBU-97 & GBU-39 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard's Brassin range are a great source of munitions for the aviation modeller, especially the huge variety of weapons carried by modern jets. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. CBU-97 Cluster Bomb (648275) Containing ten bomblets called "Skeets", these containers are designed to be dispensed over enemy vehicles, with the Skeets detecting targets and launching kinetic penetrators downwards toward the more lightly armoured topsides of vehicles. The set includes six canisters with separate tail fins that you must glue to the main body. A set of stencils are also included on a small decal sheet, with painting guide done using Gunze Sangyo colours. CBU-105 Cluster Bomb (648276) Consisting of the same front end as the CBU-97, the -105 adds a precision guided tail unit that allows greater accuracy. This set also includes six canisters with separate (different) tail fins that you must glue to the main body. A set of stencils are also included on a small decal sheet, with painting guide done using Gunze Sangyo colours. GBU-39 Small Diameter Boms with BRU-61 Pneumatic Bomb Rack (648294) These small (relatively speaking) 110kg bombs are precision guided to enable an aircraft to deliver many smaller munitions more accurately, and loiter longer over a target before having to re-arm due to the effectiveness of the more accurate bombs. The set contains two racks, plus eight bombs to fill them with four each rack. The bombs are depicted with their wings folded for carriage, and are cut from their blocks at the base. Each one fits to a curved tab on the underside of the dispenser, with decals and painting guide showing Gunze Sangyo colours. Review sample courtesy of

R-73 / AA-11 Archer Missiles 1:72 Eduard The R-73 Vympel (NATO reporting name AA-11 Archer) is a short range infra red homing missile developed in the Soviet Union that entered service in 1984 to replace the R60 (AA-8 Aphid). Following German Reunification the Luftwaffe found itself with these missiles and it was found that they were surprisingly good, and better in many aspects than the then AIM-9L. R-73 / AA-11 Archer (672-151) This set from Eduard gives a set of 4 missiles complete with launching rails. Seeker heads or covers can be used as needed. PE parts are used for the forward missile fins. Conclusion These sets will enhance any model they are used on. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

IRIS-T Missiles 1:72 Eduard The IRIS-T (Infra Red Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled) is a German-led program to develop a short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder. In the 1980s NATO agreed that the US would develop a medium range missile which would become the AIM-120 and the UK & Germany would develop a short range missile the AMRAAM. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification the Luftwaffe found itself with large numbers of Russian AA-11 missiles. To their surprise they were found to be better than the AIM-9. More manoeuvrable and capable. The Germans then withdrew from AMRAAM. At about the same time the US also went back on the agreement and resolved to develop the Sidewinder to the AIM-9X. The IRIS-T is reported to have better ECM & Flare resistance to the AIM-9L, and the ability to to engage targets behind the launching aircraft due to it’s ability to turn up to 60G. It is also reported to be able to engage head on targets at much greater ranges than the AIM-9L. The IRIS-T is currently used by Germany, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, & Thailand. IRIS-T (672-070) This set from Eduard gives a set of 2 missiles wit a choice of launching rails which are designed for the F-16 or SAAB Gripen. The missiles come with resin rear fins, and pe parts. Open or covered seaker heads can be used as needed. A decal sheet is provided for all markings. Conclusion These sets will enhance any model they are used on. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

CBU-105 1:72 Eduard The CBU-105 is a US-produced cluster bomb, developed as a precision-guided variant of the CBU-97. Each weapon contains ten BLU-108 sub-munitions which, in turn, contain four explosive 'skeets', making a total of 40 bomblets. Using a combination of laser and infra-red sensors, the skeets are able to detect vehicles and then fire an explosive penetrator downward, destroying armoured targets and softskins alike. The CBU-105 was deployed to great effect in the 2003 Iraq War. The use of cluster weapons is now prohibited under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions by those nations that have ratified the convention, although the list excludes the USA, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The set arrives in Eduard's usual clamshell pack, inside which are parts for six weapons. The tail units are cast seperately to the bombs themselves, and have been designed so that any marks left from the removal of the pour stubs will be hidden under the join. A small sheet of decals is included, while colour codes are provided with reference to the Gunze Sangyo range. In usual Eduard style, the quality of casting and the level of detail are both superb. Review sample courtesy of