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Decided to kick off another build in these long lockdown day's of April, as I'm at the painting stage on many projects at present and need some time away from the spray booth...So....had this in the stash for some time with a PE fender set from Eduard, and tracks from Friul. Hopefully will post first build stage sometime this week. Cheers

F4F-3 Early SPACE Interior Set (3DL48080 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. This set includes a full set of 3D printed instrument panel sections, plus additional parts that are applied to the side consoles to replace many of the raised portions of the styrene parts, with some slight differences from the later set we reviewed a while ago. There is also a pair of printed document cases for the sidewalls, and while the PE sheet is almost totally made up of seatbelt parts, there is also a handle for the side consoles and a backing plate for the larger of the two document folders. Highly recommended. Currently out of stock at Eduard, but check back later Review sample courtesy of

Bf.109G-6 SPACE Interior Set (3DL48100 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The main instrument panel is replaced entirely after removing the moulded-in kit detail, with a separate decal over the centre cluster of larger dials, and another small panel that has been supplied with a PE backing plate to suspend it from the underside of the main panel. Two more small decals complete filling in the remaining spaces on the panel. On the starboard sidewall is a trio of decals for the dials and stencils under the visible area of the fuel line, plus two more for the part beneath it, and another on the other side. The floor instrument boxes have their faces removed to accept another three tiny decals, then the remaining PE parts are used to create a full set of crew belts with comfort pads under the buckles, and add a few toggles and levers to the main instrument panel. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kit - Eduard MiG-21R Profi Edition Paint - All Acrylics Decals - Spares & kit Extras - None MiG-21R (Unit unknown) Syrian Air Force Late 1980's. So just about eight weeks on this one, everything you see (except the roundels & side number) is straight from the Eduard box, no after-market used at all. Paint is all acrylic and all mixed 'until it looks about right'. And therein is the elephant on the workbench. For the finish I used three separate profiles from three different artists, and according to some, Syrian AF MiG's didn't wear these colours in this style, apparently somewhere down the road a photo was misinterpreted and then became a profile... Of course I was made aware of this when I was too deep into the build to turn back, but hey... it's a hobby not brain surgery, right ?. Regardless, I love the final outcome, definitely NOT an easy shake'n bake weekend project, but sometimes I (we ?) need a more challenging build to keep us real, wouldn't you say. Please feel free to ask questions, raise concerns or make any sort of comment. Cheers from a still very warm & sunny NZ. Ian.

F-35B Wheels (648819 for Italeri) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin and Mask sets, the set arrives in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Inside are three wheels on separate casting blocks, plus a sheet of kabuki-style masking tape, cut to shape to allow you to cut the demarcations between the tyres and hubs with ease. Detail is superb, with crisp raised Michelin maker’s mark and statistics on the sidewalls, and circumferential tread on the contact band. They are attached to the casting blocks via the contact patch for ease of removal without ruining any detail, and there is a slight bulge there to depict the weight of the airframe on the tyre. They are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, and are patterned specifically for the new 1:48 Italeri kit, but could probably also be adjusted to fit any other F-35B kit you may have on hand. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I thought I would carry on with a theme. As a deal with James @franky boy I opted to build an A-8 from JGr.10, the combat unit that trialed different weapons to try and bring down the 4 engined bombers of the USAAF in greater numbers. Their aircraft were adorned with snakes from the engine cowling back to the tail. I have the EagleCal decal sheet for two of these aircraft plus another decal sheet from a Kagero book about these Focke Wulfs. The kit I'm using is the Eduard overtrees box that just has the plastic kit, no plans, decals, p/e or masks. This is not a problem as I have plenty of options, either the Quinta or Eduard 3D decals for the cockpit and a spare fret of Eduard p/e or the 'Space' p/e that comes with the 3D decals. The W.Gr 21cm rockets are from Eduard, they came with a Bf 109 kit but they were exactly the same type used on FWs. Another option is a single rocket, these were attached to the centre line pylon, facing rearwards, the idea was to attack a bomber head on using canon fire and as the FW flew past it fired the rocket back at the bomber, it wasn't successful and the pair of rockets, one under each wing made the attacking aircraft slow and vunerable, the escort fighters usually made short work of them. Here are the photos of the extras, the kit sprues have been shown on several threads already. Here is a photo of the kit, cockpit options and the wing mounted rockets. The full length rockets are for a loading diorama, for loaded launchers just the rocket fronts are used. Here is a close up of the 3D decals and accessories and the single, rearwards firing rocket launcher, and no they never carried all three. Thanks for looking, I'll get stared as soon as I can.

