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ALARM Missiles, GBU-31(V)1B JDAM, SUU-30A/B Early 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s range of resin weapons expands monthly, with this tranche containing three of various types. Each one arrives in the new slimline Brassin cardboard box, with the accompanying reduction in packaging, using the poly bags to protect the resin and Photo-Etch (PE) parts along with the instructions wrapped around them and the decals. The instructions contain painting guide drawings and colour callouts in Gunze colours, as is standard for them. ALARM Missiles (648549) The name ALARM stands for Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile, which was an air-to-air missile fielded by the UK until 2013, and still in service with the Saudis at time of writing. This set contains resin parts for four missiles, each of which have a main missile body with resin mid- and aft-fins, plus four PE fins near the nose. Another PE part is attached to the rear to depict the exhaust ring, then the launch rail is fitted with another small PE panel on the rear too, with an optional adapter rail fitted depending on use. A scrap diagram shows the correct distance that the tip of the missile should be from the front of the adapter rail to ensure you attach it in the right place. SUU-30A/B Early (648557) Confusingly called the CBU-24 when filled with BLU-26 or -36 submunitions, this cluster munitions dispenser saw service in Vietnam until withdrawal in the 90s. Resin and PE parts for four canisters are included along with stencil decals, and the units are made up by adding four PE fins to the slots in the tail of the main body, plus a fuse in the nose that slots neatly into a hole in the front. At the rear is a PE cap that covers the cut-off area where the casting block was removed. GBU-31(V)1B JDAM (648562) Built around at 2,000lb Mk.84 iron bomb, the JDAM kit turns it from dumb to smart by adding a straked “girdle” around the middle and seeker head at the nose that commands the tail unit to adjust its line of flight using the umbilical between them. They are carried by many modern fighters as well as bombers, so a box of four of them should come in handy. The main body has the girdle and main section of the tail fin moulded in although you must add the tensioning straps, then you add the aft section, with a keyed join and suitably thin fins. The strakes are PE parts that fit into slots on the bomb sides, and at the nose you have a choice of three fuses, finishing off at the back by adding a PE end-cap and a small stiffening plate on the underside of the tail unit between the fins. Review sample courtesy of

