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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

So, my dad started the last Hasegawa 109 in our stash. Gonna do a Regensburg built machine using decals from the Eduard kit. DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr Eduard PE seatbelts used, battery cover from Eduard DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

Bf.109E-3 ProfiPACK (7032) 1:72 Eduard With almost 34,000 examples manufactured over a 10-year period, the Messerschmitt Bf.109 is one of the most widely produced aircraft in history and it saw active service in every theatre in which German armed forces were engaged. Initially designed in the mid-1930s, the Bf.109 shared a similar general arrangement with the Spitfire, employing monocoque construction and a V12 engine, albeit an inverted V with fuel injection rather than the carburettor used in the Spit. Initially designed as a lightweight interceptor, like many German types during WWII, the Bf.109 evolved beyond its original brief into a bomber escort, fighter bomber, night fighter, ground-attack and reconnaissance platform. The E variant, or Emil as it was more affectionately known was the first major revision of the original design, including an uprated engine and the attendant strengthening of the airframe that was required. It first saw service in the Legion Condor fighting in the Spanish civil war on the side of Nationalist forces of Military Dictator Franco, and then in the Battle of Britain where it came up against its nemeses the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane during the critical fight for the survival of the RAF and Britain, which was key to halting Operation Seelöwe, the invasion of Britain by the Nazis. Like the Spitfire it fought against, it was improved incrementally through different marks, the Emil was similarly tweaked to keep pace, with later variants having additional long-range tankage, plus structural improvements and a simpler squared-off canopy with clear frontal armour, but apart from various field modifications and a few low-volume sub-variants, it had reached the end of its tenure, and was phased out in favour of the Friedrich and later the Gustav. The Kit This is a reboxing of a recent kit in collaboration with Special Hobby in your favourite wee scale. It arrives in a modest top-opening box that has the ProfiPACK themed gold banner, and inside are two sprues of grey styrene, a fret of pre-painted nickel-plated Photo-Etch (PE), a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-style masking tape, two decal sheets and the instruction booklet printed in colour on glossy paper, and with profiles for the decal options on the rear pages. Detail is excellent, especially for the scale, and includes a lot of engraved panel lines and rivets in differing thickness and depths, as well as all the other recessed and raised details, plus engine and gun bays that you can expose as we’ve come to expect from Eduard and Special Hobby. Construction begins with nipping the ends off two raised lines on the cockpit front bulkhead, which is then glued to the floor along with a choice of styrene or PE rudder pedals, the latter shown being folded to assist you with the process. The sloped rear bulkhead is attached to the rear, and a box is made up in front of the bulkhead from three parts with details moulded on the sides. The seat and PE belts are slotted into the rear of the cockpit, and the instrument panel is made from the styrene backing part, which receives two sections of laminated PE along with some toggles and levers to detail it. It is then glued to the nose gun bay floor, which is prepared with a few PE parts installed on the diagonal ammo feeders for the cannons once the bay is attached to the front of the cockpit on the boxed in area. You can use a pair of barrel stubs on a cross-bar for the closed bay, or the full guns with breeches if you intend to leave the bay open. The engine is built around two halves, adding the serial decal and removing a small block of styrene from the rear before you add the ancillaries, supercharger and bell housing with horseshoe oil tank at the front, plus the two mounts and their braces on the sides. Before closing the fuselage halves, the cockpit interior sides are detailed with PE and styrene extras, painting things up as you go along, then a pair of inserts are places in the cowling behind the exhausts, the exhausts are inserted through their openings, and the engine, cockpit and tail-wheel are all trapped between them. If you plan on closing up all the bays, the top and gun bay cowlings can be glued in place along with the filter for the supercharger. At the rear, the rudder, elevators and their support struts are all installed on tabs and pins into their respective holes to ensure they are oriented correctly. The lower wings are full span, and the gear bay wall cut-outs are skinned with PE details, as are the surfaces of the radiators and the chin intake, which also gets skinned on each side of the trough that fits inside the fairing. The upper wings are brought in and glued over the lowers, and the three-section flying surfaces are installed on each trailing edge, with radiator fairings that have optional PE cooling vents glued over the cores. The fuselage and wings are mated together, adding the leading-edge slats, which should be deployed under their own weight when parked, and a gun barrel projecting from each wing. The canopy can be posed open or closed, consisting of a fixed windscreen that has PE detailing added, and rear section that accepts the antenna, then the canopy opener is prepared by inserting the head armour and a small PE lever inside, and deciding whether to glue it closed or open to the starboard side, held in place by a retaining strap made of PE. A scrap diagram shows how it should look from the front. The prop blades are moulded as one, and are sandwiched between the spinner and back-plate and inserted on the axle at the front of the fuselage, then all that is left to create are the main gear legs. Each leg is a single strut, and you should first remove the strap running down most of its length, replacing it with a PE brake hose, adding the captive bay door, and of course the wheel onto the short cross-axle. Another scrap diagram shows the correct orientation of the assemblies once complete. Fitting a pair of horn balances on the ailerons, and an L-shaped pitot probe under the port wing completes the plastic wrangling. Markings There are a generous six decal options on the sheet, with a variety of early war schemes to choose from. From the box you can build one of the following: W.Nr.1079, Ofw. Erich Rudorffer, 2./JG2, Baumont-le-Roger, France, September 1940 Oblt. August-Wilhelm Schumann, 5./JG52, Mannheim-Sandofen, Germany, November-December 1939 W.Nr.1380, Obstlt. Carl-Alfred Schumacher, CO of JG1, Jever, Germany, early 1940 Obstlt. Max Ibel, CO of JG27, Guines, France, September-October 1940 W.Nr.1271, Oblt. Helmut Heinz, CO of 4./JG77, Kristiandsand-Kjevik, Norway, September 1940 W.Nr.5058, Fw. Arthur Haase, 6./JG51, Marquise-West, France, August 1940 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 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. Conclusion This is a highly detailed, comprehensive model of the early WWII variant of the Bf.109, complete with a good number of interesting schemes to choose from. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