Mosquito B Mk.IV Updates (for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard The Tamiya Mosquito is an iconic kit in 1:48, and although it was initially released in 1998 and this version was tooled the following year, it’s still a great build and accurate apart from the height of the tail fin if you believe the purists. It’s readily available again, and although the price has inevitably crept up, it’s still a fabulous kit of a superb aircraft. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, including some of the newer technologies they’ve taken to using. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48097) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The instrument panel is completely replaced after removing the moulded-in details with a two-part decal plus a trio of levers, then the send/receive radio boxes have their fronts removed to be replaced by colourful new decals. The compass in front of the throttle quadrant is replaced by a new decal, then another six equipment boxes are replaced or added on both sidewalls. The rest of the PE parts are seatbelts for both crew members, requiring a small raised lump to be removed from the pilot’s headrest and a hole drilled in its location so that the shoulder belts can pass through. The navigator has an identical set of belts that drape over his smaller, more cramped seat slightly behind the pilot. Stencils (D48108 for Tamiya/Revell) Eduard’s stencil range has been growing steadily of late, providing sharp, detailed stencilling for numerous types, some of which are lacking from the originating manufacturer’s box. The latter can come in handy for your average modeller, as sometimes the kit doesn’t include a complete set of stencils for expediency or whatever reason. Some folks, myself included, think that the inclusion of a full suite of stencils adds extra realism to a model, although there is of course the time element and the extra carrier film edges to hide. Eduard have been busy of late and have released this comprehensive set we have to review. It arrives in a clear foil re-sealable envelope with a card stiffener, a cover page with instructions, plus the decals with wax paper protecting the delicate printed surface. This set arrives on one sheet, and is patterned for almost any 1:48 Mosquito kit due to the generic nature and placement of the stencils. Over the course of four profiles from overhead, underneath, and the sides, plus a diagram of the engine nacelles from the side, the locations of all the stencils are shown clearly on greyscale line drawings that use coloured arrows and numbers to differentiate from the background. Link to PDF of instructions. The decals are printed in-house by Eduard and have good register, sharpness and colour density, with a glossy carrier film printed close to the edges of the printed areas. Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and those large red boxes with crosses running over them will be substantially improved once the carrier film has been removed, with no chance of silvering. Masks (EX028) Supplied on a sheet 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. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for all the wheels (including the out-riggers), allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Masks Tface (EX913) Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. If you missed the review of the Löök set for this kit that we did a few weeks ago, you can find it here. Review sample courtesy of

Beaufort Mk.I Undercarriage (481096 for ICM) 1:48 Eduard ICM’s new 1:48 scale Beaufort has made a lot of modellers very happy, myself included. Eduard’s new detail upgrade sets have started to come on-stream now, and this set is intended to detail-up the landing gear bays. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, it arrives in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The bay roofs are skinned with a new layer, which has a trio of raised stiffening crosses applied over certain panels. The front bulkhead is folded up perpendicular to the roof, while the rear bulkhead is a separate part that stands up above the surface of the wing. Additional detail parts are applied to the lower section of the rear bulkhead before it is inserted into the bay. The bay sides are also skinned with a two-layer detail surface, with an extra section fitted to the wing surface on each side that will be inside the bay once the cowlings are added. The upper part of the twin retraction jacks on the main gear are removed and replaced with a new folded portion, and a bay door bumper frame is fixed around the front of the main legs, plus another at the edge of the bay doors themselves. Small strengthening plates are then glued to the top of the diagonal section of the leg base, with two per leg. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi Everyone My first completion of the year, this is the 1/48 Eduard Tempest Mk V and it’s built out of the box. The rivets on the fuselage looked way too big to my eyes so I sanded them down and I think the result looks more in-scale now. This is my first Eduard kit and it won’t be my last, the detail is very good for the scale not to mention the price. I think the surface detail is perhaps a little over emphasised, but I can’t argue with the results when weathered. I would say don’t spent too much time in the cockpit area on Hawker aircraft like this because you can’t see much when the office is fully installed. I was impressed with the new decals as they lay down very well which can be seen in the pictures. I did try and peel off the carrier-film on a few test samples but I could not get a consistent result so binned that idea. Anyway, on to the pictures and thanks for looking. The Carrier-film is hardly visible in the picture below. Unlike my dreadful orange-peel spray painting. Regards Trace

With the summer heatwave apocalypse month of January coming to an end, I can actually start thinking about model building again. A bit late to this party, but my entry: Only AM will be some PE belts. Sprues still bagged. Not going to lie, the fuselage size came as a surprise for some reason. Didn't expect it to be so chonky! The 2 marking options I'm undecided on. I am leaning more towards the French Indochina one. But still some time before decals to make up my mind. Updates to follow shortly!

