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Finally (after a bit of a slog) finished my Fw190. Weekend Edition? There's no way I'd be able to buildthis kit in a weekend! There are some work-in-progress shots here Built OOB except for the Lion Roar PE belts. Construction was a challenge at times, the tolerances are very fine especially when putting together things like the engine area. It looks lovely built up though, and I wouldn't mind building another one as I've learned a lot building this one. I didn't do anything in the way of detailing, as the kit detail is nice enough. I did add a couple of tubes to the drop tank, as it looked a bit 'detached' otherwise. Painted with Tamiya acrylics, the colours are various mixtures made up using guidelines found online, until they looked about right. Oils & pastels for weathering, sating coat from flattened Klear. Oleo strut done with self adhesive aluminium tape, much easier than the foil & PVA I have used before. Antenna wire courtesy of SWMBO's head Looking at these photo's I've realised I'm missing a pitot tube. Half a job Heeley strikes again! Thanks for looking! Chris

Etch Detail Sets for the Italeri Spitfire Mk.IX 1:72 Eduard First entering service with 64 Sqn at Hornchurch in July 1942, the Mk.IX was impressed into service to counter the new FW190A which was causing great concern due to its capability over the Spitfire Mk.V. The Mk.IX was intended to be a stop gap whilst the Mk.VIII was developed, however such was its success, no less than 5665 were eventually built. There are several kits for the 1/72 Mk.IX to choose from, however these etch sets are aimed at the established Italeri kit although I suspect they can be used in others with a small amount of work. As is quite common now, Eduard provide the more comprehensive pack containing two frets giving internal and external enhancements as well as providing the lower cost Zoom set that primarily focuses on the cockpit. Set 73431 This is the comprehensive two fret pack. The interior fret comes with pre-painted parts, although like some isn't self adhesive. The Italeri kit comes with a fairly basic cockpit and no side wall detail, so this is a most welcome set. Further more, the canopy is supplied in two parts so you have the option of having it open so all your hard work in the pit won't be wasted ! Starting with the side panels, a complete pre=painted side wall is provided for each side. These are then built up with no less than 10 parts per side of additional etch components such as the throttle cluster. The panel receives the same thorough treatment with three parts to produce a truly 3D look. Framework for the gunsight is provided, however some scratch building is necessary to provide the circular sight lens. The kit seat can be replaced by a fully etch and far more accurate replica that includes seatbelts which are pre-painted. The complete armour and framework assembly behind the seat is also provided in the etch sets. Finally, the access door can also be replaced with an etch part. Moving on to the exterior of the aircraft. with this set, you have the option to have the flaps in the open position thanks to a fully detailed set. Some plastic rod is required here of about 0.6mm diameter to act as flap hinges that run the full length of the flaps. Unfortunately this plastic isn't provided in the set. The radiators are enhanced with mesh front and rear as well as rear flaps that require the original parts to be cut away. These can then be set to the angle you desire. The main undercarriage is treated to some fine Oleo scissors to replace the bulky and toy like kit scissors as well as some brake lines and replacement doors of a more realistic thickness. A nice little touch is the inclusion of very intricate flap position indicators for the top wing. Further surface enhancements are included in the set such as the access panel on the left behind the cockpit, windscreen mirror, canopy opening handle and rudder control rods. A great little feature included is some moulds in the fret to enable the moulding of some tear drop shaped navigation and fuselage lights. The instructions show how to do this using clear plastic rod melted over a flame then pressed into the provided moulds to create the lights. These are worth keeping in the tool box ! Zoom Set SS431 This is the cheaper alternative that just includes the coloured etch. Unfortunately, you will only be able to partially kit the cockpit out with this set as the seat, rear framework and armour are all included on the fret that isn't provided. What you do get though is the beautiful side walls, access door, main panel and seatbelts as you can see in the image above. Conclusion This set will really bring your Mk.IX alive with some fine detail. I recommend plenty of dry fitting along the way as the Italeri kit can present challenges during the assembly stage, but with some patience and planning your efforts will be quite rewarding. Having reviewed the comprehensive set 73431, I can't help but feel that I'd be disappointed using the Zoom set due to the exclusions in the cockpit by comparison, but that is a reflection of the great work Eduard have done here. Review sample courtesy of

F6F Hellcat Wing Mounted Radome for the Eduard Kit (QB 72 373) 1:72 Quickboost The Eduard Hellcat is without doubt one of the best F6F kits on the market, but there are still improvements that can be achieved when someone looks closely enough and that's what Aires have done. On the whole, the kit has beautifully detailed parts and finely recessed panel lines, but for some reason the radome included has raised panel lines. It's also manufactured in two parts which means there will be a seam to blend in, so this single part replacement from Quickboost is a great product that will improve the look of the kit and ensure that you aren't left with a seam. The panel lines are finely recessed meaning that it will blend in beautifully with the rest of the kit. That said, care should be taken to remove the radome from the block that it comes on to minimise the work in removing the join marks. It's a direct replacement part that slots onto the leading edge of the wing. Conclusion A simple but great improvement to the F6F kit if you're wishing to do one of the radar equipped versions. Fitment is easy although there will be a bit of sanding to remove the marks after cutting it from the block. The recessed panel lines are a great improvement over the kit supplied part. Review samples courtesy of distributed in the UK by Hannants Ltd.