MG34 Machine Gun w/Ammunition Belt (635020) 1:35 Eduard Brassin PRINT The MG34 was the primary machine gun used by the German forces during the majority of WWII, only replaced by the more advanced MG42 that was engineered to be cheaper and easier to manufacture than its predecessor. It was designed by Rheinmetall and produced in the Spandau Arsenal, which gave rise to one of its nicknames, and was chambered for 7.92mm rounds that were fired from an open bolt, with a cyclical rate that started around 800-900 rounds per minute, but was changed to a selectable 600-1,000rpm in later variants, the lower rate principally provided to conserve ammunition and reduce the heat build-up in the barrel that could lead to warping. The rounds weren’t prone to cooking off in a hot weapon however, as they weren’t fed into the chamber until the trigger was depressed again, but as a crew only carried around 1,800 rounds it was sensible to fire in short controlled bursts to maintain supplies. Changing out a hot barrel was a two-man affair, and was one of the tasks that was simplified in the MG42, which included an oven-mitt-like glove to protect the operator’s hands. Ammunition could be fed to the breech in different manners, starting with a 50-round modular length of reusable metal link that could be joined together to create longer lengths. A small drum mag clipped to the side of the breech contained 50 rounds that could be modified to take 75, or a cloth bag filled with rounds on link zig-zagged into the space could be used instead. The infantry version of the weapon was usually mounted on a bipod attached to the front of the weapon, while the vehicle or static pivot lug was mounted centrally at the base of the barrel and clipped into the pintle-mount socket in its intended position. 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. This set includes a single highly-detailed MG34 that is protected between two risers, and a print-base of accessories that include a C-mag, a cloth bag and a length of unused link that is protected at each end by a C-shaped riser. Construction is simple once the parts are liberated from their print-bases, and consists of deciding which ammunition source you intend to use with your model. The instructions show the paint codes for each part of the model using Gunze codes, most of which will be metallic shades apart from the wooden butt-stock. Conclusion The crisp detail of this set will improve the look of any model you care to place it in, and it’s a simple upgrade into the bargain. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

P-38J Cockpit (648812 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard Brassin PRINT Tamiya’s new range of P-38s has been augmented by the new -J, which is a great kit, but you can always improve on injection-moulded perfection with resin, especially the new 3D printed sets that Eduard are now producing. Having used one of their cockpits in an F4F-3 I built recently, they are at the pinnacle of aftermarket technology, offering superb detail with a relatively low part count. As is now usual with Eduard's more complex resin sets, they arrive in a deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding, augmented by a pair of foam sheets top and bottom. Inside the box are three large bags containing twenty-two printed resin parts, a sheet of pre-printed, nickel-plated Photo-Etch (PE), a decal sheet, a slip of over-printed clear acetate, and the instruction booklet, which consists of three sheets of A4 printed on both sides and folded into an A5 booklet. There is a small amount of preparation to be done before you can start building, cutting off two rounded nubs from the rudder pedals if you are using the gun bay set in the nose (648790), and a section of the inside of the lower fuselage that would otherwise baulk the cockpit floor. Two more rods are removed from the rear of the cockpit opening in the upper fuselage later on too, so it’s as well to get it all done at outset. 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. The build phase begins with the pilot’s seat, which is fitted to the head armour on a moulded-in frame that has another piece of equipment behind it. The PE seatbelts are all applied over the painted seat, including additional comfort pads beneath the buckles. The seat and its bulkhead are lowered into the floor along with a lever, and there are some more decals in addition to the detail painting to be done. The switch panel in front of the main panel is glued to a tab on the top of the rudder pedals, with decals applied to both visible faces, then it is inserted into the cockpit to be joined by the L-shaped control column and a choice of two instruments that fit into a slot in the top of the switch panel. The steering yoke slips into a hole in the end of the column, and a resin spacer is socketed in the front of the cockpit, leaving it out if you plan on using the gun pack (648790). The cockpit sidewall details are printed on a thin sidewall, with a choice of parts for the starboard side, and a PE adjustment wheel on the port, plus lots of detail painting and some decals again. The main instrument panel is a single printed part with a decal applied over the top before it too is inserted into the cockpit, which is inverted and glued to the upper fuselage half after cutting the afore mentioned rods from the rear. There is a choice of two styles of gun sight to consider for application into the windscreen after painting and adding the curved acetate glazing that is pre-printed on the sheet. A triple-layered PE roll-over hoop is made up with a pair of handles added for good measure, ending up glued into position at the open edge of the windscreen. There is a choice of two styles of radio rack at the rear of the cockpit, each of which is a single print that is painted up and has stencil decals applied to the sides, adding a roll-over bar over the top, and the more detailed option also has an equipment box fitted near the front, and some 0.35mm wire from your own stock, with the lengths called out to assist you. The decals are called out in scrap diagrams, and the more complex option also has more stencils applied once painted. The internal structure with the spar moulded into it needs the stiffening webs removed, and your choice of radio racks is dropped into the space behind the pilot. Conclusion There’s not much you can say about Eduard’s growing range of cockpit sets other than sublime, and get some. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Since my return to the hobby about 3 years ago, I have only been making 1/35 AFV’s. However, having recently taken part in the Canadian GB (my effort here) and looking at the many aircraft builds it got me interested in trying one myself. I did use to make aircraft as a nipper, but as the title says it was over 40 years ago. Hopefully my AFV modelling experience will give me some help, but I appreciate this will be a learning curve for me. Sure, I will have a few questions along the way, so any help will be appreciated. I posted a topic a couple of months ago asking for model recommendations and the Eduard Spitfire was mentioned a few times, so I have gone with that. I wanted an easy-ish paint job, so I have ended up with the MK.IX which I am going to do in the Malta scheme. I also decided to get the weekend addition to avoid the PE on my first build. George