My adventure with 1/72 scale biplanes continues! This was a peculiar little kit for being of Eduard lineage. I built the first boxing of the kit from 2003 when it was a new tool, and it has been reissued with new parts and new decals in subsequent releases. The instructions were in a straightforward and easy to understand style, although I ran into a fairly significant issue early in the build. The fuselage is unusually molded in upper and lower halves instead of left and right sides, with the "instrument panel" slotting in under the top fuselage piece. Except that it... doesn't. There's no way it will ever fit. So after an unexpected session of plastic surgery and some putty, it eventually laid down and the rest of the build continued on smoothly! I hand painted this model and rigged it with Uschi "Rig That Thing!" superfine line. I think it is my most tidy rigging work thus far, so I'm very excited to show it here. 1st Lieutenant Jacques M. Swaab's first combat mission was on the 8th of September 1918, when he shot down 3 enemy aircraft within the span of half an hour. He would eventually claim 17 kills and be officially credited with 10. He survived the war and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in aerial combat and swiftly coming to the aid of a comrade in mortal danger. Please enjoy the pictures!

P-38J Seat PRINT (648811 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Although this set arrives in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about. The parts are printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little upstands away, leaving them ready for action. Consisting of just one crisply printed resin part, plus a small fret of nickel-plated pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) STEEL that contains seatbelts plus comfort pad, the set should be a relatively straight forward replacement for the kit part, with the addition of substantial fine detail, plus the highly realistic seatbelts that should drape over the seats well thanks to the softer, thinner steel substrate. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German WWII Pioneer Tools & Clamps (635018, 635019 & 635021) 1:35 Eduard Brassin PRINT All AFVs are issued with a set of pioneer tools when they take delivery of their vehicle, which are usually clamped on the outer surface of their ride using metal or metal and leather clamps that were (relatively) quick release for easy access. The crew would use them to repair their charge, dig latrines, trenches and other such earth works, and if they were really unlucky, they’d have to use them to dig out their own or a comrade’s vehicle if it became mired in mud or snow. Eduard are using their new 3D printing facilities to create a range of accessories to detail up your AFV models – specifically WWII German with this batch. Many AFV kits are simplified when it comes to pioneer tools and their clamps, so adding a selection from these sets should improve the look of your finished model. Although these sets arrive in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about. The parts are printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little upstands away, leaving them ready for action. All the sets have protective arches around the more vulnerable areas of the printed parts, although inside the little boxes and pinned down by the adhesive pads, they should reach you in the same condition as they left the factory. WWII German Hammer (635018) This set contains a printing base with four hammers, one of which is without clamps so that it can be depicted in-use or laid down somewhere. In addition, there is a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) that should be folded up onto an open-sided box to accommodate the square end of the hammer’s head. WWII German Axe (635019) Containing four printed axes on a base, three of them have two clamps along the shaft, while the fourth is without them to allow its use in a diorama or candid position. A small PE fret is included to be folded into a shroud that the axe head slots into to protect the crew and any riders from injury. Curiously, one axe is designed to be stowed vertically, which would be risky unless it was up against a vertical surface. WWII German Clamps Type 2 (635021) This set has three print bases with clamps in different positions. The largest base holds thirty clamps in the closed position, with a further ten un-latched but closed, and another ten in the open position. This will give you a choice of poses for the equipment in use or absent, as if it was removed by different people with their own idea of how to leave the empty clamps. Conclusion Detail is excellent throughout, and the removal of the parts should be simple, although it’s best done under magnification for surety of cut, making sure the carpet monster is away at the time. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

So… I’ve been toying with the idea of committing to a third build for the Salty Sea Dog for a few weeks. I thought I would do an Air-Sea Rescue Spitfire Mk Vb, but I discounted that fairly early on as, funky yellow codes apart, it’s another Day Fighter Scheme plane, I’ve done one of those recently. I also considered a French Aéronavale Seafire Mk 15 in EDSG over grey, but I’m not sure I’m ready for another Special Hobby bruiser just yet. At the back of my mind, though, lurked the idea of one of the carrier-launched Spitfires that was delivered to the besieged and beleaguered island of Malta during the 1942 “club run” operations. I’ve been reading a bit about these and it was a truly exceptional episode in the history of military aviation. However I was a bit wary given the sizeable can of worms that seems to get cracked open every time the subject of the colour of these birds is brought up. The airframe I’ve decided to go with is Spitfire Mk Vc (Trop) s/n BR126, whose story was remarkable even for a club run Spit. BR126 was one of the Vc’s transported to the Med by the American carrier USS Wasp for Operation Bowery, the second such operation to