High Velocity Aircraft Rocket (HVAR) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The HVAR was an unguided rocket developed during WWII and used very effectively against ground targets after D-Day when German air cover was whittled away to almost nothing. It's five inch casing housed a powerful rocket motor that could propel it to speeds close to 1,000mph, giving its semi-armour piercing head and 45lb explosive charge quite a punch, earning it the nickname Holy Moses. It continued in service until after Korea when it was superceded by more modern designs like the Zuni rocket with folding fins and a modular warhead design. The set arrives in a shallow clamshell box, and inside are eight rocket bodies cast in moulding blocks of four apiece, plus eight individually cast tail fin assemblies. A small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) parts are included for the fine details. Eight HVAR rockets are usually enough to load-out out most WWII fighter/bombers, but check your references and launch rail configuration to ensure you have enough before starting. Construction of each rocket is straightforward, comprising the two parts mentioned above. The extra detail is added from the PE sheet, including the retention clasps, exhaust detail and the ignition wires often missed from rocket armed aircraft of this era. A scrap diagram advises the modeller to check their references for the correct placement of the retention clasps, as there is no "one position fits all" solution. As usual with Eduard's Brassin sets there are no colour call-outs, but there seems to have been quite a variety of schemes worn by these wicked little rockets. Grey with an olive green nose and silver fuse tip is one option, but check your references for your particular choice of subject before committing to paint. Conclusion Detail is of course excellent, as we have come to expect from the Brassin range, and these resin replacement to the usual kit parts are well worth the extra effort, as the fuse detail and the individual brackets holding the fins onto the body are very nicely moulded. The addition of the PE parts is the icing on the cake, and should result in a very realistic set of rockets for your WWII/Korea era ground attack aircraft. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Roma - Photo Etch Detail Set for Trumpeter Kit 1:700 Eduard When Trumpeter announced their 1:700 Roma in 2011, it made a great many modellers, including this one, very happy indeed. Whilst the wartime navies of Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States have been relatively well represented in our hobby, the navies of some of the other nations, including Italy, have not. Add to that the fact that the Vittorio Veneto class were particularly handsome battleships, and you have yourself a winning formula. Trumpeter’s kit doesn’t disappoint either, being both well detailed and accurate. Although the Trumpeter kit includes a small fret of photo etched parts for the aircraft crane, funnel caps and some other smaller bits and pieces, there are still an awful lot of fine details that can be added to further enhance the basic kit. This is where Eduard step in. Their set includes a range of small detail parts including the anchor fittings and chains, cable reels, ladders and stairways. Also included on the fret are parts for the ships numerous lifeboats and the catapult for the aircraft. A few doors have been provided, but not enough to cover the entire ship. This is more a testament to the quality of Trumpeter’s kit that anything else. As you would expect, Eduard have also included a full set of railings. Although these items can be quite fiddly and frustrating to use, they really do add a spectacular finishing touch to the model. Unfortunately Eduard have chosen to manufacture these without a third rail to connect the stanchions at the base. This means that the railings will have minimal contact with the plastic – a feature which will make them much more difficult to fix in place. I’m not sure why Eduard have elected to use this approach. It was a feature of some of their earlier 1:700 sets, such as those for the Tamiya Scharnhorst and King George V, but their more recent sets seem to have adopted the three bar approach used by other manufacturers. Conclusion Nothing finishes a model warship off better than a set of fine photo etched parts. In this set Eduard have included almost everything you could want to complete the Trumpeter kit, from the railings, down to the cable reels. Setting aside my reservations about the railings, if you have this kit or are thinking of getting it, then this set can be recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F-16 NATO Falcons Eduard 1:48 In 1973, one of the most versatile aircraft that's ever flown took to the air for the first time, the YF-16. Experience in Vietnam led to the need in the US for a lightweight fighter (LWF) with high agility and performance, however this need was challenged due to the parallel drive to equip with F-15's. The challenge was put to bed by an agreement to provide the US Air Force with a mix of High / low cost air superiority fighters, each having their own benefits. The competition came down to two competing aircraft, the YF-16 and the YF-17 which also had its success as it eventually became the F-18. Interest in the LWF program grew in Europe by NATO members Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands & Norway who were looking to replace their aging F-104 fighter bombers, so the need stretched the original air superiority fighter into an aircraft with air/ground attack capability. Initial production of the F-16 was commenced in the US, however to date, a further 4 production lines subsequently run, Belgium and the Netherlands starting in the 1970's, Turkey in the 1980's and Korea in the mid 90's. Key attributes of the F-16 are a light weight blended wing airframe with large strakes to improve high AoA manoeuvres as well as being able to increase airframe strength and internal volume, the first unstable Fly-by-wire control system linked to a side stick control, Hands-on-throttle (HOTAS) functionality and a reclined 30 degree seat to enable higher G tolerances for the pilot, although this was bred from the need to fit the seat under the canopy ! It also has an incredible thrust to weight ratio of over 1 giving an excellent combat envelope. Air & ground attack weapons can be carried across 9 hard points. Early aircraft were powered by the P&W F100 of around 24,000lb thrust, where as the most powerful versions now put out over 32,000lbs using the GE F110 powerplant. Such is the flexibility of the airframe, upgrades to avionics have been immense making the F-16 development quite complex