Built from the 1/48 Eduard "Spitfire Story: Southern Star" Dual Combo boxing. Spitfire Mk.Vb trop ER821 of 92 San in Tunisia 1943. This kit was superb and was just what I needed - something easy to build after many a struggle recently. Built pretty much as per the instructions, I cannot remember any articular problems, apart from maybe a slightly dodgy fit of the huge tropical filter - but nothing too serious. I chose this set of markings from the box since I have a background Neville Duke and/or 92 San theme going. Colours started out as Mr Hobby H71/72 for the Dark Earth/Mid stone but they have been modified a fair bit by oil washes and filters. The underside was Humbrol 157 based on research found on this very site. This was the first time I have tried the "new" Eduard decals with the removable film. I have to say I loved them as it enabled the markings to be chipped and weathered a little. I found them fairly easy to work with but did have to mask and spray a few repairs here and there. As to the colours for the squadron codes - well there are a few reasons to doubt the blue colour but there are also reasons to believe it could be right too so I just went with it. All in all I am pleased with the outcome and recommend this excellent kit! Cheers Malcolm

Greetings all from the shed. Built this one last year but didn’t get round to posting it so here it is. The Eduard kit is superb plus I managed to get the majority of the etch in place which is always a bonus! The decals are from Blue Rider. Its finished using Xtracolor gloss paints, Flory wash and Tamiya weathering powders. The whole build was a pleasure from start to finish. I will definitely make another and find another out of the ordinary scheme to do it in. Without further ado a few photos. Thanks for looking Pete

Tornado IDS Upgrade Sets (for Eduard/Revell) 1:48 Eduard The new Revell kit of this much missed Cold War warrior is the new standard for 1:48, and is a great kit. 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. 3D Printed SPACE set (3DL48089) 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 PE sheet contains two full sets of crew belts, but first you’ll need to remove the moulded-in belts from the kit seats, however the work is well worth it for the improvement in detail. The two instrument panels and side consoles are also stripped of their moulded-in detail and are covered over by new 3D decals, the pilot’s panel being the more complex of the two, comprising four sections and a PE lever. The side consoles are replaced too, and a PE throttle quadrant with levers is laid over a blank portion of the pilot’s port console. The additional boxes on the rear-seater’s coaming are skinned with new 3D decals, and the pilot’s coaming has two thin instrument faces added into a pair of recesses, one on either side. Tface Masks (EX905) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy 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 a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels and formation lights, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

I'm going to close my model year of 2022 with this Bf110 from Eduard. Hope you all have a happy new year. See you in 2023. Nanond