F-14D Exhaust Nozzles (648560 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Tamiya's überkit of the mighty and much-loved F-14D Tomcat is superb, and Eduard have been bringing out lots of sets, with this Brassin set following up 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, one of resin and one containing the Photo-Etch (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 tubular section is covered with superbly detailed corrugations along its length, with the rear face of the engine inserted along with the delicate PE rendition of the afterburner ring, which is made up of three parts, and will need care in correctly assembling it, to which end a number of diagrams are provided to help. The trunking has attachment notches for the engine faces, and the exhaust petals flush fit at the rear by lining up the two blocks at the top. The F-14 is often seen with one nozzle compressed to its smallest aperture and the other relaxed, but this moulding has two identical open nozzles that have a full set of pre-cut kabuki tape masks (not pictured) that are applied to the exterior to achieve the pattern seen on the nozzles. It’ll take some time to apply, but the results should be well worth the effort. The finished assemblies slide inside the fuselage, and have the block on each trunk/nozzle 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, making good use of the masks. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Tiger Moth Upgrades (for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin Airfix’s new kid on the block is the diminutive trainer, the Tiger Moth, new in 1:48 and reaching the shops round about now and selling well according to Airfix. Upgrade Set (491073) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels and two sets of seatbelts for each pilot on the painted set, cockpit floor skin with seat framework, as well as a new seat for the rear cockpit internal structure also supplied. On the wings a huge number of inspection hatches on the wings and tail, actuator tabs for flying surfaces, angle of attack marker and pitot, both attached to the outer struts between the wings. The fuel tank on the top wing centre is fitted with detail skins on the sides, the engine is given a number of detail parts and a pair of brand-new cowling panels to replace the thick kit parts with more in-scale parts. Under the fuselage are some new and replacement parts, then the cockpit doors are also replaced with new in-scale parts, making those areas more realistic. Zoom! Set (FE1073) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Resin Wheels (648556) Kit wheels are generally in two halves or have a seamline all around, which means you have the resultant joins or seams 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. This set includes two wheels with moulded-in hub caps, a sheet of pre-cut kabuki tape masks for easy demarcation cutting, and a small set of decals to be applied to the hub caps in three colours, with a small diagram showing the correct orientation of the decal to the ground. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lancaster Wheels (632144 for HKM) 1:32 Eduard Brassin Hong Kong Models’ 1:32 Lancaster has received a little more love recently as those that were looking out for the much-vaunted WNW kit are perhaps realising that a bird in the hand is definitely worth two that might never even reach the bush (terrible analogy, I know). This set of resin replacement wheels arrives from Eduard in their new cardboard box, needing a large one to accommodate the rather large tyres that the Lanc wore so it could operate from a grass field if the need arose. Inside the box are three pieces of resin on separate pour blocks, plus a set of pre-cut kabuki tape masks (not pictured - yellow is hell to photograph). There are two humongous main wheels with a substantial flat spot at the bottom that would be on the ragged edge of acceptable, eliciting cries of “put some air in those tyres!” from the crew chief in all probability. They would look more at home on grass, allowing for additional sinking of the tyre’s carcass into the soft ground, but they might not suit some people's tastes. The anti-shimmy tail-wheel is also slightly flattened, although not as much as the main wheels, partly because they are solid rubber in reality. There are masks for all wheels, allowing the easy cutting of demarcation between tyre and hub without hassle, although you will need some additional masking to cover the rest of the tyre if you are using an airbrush. The slots for the gear legs are keyed, but a scrap diagram shows the correct orientation to the ground when fitted, and colour call-outs are given along the way using Gunze paint codes. Conclusion As long as you are happy with the level of sag on the main wheels, the detail is excellent, with concentric rings on the sidewalls and smooth tread as befits the wartime Dunlop rubber used at the time, with maker’s marks and spec. in raised text on the sides. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-24 Wheel (632145 & 632149 for Hobby Boss) 1:32 Eduard Brassin Hobby Boss’s big-scale B-24 is a massive kit, and with massive kits come massive wheels with massive seams round them. Not any more! Eduard have created two sets of replacement resin wheels for the Big Liberator, substituting those annoying seams for a small contact patch pour stub and some exceptional detail. There are two sets as mentioned, one in a thin Brassin cardboard box, the other in a fat one for no reason that I can divine, but not to worry – it’s all recyclable and a lot better for the environment than the old clamshell boxes, and easier to stack too. B-24 Wheels – 8-spoke Front Wheel (632145) This set contains three wheels and a separate hub with eight spokes to it as you’d expect. There is also a mudguard for the nose wheel with a ribbed framework and a small flat-spot where it fits to the nose leg, and a full set of masks (not pictured) for painting the hubs with a perfect demarcation. The main wheels are handed monolithic parts with moulded-in hubs, while the nose wheel has a separate cap, which you will need to remove the flash from the interstices between the spokes before you glue things together. B-24 Wheels – 9-spoke Front Wheel (632149) This is ostensibly the same set as above, but with a 9-spoke hub cap instead, which will be useful if your chosen decal subject flew with a higher spoke-count. Construction is the same, just one extra gap between the spokes to clear flash from. Conclusion Take care with the correct handing of the wheels, and other than that they are a drop-in replacement that adds a huge amount of detail as well as a very slight sag to the tyres, inferring weight to the model. The masks are always welcome to ease painting. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-17G Update Sets (for HKM) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin HKM gave us all a little surprise last year with a scale-down of their 1:32 kit, much to the excitement of anyone that has a soft spot for the Flying Fortress, like me. We reviewed the first tranche of sets early this year here, and now Eduard are ready with their second tranche, which also includes a selection of resin sets. 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. The resin sets are supplied in the new cardboard boxes that are a little bit more environmentally friend as well as being easier to stack. Wooden Floors & Ammo Boxes (491072) To save weight and give a little more traction, the floors of the B-17 were made of plywood and as we all know it’s a bit of a knack to replicate a wooden finish. This set makes that easy, and contains two sheets of nickel-plated brass that are also pre-printed with wooden textured, the second of which is printed on both sides due to both sides being visible when it is used. The floor panels are first, requiring some plastic lumps to be removed first before the single-sided parts are glued in place. The long walkways have fold-over edges that give the parts depth a more realistic finish, and the cockpit has stepped sections with extra detail where needed, and a captive edge strip is wrapped around the table. Then the various ammo boxes are folded up, detailed with hinges and wood-painted stiffening bands, with two in the front, one in the waist position plus another two bigger boxes, then two more in the tail, all highly detailed and looking so woody you’ll think it was wood. In other words, the wood effect is excellent and highly realistic. B-17G Ammo Feed Chutes (481012) This set gives you the links between your brand new ammo boxes and the guns that you’ll see further down below. Supplied on one square fret, the ammo guides bear a passing resemblance to long straight ferns on the fret, and would be quite difficult to fold up without the useful template that comes with them. It folds up to three PE thicknesses, and you can wrap the “ferns” around it and fold them into a rectangular profile, drawing out the template at the end and curving it in a similar manner to the kit parts, with a few examples shown in the instructions for the nose gun and ball turret feeds, plus an additional feeder ramp for the latter. B-17G Undercarriage & Exterior (481011) This set arrives on a large rectangular fret of bare brass and does exactly as it says on the pack. The main gear bays in the inner nacelles are first to be detailed, with straps around the internal supercharger trunking, small skins and stiffener parts, plus additional straps round the other tubes etc. The bulkheads also get the treatment, some of the parts having been pressed into shape by a ball-point pen from behind first, then a set of filler caps on the top of the wing are added along with some grilles here and there, then liners and grilles for the leading edge intakes with optional FOD guards for both sides. The tips of the landing gear are fitted with tie-downs, the tail-wheel bay is decked out with internal skins, and some small panels are added in front of the bomb bay and under the front of the chin turret. B-17G Guns (648539) A resin set of guns, many with separate barrels, and some having additional parts for their mounts around the airframe. Firstly, the two waist guns are fixed up with their mounts on the lip of the window with a pivot-mount on top, through which the barrel sleeves before you put on the ring-and-bead sight, and cocking handle on each one. The two cheek guns have a similar mount and the same construction of the other guns, with another one in the radio-compartment. The turrets all have separate barrels with a choice of unadorned, or angled flash-hiders at your whim or as your references dictate. The ball-turret guns fit against the end panels, the top turret guns fit against a small fillet that fits within the turret, the chin turret guns attach one either side of the central pivot, and the tail’s Cheyenne turret guns lock in place either side of their control pivot. B-17G Superchargers (648536) This set gives you all the resin parts you need to replace the kit superchargers with highly detailed trunking and the units themselves, consisting of six parts, the two outer superchargers complete with their trunking moulded in, and the inner nacelles with the superchargers located behind the gear bay and the additional trunking separate, diving back into the nacelle, then popping back out again behind the bay. Once the casting plugs are removed the parts should be a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so very little additional work, especially as the casting plugs are a filigree that should minimise clean-up of any remaining marks, and the detail is exceptional. B-17G Undercarriage Legs BRONZE (648540) The B-17 is a BIG aircraft, and if you’re loading it up with aftermarket, even if that’s aftermarket bombs for a short run, the weight on the main gear might be a little much over the longer term. White metal gear is an improvement, but it is still easy to bend or deform, unlike bronze, which is a tough, rigid metal that doesn’t deteriorate over time, isn't prone to weaking inclusions and won’t let you down. This set contains three gear legs, two main and one tail, plus four resin parts that go together to make two retraction jacks for the main gear legs. The main legs require very little preparation, with only the possibility of small blemishes that are sometimes a factor of the manufacturing process that require filling before you can paint. The tail gear leg has a length of curved bronze sprue between the leg and the stabilising struts, which should be cut off with nippers, a motor tool or something suitable that you have to hand. Once prepared they are drop-in replacements for the kit parts and offer orders of magnitude more strength. Conclusion This is another round of excellent additions to this modern kit. If you’re planning on building one B-17 in 1:48, these sets will make sure you’re going to build the best you can with the most detail. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A-26B/B-26 Invader Upgrade Sets (for ICM) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin We’ve been blessed with a LOT of new A-26 and B-26 kits from ICM in 1:48, and if their past performance is any gauge, we’ll be getting a bunch more variants before they’re done. This group of sets helps to increase the detail further than the kit allows, with Eduard’s usual modular approach so that you can get the parts that appeal to you, or go crazy and buy them all for the ultimate detail-fest. As standard 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. A-26B Interior (491068) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass, with a small sheet of pre-printed clear acetate. A complete set of new layered instrument panels with the new “droplet” glossy dials overprinted and centre consoles are the major parts on the painted set, with new seat and cockpit details; radio gear faces; sidewall instrumentation and canopy internal structure also supplied. Additional parts are also included for the rear crew section under the glazed portion of the aft gunner's position, with the kit gunner's equipment adjusted to fit the new PE parts, replacing his seat, the main part of the sighting mechanism, and retaining only a few parts from the it. The acetate sheet is pre-printed and should be cut up and used for the pilot's gunsight. It may have escaped your notice and they don't show up too well in these scans, but some of the new pre-painted instrument panels that are being produced by Eduard currently have a gloss finish to the instrument faces, replicating glass on the real thing. Somehow, they also manage to get these surfaces to look slightly convex, which improves the look and realism of the replacements to the kit parts. A-26B Invader Seatbelts (FE1069) Eduard belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the Pilot's four-point harness, you also get a set of lap belts for the forward gunner, rear gunner, and navigator's seats. A-26B Invader Bomb Bay (481009) Another large sheet of PE for this important area of the aircraft, unless you're closing up the doors of course! Firstly, lots of small details are removed to allow the detail skins to be fitted to the sidewalls, forward and aft bulkheads, with an additional piece on the curved part of the spar that runs through this area. The bay edges and bay doors are given new interior skins, plus more accurate and detailed hinges, while the bomb racks are added in pairs over each sidewall, holding two of the kit bombs (or resin alternatives) per rail. The kit bombs also have new fins, shackles and spinners attached before installation. B-26 Invader Wheels (648534) 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 contains parts for two main wheels with diamond tread and highly detailed moulded-in hubs, while the nose wheel has a similar tread-pattern and two separate hub halves to improve detail and show light between the spokes. Conclusion The detail in these sets are legendary, so choose what you want to focus on (those wheels!), and go for it. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Heinkel 111 Wheels Early & Late (648542 & 648543) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’re all probably well-aware of ICM’s recent range of He.111 kits, which is growing by the month and even contains a Zwilling, much to my own surprise and delight. Eduard have been releasing a number of sets to up the detail, with these two wheel sets the latest from the Brassin line. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Each set contains two grey resin main wheels and a tail wheel on separate pour blocks that attach to the parts on the slightly flattened contact patch for minimal clean-up, plus a set of masks (not pictured) to ease the task of painting them. He.111 Early Wheels (648542) These wheels have a deep radial tread pattern on the contact patch with Continental branding and specification on the sidewalls of them all. There is also a new yoke for the tail wheel in darker grey resin that appears to be stronger than the lighter grey. He.111 Late Wheels (648543) These wheels have a raised radial tread pattern on the sidewalls that fades as it reaches the rolling surface. The Continental branding is much larger and specification on the sidewalls is absent - apart from the code BF44. Conclusion Superb detail as always with Eduard resin, and as they’re drop-fit and don’t have any seams to hide, why wouldn’t you want a set? Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F-14D Upgrade Sets (for AMK) 1:48 Eduard Brassin After much delay the AMK F-14D was released (reviewed here), and here we have some rather nice detail and upgrade sets to go with it from Eduard, who have a long history of first rate resin and Photo-Etch (PE) sets for those hungry for more detail in their models. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small 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. The larger set arrives in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. F-14D Seats (648535) The Tomcat is a two-seater, and both SJU17A NACES seats (AKA Martin-Baker Mk.14) are supplied in the set with additional resin parts for the canopy breakers; seat cushion; umbilical, and a full set of pre-printed PE seatbelts, pull-handle and leg restraints. The instructions include painting guide with Gunze Mr Color call-outs, and after main painting the stencil decals are applied for the ultimate in realism. The seats are identical, so applying the seatbelts in a slightly different pattern will assist with realism, giving the impression that the crew have just departed for the mess. F-14D Wheels (648530) 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. In this Brassin set you have two highly details main wheels with separate brake detail and a duo of smaller nose wheels to cope with the harsh carrier landings. You also get masks for the hubs/tyres to cut perfect demarcations. Upgrade Set (491053) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, cockpit wall and side consoles are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals and floor skins; boarding ladder; chaff & flare boxes; refuelling probe covers; slate end skins; canopy internal structure and rear-view mirrors; fold-down foot pegs for the pilots; slime-lights on the nose and sides; additional vents with backing fans, plus a set of delicate, detailed afterburner rings to slip inside the two exhaust trunks also supplied. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1054) The new ultra-thin and bendy steel frets are becoming common in the Eduard line, and if you aren't going for the resin seats, you can get the PE from that set separately to improve the kit parts with pre-painted belts; anti-flail leg straps, and ejection actuation hoops Tface Masks (EX673) Supplied on two sheets of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. On the second sheet there is another set of canopy 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. It's especially useful on kits of this level of detail, as it will simplify painting enormously. Review sample courtesy of