to track. The original F-16A/B encompassed blocks 1, 5, 10, 15 & 20 with 15's being noticeably different due to the larger tail planes. The F-16C/D introduced an all-weather capability and formed blocks 30/32, 40/42 & 50/52 (the 0 refers to GE powered aircraft, the 2 refers to P&W powered ones). The F-16E/F benefits from a further improved radar, more powerful engine and the ugly but effective conformal fuel tanks which saddle the upper wing roots. Export versions, licence built and other variants such as the ADF further complicate the line up of F-16 models such is the flexibility of this nimble fighter. I'm sure the F-16 experts reading this will point out some errors in my facts ! For a fighter aircraft that first flew in 1973, it's amazing to think that the F-16 is still being developed and competitive nearly 40 years on and has served with no less than 25 nations. The kit Eduard's new kit is the F-16A/AM/ADF based on the excellent Kinetic kit first released in 2008. Now I remember building a couple of 1/48 F-16A's in the 80's before Lockheed & the licence manufacturers had been able to tinker too much with it, so the kits were pretty simple back then. Moving on to the 21st century (now I'm feeling old !!!) this kit is something different, it must be a model manufacturers nightmare such are the variants now available and the detail differences between each ! So on opening the box, what are you presented with ? Well quite a lot, in fact, a hell of a lot ! You get no less than 15 sprues of grey plastic, 2 sprues of clear plastic, the Brassin resin upgrade set, 2 frets of etch, one of which is coloured, paint masks for the canopy, an incredible sheet of decals and typical of Eduard, an excellent instruction book printed in colour on glossy paper. The basic fuselage and wings come in two halves, top and bottom, however the top part only goes up to the leading edge of the wing with a third part providing the cockpit area up to the radome. Surface detail has a matt texture and superbly recessed panel lines. There's no evidence of sink marks or other imperfections on the external surfaces. The wing slats and flaps are provided as separate parts so you have the option to fit them either retracted or drooped. It's important to follow the instructions carefully as Eduard provide etch and resin replacement parts, but the kit also contains the original injection moulded parts. I'd also recommend being clear on what aircraft you intend to model before you start. There are so many options provided in the kit, you need to ensure you fit the right bits for your chosen kite. Assembly starts with the cockpit which if you like makes use of the coloured etch parts. Clear instructions are provided to show what plastic detail needs removing to fit the etch. You won't be dissappointed with the detail. Attention then moves to the highly detailed main undercarriage bay and mid intake duct. A full intake duct is provided in the kit. The Brassin set gets its introduction here as the resin compressor blades are fitted to the rear of the duct. The detail on this is quite exquisite. This sub assembly is then fitted into the lower fuselage half. Attention moves to the top by assembling the front and rear fuselage parts before adding more etch and plastic around the cockpit combing and sidewalls. With this done, the cockpit tub assembly can be inserted into the upper fuselage. You have the choice of having the air brakes on the tail opened or closed. If you decide to open them, then etch and plastic opening mechanisms are provided. On joining the fuselage up, there's an array of etch detail to be fitted such as vents. Care needs to be taken around the nose area as there are several optional parts such as the IFF bulges ahead of the canopy and the 150,000 candlepower spotlight equipped left side panel below the IFF panel used on the Danish and Norwegian versions. Again, check your references carefully. Another fine addition to the Brassin set is the inclusion of the afterburner section. This along with the fine etch parts creates a stunning rendition of the F100 tail end although the kit burner can isn't bad either. Next is the assembly of the front intake duct and nose wheel bay. This is the original smaller intake duct, not the larger one fitted on later more powerful variants. Brassin comes in again now with some beautifully formed resin wheels, although the injection moulded parts are certainly not bad representations. Further etch enhancements such as brake lines and Oleo links add to the party. The etch set provides several external reinforcement plates for the upper wing / centre fuselage area. According to the instructions, these are only for the ADF Italian version, how accurate that is I'm not sure, so I'd recommend you check. Even the tail comes with a number of options, however the instructions appear to be incorrect as they don't show the bulged tail base that the ADF variant uses despite being contained in the kit. You get the normal and the parapack extended tail options too. The only dissappointment I've come across is the fact that whilst decals are provided for variants using both the original small and later larger tailplanes, both parts aren't provided in the kit. You have to cut the larger ones down, however that will also require sanding the trailing edges down which will require care to get an even finish if you choose the Danish version. Whilst the static dischargers are moulded onto the tailplanes and ailerons, if you're like me, they'll be broken off within minutes. Fear not, the etch set provides nice replacements so best to leave them off until the end. The pilot's seat is fitted towards the end of the build which always helps when it comes to masking at the painting stage. Again, Brassin adds a delightful resin replacement here which is further enhanced with etch details including the seatbelts and ejector handles. Now for the part that the Kinetic kit excels over its competition, the weapon options. A loadout plan is contained in the instructions making it very easy to see what can go where. I'd check references again here if you want to ensure that your build has accurate loadouts for the actual variant, but no matter what you choose, there will be a huge pile of spares left over ! The weapons included are: AIM-9M x 2 AIM-120B x 2 AIM-120C x 2 (not shown in instructions) 300 Gallon centre tank 370 Gallon wing tanks x 2 AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN AGM-65 Maverick x 2 GBU-12 Paveway II x 2 GBU-24 Paveway III x 2 AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod GBU-31 x 2 GBU-87 x 2 Mk.82 x 2 (not shown in instructions) Sniper XR The clear parts included are beautifully clear. A large fret with the array of