involve this ship, following a personal appeal by Churchill to Roosevelt. BR126 was embarked upon Wasp at Clydebank on 3rd May 1942, at the time painted in Temperate Sea Scheme and bearing the codes 3*X. All the Bowery Spitfires were fitted with 90 gallon “slipper” fuel tanks to give them the necessary range to reach Malta. The fuel feeds for these tanks had proven very unreliable during previous ops, to the extent that a the engineer who had designed them was despatched to the Med to sort the problem out. Sure enough, on taking off from Wasp on 9th May 1942, Canadian P/O Jerry Smith found that his auxiliary tank fuel feed was malfunctioning; there was no way he would reach Malta without it. The Spitfires were not equipped for carrier deck landing, having no arrester hook. The logical, and sensible(?) thing to do would be to ditch the aircraft in the sea and wait to be picked up; this, indeed, was what the pilots had been advised to do if encountering problems once airborne. However Smith, not wanting to consign a brand-new aircraft to the depths, somehow managed to land the plane back on deck (on the second attempt) with only a few feet to spare, an extraordinary feat of airmanship for which the American pilots on board Wasp unofficially awarded him his US Navy pilot’s wings. Smith asked for a replacement tank to be fitted and permission to continue alone, but this was denied. Accounts differ on whether Smith returned to Gibraltar with Wasp or flew there from Wasp the day after his famous carrier landing. The caption on the following photograph suggests he flew there, but I'm not sure of its provenance. There is an account of the landing here, although the bit about Smith flying on directly to Malta is incorrect. https://www.flightjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/No_Tailhook_Spitfire.pdf Jerry Smith being feted by American colleagues on board Wasp after his landing, his hand on his new US Navy wings: During its short stay in Gibraltar BR126 was repainted in Dark Mediterranean Blue over Sky Blue. With this new paint scheme and now bearing the codes GL*E for 185 Squadron (though see below), Smith and his aircraft were embarked on HMS Eagle, from which he flew to Malta on 18th May with 16 other Spitfires as part of Operation LB. The reason I’ve chosen this airframe, apart from the fact that blue is my favourite colour, is that it neatly sidesteps pretty much all those “what kind of blue, when, where and how applied” questions. My main references are The Spitfire Story and Spitfire: The Documentary History by Dr Alfred Price and the relevant Colour Conundrums articles by Paul Lucas (I am hugely indebted to @2996 Victor for kitting me out with a copy of the latter), which I hope we can all agree are pretty solid. The kit I’m using is one from Eduard’s Spitfire Vc “Per Aspera Ad Astra” Dual Combo. Now, here it gets a little bit murky. One of the OOB options is identical in every respect to the BR136 as illustrated in Colour Conundrums – same-ish colours (although "Sky" rather than Sky Blue undersides?), same yellow GL*E codes in the same style – except for the serial number, which is shown as a different aircraft, BR294. The Spitfire production data on airhistory.com presents the following for the two airframes: BR126 FF 25-3-42 8MU 28-3-42 RAF Abbotsinch 12-4-42 USS Wasp 3-5-42 flown off Wasp but landed back 9-5-42 '3-X' returned to Gib. flown off Eagle to Malta 18-5-42 185Sq 'GL-O' 18-5-42 f/l due glycol leak CB 15-6-42 FSgt RJ Sim safe SOC 31-7-42 FH39:30 BR126 First flew 24/3/42, to 8 Maintenance Unit 28/3/42, to RAF Abbotsinch [Glasgow] 12/4/42, loaded onto USS Wasp 3/5/42, flown off Wasp but landed back 9/5/42 coded ‘3-X’, returned to Gibraltar. Flown off HMS Eagle to Malta 18/5/42, to 185 Squadron coded ‘GL-O’ 18/5/2, forced landing due to glycol leak, beyond repair 15/6/42, Flight Sergeant R J Sim safe [later KIA over the Channel with 616 Squadron, 15/6/43 - a year to the day after his forced landing on Malta], struck off charge 31/7/42, 39:30 flying hours. BR294 FF 17-4-42 8MU 17-4-42 USS Wasp 3-5-42 flown off Wasp to Malta 9-5-42, to 185Sq 'GL-E' 30-4-42 Crashed on landing Hal Far 2-7-42 FSgt DG Reid inj SOC 3-7-42 FH55:10 BR294 First flew 17/4/42, to 8 Maintenance Unit 17/4/42, flown off USS Wasp to Malta 9/5/42, to 185 Squadron code ‘GL-E’ 30/4/42, crashed on landing Hal Far 2/7/42, Flight Sergeant D G Reid injured, struck off charge 3/7/42, 55:10 flying hours. …all of which would suggest that BR126 wasn’t coded GL*E, but GL*O… and that GL*E were the codes on BR294, which met its end nearly a month before BR126 after flying from USS Wasp on the same morning in early May, the difference being of course that BR294 made it to Malta, which BR126 didn’t, not just yet anyway. Ordinarily that would be the end of the matter for me: BR126 was GL*O… but for the existence of these photographs of the two Spitfires after their respective demises – BR126 quite clearly carrying the codes GL*E, and to my eye at least BR294 looking more like GL*F. The only quibble in all this is exactly when BR126 received its codes; when BR294 flew from Wasp it would have carried a “number*X” code, the same as BR126, and must have received its 185 Squadron “GL” code on arrival in Malta. Lucas suggests that BR126 already had its “GL” codes when it flew from Eagle. There are a few possibilities here: Gibraltar ground crew were aware of what codes were now needed on BR126 and they painted them on before it was embarked on Eagle. Lucas is wrong and in fact BR126 flew from Eagle to Malta without codes, receiving them on arrival. BR126 was originally coded GL*O but was given a new GL*E code sometime before its demise in June. The data on airhistory is just wrong. This is the bit I'm going to have to chew over. Anyway, this is how I plan to model BR126: how it looked as it left Eagle’s deck. probably GL codes, all four cannon, 90 gallon slipper tank, nice new paint job as described by Mr Lucas (who helpfully supplied Vallejo paint references – I may be veering away from my faithful Humbrol enamels for this one), very minimal weathering. I can make the serial number decals work – I have the “2”, the “9” upside down will give me a “6”, and with a sharp blade and a steady hand I hope to extract a “1” from the “4” – twice! However, BR126's s/n's are rather ""blockier" in appearance, I may have to do something with that. If you’ve made the time to sit and read this stream of consciousness, I’m grateful. Hopefully I’ll get onto this soon, once SSDGB builds nos. 1 (WIP) and 2 (yet to start, but should be a relatively quick build), and another couple of projects are out of they way. There should be time, and hopefully not at the cost of either of my two planned Reconnaissance GB builds. Thanks for looking in! Tony