P-51D 110gal & 165gal Fuel Tanks (648531 & 648532) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Mustangs used a few types of drop tanks when they were accompanying the bombers or ranging far and wide during the latter stages of WWII, and although some were made of compressed paper, others were stamped metal. We’ve got two highly detailed resin sets here. 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. P-51D 110gal Fuel Tanks (648531) This set contains two tanks (one for each wing. Shocker!), plus four anti-sway panels all in resin, with a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) circular valves to replace the moulded-in resin representations that may or may not get obliterated during the removal of the casting blocks. Eduard even include a scrap diagram with distances in case you completely sand them away, allowing you to replace them easily. The tanks fit onto the kit pylons with a brace on each side that fits into a slot in the tank, plus a short piece of 0.6mm wire from your own stocks to portray the feed tube. A small sets of decals are included for stencilling, and you can see the paint and decaling instructions on the front of the booklet, using Gunze codes for the paints, as usual. P-51D 165gal Fuel Tanks (648532) Ostensibly the same in terms of construction as the set above, only larger to accommodate the increase fuel load and with different seam lines. There are no drain valves on the bottoms of these tanks though, so no PE parts are needed. The seam runs vertically around the tanks too, and has a different layout of the stencils, which is visible on the front of the instructions again. You’ll need some 0.4mm wire to play the part of the hose too, so remember to get something in stock before you begin. Review sample courtesy of

