Search the Community

With some remaining time of work - and as a final-stage in my warm up toward Zvezda's PE-2 - I tackled the Eduard Bf 110 E. Overall I really loved making this kit - though there were some real struggles at some points. I had a tantrum with the shark mouth - sadly - and gave up on it, among other things... Also - the carpet monster (or in my case the gaping spaces between floor boards monster) got the pilot's right side window, and one gear-bay door. The kit was finished with Tamiya rattle cans - RAF Ocean Grey (bottom and top), and Tank Grey for the splinters. Panel lines were then darkened with a black / brown oil wash. Large spaces were then broken up with neat oil paint to bleach out panels - mostly white/grey mixtures. I did this far more heavily on the underside to emulate a lighter overall shade of paint. I have included a few 'along the way' shots - and hope that I haven't crossed the lines between WiP and RfI too much. Apologies if I have... But these non-final images felt like relevant points for anyone tempted to take on this build. The parts count is quite high by my standards, and to me, some of the kit is over engineered... The exhausts for example are all separate, and need to be assembled. It wasn't hard, but to me personally seems a needless fiddly task when the kit already has quite a lot of work required. Then again - others may of course love this sort of thing! The interiors are wonderfully detailed, and go together very nicely indeed. I sprayed all interiors tamiya gunship grey before sponging on Vallejo in various shades of grey to break it all up. The first real challenge on the kit is the nose - which just does not fit as far as I can see. I eventually had to take out all the bulkheads / gun mounts and sand the whole thing down separately, before gluing it to the fuselage, then sanding more. Wasn't impossible - but was odd given how fantastic other parts of the kit fit. Following this the other real strain with this build is the engine / wing joins. There's a 1-2 mm gap in terms of the nacelles' depth, and a 0.5-1mm gap in their height. They just aren't long or tall enough to meet the wing. A load of milliput sort of got me there - but I wasn't happy even by the end with this area of the build. Anyway - those were the only real issues - here are the images of the completed kit - which was the best result I have yet go from working oil paint onto surfaces to replicate bleaching / fading of paint. See first image for a before / after. As ever - all comments / criticisms are welcome. BEST, BRUCE

Pre-Cut Paint Masks for Various Kits 1:72 Eduard B-17 Anti-Glare Panels for Airfix Kit Su-17M3 for Modelsvit Kit Kfir C2/C7 for AMK Kit Conclusion While these masks won't add any extra detail to your models, they will save you a great deal of time and patience when masking your canopies and wheels (or anti-glare panels in the case of the first set), as well as providing you with the certainty of a nice, neat finish. Some modellers see them as a luxury - and I wouldn't disagree with that - but they really are a time saver and as such they are well worth considering if, like me, your modelling time is restricted. Review sample courtesy of

MiG-31B/BM Photo Etch and Masks for Trumpeter Kit 1:72 Eduard Eduard seem to have tracked the release of Trumpeter's new line up of Russian jets in 1:72 fairly closely. Each time a new kit has been released, we haven't had to wait long for a set of photo etch and masks. There is even a growing range of high-quality resin hardware to hang off the bottom of your chosen kit. This month is the turn of the new MiG-31B/BM kit to receive the Eduard treatment. MiG-31B/BM In the usual Eduard style, this set comprises two frets of parts. The first fret contains pre-painted parts for detailing the cockpit and includes harnesses, cushions, pull handles and other details for the seats, as well as details for the instrument panels and side consoles. Also included are parts for the rudder pedals. The second fret is unpainted and contains a new head-up display unit, parts for detailing the join between the canopy and the cockpit and parts for detailing the mating edges of the canopy itself. Clearly this part of the set will be of use only if you wish to finished your model with the canopy open. MiG-31B/BM Zoom If you don't wish to finish your model with an open canopy then you may be better off plumping for the Zoom set. If you do, the only other part you will really be missing out on is the head-up display unit. MiG-31B/BM Exterior This is a fairly small set which provides some details for the rest of the airframe. There are new tail structures for the R-77 missiles, new fences for the upper wing, details for the inside of the airbrake (which will necessitate removing a small amount of plastic from the kit parts), strakes and static discharge wicks for the tail and a whole host of aerials, antennas and other small surface details for the forward part of the fuselage. The insides of the landing gear doors receive extra details, and there are replacement parts for both ends of the mighty Soloviev turbofans. MiG-31 Pre-Cut Masks This set provides pre-cut paint masks for the canopy and all of the wheels. If you've used Eduard's pre-cut masks before, you'll know that they are a real time saver. Conclusion These sets are a handy upgrade for the new Trumpeter kit. The cockpit seems to be the main beneficiary of the first set, while the exterior set is worth having for the replacement strakes and extra details for the undercarriage. Masks are really just a time saver, but still worth considering if, like me, your modelling time is restricted. Review sample courtesy of

Hi everybody, After much anger over my photobucket account, I finally decided to actively participate again on BM. I therefor opened a flickr account hope that will master flickr soon, and that we do not have similar problems with them in due course! very frustrating!! So, although modeling time is at a premium at the moment (kids, kids, kids, kids, and work) and I really want to finish my F-111C and MiG-25 soonest!!! I also promised to take part in this GB here... late entry, hopefully a not too challenging, but still interesting enough kit and topic! ESCI Mirage 2000 C kit (updated version with the correct, production fin) FCM decals Neomega resin cockpit Eduard PE and masks maybe more in the future will be started as soon as possible! anything to watch out for on this kit?