Avro Anson Mk.I Tface Masks (EX918 for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Airfix’s new and long-awaited Anson in quarter-scale is a great kit, but it’s got a lot of glazing that might make some of our fellow modellers wince at the prospect of having to mask off the many clear parts, especially as is common with a lot of early WWII aircraft, it was quite a greenhouse, with frames everywhere across its extensive set of windows. Well, worry not because Eduard are riding to the rescue with this comprehensive set of masks. Unlike the usual Tface sets, this is supplied in an A5 flat-pack, on three large sheets of yellow kabuki tape with extensive diagrams guiding you. These pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, side windows, turret and all the other glazing both inside and out. In addition, you get landing light masks, alternate masks for the simplified windscreen framing, and a set of hub/tyre masks for all three wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Having used a Tface set of masks for my recent Wildcat build, I’m a huge fan of the concept, as I believe it gives your model’s glazing extra realism and depth, so will be using these sets at every opportunity. They’re highly accurate too, and once you have installed masks on the exterior panes, locating the inner sections is much easier, as you don’t have any doubt as to where they should fit. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Yak-9D Wheels (648821 for Zvezda) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are wrapped around. Inside are three resin wheels on separate casting blocks and a sheet of masks for them. Each wheel is attached to the casting block at the contact patch, which has a small flat-spot and bulge that indicates the weight of the airframe on the tyres. Detail is excellent on the hubs, and the main wheel tyres have radial tread on the contact surface, while the tail-wheel has a circumferential tread with radial lines on the sidewalls. Once they’re cut from the blocks, installation is as simple as sliding them onto the axles of the main wheels, and flexing the kit's tail-wheel yoke to admit the replacement resin part. In addition, there is a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-style masking material (not pictured) included in the package, which should allow you to cut the demarcation between the tyres and hubs sharply and without any effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Here is my recently completed build of Eduards new tooled F4F-3 Wildcat. The kit itself went together a dream and the only filler required was to clean the seem up along the spine of the aircraft. I painted the aircraft in AK RC and weathered with a mixture of oils and enamel products from Mig and AK. Please let me know your comments and feedback.

Spitfire Mk.Vb Updates (for Eduard Weekend) 1:48 Eduard We’ve just reviewed the new Weekend boxing of the Spitfire Mk.Vb Mid from Eduard here, and for those of you that have changed your mind about the level of detail you want to include in your model, here are a couple of sets that can help you out quickly and easily. 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. Spitfire Mk.Vb Weekend Upgrade Set (FE1322) This includes a single fret of nickel-plated and pre-painted brass to increase the detail of the Weekend kit, if you’ve changed your mind about wanting a quick easy build with no PE already. A complete set of new three-layered instrument panels; added levers for the cockpit; seat armour and head armour; link hose between the two tanks in the rear; flare rack for the front of the seat; replacement throttle quadrant; rudder pedal straps; firing lever for the control column; compass insert; a full set of pre-painted four-point seatbelts; additional internals to the cockpit sidewalls; grilles for the intakes and oil cooler; surface meshes for both sides of the radiator baths under the wings; supports under the radiator flaps; closure mechanism for the pilot’s door; bases under two underwing outlets; rear-view mirror and closure mechanism for the canopy, and pop-up undercarriage indicator stalks on the upper wings that require a small hole to be drilled in the wing, as located by the red dot in the diagrams. Masks Tface (EX914) Supplied on a two sheets of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything you would expect for the exterior glazing, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the insides of the canopy and give your model that extra bit of realism. From experience, it’s best to put the outer set of masks on first, then line up the smaller inner sections with those for nice neat frames on both sides. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.Vb Mid Weekend Edition (84186) 1:48 Eduard The Spitfire was the champion of the Battle of Britain along with the Hurricane and a few other less well-known players, and it’s an aircraft with an amazing reputation that started as a bit of a damp squib in the shape of the Supermarine Type 224. This gull-winged oddity was the grandfather of the Spitfire, and despite losing out to the biplane Gloster Gladiator, designer R J Mitchell was spurred on to go back to the drawing board and create a more modern, technologically advanced and therefore risky design. This was the Type 300, and it was an all-metal construction with an incredibly thin elliptical wing that became legendary, although it didn’t leave much space for fuel, a situation that was further worsened by the Air Ministry’s insistence that four .303 machine guns were to be installed in each wing, rather than the three originally envisaged. It was a very well-sorted aircraft from the outset, so quickly entered service with the RAF in 1938 in small numbers. With the clouds of war building, the Ministry issued more orders and it became a battle to manufacture enough to fulfil demand in time for the outbreak and early days of war from September 1939 onwards. By then, the restrictive straight sided canopy had been replaced by a “blown” hood to give the pilot more visibility, although a few with the old canopy still lingered for a while. The title Mk.Ia was given retrospectively to differentiate between the cannon-winged Mk.Ib that was instigated after the .303s were found somewhat lacking compared to the 20mm cannon armament of their main opposition at the time, the Bf.109. As is usual in wartime, the designers could never rest on their laurels with an airframe like the Spitfire, as it had significant potential for development, a process that lasted throughout the whole of WWII, and included many changes to the Merlin engine, then the installation of the more powerful Griffon engine, as well as the removal of the spine of the fuselage and creation of a bubble canopy to improve the pilot’s situational awareness. Its immediate successor was the Mk.II that had a better Merlin engine and higher octane fuel to give it a healthy boost in performance. The IIa was armed identically to the Mk.Ia with four .303s in each wing, while the IIb carried the two 20mm cannons of the Ib and two .303s in each of the wings. It was followed by the Mk.V that had yet another more powerful Merlin fitted, which returned the fright of the earlier marks’ first encounters with Fw.190s by a similar increase in performance from an outwardly almost identical Spitfire. The Kit This is a reboxing of a recent ProfiPACK tool from Eduard, following on from their other later marks of the Spit in their usual manner, providing us modellers with a wide selection of types and sub-variants as they proceed through their launch schedule. This Weekend boxing depicts the Mid production Mk.Vb, the letter B referring to the type of wing fitted to the airframe that was engineered to accommodate a pair of 20mm cannons within the area previously occupied by four .303 machine guns in earlier versions. This is a thoroughly modern tooling with immense detail squeezed into every part, and for the inveterate upgraders, the kits are moulded with that in mind, to be augmented by a raft of super-detailed resin and brass sets from Eduard themselves, which benefit from concurrent launch and excellent fit. The outer skin has been fully riveted with fine lines of rivets everywhere, plus different widths of engraved panel lines, fasteners on cowling panels, and even some lapped panels such as the fuel tank in front of the canopy. It arrives in Eduard’s blue-themed Weekend box, with five sprues in their grey/blue styrene, a clear sprue, a decal sheet with separate stencil sheet, and the glossy instruction booklet with painting guide at the rear in full colour. It is nearly identical in terms of sprues to the earlier boxing that we reviewed, and the differences between the versions are fairly small, but you use alternative parts on the sprues for the cannons and for some decal options, plus the decals themselves. Construction begins with the cockpit, which will probably be familiar to most, although there is a huge amount of detail when it’s done the Eduard way. It is built up on the starboard sidewall insert, with equipment, controls and a seat-carrying fuselage frame. The seat is next, having the optional flare rack at the front added, as well as some decal seatbelts and styrene rear armour. The control column is also made up and flight control box (more of a tangle, really) are joined to the seat and inserted in the next two fuselage frames forward. The next frame forward holds the instrument panel, which is made from an engraved styrene part with decals, which then glues to the frame, with the gunsight with a choice of square or circular glazing at the top of the panel, and the compass just below with its own decal, then the rudder pedals are put just inside the footwell below the panel. Forward of that frame is a blanking plate that is glued in place along with the spinner back during the fuselage closure procedure. The socket for the tail wheel and the leading edge of the wing fairing are also glued in, with a 1mm hole drilled in the port side. The canopy will require small parts of the sidewalls removing to accommodate the appropriate glazing, so make sure you cut those parts off too. They slip in a mention of a panel line on the very front of the nose that you need to fill in, so don’t forget that one, as it’s called out with a line and the word “fill” during the attachment to the wings later that is easy to miss, but you might want to deal with that while sorting the fuselage seams. The lower wing is a single part that stretches as far as the clipped wingtip would be, and there are two pairs of small holes that need drilling out on both undersides before you go any further. A long wing spar bridges the gap between the wheel bay cut-outs, then the rest of the bay walls are made from short sections and just the two outer wing-gun barrels per side are dropped into their slots ready for closing, then placing the fuselage into the gap and gluing it home. The empennage is next, with separate elevator fins and flying surfaces, plus the rudder and its control link. Back to the wings, and the elliptical tips or clipped alternatives (depending on your decal choice) are slid into place along with the ailerons, the latter you can pose deflected if you wish. Staying with the wing, the model is flipped over, and the radiator, oil cooler and chin intake with fairing are all added