P-38F/G Update Sets (BIG49239 & 648521 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Tamiya’s new P-38F/G Lightning is a pretty nice kit, and along comes Eduard to make it better. The BIG ED set is an aggregation of three sets in a large card envelope with the branding all over it, while the bronze legs are in a flat resealable pack like their Photo-Etch (PE) sets. P-38F Big Ed Set (BIG49239) This set contains the upgrade set, the seatbelts and a set of masks, as follows: P-38F Upgrade Set (491041) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, throttle-quadrants and side consoles are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; gear bay extras; double-layer circular mesh intakes under the nose and in the boom intakes; oleo-scissor links, and a perforated bracket to hold the internal windscreen armour that will require you to remove the moulded-in clear one. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1043) In case you don't already know, 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. You get a full set of four-point crew belts with separate comfort pads under the buckles and a clasp that glues in place on the buckle. Masks (EX666) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape and definitely not possessed by the devil, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. There’s also a set for the G if you’re going to build that option. P-38F P-38G P-38F/G Undercarriage Legs BRONZE (648521) This set contains three bronze cast gear legs that are a direct replacement for the kit parts, plus a small piece of resin that replicates the detail at the front of the nose gear leg made separately for detail and casting reasons. The legs will need a little clean-up as expected, but they have brake lines moulded into the main legs that hides a lot of it. They’ll be a lot stronger than the styrene parts, especially useful if you’re loading it up with extras. Review sample courtesy of