Me 262A-1a Photo Etched Set, Paint Masks and Resin Upgrades for Airfix Kit 1:72 Eduard Airfix's new Me-262 is now available and, judging by the builds in our Ready for Inspection forum, it's an absolute cracker. Eduard have been characteristically quick of the mark with their usual slew of photo etched and resin upgrades, the first of which we now have for review. Me 262A-1a Photo Etched Set This set comprises two frets of photo etched parts. The first fret contains pre-painted parts for detailing the cockpit and includes harnesses for the seat, details for the instrument panels, cockpit sidewalls, gun sight and rudder pedals. Also included is a large, folding part which lines the cockpit tub, creating extra detail as well as acting as a platform for the side consoles. The second fret is unpainted and contains details for the rest of the airframe. The main landing gear bay benefits from an almost complete replacements, which necessitates cutting away a great deal of plastic in order to fit the brass replacement parts. The replacement parts extend to the landing gear doors, hydraulic lines and torque links for the main landing gear legs. The nose gear receives similar treatment, with parts for the landing gear bay, leg and doors all included. The canopy also gets a fair amount of added detail. Me 262 Paint Masks This set provides pre-cut paint masks for the canopy and main wheels, should you choose not to purchase Eduard's own resin replacements. If you've used Eduard's pre-cut masks before, you'll know that they are a real time saver. Me 262 Resin Wheels This set provides replacement resin wheels for the Airfix kit, complete with paint masks to make life a little easier. The wheels themselves are beautifully finished, with excellent, sharp details and flawless casting. I see no reason why these wheels could not be adapted for any of the other 262s available, such as those from Academy, Hasegawa or Revell. Conclusion These sets are a handy upgrade for the new Airfix kit. The parts of the photo etched set designed for the main landing gear bay are on the challenging side of things as they require so much plastic to be cut away. The resin wheels are far more straightforward to use, however. Overall, this looks like a great upgrade and I can't wait to use mine. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.XVI Bubbletop Profipack Edition 1:72 Eduard More than any other aircraft - at least on this side of the Atlantic - the Supermarine Spitfire has attained legendary status. The type's role in the Battle of Britain, combined with its enduring presense at air shows, have combined to ensure the Spitfire is the one combat aircraft pretty much everyone can identify. One of the ultimate Merlin powered variants was the Mk.XVI. The Mk.XVI was essentially a Mk.IX with a licence-built Packard Merlin 266 in place of the Rolls Royce Merlin 66. The Mk.XVI was optimised for low-altitude combat, and a large number were produced with a cut-down rear fuselage and bubble canopy for improved pilot visibility. Just over a thousand Mk.XVIs were produced at the Castle Bromwich factory by the end of the War. Eduard have earned an excellent reputation in recent years with world-class models such as their 1:72 Hellcat, Bf110 and MiG-15. Their models typically feature a mixture of exquisite detail and superb – if complex – engineering which puts them right at the pinnacle of modern kit manufacturers. The latest all-new 1:72 kit to roll off the Prague production line is actually a range of kits, covering the late mark Merlin engine Spitfires, including the Mk.VIII, Mk.IX and Mk.XVI. The latter variant first appeared in a dual combo boxing, but this kit marks the first non-limited edition outing for the type. As this is a Profipack kit, you get photo etched parts and pre-cut masks as well as the plastic parts, all packed into a glossy, top-opening box. The kit comprises well over 150 plastic parts, as well as a small fret of pre-painted photo etched parts and a set of die-cut paint masks. The instructions take the form of a glossy, stapled booklet which includes full-colour painting diagrams. The overall impression is of a really nice, premium package. The quality of the mouldings is up to the usual Eduard standard, with clean, crisp details and no flaws anywhere. As with other recent kits from Eduard, there is plenty of fine detail, with parts such as the cockpit comparable to high-end resin items (which, in turn, should tell you how good Eduard's resin cockpit is). The surface detail on the outside of the airframe is exquisitely rendered, with fine recessed panel lines and delicately engraved rivet and fastener detail. Eduard take an uncompromising approach when it comes to detail, resulting in a cockpit that is simply fabulous, particularly so in this Profipack edition. I don't think I've ever seen a Spitfire kit in this scale