in, the radiator and oil cooler both having mesh moulded-in, L-shaped feeder pipes at the rear, and a flap with actuators for open and closed positions. The narrow track landing gear has a peg removed that is marked in red, and these then have the captive doors attached to the rear, and wheels made up from a tyre and two hub parts, with a split yoke and wheel for the tail, which slots into the socket buried within the fuselage earlier. The 20mm cannon parts simply slide into their sockets in the leading edge of the wings, with nice muzzle detail moulded-in. The canopy has a choice of parts used for the different decal options, and a choice of open or closed canopies is possible by using different parts. The fixed rear glazing is fitted first for the open option, but is moulded into the closed canopy for better fit on a closed cockpit. The cockpit door can be mounted open or closed, then the aerial is glued to the rear of the canopy on a base just in front of a clear lens. The exhaust stacks have been moulded carefully to give hollow tips, and the prop is a single part, covered front and back by the two-part pointed spinner, with the peg on the rear sliding into the front of the fuselage. The final steps show two aerial wires from the fuselage sides to the elevators, which you will need to provide from your own toolbox. Markings The Weekend editions historically only had one and later two decal options, but this one expands that to four options, which is nice to see. From the box you can build one of the following: BM211 F/Lt. John D Mitchner, No.402 Sqn. RCAF, RAF Merston, UK, Sept-Nov 1943 BL594 W/Cdr. Alexsandr K Gabszewicz, No.2 Polish Wing, RAF Northolt, UK, Feb-May 1943 BL384 F/Lt. John A A Gibson, No.457 Sqn., RAAF, RAF Andreas, UK, December 1941 BM309 2/Lt. Robert A Boock, 335th FS, 4th FG, Debden, UK, February 1943 The decals are printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The stencils are on a separate sheet, and are marked on a page of the booklet, separate from the rest of the markings to avoid confusion from trying to read overly busy diagrams. Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view. If you got one of these and decided you want to add a little more detail after all, check out our review of the PE and Tface mask update sets here. Conclusion The Weekend editions have always been good value, and with four interesting schemes on offer, this one is no exception. If you change your mind about not wanting aftermarket later, there’s plenty to go at, or just build it and enjoy it. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A-10C Update Sets (for Hobby Boss) 1:48 Eduard Hobby Boss have had a couple of A-10 kits in 1:48 over the years, but have recently released an updated kit for the modernised type C that is currently in use with American forces, complete with all manner of technological updates to keep it in touch with Allied forces, and taking out those of the enemy. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Interior (491324) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass, plus a small sheet of acetate film that has been pre-printed with shapes to aid cutting out of the parts. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, sidewall quilting and instruments, and complex side consoles with added levers for the cockpit and the extensive instrument panel for the cabin are in full colour; ejection seat controls with tip of the launch rail; details for the rear ‘turtle’ deck behind the pilot and on the closure mechanism, as well as on the sides around the aft of the cockpit. Additional parts are supplied for the HUD frame, and here one of the strips of acetate is scored to create a flat-topped right-angled triangle that fits inside the two sides, and a coloured PE lens for inside the bottom. Finally, the canopy and windscreen are detailed with additional instruments and roll-over hoop frames that include rear-view mirrors on the canopy side. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48098) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The 3D printed sheet contains a superbly detailed multi-part instrument panel that requires the removal of the inferior styrene details, plus more for the side consoles, which also have additional levers installed. A detail insert is provided for the control column, a colourful insert for the HUD and two patches on the top corners of the seat cushion are the last decals, then the kit seatbelts and seat controls are relieved of their moulded-in details so the new pre-painted PE replacements can be fixed in place to complete the overhaul. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1325) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the crew belts, you also get a set of controls and pull-handles either side of the pilot's knees that gets him out of there in case of an emergency. Masks (EX915) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki masking 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. Masks Tface (EX916) Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism, which should come in useful if you purchase any of the detail sets that also include extra details for the canopy. Review sample courtesy of