P-47D Wheels (648484 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin In 1:48 we have a choice of Thunderbolts from Academy and Tamiya, both of which could do with a set of nice crisp resin wheels, which is exactly what you’ll find in this set. Arriving in the new low-profile flat-packs that Eduard are using for their small resin sets, there are two wheels with highly detailed hubs, two hub caps that have flash between the spokes, and a small white tail wheel with moulded-in strut. There are also flat hubcaps on the accompanying Photo-Etch (PE) fret, and a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-tape masks for all three wheels. Detail is exceptional, as you can see from the photos, and they are a huge improvement on the kit parts from either camp, with sensibly placed attachment points on the slight flat-spot that gives the tyre some weighting as appropriate to the weight of the machine. 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

Eduard 1/48 Spitfire Mk.IXc 1 Sqn SAAF, Luqa Malta June 1943 Kit: Eduard Scale: 1/48 After market: Brassin Rolls Royce Merlin, Brassin Mk.IX Spitfire cockpit, Brassin Mk.IXc gun bays, Master cannon. Paints: Tamiya and Vajello I threw a lot of after market at this kit, mostly resin and mostly Eduard (Brassin). On the whole I was very impressed with the levels detail, the quality and how they were engineered. However if I were to build another Spitfire I wouldn't bother with the Brassin cockpit. The level of detail offered by the resin replacement really doesn't add that much to the model and its construction although fairly easy, was difficult to install into the plastic fuselage halves and even though I was very careful with its placement I still had a misaligned fuselage which only showed itself when it came to add the resin Merlin. The resin Merlin really was a little model by itself and the levels of detail are astounding. The actual construction was very straight forward and as long as you take your time separating the pieces from the resin casting blocks it went together well as did the resin gun bays. My only grip with the Merlin is that Eduard don't provide any details for the ignition leads on the top of the engine, I did think about adding them but I did't have a thin enough wire and to be honest I am worried out ruining the engine. The model was painted to represent Spitfire EN286, AX*8 of 1 Sqn SAAF, Luqa, Malta June 1943. I didn't realize that the roundels should be a more orange colour not the red that I painted them, however I'm happy with how they turned out. I weathered the model using oils and I'm very happy with how easy they were to manipulate and I'm happy with how they look. My Spitfire Mk.IXc Thank you. (WIP here) Til next Iain