lights is complemented by the separate canopy parts and a clear film for the HUD glass. There is a fine line along the top of the canopy due to the moulding process, but it shouldn't be difficult to sand it out of you choose. The Decals The sheet printed by Cartograph is quite stunning. Colours are rich and register is spot on. The tiger scheme on the tail of the Norwegian scheme is very complex, but the printing method has done a remarkable job of reproducing the detail. The schemes are: F-16A ADF Block 15, Italian Air Force, 5th Stormo based at Cervia AB 2010 - one of two aircraft that wore this disbandment artwork F-16AM 338th Sqn, Royal Norwegian Airforce 2009 with incredible Tiger artwork to represent the squadrons membership in the NATO Tiger Association F-16A Block 20, 323 Sqn, Royal Dutch Air Force based at Leeuwarden AB 2001, with tail artwork of 'Dianna, goddess of the hunt' F-16AM Block 10, ESK370 Sqn, Royal Danish Air Force 2010-2012 with artwork celebrating the Royal Danish Air Force 60th anniversary Conclusion As you've probably guessed by now, I like this kit a lot. The moulding is of high quality, the only sink marks I could find were on the main gear doors and they aren't bad. The additional parts that Eduard have added to the Kinetic kit are well thought out and you really don't need anything other than what's been provided in the box. Unlike some kits, you are spoilt for choice with the weapon options available and the spares box will be somewhat more full too afterwards !There's many options that need to be studied before and throughout your build due to the variations between versions, but your patience will be rewarded. This is the most comprehensive F-16 kit in 1/48 scale to date despite the price being very competitive. I've no doubt that it will continue to set the benchmark for a long time. Review sample courtesy of

Illustrious Class Helicopter set Eduard 1:350 This small sheet of etched brass recently released by Eduard is, as the title suggests, purely for the helicopters provided in the Airfix kit of HMS Illustrious. Providing enough parts for four helicopters, two with spread rotors and two folded. The Sea King Mk4 details include replacement and new parts, such as new main and tail rotors, port side rear strake, pitot probes, upper and lower port forward crew doors, windscreen wipers, sponson struts, main rotor head gearbox top decking, main winch, plus various aerials and aerial supports. The Merlin is provided with weapon stations, starboard crew step, new main and tail rotors, main rotor head cover, main gearbox top decking, port and starboard rear strakes, various aerials, upper and lower port crew entrance door, and pilots rear view mirrors. Conclusion This is a very neat and fairly comprehensive detail set which, whilst fiddly, will really enhance the helicopters within the kit. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German Z-43 Destroyer Railings Eduard 1:350 Continuing the theme of producing single sets of detail parts for individual ships, Eduard have just released this set of railings for the Trumpeter Z-43 destroyer. Each railing is pre-cut to suit the specific position on the ship which makes fitting a whole lot easier. The forecastle deck railings are also curved to fit the flair of the deck. The etching is really well done to Eduards usual standards and matches well the style used on German ships of the time. Conclusion Another useful set of railings to complete an already very nice model. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Rumor from the E-days 2012 (28-29/09): Eduard is preparing a 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX. They're doing a 1/144th one - out now: http://www.network54... Mk.IX Spitfire To be followed. V.P.

More photos: http://www.modelarov...nd-edition-148/

Photo Etched Diorama Accessories – September 2012 Update 1:72 Eduard This month sees the release of another two sets of pre-painted photo etched flora from Eduard. This time we have something a little more exotic, in the shape of some cacti and palm leaves Cactus 1:72 Eduard Leaves Palm Howea Belmoreana 1:72 Eduard Conclusion Eduard’s range of 1:72 diorama accessories is rapidly developing into an indispensible asset for modellers of small-scale subjects. Hopefully they’ll turn their attention to some more subjects native to Western Europe before too long, as I’ve got a diorama in progress that could use a touch of greenery! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A6M5 Zero Photo Etch Detail Set for Tamiya Kit 1:72 Eduard Tamiya’s superlative Zero marked a surprising and very welcome return to 1:72 scale by the well-regarded Japanese firm. The kit’s heritage in Tamiya’s larger scale Zeros was apparent through the superb level of detail and engineering. Now Eduard have attempted to gild the lily with a comprehensive set of photo etched detail parts A6M5 Zero (self adhesive) 1:72 Eduard The set is comprised of two frets of parts. The first is an all-singing, all-dancing pre-painted, self-adhesive fret of the type that has now become familiar to Eduard’s customers. It holds parts for the cockpit, including a multi-layered instrument panel and side consoles, rudder pedals, throttle control, and sidewall detail. Also included is a very realistic replacement seat, which fully demonstrates the advantages of photo etch technology over injection moulding. A full set of pre-painted harnesses are also included, as is the decking for the sliding part of the canopy. The second fret contains a handful of smaller parts such as the ignition wiring for the engine and fasteners for the engine cowling, as well as some larger, structural parts. These include a complete set of landing flaps which, thanks to Eduard’s user-friendly design philosophy, simply fold up to create a very effective finish. This fret also contains a host of parts for the undercarriage, including brake lines and parts to line the main landing gear bays. A6M5 Zero (Zoom) 1:72 Eduard The Zoom set is included just the pre-painted self-adhesive fret from the set reviewed above. Given the fabulous level of detail that Tamiya have crammed into their kit, this set would seem to be a wise choice unless you particularly want the landing flaps from the set above. Conclusion This is a great package that will allow you to take an already incredible kit to the next level. If you’ve already invested in Tamiya’s Zero, then you would be well-advised to take a good look at this set too. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SG 10, Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia, May, 1945 One of the abandoned aircraft left behind by Stab SG 10 and some of its Gruppe was this Fw 190F-8 marked Yellow ‘K’ The plane carried some camouflage modifications of SG 10 seen at the end of the war. The upper surfaces were brushed over with dark green, RLM 83 or similar, in the field. This color also extended to the undersurfaces, and also partially obscured the national insignia on the fuselage and wing tops. After the application of this scheme, Yellow ‘K’ received a new tail section from a written-off Fw 190 sporting the more traditional grey scheme, and there was an inconsistency between the fuselage crosses and tail swastika. By May, 1945, the brushed on paint was well worn, and the identifier, in the form of a yellow stripe, adorned the cowl. Misinterpretations regarding this stripe led to variations in width and exact placement. For this profile, the most common placement within SG 10 was used. Worth noting is the absence of the wheel covers, removed in the field to reduce the accumulation of mud, and the use of ETC 50 racks for four 50kg bombs. Build Thread available here Peter