with a seat made up of three parts, so it's just as well that a set of pre-painted harnesses have been included too. There is a choice of plastic or photo etched parts for the pilot's armour, and further tiny photo etched details for the control column and throttle controls. The instrument panel also benefits from the addition of photo etched parts, with a detailed plastic alternative provided if you don't fancy using the metal parts. Unusually, the cockpit sidewalls have been moulded separately. I can only think that Eduard have done this in order to maximise the amount of detail they have been able to pack in, as well as paving the way for their resin cockpit, which uses the same approach. Once the cockpit has been assembled and painted, it can be fitted between the vertically split fuselage halves, along with the engine firewall, a blank part into which the propeller is fitted later on, and the pilot's head armour. The leading edge wing root also has to be fitted at this stage. The fact that these parts have been moulded separately to the rest of the kit is testament to Eduard's commitment to detail, if not buildability! The breakdown of the wing is no less complex. As you might expect, the lower wing has been moulded as a single span, with separate upper wing surfaces. Between the two you must sandwich seven parts which together make up the walls of the main landing gear bay. The ailerons and wing tips have been moulded separately, which allows both regular and clipped wing variants to be built from the same moulds. The same applies to the rudder and elevators. Multiple alternatives are included on the sprues, so make sure you use the correct version for your intended subject. The upper and lower cowlings are moulded separately, with the former split along the middle. Even the wing radiators are made up of six parts each, with the surface of the radiators themselves picked out in photo etched metal in this boxing. Turning the model over, the undercarriage is just as detailed as the rest of the kit. Each of the main landing gear legs is made up of seven parts, with the tyres moulded separately to the hubs and photo etched parts to represent hub covers (where fitted). The separate tyres will make painting easier, which is just as well as the included paint masks don't cater for the landing gear. The wing cannon barrels are moulded separately, which means they can be added at the end of the build in order to avoid accidental damage. The transparent parts are nice and clear, and of course the canopy can be finished in open or closed position as you wish. As this is a ‘profipack’ edition, a full set of canopy masks has been included. I’ve used Eduard’s pre-cut masks a number of times now and have always found them to be excellent for turning a time consuming chore into a quick and easy job. Eduard are usually pretty generous with the decal options in their profipacks, and this is no exception. Choices are provided for a generour five aircraft: ⦁ Spitfire Mk.XVI SL718, No. 612 Squadron RAuxAF, Cooper Air Race, Elmdon Air Base, July 1949. This aircraft is finished in Dark Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey; ⦁ Spitfire Mk.XVI RW393, No. 601 Squadron RAuxAF, 1949. This aicraft is finished in overall aluminium; ⦁ Spitfire Mk.XVI SL721, flown by ACM Sir James Robb, September 1951. This aircraft is finished in overall PRU Blue; ⦁ Spitfire Mk.XVI SL549, No. 17 Squadron RAF, Farnborough Air Base, 1950. This aicraft is finished in overall aluminium; ⦁ Spitfire Mk.XVI TE456, No. 501 squadron RAuxAF, Filton Air Base, 1949. This aircraft is finished in Dark Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey; Each option is illustrated with a four-view colour profile. The decals look crisp, thin and glossy and the colours used are nice and bold. A seperate sheet of stencils is also included. Conclusion Eduard's range of 1:72 Spitfires is simply excellent. The kits are accurate and highly detailed, putting them some way ahead of the competition on both counts. This profipack edition is particularly appealing because of the inclusion of the extra pits and pieces and five interesting post-war decal options. The kit's only downside is its complexity. Other than that, this looks mighty impressive on the sprue and can be highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Polikarpov I-16 Type 24 Eduard 1/48 I don't often post in the aircraft section, as I'm usually an armour and SF builder, but I've been sorting through the photos of some of my older builds on Flickr, and came across this I-16 I built back in 2015. I didn't get around to posting it at the time, so I thought I may as well do so now. It's a strait OOB build of Eduard's excellent Polikarpov, and the third one I've built over the years, painted with Gunze Aqueous and weathered with various AK pigments and washes. Thanks for looking Andy