Mosquito B.Mk.IV Löök (644188 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard This set contains a combination of pre-printed resin and PE parts to detail up the cockpit of your Tamiya Mosquito quickly and efficiently. It’s a classic kit that is still just as crisply moulded as it was when first released, but aftermarket technology has proceeded apace in the years since it arrived on our shores. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), Löök 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 parts are protected by a crystal-clear plastic clamshell box with a sticky pad in the bottom to prevent the parts from rattling around within, while the PE is glued to the cardboard backing. There is one resin part to replace the kit instrument panel in front of the pilot, and two more replacing the transmitter and receiver radio boxes in the rear of the cockpit, all with glossy faced dials, switches and knobs already painted for you on black resin. Additionally, the PE sheet contains four-point belts for the pilot and navigator, and a pair of grab-handles for the R.1155 Radio Receiver. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi All, My latest completion is Eduard's relatively new-tool Spitfire Mk.IIa, completed as P7840 of 340 (Free French) Sqn, based at RAF Turnhouse, Ayr in December 1941. P7840 was the thirteenth of seventeen Spitfires donated by the Belfast Evening Telegraph Spitfire Fund, and was titled 'Mountains o' Mourne'. Here's a couple of photos of the aircraft and the squadron (kindly provided by @Troy Smith - images for discussion only and will be removed on request). The scheme attracted me as it unusually has the aircraft in DFS with the earlier Rotol spinner and type A.1 roundels. In addition my Father-in-Law hails from Dromara which sits at the foot of the aforementioned mountains. 340 Sqn was formed in November 1941 as part of Le Groupe de Chasse IV/2 (Fighter Group 4-2) "Île-de-France", flying defensive patrols from Turnhouse until moving further south in 1942, at which point they re-equipped with Mk.Vbs. The scheme was therefore only applied to the aircraft for a relatively short time, and my light weathering of the model reflects this. Here's the WIP if anybody is interested: The model was completed mostly OOB (as it was Profipack that adds a few extras!), although with the national markings (mostly) with home-cut stencils. Like most Eduard kits the detail is superb, but with some unnecessarily fiddly elements - as an example the radiator assembly consists of 12 pieces including 2 PE radiator grills (a bit much for 1:48?). Anyway, on with the photos: Finally, a couple of group shots to show the evolution of the beast (from R-L Airfix Mk.Ia, Eduard Mk.IIa, Tamiya Mk.Vc, Airfix FR Mk.XIVe - all have their own WIPs and RFIs if anyone is interested, and still plenty of gaps to fill in the collection, although these have all been completed in the last year or so): I've very much enjoyed learning more about this interim mark of the Spitfire, and bringing this unusual scheme to life. Thanks for all who have added kind words and encouragement along the way - it has been much appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger

Buccaneer S.2C/D Wheels (648814 Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This drop-in replacement set comprises three wheels on separate casting blocks, each of which is attached at the bottom where you will also find a slight weighting to depict the pressure of the airframe above. The detail is stunning, as we’ve come to expect from Eduard, with circumferential tread on the contact surface, detail and raised maker’s mark plus statistics on the sidewalls, and intricate hub detail on the front and rear, which includes the brakes around the axle. The set also includes a sheet of kabuki-tape masks (not pictured) to allow you to cut the hub/tyre demarcation with minimal effort, adding a little extra masking to cover the rest of the tyre surface. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Beaufort Mk.I Tface Masks (EX909 for ICM) 1:48 Eduard ICM’s new Beaufort is a great kit, but it’s got a lot of glazing that might make some of our fellow modellers wince at the prospect of having to mask off the many clear parts, especially as is common with a lot of early WWII aircraft, it was quite a greenhouse, with frames everywhere the order of the day. Well, worry not because Eduard are riding to the rescue with this comprehensive set of masks. Unlike the usual Tface sets, this is supplied in an A5 flat-pack, on two sheets of yellow kabuki tape with extensive diagrams guiding you. These pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy and all the other glazing both inside and out, 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 landing light masks, masks for the forward-facing gondola under the nose, and a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Having used a Tface set of masks for my recent Wildcat build, I’m a huge fan of the concept, as I believe it gives your model’s glazing extra realism and depth, so will be using these sets at every opportunity. They’re highly accurate too, and once you have installed masks on the exterior panes, locating the inner sections is much easier, as you don’t have any doubt as to where they should fit. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Stencil Decals for Ju.87 Stuka (D48106 for Hasegawa/Airfix/Italeri) 1:48 Eduard Decals Eduard’s stencil range has been growing steadily of late, providing sharp, detailed stencilling for numerous types, some of which are lacking from the originating manufacturer’s box. The latter can come in handy for your average modeller, as sometimes the kit doesn’t include a complete set of stencils for expediency or whatever reason. Some folks, myself included, think that the inclusion of a full suite of stencils adds extra realism to a model, although there is of course the time element and the extra carrier film edges to hide. Eduard have been busy of late and have released this comprehensive set we have to review. It arrives in a clear foil re-sealable envelope with a card stiffener, a cover page with instructions, plus the decals with wax paper protecting the delicate printed surface. This set arrives on one sheet, and is patterned for almost any 1:48 Stuka due to the generic nature and placement of the stencils. Over the course of four profiles from overhead, underneath, and the sides, plus a diagram of the prop from the front, the locations of all the stencils are shown clearly on greyscale line drawings that use coloured arrows and numbers to differentiate from the background. Link to PDF of instructions. The decals are printed in-house by Eduard and have good register, sharpness and colour density, with a glossy carrier film printed close to the edges of the printed areas. Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of