Messerschmitt BF 109E-4 Eduard 1:48 Profipack Edition The BF 109 has inherited quite a legendary status and when you look into its service career, it's certainly obvious why. Viewing the design in retrospect, it looks just like a typical fighter of the WWII era, but it was more than that, it was the very platform that the single seat fighter format was born from. Powerful engine, monocoque airframe, all metal construction, enclosed cockpit and retractable gear this was unheard of before hand, it was radical, not typical in the 1930's. Its birth wasn't perfect however, to achieve its performance, some sacrifices were made, particularly in the landing gear arrangement and high wing loading having a negative effect on landing speeds compared to the competition at the time. This inherent design issue was never fully cured and it's estimated that at least 10% of all 109's were lost in take off accidents. Early models (A-D) were powered by the Junkers jumo engine with outputs of around 700hp. The aircraft was first used in combat during the Spanish Civil War where many lessons were learned and these would be later put to good use in battles over France and Britain. The E or Emil model broke the mould in 109 development by changing to the more powerful Daimler Benz DB 601 engine of around 1080hp, a significant step in performance and also in armament due to the introduction of 20mm cannon. By 1939, all earlier variants had been replaced in frontline service. As the variants progressed, so did the level of armour protection for the pilot. Another critical element to improve survivability was the use of twin radiators with cut off valves meaning that if one radiator was damaged, the other could be used to keep it airborne. The Emil was the primary Luftwaffe fighter until 1941 when the F model became widely available with more powerful engine although a few managed to see combat in the Battle of Britain. For an aircraft that broke the mould with fighter technology and performance in the mid 30's, it's evolution meant that whilst it's design had exhausted improvement capability towards the end of the war, it stayed in operational use until 1965 in Europe in the guise of the Spanish licence built HA 1112 using the Merlin powerplant. During its 30 year career, more than 33,000 were built, a record that will probably never be beaten. The kit If you've come across the E-1 or E-3 kits from Eduard, then you will be familiar with the format here. You'll also know how damn good the kit is ! Packaged in the usual format, the top opening box is packed with goodies in the Profipack version. Two bags of brown plastic sprues (4 sprues in total) are complemented by a fret of clear parts separately wrapped, two photo etch frets and a sheet of canopy paint masks which if you've tried, you probably don't want to build a model again without them ! Even the instructions are beautifully produced in glossy paper using multi-colours. Let's look at the big bits first. The fuselage and wing panel detailing are some of the best available. Panel lines are carefully recessed, there's no over engineering here, pure precision. Not content with panel lines, Eduard have taken the detailing further by adding even finer rivets to the surfaces where appropriate so you won't be needing your rivet tool. You have the option of either having the engine on display or the cowlings closed which we'll come to later. All the control surfaces are moulded separately, so you get the freedom to fix them how you like so you won't be needing your razor saw either ! The fabric control surfaces are beautifully moulded with the taught fabric effect and detailed ribbing. After a good look for flash and sink marks, I couldn't find any worth noting. Construction starts with the cockpit interior and chin radiator. The instructions here are very clear and show using red colouring where plastic parts need to be sanded or removed to make way for etch parts if you choose. The detail in the tub is exquisite, no chunky plastic here, even the injection moulded trim wheels look to scale thickness. Panels, seatbelts and rudder pedals are brought to life with coloured etch additions. Moving onto the engine and nose gun pack, here you'll find the same attention to detail as in the office. The engine is fully replicated with precise plastic parts. Decals are even supplied to provide serial numbers for the engines. The rear bulkhead assembly that includes the nose guns is fitted to the completed engine and the whole lot fitted between the fuselage halves along with the cockpit tub. The exhaust stubs are individually moulded, again the quality goes as far as having the welded seams and cleverly manufactured openings. Be aware that these are intentional seams and not mould flash ! I had to read the instruction a few times to get my head around the options for either having the engine installed or not. Instructions to build the engine are on page 4, however if you choose to have the covers closed, you still need part of the engine building to secure the covers to. Instructions for this option are on page 10, so some flicking through the booklet is required to plan your build. With the fuselage assembled, attention moves to the wings. The radiators are blessed with etched mesh both front and rear. The wheel bay interiors are provided by means of separate parts that fit to the lower wing. With the wings sealed up, the flaps, ailerons and slats can be fitted unless you prefer to leave them off until after painting. Various external detailing delights include etch trim levers, aerials and balance tabs. The wheels are some of the best I've seen in a kit, separate tyres and two part hubs mean they will look pretty special when painted. There's some fine detailing even on the