Time to add another Eagle to the ever growing squadron. I'll be using the 1/48 Eduard "Striking Eagles" limited edition boxing to build Seymour Johnson's 335th FS "Nowhere 2 Hide". Aircraft was started a few years ago but then went back in the box. Apart from joining the two main fuselage halves, the only other work done so far is a start on the cockpit - so I reckon this is well within the 25% rule. The boxing comes with plenty of extras; resin exhausts, resin wheels, resin seats, full interior etch, exterior etch - so I don't intend to add anything else And an easy paint scheme - just add a large pot of FS36118 As I also have the Revell boxing which is at a similar stage, I may have time to build another of the "Never Forget" nose art aircraft.

Dear fellow Britmodellers, this is Airfix new 1/72 Messerschmitt Me-262 A1a built with the addition of Eduard photo etch & Master pitot tube. Painted with Gunze/Mr.Hobby acrylics. Photographs by Wolfgang Rabel. A detailled build review will be featured in an upcoming edition of Scale Aviation Modeller International. Thanks to Airfix & Eduard for the review samples. Greetings from Vienna!

Photo Etch Detail Sets for Special Hobby SB2C-5 Helldiver 1:72 Eduard Special Hobby's SB2C-5 Helldiver is, as we saw in my recent review, really Academy's SB2C-4 with extra parts and ordnance. Given that Eduard already produced a set of photo etched parts for the Academy kit (as well as the later Cyber Hobby kit), it should come as no surprise to see that the Czech firm have been so quick to market a set of parts for their compatriot's kit. All told, there are three sets, plus a zoom set for the time or budget conscious modeller. SB2C-5 Helldiver Set This set caters for the kit's cockpit as well as those parts of the airframe not covered by the other three sets detailed below. The first fret comprises mainly of pre-painted self-adhesive parts, including harnesses for the crew seats, a wealth of sidewall detail including throttle controls, . A multi-layered instrument panel and parts for the radio are also included. Cooling sleeves for the twin .30 inch Browning machine guns are included, along with a delicate ring and bead sight and a number of ammunition boxes. The engine benefits from the addition of ignition wiring and the air intakes positioned above and below the cowling receive some nicely rendered mesh parts. Parts are also included for the bombs bay and the control rods for the rudder and elevators. SB2C-5 Helldiver Zoom Set The zoom set contains the first fret from the above set, with a correspondingly lower price tag. Ideal for those who want to jazz their kit up a bit but without spening hours slaving over tiny pieces of brass. SB2C-5 Helldiver Undercarriage Set This fret includes everything you'll need to turn the kit's undercarriage into a masterpiece. Star of the show are a pair of etched linings for the main landing gear bays, complete with exquisite rib detail. The downside is that you'll need to cut away the ribs from the original plastic parts before installing the photo etched replacements. Also on the fret are parts for detailing the main landing gear legs and wheels, including a set of brake lines and scissor links, both of which will help to bring the kit parts to life. SB2C-5 Helldiver Landing Flaps Set The flaps on the Academy/Special Hobby kit have been moulded in place, so the use of this set will mean being brave and cutting away a fair amount of plastic. The flaps themselves look extremely complex, so I'd recommending reading and re-reading the instructions, as well as checking the photographs of the real thing. A proper photo etch bending tool would be a very good asset to acquire if you really want this set and don't already have one. Conclusion Special Hobby have breathed new life into Academy's kit and opened up the possibility of the some interesting painting and marking schemes along the way. Overall this set is up to Eduard's usual high standards and can therefore be recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello guys; This is my latest build: an Eduard F-2 1/48. It was out of box. I used Kagero decals: Bf 109 F-2; 'White 9', flown by Oblt. Hans Phillip, Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54, Mal. Owsischtschi, 10 August 1941. Paints: Tamiya and Gunze acrylic paints. Thanks for watching!

My entry will be Eduard's Weekend Edition 1/48 Mirage IIIC. Won't be starting for a while, as I still have to finish a couple of other ongoing group build entries, a MIG-21R and Mk2 Transit.

Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback BigEd set (BIG49175 for Hobby Boss) 1:48 Eduard Hobby Boss's Fullback has been a huge success, despite it having a few flaws, and Eduard has released a number of Photo-Etch sets to improve on the detail, all of which have been available separately now for a few months. If you haven't yet dipped your toe into acquiring aftermarket for your kit and were planning on getting all sets however, then this BigEd set will be of interest. It includes four sets and places them in one card envelope, passing on a discount on the price for the modeller as a result. On first look the ticket price might look large, but when you add the individual prices together, you do win out and save around 25%. The envelope is sturdy and well able to keep your Photo-Etch (PE) safe from harm, with a taped up flap which is re-sealable using a punched-out tongue and slot. Interior (49824) Two small frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels and side consoles are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; ejection seat details; throttle quadrant; HUD framework with acetate film glazing; rear-view periscope and canopy internal structure also supplied. Oddly, a number of external parts are added, such as a number of sensors and AoA probe in the nose; static wicks on the wings and tail, and chaff and flare racks in the stinger between the engine exhausts. Seatbelts STEEL (49825) In case you don't already know, these belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the belts and cushion pads, you also get a set of pull-handles between the pilot's knees that gets him out of there in case of an emergency. Exterior (48921) This larger bare brass set contains some important upgrades, such as delicate new afterburner rings, with concise instructions on how to achieve the correct shape with them; a replacement to the rear face of the engine that slots over the bullet fairing in the centre; a substantial upgrade to the detail in the highly visible nose gear bay that also acts as crew access, with the ladder also getting new treads and the mudguard being fitted with a new flexible rubber section (in brass of course). Finally, the intake inner walls are skinned with more detailed panels, which will need blending in with the styrene at the edges for a more realistic look. Masks (EX550) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, which are solid masks for each pane. In addition you get a set of ancillary masks for the sundry lights, allowing you to paint your model with little concern for them. Review sample courtesy of