Bristol Beaufort Mk.I Upgrade Sets (for ICM) 1:48 Eduard ICM made a lot of Britmodellers very happy when they announced their Beaufort kit, and now that we have the kit to pore over, it’s been worth the wait. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, offering detail that injection-moulded styrene can’t provide. 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. Detail Set (491318) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. The first item to be replaced is the pilot’s seat, which is a complex assembly made from a large number of parts, with a third diagram showing the completed assembly. There are two circular meshes for the intakes inserted in the wing leading edges, then the attention turns toward the cockpit again. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, highly detailed sidewalls that are covered with instruments and equipment boxes, and side consoles with added levers for the cockpit and a new seat for the bomb aimer. The turret’s interior is cut up, keeping some portions and discarding others to replace them with new more detailed PE parts. The twin Lewis guns are detailed with new tops and handles to their plate magazines, and adding extra details that include an armour panel, while the side-mount Lewis gun gets a magazine upgrade plus ring-and-bead sights. The engines are upgraded with three V-shaped spacers that hold the circular part in position, which also receives a central boss. The last job is to glue a sight inside the windscreen in front of the pilot. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48094) 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 PE sheet contains three sets of lap belts that are applied to the seats and turret, plus a four-point set for the pilot, making an oval hole in the back of the kit seat to pass the Y-shaped end of the shoulder harnesses through. The 3D decals are applied to the instrument panel and copious instruments and equipment boxes on the sidewalls, adding a few PE levers to the panel, and PE backing plates for many of the boxes on the sidewalls. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1319) 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. The pilot has a set of four-point belts that require an oval hole to be made in the back of the kit seat to accommodate the end of the Y-shaped section behind the shoulder harness, with three sets of lap belts in the cockpit and the turret. Bomb Bay (481094) This comprehensive bare brass set contains two sheets, one larger, the other smaller. You will need to remove the raised details inside the kit bomb bay before you install the new detail skins in the centre section, adding a rear bulkhead and an additional rectangular cover if you intend to fill the bay with bombs rather than a torpedo. Another bulkhead is applied to the front of the main bay after adding several detail parts, some of which require folding. The curved front section of the bay is covered with another skin that you will need to roll to fit, and has a W-shaped brace added partway along. The rear section of the bay has two strips fitted to the outer edges, then the centre-section is filled with four folded bomb shackles and another cover to the forward section opening if you are mounting bombs. If you are installing the torpedo, a complex carrier is folded up and glued in the centre of the main bay, adding a pair of small wheels on short lengths of wire from your own stock on the sides. The bomb bay doors are reduced in size 1mm each end and along the top edge, then slimmed down at the top in preparation for the new skin that is laminated, folded and applied to the outer surface of the kit parts to improve detail and replace the thicker kit inner bay doors. Review sample courtesy of

I'm pleased to present my most recent build, Eduard's 1/48 Mustang Mk. IV in a natural metal scheme depicting KH716 as flown by Squadron Leader Murray P. Nash of No. 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, in Fano, Italy, January, 1945. The model is presented on a pre-made base by Zoukei-Mura, which remains the best $20 I ever spent in this hobby. The build overall was smooth, with only a couple difficult areas, all of my own doing. The Mk. IV version requires a few features to be removed from the base P-51 fuselage, and I made a right hash of excising an extraneous hatch under the air scoop, resulting in several rounds of filling (with putty and super glue) and some haphazard re-scribing. Please respect the rivets that were lost forever in the process and avoid too a close examination of the area. The propeller, spinner, and various flappy bits (elevators, ailerons, etc.) can all be added at the end of the build with no issues, making the painting easier. I used some, but not all, of the included PE parts, and after taking pictures I realized that the starboard gear bay landing light is still stuck to a piece of blue-tac atop a toothpick in my spray booth. The finish is a combination of Mr. Color C-8 Silver for the puttied/painted wings and fabric covered elevators and Mr. Color Super Metallic SM-201 Super Fine Silver 2 for the natural metal. Mr. Color lacquers are my go-to paints, so I opted this time for their metallics as opposed to the Alclad I used for my prior NMF build. I started with a primer base of Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Grey, and then taped off a few fuselage panels to get some tonal variation on the cheap before covering the aircraft overall with Mr. Color GX-2 Ueno Black, a very durable and glossy base coat for the metallics to come. Since I view every new build as an opportunity to buy new stuff, I picked up Mr. Rapid Thinner, which Gunze recommends for their metallics. The C-8 Silver sprayed neat and true, and I thought the SM-201 Super Fine Silver did the same . . . until I masked over it to pick out the exhaust panels with dark iron paint. Sheets of the Super Fine Silver came off with the tape, down to the gloss black undercoat, as frightening display of paint lifting as you're likely to see. I sanded down the Super Fine Silver, which required distressingly little encouragement, and then resprayed and prayed, using my standard Mr. Levelling Thinner instead of the rapid thinner. I then sprayed a gloss coat -- Alclad Aqua Gloss -- on top as soon as it dried to protect it, which pretty much did the trick. A few areas still chipped on me with further handling, but they've been hidden as artfully as possible in the pictures. I'm not sure if the lifting came from not completely degreasing the black gloss undercoat after handling (I know, I know!), the rapid thinner, the paint/thinner ratio, the ambient temperature (on the cold side), or my just failing to properly propitiate the gremlins who live in my airbrush. I'm assuming it's a combination of all of those factors. The final colors look metal enough, but I think I might go back to Alclad for my NMF needs in the future. This build saw my first experience with Eduard's "removable film" decals. They were hit and miss for me. I wound up with some tearing/chipping on a few of the decals, including the "CV" code on the port fuselage and the red/blue flash on both sides of the stabilizer. The tears at least look sort of like organic paint chipping/wear. I'm an inveterate decal wiggler, trying to get them just right, and I think I didn't get the problem decals bedded down sufficiently. When they worked, though, they worked a treat. For the most part, I found that a nice dollop of MicroSol left overnight did the trick, and I just worried around the edges of the film with a toothpick until I peeled up enough to grab the film with tweezers. But it was nerve-racking. Can't argue with the results, though -- the decals with the removed film look sharp and almost painted on, both the main decals and the stencils, the latter of which I applied perhaps 80%. I covered over the decals with a further coat of Aqua Gloss, as I was uncertain how the exposed decals would react to the white spirit and oil paints in the next step. I wanted a fairly dirty finish, to reflect the wear and hard living of a plane in-theater, so I doused it with a wash of thinned Payne's Grey and Black oils. I tried to leave some build-up in panel corners, and I think the overall effect helped give some dimension and staining to the natural metal finish. Pencils and pigments rounded out the weather process. On the whole, I'm pleased enough with the final result. It should look good on a shelf with the striking red spinner and sky blue rudder adorned with the Southern Cross. I certainly learned a few things about working with a natural metal finish, and while it's nowhere near my best build -- the faults being my own rather than with the kit -- I'm no longer apprehensive about NMF schemes. (Though I still think I'll reward myself with an overall grey USAF bird next just to recover . . .) Thank you for reading and for taking a look.