exterior of the aircraft, so care is needed if you want to have them all attached and not lost in the carpet. The clear parts are as good as the rest of the kit. Two windscreen options are provided, one with a hole for a gunsight to fit through. If you choose this option, even more care will be necessary as there are 3 etch parts as well as the sight that fit into the windscreen assuming you want to fit them. Gluing and painting them may produce a few words that the dictionary doesn't include ! More etch and rear armour give the hinged canopy a realistic look, again lots of care needed here, but well worth the patience. When it comes to painting, the instructions have good clear guides for applying the canopy masks. The Decals In keeping with the detail and quality provided on the sprues, the decals are stunning. Printed by Cartograf, the colours are sharp and in perfect register. The squadron emblems are some of the best produced decals I've come across for sharpness and richness of colour. No less than 5 schemes are catered for and a separate sheet of stencils is included. The markings sheet provides a number of different cross styles to cover the range of aircraft and Swastika's are supplied. The options are: 1. W.Nr. 5587, Ofw. Fritz Beeck, 6/JG 51, Wissant France, August 1940 2. W.Nr 5344, Maj Helmut Wick, JG 2, Beaumont France, November 1940 3. Lt. Josef Eberle, 9/JG 54, Netherlands, August 1940 4. W.Nr. 1480, Oblt. Franz von Werra, JG 3, Wierre-au-Bois, France, September 1940 5. W.Nr. 5819, Obstlt. Adolf Galland, JG 26, Audembert France, December 1940 Conclusion This really is a fine kit. The detail is second to none and what you get in the kit is excellent value. Bearing in mind that you get additional etch parts and paint masks as well as 5 decal options to choose from, it would be rude not to have one ! Eduard have produced an icon here, some of the best detail available in a kit yet still reasonably priced around the £20 mark. Some of the detail may challenge novice builders such as the etch and delicate fine parts, but the great thing is that you could omit some of this if you chose and it would still look great. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf 110E Decals 1:72 Eduard Decals Eduard are almost unique amongst model kit manufacturers as they produce a huge range of aftermarket accessories as well as their own high quality plastic kits. The Czech firm make the most of this advantageous position by producing comprehensive aftermarket options for their own kits, most of which are released at the same time as the kits. Eduard’s new Bf 110 kit has followed this path and is already established as the best option for a 1:72 Zerstorer, ably supported by a range of Eduard’s own photo etch and resin accessories. Now it’s the turn of Eduard’s fledgling decal department to get in on the act. The sheet contains marking options for four aircraft: 4M + KB of 1./Erg. Zerst. Gr. Deblin-Irena, Poland, December 1942; 3U + CR of 7./ZG26; M8 + IP W.Nr. 3866, flown by Hans-Joachim Jabs, Staffelkapitan 6./Zg 76, Argos, 1941; and G9 + JN, 5./NJG1, Deelen, Holland, Spring 1941 The first three aircraft are all finished in RLM 02/RLM 71 over RLM 65, while the fourth is finished in RLM 22 (or black to you and me). The latter option also makes use of the large Dackelbauch (Daschund belly) tank which is included with the new kit but not used for any of the options on the kit’s decal sheet. I was half expecting Eduard to have included some historical notes for each aircraft, as they do for their ‘Profipack’ kits, but they haven’t. That’s a bit of a shame, but by no means a deal breaker. Eduard appear to have invested heavily in their own decal production facilities, as this sheet has been printed in the Czech Republic by Eduard themselves. Previously, many of their decal sheets have been produced by Cartograf of Italy. Quality seems to have been maintained though, as the sheet is nicely printed. Details are crisp and clear, and colours look good. The red colour layer looks very slightly out of register on my copy, but not enough to spoil what is a very nice sheet. Conclusion If you’ve got a copy of Eduard’s superb new Bf 110, you’ll no doubt be itching to build it. This sheet will provide you with a number of colour and marking options over and above those included with the kit. The decals look good on the sheet, and hopefully they will perform well too. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Eduard Photo Etch detail sets for Eduard Messerschmitt Bf 110E 1:72 Eduard When Eduard’s brand-new Messerschmitt Bf 110 hit the shops last month, it pretty much blew the competition out of the water. The overall quality and level of detail put it far beyond any other Zerstorer available in the wonderful scale of 1:72. As expected, Eduard have supported the new kit with a comprehensive package of additional items. We reviewed their resin wheels and nose gun bay last month. Now we’ve got a couple of sets of photo etch parts to take a look at. Bf 110E for Eduard Kit 1:72 Eduard This set is clearly designed to complement the pre-painted fret included in the ‘profipack’ editions of the new kit. It is comprised of a single plain fret which includes a mixture of internal and external parts. The kit’s cockpit benefits from some additional parts not included in the ‘profipack’, including a map case, grab handles and various other bits and pieces. A full set of rib detail is provided for the main landing gear bays and hydraulic lines are included for the main gear legs themselves. The tail wheel leg receives a new scissor link. A pair of hinged fairings are provided for the underwing radiators as well. New tails are provided for the various bombs included in the kit, along with a couple of jigs to aid assembly. I used a very similar setup for the bombs in my recent Revell Ju 88 build review, and can vouch that they work very well. Bf 110 Workshop Ladder 1:72 Eduard This rather neat package is more of a diorama accessory than a detail set. Eduard’s chosen name for the product is also rather misleading, as there are in fact four ladders provided on the single pre-painted fret. Included are two small, simple step ladders, a much larger A-frame ladder and a ladder with inspection platform at the top which is larger still. Thanks to Eduard’s clever design, construction of all of the items is relatively straightforward. Folds are used wherever possible, so with the exception of the large ladder you won’t have to mess around gluing individual rungs in place. The designs are based on references found in “Messerschmitt Bf 110 at War” by Armand von Ishoven, but you could certainly get away with using these items alongside other, similarly proportioned, aircraft. Overall, this