I will join if I may. I have a couple of kits in the stash that qualify and having done some research I now know the difference between a rotary and a radial engine (yes I admit it I didn't know before but you live and learn). I am going to build the Eduard 1/48 WWI Fokker E.II. I should point out (a) I have never built a WWI plane before, (b) I have never done rigging on a plane before and (c) this looks quite fiddly. Fingers crossed. The kit. I understand its one of Eduard's older offerings but hopefully that doesn't mean problems. I will be building it OTB and have some E Z Line to try out for the rigging. The sprues. So far so good. And finally some photo etch and a very very small clear sprue. Thanks for looking. As always all comments very welcome. Cheers Dave

Here is another of my occasional 1/48 builds, the Eduard Messerschmitt Bf109G6. A lot has been posted online about the accuracy of this kit and building it alongside 2 other 109s the difference in size is instantly apparent. As a 109 fan I was rather disappointed initially but once I started building that disappointment all but vanished as the kit is a delight to build with superb detail inside and on the surface so it's portliness is forgiven on this occasion. Other than sand off the strange bumps at the wing root everything else is OOB including the strange undercarriage leg angle. I painted this one as Major Franzisket's aircraft as the other decal options all have some issues, several were ERLA built G6s so should have had the extra cowl bulges on the right side but Eduard didn't include them and one of the options colour schemes is actually a mixture of 2 aircraft from different factories. I've gone a bit overboard with the weathering as the photos I've seen showed this aircraft to be very clean, I'll put it down to artist licence. Duncan B

This was buried in the stash for years until I finally took pity on it and decided to give it a go. It's a nice package with everything you need in the box (p/e, masks), only problem being the fit of the nancelles. Regards J A

Roland C.II ProfiPACK 1:48 Eduard After initially building Albatros two seaters under licence, the Roland company began to look at producing an aircraft of their own design. A lot of effort went in to creating as smooth and low drag a shape as possible, eliminating the cabane struts by mounting the top wing directly on to the top of the fuselage. The fuselage itself was an innovative monocoque construction of layers of thin plywood strips laid over a mould in a criss-cross pattern. Two halves were made (just like a kit!) and joined together around an interior framework. The join line was covered with tape and the whole unit covered with doped on fabric, creating a fuselage with an excellent strength to weight ratio. Nicknamed 'Walfisch' (Whale) the C.II proved to be significantly faster than most other two seaters, and the majority of single seat fighters. View above and behind was excellent, but downward was poor due to the positioning of the pilot high up near the wings, and made the aircraft difficult to land. The tail assembly also suffered from some lack of airflow due to the blanking effect of the fuselage. However, as long as it held on to it's speed advantage it was able to carry out its reconnaissance tasks in relative safety. The C.II and later C.IIa served from the spring of 1916 until mid 1917, latterly in an escort role or employed on troop support/ground attack. Once removed from front line service most Rolands were only to be found in use with training units. The Kit The kit was initially released in 2000 and re-released at regular intervals ever since so must be a god seller. There are four main sprues of plastic and a small clear sprue, 2 small PE frets and a sheet of masks. Construction starts inside the main fuselage with the main glazing being put in place in each fuselage half, followed by some internal fittings including the spare magazines for the rear gunner. This is followed by the gunners compartment being assembled and installed. Coloured PE seats belts are provided here. Next up the pilots compartments is built up and installed. Engine bearers are then installed in front of the pilots area in preparation for the engine. The engine is the next part to be built up and installed. The engine is a multi-part affair including separate exhausts. Again coloured PE seats belts are provided here. Due to the construction of the Roland not much of this will be visible once the next step of closing the main fuselage halves is complete. After this is done the scarf ring for the gunner is added along with a side mounted radiator for the engine. Construction then moves onto the wings. Unlike most bi-plane models the lower wing is one part which attaches under the main fuselage, and the top wings are split left/right and attach to each side of the fuselage. One large aerodynamic interplane strut holds the wings apart near the tips. Following the adding of the wings the tail planes and rudder are attached. Control cable attachment points are provided for the rudder, and wing ailerons. To finish off the main undercarriage and tail skid are built up and added to the main fuselage. The main fixed forward firing gun is added to the top of the wing, and the rear gun is also added. The main exhaust is added to the engine and lastly the propeller and hub are added to the front of the aircraft. Decals Decals options come for four aircraft and include extra markings for the first option. Decals are from Eduard and look to be in register, glossy and colour dense. They should pose no issues. ROLAND C. II 1/48 - flown by Lt. Seibert and Hptm. Pfleger, FFA 5b, Western Front, Fall 1916 ROLAND C. II 1/48 - Western Front, Summer 1917 ROLAND C. II 1/48 - Kasta 2, Kagohl 1, End of 1916/ Beginning of 1917 ROLAND C. II 1/48 - 1859/16, Bayerische Flieger Schule 5, 1917 Conclusion A welcome re-release from Eduard and in a ProfiPACK boxing with the addition of the PE and masks. Review sample courtesy of