Hi, here is the model I've completed last year. Tamiya's F-14 with added extras, Brassin cockpit and armament, some PE from Eduard and Furball decals. Painted with MRP paints, weathered with AMMO weathering products.

Hawker Tempest V Resin Upgrades & Decals (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin If you haven’t yet heard of Eduard’s new kit that has become the top kit in 1:48, where have you been? We’ve already seen a bunch of aftermarket updates from Eduard to add even more detail to an already excellent kit, but here comes another batch with a slightly different focus. Two are resin parts used around the chin intake, while the other two are national markings decals for early and late airframes. Tempest Mk.V Intake Ring (648499) This part was fitted in the chin intake to prevent warm air from the radiator being drawned into the carb intake, as warm air reduces performance of the engine, and that’s a bad thing. This single, fine piece of resin should be easily released from the fine web between it and the casting block, and can then be glued in directly to the kit panel. The lip is superbly thin and will look great in position on the kit. Tempest Mk.V Dust Filter w/eyelid (648500) Another single part set with an open pair of eyelid doors exposing the fine horizontal splitter, and showing how the eyelid works in practice. This was an alternate “tropical” filter that was useful when operating on poorly managed forward airfields as the RAF advanced through Europe in support of the front-line troops. In order to get a proper view of the piece and do it justice, I stitched three views of it together below. Tempest Roundels Early (D48031)& Late (D48032) If you’re a bit clumsy with decals, have a number of Overtrees boxings of the kit, a multi-subject decal sheet with only one set of roundels, or perhaps just have another manufacturer’s kit with no/damaged roundels, you now have a simple choice of early or late roundels? Each set includes four wing roundels - two each for top and bottom, another roundel for each side of the fuselage and two handed fin flashes for the tail fin – always red on the leading edge. The Decals are printed in the Czech Republic in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Early (D48031) Late (D48032) Review sample courtesy of

UK Enhanced Paveway II Mk.13/18 (648518) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Paveway II in RAF service was the fitment of a standard Paveway Laser Guidance kit to the UK 1000lb bomb to turn it into a guided bomb. This features a slightly different tail unit to the US Paveway and a collar at the front between the bomb and the guidance unit. The RAF realised during the Kosovo war that there were short comings with the Paveway in that its use was hampered by bad weather, cloud and during night time operations. This lead to the development of the "Enhanced" Paveway which added GPS guidance to the inertial navigation system. This can be seen on the bombs by the small round GPS antennas on the nose of the paveway section. In order for these to communicate with the aircraft a way had to be found to link the nose section to the aircraft plug behind the lug points on the bombs. This was done with a cable run made for the side of the bomb. To attach this in typical British style we just used two large jubilee clips, which can be seen running around the bomb body between the mounting lugs. 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 main bomb bodies, a set of forward fins for them both, some Photo-Etch (PE) parts and a choice of covered or in-flight seeker heads. At the rear is a tail plug to which a number of tiny PE parts from the little fret are added all around. The fins fit into keyed sockets on the bomb body, and after drilling a 0.9mm hole in the seeker head, it fits to a pin at the tip of the bomb. Check your references to ascertain the correct sag of the head depending on where your subject aircraft is in its mission, and use the FOD covered part for a parked aircraft. Colour call-outs are in Gunze paint codes, and as well as the painting & markings guide at the front that gives you decal placement options, there are also colours called out during the build to assist you further. Highly recommended. A picture of a Paveway II Enhanced from our walkaround section. Review sample courtesy of

B-17 Wheels (648529 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin HK Models have broken away from their own de facto scale and used the data they collected for their 1:32 B-17 kit to create a new tooling in 1:48. That’s got my vote, as that’s my scale. Eduard have this nice set of resin wheels to replace the injection moulded parts on the kit, with masks into the bargain. 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 the box are three resin wheels plus four additional hub parts and a set of pre-cut kabuki masks for them all (not pictured). Construction is simplicity itself and will take a few moments once you have removed them from their casting blocks with a razor saw or motor tool. The wheels have diamond tread and a very slight weighting to them where they attach to the casting block, and they are joined by the two hub parts in the centre, the inner one having a keyed socket for the axle to pass into. At the rear the small tail wheel is a drop-fit replacement, and masks are included for all hubs to give a perfect paint demarcation between hub and tyre. A scrap diagram shows how the wheel should look when installed and placed on the ground. Review sample courtesy of