is an excellent little set. Conclusion Eduard’s Bf 110 is already a sublime model which has only cemented Eduard’s place at the top table of model manufacturers. These sets take an already great model to the next level. Definitely recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Grumman Hellcat MkII 1:48 The Royal Navy received 252 F6F-3s as Hellcat I under Lend-Lease. Production continued until November 1945 by which time 7870 F6F-5s had been built, of which some 930 had been supplied to the Royal Navy as Hellcat II and 1434 of the total had been completed as F6F-5N night-fighters. Ultimately, the Hellcat equipped 14 FAA front-line squadrons. The first Hellcat Mark Is started to be delivered to the Fleet Air Arm on 13 March 1943, FN321 and FN323 arriving three months later, in June 1943 to the A and C Flights of A&AEE, Boscombe Down for service trials by RN pilots, and in July 1943 FN330 was tested by 778 squadron at Crail. Very soon afterwards the Hellcat was distributed to operational squadrons, 800 Squadron received its first Hellcats in batches in July, August and October 1943, and 1839 squadron from December 1943. Not long after this, on 31 August, 1943 the first combat sorties were being flown by the USN VF9 and VF-5 squadrons aboard USS Yorktown against Japanese targets on Marcus Island (Minami-tori Island) some 700 miles southeast of Japan. The first and second batches of 188 F6F-5 Hellcat Mark IIs started to be delivered to the Royal Navy from May 1944, primarily to 1840 squadron. By this time many Hellcats were being shipped to overseas FAA squadrons directly from Norfolk, Virginia, USA to HMS Thane 14 August 1944 and on to RNARY Wingfield, then onto 804 Squadron in September 1944. The subsequent batch of 295 Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat Mk F.II was also shipped directly to RNARY Wingfield in HMS Ranee in September 1944, and on to RNARY Coimbatore. Many of these Hellcats were still in service in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) after the end of the war and into1946. However, quite a number were surplus to requirement after VJ-Day and dumped in the sea off Australia by HMS Colossus in 1945. The final 293 Hellcat II to be delivered to the Fleet Air Arm arrived between January and May 1945, the very last aircraft, being delivered on 11 May 1945. The Hellcat served post war and some of the earlier batches managed to remain in RN service, in 709 squadron. After this aircraft was paid off it went to Fairey Aviation at Hayes in 1946. Whilst Grumman F.II KE209 remained as the personal aircraft of the Lossiemouth Station Flight Commanding Officer Caspar John until 1952, and the Aircraft Holding Unit in 1954, (this aircraft is now on display in the Fleet Air arm Museum at Yeovilton, Somerset). The Model With a Hellcat in RN colours on the front of the standard Weekend Edition yellow/white and blue box. Upon opening the kit is well wrapped in a poly bag with the decals and instructions loose. The model is produced on five sprues of greeny beige styrene. Being a weekend edition, there are no resin or etched parts. All the parts are nicely moulded with no visible imperfections but quite a few moulding pips. The details are well presented including the prominent rivets on the rear fuselage. The panel lines are finely done and seem to represent the aircraft structure well. Construction starts with the cockpit tub which is made up of the floor, rear bulkhead, seat, joystick, rudder pedals, instrument panel and side consoles. Detailed painting and the provided decals will pay dividends on the instrument panel and consoles. The cockpit assembly is then fitted to one side of the fuselage. With the addition of the tailwheel, and under cockpit panel the fuselage can be closed up. Note that if the centreline external fuel tank is to be fitted then a slot in the fuselage needs to be removed. The engine assembly comes next with the two banks of cylinders, crankcase and magnetos along with the prop shaft. The whole assembly is then fitted to the fuselage followed by the two halves of the engine cowling sides and front. Now, there are two sets of cowling, but there is no reference to why inthe instructions. To the rear of the fuselage the horizontal tailplanes with their respective elevators and the rudder can be fitted. The wings consist of upper and lower halves, clear landing and navigations lights, machine gun barrels, undercarriage bays, plus separate ailerons and flaps. Firstly the machine gun barrels and undercarriage bays are fitted to the lower wing sections before the upper sections are attached. Although separate the ailerons and flaps don’t appear to be posable without some modification and scratch building. Once the wing halves and flying controls are fitted then the clear navigation and landing lights are fitted. When all complete, the wings can be attached to the fuselage. At this point the instructions call for the cockpit canopy and aerials to be fitted, but these may be left off till near the end of the build, unless of course the canopy is to be posed closed, then the two parts can be fitted at this point. Turning over the completed assembly there are couple of small parts to be added to each wheelwells along with three identification lights on the centreline of the lower fuselage. The hook can also be fitted, either in the retracted or extended position. The undercarriage is built up of the main leg, retraction jack, scissor links, main undercarriage doors and four piece wheels, made up of the separate tyre halves, inner and outer wheels. Now, while this will help with the painting of the wheel, but it will need some careful cleaning up of the tyres join. The completed undercarriage can then be added to the main assembly. The final parts to be added are the built up long range fuel tank and its support, propeller, front undercarriage doors, and the optional rockets, 6 of which are provided, and finally the pitot probe. Decals The only decal option provided is that for an aircraft flown by Sub-Lieutenant W.M.C. Foster, of No1844 Sqn when onboard HMS Indomitable, Okinawa, April 1945. Along with the main insignia, decals are also provided for the propeller, cockpit side consoles and instrument panels, for use if painting them is not for the modeller. The decals are well printed to the standard we are coming to expect from Eduard, in good register and nicely opaque. Conclusion This is another very nice kit from Eduard. It looks like it will build into a very nice model and I don’t think the missing resin and etch of this weekend edition makes it any real difference, unless you are a real superdetailing modeller. It would certainly make for a good, quick mojo booster. Recommended.