After some time where I spend only limited time here, just adding some unqualified posts here and there on some fellow BM's builds (sorry guys), I thought I start something on my own again. So, please feel invited to pay me back and drop your load of happy nonsense here... 😉 I don't know, though if this will tick anyones boxes; I felt like entering some more familiar ground again and do something in my homeground of biplanes in quarterscale - and, by using plural in the title, you might have guessed it will be a double build. I messed it up the last time and failed on the Camel, so why not do it again and wreck twice at one. Anyway, it's something I have in my stash and planned for quite some time now, building two variants of the famous WWI fighter, the DV from the Berlin based Albatros Flugzugwerke and the Oeffag license build DIII from the second 253 series. Both models are based on Eduard kits, one the standard Profiback, which I think is still available, and the other from the "Viribus Unitis" boxing, which I think was a limited series. The DV will be Otto Kissenberths famous black Edelweiss 2263/17, and the DIII will be Fiala von Fernbruggs 253.24. These variants, as pictured in the - as usual quite good - Eduard instructions: I try to build the Dv a bot more weathered than usual, while on the Oeffag I will put my emphasis on textures; the wood from the fuselage, the linen on the wings, the metal cowling and fuselage applications. So, if you feel this might be your cup of tea, grab a wicker seat out in the airfield, don't be afraid of oil stains from the Daimler engines and have a Schnaps. An guadn, as the bavarians say!

I don't fully understand myself, but this machine has always been on my list. A strange 109. I especially like the interesting role of the former German-Czech military technology in Israel. The model is fairly new, very nice and extremely detailed. Basically we get a modified G Messser with bump propeller and ugly nose. The parts were an exact fit during dry fitting. This is where I am with it so far:

Yak-9D Exhaust Stacks (648805 for Zvezda) 1:48 Eduard Brassin PRINT We reviewed the new Yak-9D from Zvezda recently here, and now Eduard have begun to release some additional detail sets for the detail-hungry modeller who isn’t satisfied with the capabilities of injection-moulded styrene. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin 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 is further protected by a crystal-clear clamshell box that closes securely with a friction-toggle. Inside the box are two rows of four beautifully printed exhausts on a single print-base that have hollow D-profile tips. The kit includes a full depiction of the Klimov engine for inside the cowling, with individual stacks included, but they don’t have hollow tips. The replacements do have hollow D-profiled tips, and are supplied as two paired exhausts in the centre openings, and two more singles at the ends of the block, replicating the pegs at the base to secure them into the engine block. Once removed from the print base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) being that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. A superb update to the kit parts that are eminently simple to use. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Focke-Wulf Fw.190D-9 ProfiPACK (8188) 1:48 Eduard The Fw.190 was designed by Kurt Tank, and initially gave the RAF a fright when it first appeared, spurring the British designers to rush the Mk.V Spitfire into service in a never-ending game of technological leapfrog. For their own part the Focke-Wulf engineers were constantly trying to improve on the airframe of the 190, and by the time the D, or Dora was in production, the war was no longer going in the Nazi’s favour. Often known as the "Long nose" due to the elongated nose cowling to accommodate the liquid cooled Jumo 213A engine and annular radiator assembly. It came into production in late 1944, and over 1,800 examples were manufactured before the end of the war, often with a patchwork of varied paint finishes, sometimes even unpainted or in primer due to the inconsistent production facilities that were in existence at the time, building up sub-assemblies in workshops distributed far and wide to avoid Allied bombing raids. The Kit This ProfiPACK edition from Eduard is a reboxing of their original kit from 2011 with new decals. Inside are five sprues in darker grey styrene, a sprue of clear parts, a Photo-Etched (PE) fret of pre-painted brass parts with clear glossy overprinting on the dials, a pre-cut sheet of canopy masks, and two sheets of decals separated into stencils and national/unit markings. On opening the box, detail stands up well given the years since it was originally tooled, although the latest 190As are a little more detailed on the exterior. The enhancement of the PE and the decals are welcome, the technology improved over the years in much the same way as the aircraft itself did. Construction starts with the cockpit, and here most of the PE is used to upgrade the instrument panel and side consoles. The styrene parts have detail moulded-in, which must be removed first, and those areas are helpfully marked in red on the instructions. Forward of the cockpit is the nose machine gun bay, which can be detailed with a quantity of parts if it is to be left open, or with the omission of many of the parts, the bay can be closed with the use of a pair of MG stubs that glue into the bay cover later. As the engine ancillary units (including the super-charger and engine mounts) are in the same bay as the MGs, leaving it open also shows off those nicely detailed parts. The main bulk of the engine is not depicted in this kit, but the exhaust stacks are mounted from the inside of the fuselage in their own recesses, and are held in place by the front bulkhead of the MG bay. You can open the tips of the exhaust stacks yourself for added realism, or simply buy the resin parts that are available from Eduard. Once these are installed, the modeller can close the fuselage after choosing which type of tail wheel to use, one moulded as a single part, the other made up from a two-part yoke and separate wheel. The wing lower is a full-span part, with a long spar running along the back of the landing gear bay, to which additional ribs are added to detail the gear bays themselves. The wing mounted cannons go through the bays here, and must be added at this point due to their tapering shape. It may be wise to chop off the last section and replace it later in the build with a piece of fine tubing if you are a tad clumsy like this reviewer. The upper halves of the wings can have the cannon bays left open to expose the breeches of the 151/20 cannons, or if left closed, a blanking section can be substituted, removing a little plastic marked out in red. The flaps are moulded integrally, but the ailerons can be posed at an angle to give a little extra visual interest, and are added after the wing halves are joined. The whole wing is then offered up to the underside of the fuselage, so test fit before applying glue. The rear empennage has the fin moulded to the fuselage, and the rudder panel is separate and poseable, while the elevators fit to the fuselage with a large attachment tab. The cockpit coaming is inserted into the front of the opening, with a choice of either a styrene part with decal over it or a flat backing over which a lamination of pre-painted PE is placed for extra detail. Each option has a clear gunsight inserted into a depression in the front that is painted to leave the glazing clear. The landing gear on the 190 is long and canted in slightly, which is shown by the helpful scrap diagrams, and the modeller has a choice of two types of wheel here with either smooth or treaded tyres. The wheels themselves should be installed at an 8° angle to the oleo strut, which would be fun to measure if it weren't for the 1:1 scale drawing that is provided. The retraction jacks fix within the bay to large contact points, so a strong landing gear should be the result, and the large under-hanging antenna with curved tip that slots into a hole should be adequately protected by them. You can choose to pose the cooling flaps on the cowling open or closed, as they are provided as separate rings that slot in behind the main cowling, which itself slides onto a large cylindrical spacer at the front of the fuselage after mounting the prop. The three wide-blade props are moulded as a single unit that is sandwiched between the spinner and its back-plate, then slipped through the cowling to be locked in place by a styrene washer and some glue. The super-charger intake is also installed into its recess at this point, as are the gun troughs on the forward fuselage, with a small intake added to one side before it is laid into the top of the fuselage at the same time as the wing mounted gun bay covers, which if modelled closed, receive a nice set of PE piano type hinges once installed. If you are leaving them open, a pair of detail parts are dropped into the bays on both sides. The nose gun bay cowling is either placed over the bay with its barrel insert, or hinged back against the windscreen if left open to display the interior. The crew step, D/F-loop, antenna from your own wire stock and pitot probe are all fixed under the fuselage and in the leading edge of the wing, with a two-part drop-tank mounted on a simple pylon on the centreline. The clear sprue includes four canopies, but only one is used, with a choice of posing it open or closed. The head-rest & armour is installed in the sliding portion of the canopy, as well as a tiny PE grab handle and a stencil decal, then a standard windscreen mounts over the coaming to complete construction. A full set of masks are supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, and these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curves 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. Two small masks are also included that fit to the rear edge of the wing root gun bays if you are posing them open, as that section would remain unpainted due to the bay door being in position during camouflage painting, so first paint the area a metallic colour, apply the masks and then overpaint with camouflage colour. Markings There are five decal options in the box, some of which are colourful when compared to the usual, while others show the lack of consistent paint finishes that were applied during late war. From the box you can build one of the following: W.Nr.600?69, Hptm. Waldemar Wubke, Sashenberg, Schwarm, Ainring, Germany, May 1945 W.Nr.500698, Lt. Gunter Seyd, 7./JG 26, Uetersen, Germany, May 1945 W.Nr.2100003, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, 12./JG 26, Germany, May 1945 Stab I./JG 2, Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, Germany, April 1945 W.Nr.210909, Maj. Gerhard Barkhorn, JG 6, Welzow, Germany, February 1945 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 the last page of the booklet, separate from the rest of the markings to avoid confusion from trying to read overly complicated 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, and will be very useful for the white stripes on decal option A. Conclusion A welcome re-release of the Langnasen 190D that is stocked with plenty of detail out of the box, and builds up well. The inclusion of some interesting decal options should appeal to many folks, as will the comparative ease of applying the white decals to the red underside, as you should be able to simply peel off the carrier film. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