Resin Missiles & Pod Sets 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s excellent Brassin range of weapons gets bigger each month, and here we have a raft of different weapons and pods for you to feast your eyes on. 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 wrapped around, doubling as padding. Each set contains decals and Photo-Etch (PE) where appropriate and has a painting guide included in the instructions. PAVEWAY I Mk.83 Slow Speed LGB Thermally Protected (648480) This larger set is in a double-tall box due to the size of the parts and consists of 16 resin parts. From these you can build two of these Laser Guided Bombs which are made up from the main body with the textured thermal coating on the explodey part. The tail unit fits on a keyed lug in the back of the body, and four steering vanes are added to the intelligent part of the bomb, inserted into little holes. At the front you can either glue a covered-up seeker, or one that is ready to fly, remembering to check your references if you’re not sure about the angle of the dangle. You’ll need to drill some 3.5mm holes in the rear of the tail for accuracy, and some 0.9mm holes in the seeker heads to put them in place on the nose. AN/ALQ-71(V)-2 ECM Pod (648491) A Vietnam era pod and you can build two with different nose cones as there are two bodies included. There is also a choice of three tail cones, either flat, pointed or rounded, with one of each provided. One nose cone has a choice of two types of blades for the spinner, while the other has a smooth nose cone. There’s a choice of blade antennae fitted to the underside with suggestions given in the instructions, plus two lugs that slot into the top. AN/ALQ-71(V)-3 ECM Pod (648492) Another Vietnam era pod used against SAM missiles, this set has a common body and two choices of nosecone, two shackles and a choice of antennae that were fitted depending on the requirements of the mission. One nose has small blades on the spinner, while the other has a simple aerodynamic fairing. A few small lengths of 0.3mm wire from your own stock will be needed to link the smooth nosed cone to the body, so remember to have some handy. The blades have a few suggestions included on the instructions, plus scrap diagrams showing painting and decaling. AN/ALQ-87 ECM Pod (648493) Made by General Electrics, this is an active ECM “barrage jammer” pod that is fitted externally to the carrying aircraft, and was used in the Vietnam era. There are three variants included in the box, and you can build two of your chosen type from the set. The common tail part has a resin shackle fitted to its top, then you choose one of the front sections and apply the second shackle. The noses available have a flat tip, a small spinner with two tiny resin blades, or an aerodynamic cone, and they could be fitted out with various external antennae as the mission required, with plenty of these blade antenna included and a scrap diagram showing which could be fitted where, but check your references for complete certainty if you can get good enough pictures of the pod and antennae. AIM-132 ASRAAM (648506) The Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile is a modern replacement for the Sidewinder that is being used by a number of Allied forces due to its advanced electronics that improve its accuracy in the short-range envelope. This set includes resin and PE parts for two missiles, with four rear-mounted steering vanes, a clear seeker head, and PE exhaust ring to its streamlined body. SUU-14 Dispenser (648507) More Vietnam era weapons, this time in the shape of a submunitions dispensers often carried by Skyraiders amongst others. Inside the six tubes were lots of bomblets of various types that were rather nasty, and were pushed out backwards by a piston within the tubes, so remember to put the exposed ends at the rear. You get four sets of tubes with hollow barrels, with a nose thimble and PE attachment ring added at the front (the closed end). The yellow bands tell you it’s live. Conclusion There’s such a range of weapons available from Eduard now, and with the new packaging they’re more compact, so cheaper to transport and easier for us modellers to store, whilst being a little better for the planet if you remember to recycle the boxes. Detail is excellent throughout and casting is flawless as usual. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hey everyone Since my Tamiya Spitfire is coming to an end I decided to have a look through my stash to see what I could build next and at the bottom of the pile I spied an Eduard 1/48 Spitfire with quite a lot of AM, these being the Brassin engine, gun bay and brass undercarriage legs I don’t have the Brassin cockpit for this kit as I really don’t think it adds very much to it and its more than adequate straight out of the box and because I have the Profipack version (8282) you get photoetch for the cockpit included. Since I’ve been looking at period photographs I have a hankering to build a desert camouflaged bird that’s heavily weathered. I haven’t made a start yet as I’m concentrating on getting my Mk.1 finished but I’ll post some pictures later of what I intend. cheers all Iain