Ok so this is my third and final upload this week! I've had three kits all at the same stage since May so am on a concerted effort to get them finished. Eduard 1:48 F8 Crusader, VMF235, 'Deaths Angels' , Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam 1968 Very enjoyable kit this one and the Furball decals were very nice indeed and by and large a good fit although the intake took some doing! This is one of Eduards limited edition kits so has the canopy masks and various Brassin parts to go with it. Paints are Tamiya and Gunze and Alclads for the exhaust. Highly recommended Chris

Started last November and finally completed today! Airfix's new-tool Blenheim Mk I completed OOB, the only aftermarket used being Eduard's canopy mask for the kit. It's brush painted with Humbrol enamels (H29 and H116 uppers, H85 lower surface with H78 used for the interior), then glossed with Humbrol's Clear for decal application and finally matt coated with a Humbrol Rattlecan. There's also some light weathering as well, using various colours of paint. All in all, not that difficult to build, you just need to take your time and test fit prior to gluing anything. The nose glazing was fiddly, but not insurmountable if you put some thought into how your going to do it. I did have to resort to a touch of filler in that area. My only real complaint is the Eduard set - some of the window masks are a little too large compared with the detail as moulded by Airfix. Comments and feedback welcome! Mike.

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

German Submarine Flags Eduard 1:72 and 1:48 Quite a few maritime kits these days provide a selection of flags and pennants that are printed on paper. These can look ok, but generally always have a tired well worn look, like they’ve been left in the sun for a few months. Eduard have now added to their collection of etched flags with these two sets in pre-painted steel, which seems to have superseded the etched brass previously used for these sort of things. 53196 – 1:48 U-Boat Flags. This set only contains one ensign, handily printed on both sides, but a good selection of pennants, twenty eight in total for U552. Each pennant has a different number on it; each number depicts the tonnage the submarine sunk on that cruise. The flag and pennants each have an eyelet on the top and bottom corner for you to thread your rigging line through. 53198 – 1:72 U-Boat Flags. This set is similar to the 1/48 scale, in that it too is made from etched steel and the flags printed on either side. This does include two ensigns, one red pennant showing an aircraft having been shot down, one black pennant with the number of ships sunk, four pennants with different tonnages on them and one white pennant with Tanker written on it. There are also five Admirals flags, each depicting the different Admirals of the submarines home Division. Conclusion These are very nice and easy to use sets which would add a dash of colour on your big submarines. How you get the wavy flapping effect is entirely up to you, but it may take a bit of experimentation to get the desired effect. Fortunately the steel used is thin enough to manipulate and get a good effect. Review sample courtesy of

Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 1:32 Eduard History By the summer of 1943, the performance of the P-40 Warhawk was leaving much to be desired, especially in comparison to the later types such as the P-38, P-47, and P-51 which were beginning to come into service. The P-40N version (company designation Model 87V, 87W) was introduced at this time in an effort to improve the capabilities of the basic design and thus avoid interrupting Curtiss production lines by having the company introduce an entirely new type. The first 1500 examples of this new Warhawk line were to have been delivered as P-40Ps powered by Merlin engines, but shortages of the Packard-built Merlin caused this order to be cancelled and the P-40N with the 1200 hp Allison V-1710-81 engine to be substituted in its place. A new lightweight structure was introduced, two of the six wing-mounted guns were removed, smaller and lighter undercarriage wheels were installed, head armor was reintroduced, and aluminium radiators and oil coolers were installed. The resulting reduction in the weight, along with the use of the same V-1710-81 engine as used in the P-40M, made the P-40N the fastest of the P-40 series, reaching a speed of 378 mph at 10,500 feet. Even though by 1943 standards the Warhawk was rapidly becoming obsolescent, the P-40N became the version that was most widely built--5220 examples rolling off the Curtiss lines before production finally ceased. The first production block was the P-40N-1-CU. It appeared in March of 1943, still powered by the Allison V-1710-81 engine, but with 122 gallons of internal fuel and a generally lighter structure than its predecessors. With weight reduced to 6000 pounds empty, 7400 pounds gross, and 8850 pounds maximum, the N-1 was the fastest P-40 service variant and was intended for high altitude combat. Maximum speed was 378 mph at 10,500 feet and service ceiling was 38,000 feet. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in 6.7 minutes. Armament consisted of four 0.50-inch machine guns in the wings. Four hundred P-40N-1-CUs were built. The P-40N-5-CU variant introduced a modified cockpit canopy with a frameless sliding hood and a deeper, squared-off rectangular aft transparent section to improve the rearward view. This cockpit canopy was retained for all the rest of the production blocks of the N version. The N-5 version restored the full six-gun wing armament, since pilots had complained that four guns were insufficient. Underwing racks were fitted for bombs or drop tanks, increasing external stores capacity to 1500 pounds. The new heavier gross weight of 8350 pounds limited the top speed to 350 mph at 16,400 feet and service ceiling to 31,000 feet. An altitude of 14,000 feet could be attained in 7.3 minutes. Range was 340 miles with a 500-pound bomb underneath the fuselage. Three drop tanks promised a ferry range of up to 3100 miles at 198 mph. The Model In this, their fifth release in their EduArt series, and second in 1:32 scale, Eduard have taken a Hasegawa P-40 and given it some extra styrene parts, namely the P-40N tail parts, cut down rear cockpit area and new clear canopy parts associated with the type. They have also of their lovely etched sheets and a selection of resin parts. In the quite large and beautifully adorned box, with a painting by Romain Hugault, who was renowned for painting artworks inspired, and including women. Inside the box there are two more pieces of the boxart, one, an A2 poster, which is nicely rolled up, and the second, a large and quite heavy metal plaque which is pre drilled with holes at each corner for either screws, or, if you desire to attach it to a metal object, pop rivets. The actual kit comes on seventeen sprues of grey styrene, two of clear, two etched sheets, four poly caps, thirteen resin parts and a set of paint masks. Whichever version you chose to build you will have quite a few parts left over for the spares box. All the parts are beautifully moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and there aren’t too many moulding pips to clean up either. The instructions are well printed, very clear and easy to read, but be aware that you will have to choose which variant/scheme you are building as the parts are quite different and the build sequence can get a bit muddled. The build begins with the cockpit and depending on which scheme you choose will decide which type of seat, rear bulkhead and gun sight you need to use. The cockpit is made up of the seat, etched belts, cockpit floor, joystick, multi-part compass, and a very complete instrument panel, which takes the form of a plastic panel onto which the two etched parts are glued, the sandwiched part being the pre printed instruments and the outer part the pre-printed panel. The rest of the panel is made up of other painted parts, levers and the different styles of gun sights. To the rear of the panel the rudder pedals are attached, along with the coaming. Each sidewall is a mass of etched and plastic parts making up very detailed and busy areas. The sidewalls, instrument panel, rear bulkhead and cockpit floor are then joined together to build the cockpit tub. The internals of the chin intake are made up from four plastic parts, onto which the three etched intake and exhaust grilles are added. The intake and cockpit assemblies are then fitted to one half of the fuselage and closed up with the other. The two halves of the tail section are then joined together and glued to the front section. The insert behind the cockpit is then fitted, along with the two scalloped sections. Around the nose, the two exhaust inserts are attached, as are the chin intake panel and cheek grilles. PE parts are then added to the front and sides of the fin and the PE canopy slides are added to the rear canopy rails. Depending on what stores you intend to add will dictate which holes you need to open up in the single piece lower wing. The wheel wells are made up from the roof and two side walls. Each of the wells are then joined to the front spar section and glued into place. The two upper wing sections are then attached to the lower wing section and fitted out with a selection of PE panels and light fittings. Each of the rudder and horizontal tail surfaces come in two halves, once glued together they are fitted into their respective positions. The moulded actuator rods for the elevators are removed and replaced with PE parts. The propeller is then assembled from the single piece, three bladed propeller, backplate, poly cap and spinner. The respective clear parts for the rear canopy are then attached depending on which scheme has been chosen. The wing assembly is then fitted with the machine gun muzzle inserts and fitted to the fuselage, followed by the two resin exhaust stacks. Turning the model upside down, the intake cowl flaps are fitted with their actuators and glued to the rear of the chin intake fairing. The rear wing fairing is then attached, along with the internal undercarriage bay longitudinal spars, id light, landing lights lenses, and PE vent surrounds. Keeping the model upside down the ventral drop tanks or 500lb bomb and their respective fittings and fixtures are attached to the holes drilled earlier. The wing pylons are made completely out of PE parts are will need to be carefully assembled before being attached to the wings. The main undercarriage is then assembled, each unit being made up of the three part resin wheels, single piece oleo to which the PE scissor links and other parts are attached. Once glued into position the bay doors are attached and the tail wheel doors are fitted, along with the door links, tail wheel oleo and one of the three options of wheels. The build is finished off with the addition of the optional canopy, and windscreen, DF loop, aerial masts, pitot probe and propeller assembly. Decals The large decal sheet has been printed by Cartograf for Eduard and is beautifully printed, in perfect register, good opacity and quite glossy. There is a choice of five aircraft, three American and two form the New Zealand Air Force. There are also a full airframes worth of stencils included The scheme choices are:- P-40N-5, S/n 42-105123 flown by Lt P.S. Adair, 89th FS, 80th FG, Nagaghuli, India, February 1944 Kittyhawk IV, (P-40N-1), NZ3148, No.19 Squadron RNZAF, Ondonga, New Georgia, November 1943 P-40N-1 flown by Lt. G. L. Walston, 16th FS, 51st FG, Kumming, China, 1944 P-40N, 7th FS, 49th FG, Cyclops Airfield, Hollandia, New Guinea, May 1944 Kittyhawk IV, (P-40N-20), NZ3220, No.18 Squadron RNZAF, Bougainville 1944. Conclusion This is a fabulous looking package, with some nice goodies included with a very nice looking kit. It looks like it should build into a very attractive looking model with a great level of detail. You shouldn’t need to buy any other additional parts, but knowing Eduard, I bet they will release some other bits and bobs for it as they did for the last EduArt release. Buy it while you can. Review sample courtesy of