P-38J Over Europe Decal Sheet (D48107) 1:48 Eduard Eduard’s decal range just keeps expanding, and as with their PE sets, they arrive in resealable foil bags with instructions to the front and the decals to the rear with a sheet of translucent paper protecting the printed adhesive side. 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. This sheet is for the Lockheed P-38J Lightning, concentrating on subjects that flew and fought in the European Theatre of Operations, where they were something of a lower-profile participant unless you happened to be piloting a German aircraft at the time, although there were times when the tables seemed to turn against the Forked Devils. There are five decal options in total, and each one has a full side of A4 devoted to four-way profiles plus inner tail surfaces and the fuselage pod, plus a list of Gunze paint codes that you will need to paint your model. From the sheet, you can depict the following, providing you have enough kits: P-38J-25-LO, S/n:44-236627, 1st Lt. Sam Plotecia, 392nd FS, 367th FG, Juvincourt AB, France, 1944 P-38J-15-LO, S/n:44-680004, 1st Lt. Clark R Livingston, 392nd FS, 367th FG, Juvincourt AB, France, 1944 P-38J-10-LO, S/n:44-67685, Maj. Joseph Myers, 38th FS, 55th FG, Nuthampstead AB, England, 1943 P-38J-10-LO, S/n:44-67940, Lt. Jack M Jarell, 485th FS, 370th FG P-38J-25-LO, S/n:44-328677, Maj. Robert C Rogers, 492nd FS, 367th FG, Peray, France, August 1944 I’m a purist when it comes to Lightnings, so my favourite is the mount of Lt. Jarell with an olive drab topside and D-Day stripes, the tops of which are either faded or overpainted badly with thin paint. The nose art is a pink little piggy relaxing lasciviously under the banner ‘My Little Pig’. Paint me like one of your French girls. 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, thereby 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 saves a substantial amount of work. Conclusion Useful, varied, and colourful sheet for your Tamiya Lightning in 1:48 that will allow the modeller to go off-piste without breaking the bank and with detachable carrier film that makes the job so much easier. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Yak-9T Exhaust Stacks (632182 for ICM) 1:32 Eduard Brassin PRINT We reviewed the new Yak-9T from ICM recently here, and now Eduard have begun to release some additional detail sets for the detail-hungry modeller who isn’t satisfied with the capabilities of injection-moulded styrene. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin 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 is further protected by a crystal-clear clamshell box that closes securely with a friction-toggle. Inside the box are two sets of beautifully printed exhausts on a single print-base that have hollow D-profile tips. There are two paired exhausts in the centre and two more singles at the ends of the support strip, which has locating shapes at each end. Once removed from the print base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) being that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. A superb update to the kit parts that are simple to use. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bf.109G-14/AS 3D Printed Upgrade Set (3DL48092) 1:48 Eduard SPACE We reviewed Eduard’s recent boxing of their excellent Bf.109G-14/AS high-altitude fighter here, and in its ProfiPACK guise it includes PE instrument panels. If you have another edition that doesn’t have those upgrades, this set should be of interest, adding modern printing technology and detail to the cockpit. 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. After removing the engraved detail from the floor next to where the seat will sit, the flat surfaces have three 3D printed decals added to replace and augment those areas, and when the seat is installed, it is then detailed by adding the four-point seatbelts, which also have comfort pads under the buckles, with little brackets attaching to the rear shelf giving a realistic location where the shoulder harnesses are held in place. The instrument panel is a straight replacement that is applied to the blank instrument panel that is on the sprues, laminating two main layers and a smaller central layer to complete the task. The cockpit sidewalls are also updated with several instrument faces after removing the moulded-in detail, one of which is held at an angle by a PE bracket. The oxygen regulator is also given a new face, and the remaining PE parts are added, along with a T-shaped toggle that’s inserted into the instrument panel. Conclusion I’m a huge fan of 3D printed instrument panels and their ilk, and look out for them whenever I start a new project. This set should give the already excellent Eduard kit an additional boost in detail that is well worth the effort and asking price. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Me.262A 3D Printed Upgrade Set (3DL48085 for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard SPACE The Tamiya Me.262A is getting quite old now, but it’s still a good kit that would benefit from a new lease of life by adding some modern technology aftermarket to the cockpit. 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. After removing the engraved detail from the kit instrument panel, the flat surfaces have four 3D printed decals added to replace and augment the part, with a choice of a different centre console with an alternative layout of instruments. The side consoles are similarly stripped of their moulded-in details, covered over with new decals, and with a lever on a backing plate on the starboard side, next to the kit fuse board, which has a cut-out in the decal to allow everything to sit well together. The pilot’s seat is then detailed by adding the four-point seatbelts, which also have comfort pads under the buckles, and you should remove the two small pips on the back of the seat before gluing the shoulder harnesses in place. Conclusion I’m a huge fan of 3D printed instrument panels and their ilk, and look out for them whenever I start a new project. This set should give the venerable Tamiya kit an additional boost in detail that is well worth the effort and asking price. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire HF Mk.VIII - 1/48 Eduard Profipack. 32 Sqn, Foggia, Italy 1944. A bit of a diversion from my usual area of biplanes and airliners, but I can't resist a Spitfire and have become addicted to Eduard's 1/48 kits since building my first one last year. I've got a general theme of trying to build a range of Spitfires to show the differences between various marks, and an HF High Altitude fighter was high on my list, despite the wing extensions spoiling the look! However, I think the Azure blue & Medium Sea Grey livery make up for it, as helps to show the pure shape of the rest of the aircraft, and I kept the weathering very light. I bought this at the Telford show last month and it went straight onto my workbench. An absolute pleasure to build, and my last completion of 2022, It is a bit difficult to photograph the interior after completion, so I took a few shots of the cockpit module before inserting into the fuselage. Next up I'll probably do a clipped wing LF Mk,Vb, to park alongside it. Thanks for looking, and Happy New Year! John