Hello, it has been a long time since my last post on this great forum, but life is sometimes just too hectic to build models. But I've managed to finish this one off in under 7 months. Tamiya F-16C block 25/32 kit, with some extras: Aires F-16C/D wheel bays 4439, F-16C cockpit set 4364 and F-16c block 25/32 exhaust nozzle. Wheels are resin ones from wheeliant, armament and bombs are brassin items. I added Master pitot tube and angle of attack probes and HGW RBF tags. Model was painted with MRPaint colors, weathered with ammo products. Enough blabbering, here are the photos.

StG44 Assault Rifle (635013) 1:35 Eduard Brassin The StG44, which is an abbreviation of Sturmgewehr 1944, or Assault Rifle was a late war development by Nazi Germany to give their retreating soldiers a force multiplier and get more lead downrange than their enemy. It was highly successful in that task, although like most new designs it had a few hang-ups that were never completely eradicated. It was cheap due to the stamped nature of the shell and Bakelite trimmings, but the manufacturers just couldn't provide enough of them to make a significant difference to the outcome of WWII. Just three years after the war finished, the Russians debuted their AK-47 that bears more than a passing familial resemblance to the first true assault rifle. Coincidence? More than likely not. We're looking at you, Mikhail Kalashnikov. Unusually for an Eduard resin set it arrives in a flat resealable package, with a backing card protecting the contents and the instructions sandwiched between. Inside are eight resin '44s, and an additional casting block with four spare magazines, plus a pre-printed steel fret with the sling parts in reddish leather. The guns have attachment points along the lower edges of the stock, grip, mag and another at the end of the barrel that is removed by a vertical cut to expose the end of the barrel. The instructions give painting tips, as well as showing how the three-section sling should be attached to the gun with a double-layer at the front sling-point, and a pass-through at the rear, with the opposite side having the remainder of the sling depicted with a separate part with etched-in buckle. As the slings are steel, they're thinner and will drape better over whatever they are applied to, which is a big plus over traditional brass PE. Review sample courtesy of

SUU-7 Dispenser with & without Extension Tubes (648477 & 648478) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The SUU-7 munitions dispenser was used extensively in Vietnam against the Viet-min, and were often seen under the wings of F4 Phantoms. They look like a rocket pod, but are fitted with the exit tubes to the rear and the pods remain on the pylons during and after the mission, to be refilled with various types of bomblets to go out again. They're a simple type of cluster bomb, and had 19 tubes containing the bomblets, which could be phosphorus, smoke, or explosive fragmentation grenades of various styles. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, one arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box while the other retains the older plastic version, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as padding. SUU-7 (648477) The set includes four pods with almost flush munition chutes at the rear, and a single plug fitted to the front where the unit was removed from its pouring stub. A sheet of decals is included for stencils in yellow and black and yellow "live" designation bands, including some of the smallest decals I've ever seen that are applied to the tubes themselves as a guide to the crews loading the bomblets. These are shown in detail by a separate diagram with the other painting and decaling directions on the front of the instructions. SUU-7 w/extended tubes (648478) Differing from the set above only by having the uppermost tubes extended, presumably to cope with airflow from the trailing edges of the carrying aircraft's wings, you get four pods with the little end-caps, and a different decal sheet with revised scrap diagram for the exit tubes. Review sample courtesy of

Hey! I'm really sorry for not posting anything for a while.... I finished Eduard's spitfire with ton's of extras. If you are interested, here is the Build log, but I think you are more interested in seeing photos of the finished build. Some of You might have noticed that this build was published in Meng Air Modeller. Here they are, enjoy!

SUU-30B/B Munitions Dispenser (648444) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Used in Vietnam before the Cluster Bomb Unit (CBU) was banned by many countries, the SUU-30B/B and variants were the first in-flight munitions dispenser used by the US and could carry hemispherical fragmentation or incendiary submunitions. 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 four bomb bodies plus a choice of FOD cover or snub nose cone. The fins are PE, and are made up from a single half-thickness etched part folded over and with the finlets folded out to 90o to the fin. They then fit into grooves in the body and you must align them carefully. There is also a rear cover that fits over the cut-off mark where the pour stub was removed. Painting and decaling is covered on the front of the instructions with Gunze codes and the various stencils numbered for your ease. Review sample courtesy of