Hello everyone My entry will be the Eduard Profipack MiG-15UTI, and I will try to represent one of the Romanian Air Force MiG-15UTI. This type saw intense activity until 1992 preparing the young pilots for the more powerful 21's and 23's. I choose an 1974 machine, photographed on the Bacau Airfield, code "134", in a nice 3 colours camo pattern(not documented). 1974

German Type VIIc U-Boat Etch sets 1:48 Eduard Having updated the Revell 1:72 Type VIIc U-Boats, Eduard have now turned their sights onto the huge Trumpeter 1:48 kit, releasing three sets of etched brass, to update the conning tower, upper and lower hull. The hull sets in particular will require quite a bit of surgery to be carried out on the kit to allow the etched parts to fit, but with plenty of care and patience they will make quite a difference to the finished model. 53191 – Part 1, Upper Hull: This large single sheet set contains parts of the main deck, namely the quarterdeck and extreme foredeck. Each deck is fitted out with numerous hatches with separate hinge plates, bollard covers, rear wire spreaders have new support feet, hawse pipes front and rear, new gun mount foot plates, bow mounted wire cutter and support feet, although the rear support arm needs to be made of 56mm x 1.5mm rod. The handrails have new clamps and the guard rails new cable eyes. The main 88mm gun is fitted with a whole load of new fittings. There are a lot more fittings on the sheet, but there doesn’t appear to be any mention of them on the instructions, which is rather bizarre. 53192 Part 2, Conning Tower: Although the easiest to use, this single sheet set definitely has the most parts, contained in the smaller, glued sleeve, the set is used to add detail, not only to the tower, but also the AA weapons. The single 20mm Flak 38 gun receives new fittings for the mount as well as the guns itself, with new sights, supports, traversing wheels, brackets and spent casing bags. The decks of the tower are provided with new opening panels. The shelving/seating around the inside of the tower are replaced, as is the housing containing the DF array, whilst the lifering has a new holder. The set also includes the footrests that are fitted to the lower parts of the guardrails. There are numerous hatches for both the inside and outside of the tower, plus the access hatch is fitted with a new locking wheel and latch handle. All the hand rails are provided with new attachment points 53195 – Part 3 Lower Hull: Comes in a zip lock bag with one sheet of etched brass. This set contains two replacement free flooding and venting areas for the aft lower hull between the propeller shafts. Rather than just scabbing the panels onto the kit, it’ll be better to remove the areas, using the etched panels as a guide, thinning down the edges then fitting the panels from the outside. The set also includes quite a selection of hull vents and intakes, which once again will need the areas of the kit to be removed, plus access hatches on the ballast tanks. There are also additional plates to be fitted on the dive planes, rudder and proper A frames. Conclusion Whilst the huge Type VIIc is an amazing kit there are some things that really can’t be moulded using standard techniques, even in this scale, and it this is where the etched brass comes in. The finesse it provides to a finished model can really make it shine. These sets can, when used correctly do just that for this stunning model, just be careful with the cutting out of the kit parts. Review sample courtesy of

Hi all This is my new finish build: an Eduard Spitfire MkIXc I can't back on the quality of this kit I have made some mistake due to a bad read of notice I use the wrong wing and I forced to use the long air intake I forgot to glue a part in the wheels bay. This part is use to glue the wheel leg on the wheel bay. I spent some swearwords when I try to add the legs But except these little problem, it is a superb kit for the one of the most beautifull plane of entire WWII And another pics in the link bellow Supermarine Spitfire MkIXc