F4F-3 Wildcat Gun Bay & Undercarriage Bay Sets (648793 & 648795) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’ve reviewed the super new tool F4F-3 Wildcat from Eduard recently, and I’ve even built one, so can testify to its excellence as a model kit. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the aftermarket waters (eh?) along come another pair of 3D printed resin sets that will blow your socks off…again. As good as the base kit is, you can always increase the level of detail over and above what’s achievable using injection moulded styrene, and these sets prove that without question. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, sometimes layers of foam, and with the instructions folded around acting as padding. The parts are printed resin rather than the usual poured cast resin, so are attached to their print-bases via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little pip-like marks away, leaving them ready for action. F4F-3 Gun Bays (648793) There are two bags of 3D printed resin parts and one containing a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and you’ll need to do a little simple surgery to the wing parts of your kit, excising the bay cover panels, plus the shell-ejection chutes from the lower wings before you start. Each bay is built in mirror image, starting with the main body of the bay, which has two small PE parts fitted into in the rear wall. The two resin guns are inserted barrel first through the holes in the front of the bay, gluing the breeches to the bay floor via slots and tabs. The ammo boxes are then laid over the tops of their location, followed by the curved feeder chutes, and finally adding the lip around the bay using the PE framing part. The bay can then be inserted between the wing halves and everything glued in place, later adding the two wafer-thin bay covers per wing, which have extra detail on their inner surfaces, which will be visible once they are installed. F4F-3 Gear Bay (648795) This set has three bags of highly detailed 3D printed resin parts, and you’ll need to source some wires of various fine diameters to complete the task fully. Work starts with the tapering engine mount frames, which receives the circular ancillary equipment cluster that is the rear of the engine itself. To this are added a pair of filter boxes with intake trunking that wrap around the underside of the mount, or for the earlier -3A sub-variant, a smaller box is slung under the frame instead. The large tapering tank that sits between the top two struts is next to be fitted, and the improvement in detail here is excellent. Some 0.7mm and 0.35mm wire will be required to simulate the hoses linking the tank to the engine, with several scrap diagrams showing the shape and length of the wires, aided by them being marked out in different colours on the diagrams for your ease. The original kit firewall with integrated spars is replaced by a new super-detailed part, which has the gear bay actuation chains on their sprockets glued on pins, further improving the detail. The divide that separates the two sides of the bay is also replaced by a more detailed part, then the engine bearer assembly is brought together with the bulkhead, illustrated clearly by more scrap diagrams. Then there are yet more hoses to install, 0.35mm and 0.5mm in diameter with eight in total that take up a whole page in the instructions. The bay assembly is then completed by adding the gear legs, using the kit parts or the bronze aftermarket set 648779 if you feel the urge. The last step shows the completed gear bay being trapped between the two fuselage halves, but of course you’ll also need to put the cockpit in there, so it’s a little simplified to suit the theme of the instructions. Conclusion Both sets are at the top of aftermarket detail standards at time of writing, and for anyone wanting to portray a Wildcat in the process of re-arming, the gun bay set is a shoe-in. The gear bay set really increases the detail in that department too, much of which is visible through the sideways facing openings where the retracted wheels sit. Both sets have concise instructions with Gunze paint codes called out through every step, and include lengths and diameters of all the extra wires used to complete the detailing. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi all, Just finished the lovely new Eduard 1/48 Camel. To be written up for Phoenix Aviation Modelling magazine. The kit is superb, my only criticism is the overly done rib tapes (which I sanded down). Thanks for looking! Happy new year, Guy