Airco DH-2 1:48 The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat biplane pusher aircraft which operated as a fighter during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The DH.2 was the first effectively armed British single-seat fighter and enabled Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots to counter the "Fokker Scourge" that had given the Germans the advantage in the air in late 1915. Until the British developed an interrupter gear to match the German system, pushers such as the DH.2 and the F.E.2b carried the burden of fighting and escort duties. The D.H.2 first flew in July 1915. The D.H.2 was armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun which was originally able to be positioned on one of three flexible mountings in the cockpit, with the pilot transferring the gun between mountings in flight at the same time as flying the aircraft. Once pilots learned that the best method of achieving a kill was to aim the aircraft rather than the gun, the machine gun was fixed in the forward-facing centre mount, although this was initially banned by higher authorities until a clip which fixed the gun in place but could be released if required was approved. Major Lanoe Hawker devised the clip. He also improved the gunsights, adding a ring sight and an "aiming off model" that helped the gunner allow for leading a target. The majority of D.H.2s were fitted with the 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine, but later models received the 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J. The arrival at the front of more powerful German tractor biplane fighters such as the Halberstadt D.II and the Albatross D.I, which appeared in September 1916, meant that the DH.2 was outclassed in turn. It remained in first line service in France, however, until No. 24 and No. 32 Squadron RFC completed re-equipment with Airco DH 5s in June 1917, and a few remained in service on the Macedonian front and in Palestine until late autumn of that year. By this time the type was totally obsolete as a fighter, although it was used as an advanced trainer into 1918. A total of 453 D.H.2s were produced by Airco. The Model The model comes in Eduards usual, colourful blue, white and yellow box with a depiction of a DH-2 apparently in flight on the front. Upon opening the kit is well wrapped in a poly bag with the decals and instructions loose. The model is produced on three sprues in the standard beige styrene. Being a weekend edition, there are no resin or etched parts. All the parts are nicely moulded with no visible imperfections and only a few moulding pips. Due to the nature of the aircraft, some of the parts look pretty fragile and will need to be carefully removed from the sprues and some gentle cleaning up, particularly the tail booms. The build starts with the cockpit, the floor of which is attached to the lower wings. Onto the floor plate the seat supports, seat, joystick and compass, (with decal compass card), are fitted. Onto one half of the fuselage the rear bulkhead, rudder bar and support, oil tank, engine mount and rear lower fuselage panel are attached. Before closing the fuselage up, the instructions show you have an option on the style of instrument panel which attaches to the machine gun mount, but no information about which would be correct for this particular aircraft, so a bit of research will need to be carried out to determine the correct arrangement. With the fuselage sides glued together, this assembly is then attached to the lower fuselage/wing structure. Onto this the rear upper deck is added. In the next step, the main undercarriage is built up with the aerofoil centre section/axle is attached to the double struts each side along with the one piece wheels. This assembly can be rigged off model and put aside for fitting later. At this point the wings can be built up. The fuel tank halves are joined and will probably be best painted before fitting, once the model is complete. There are four pairs of main struts and two pairs of wing/fuselage struts to be fitted before the single piece upper wing is attached, being careful to get everything lined up and square with the lower wing. Rigging is a personal thing, but it may be an idea to rig the complete structure before continuing with the rest of the model. The engine can now be built up with its separate ignition harness and the four bladed prop before attaching to the rear of the main aircraft structure. At this point the undercarriage assembly can also be fitted. The trickiest part of the build is the tailplane and its fragile support booms. The tailplane consists of a single piece vertical section to which the single piece vertical tailplane, rudder and tailskid is attached. The booms are then fitted to the main assembly with a spreader bar attached to the rear, just forward of the tailplane, which is fitted the four attachment points on the rear of the booms. Alignment is critical to keep everything square in both the vertical and horizontal plane. The tail booms can then be rigged in accordance to research photos, as there is no detail in the instructions for this section. The final part of the build is the fitting of the machine gun in the forward fuselage along with the magazine racks on the port side and the external rudder cable attachment. Now whilst the painting guide and box cover show it, there is no clear windscreen included in the box, so one may have to be scratched from clear plasticard. Decals The single option given on the decal sheet is for aircraft 5967, flown by Robert H.M.S Saundby of No 24 squadron RFC, A Flight, France July 1916. There are also decals for the instrument panels, struts and even the tyre markings. The decals are well printed, in good register appearing quite opaque, even in the white areas. Conclusion This is a lovely looking model of an aircraft from bygone times showing an interesting way of getting around the lack of fitting forward firing machine guns. The rigging will be a challenge for beginners, but with plenty of care and patience it should end up a really good looking model. Shame about the missing windscreen though. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

USS Independence CVL-22 1:350 Etch sets The latest etched nickel set from Eduard, this time for Dragons excellent kit of the CVL 22 USS Independence. Whilst the model is superb it is still lacking in certain areas. Eduard have chosen to address some of these shortcomings with this two sheet set. The larger of the two sheets provides the all the railing required to fit out the whole ship, all nicely designed to be the right length for their respective positions. The railings include those required to be fitted around the aircraft lifts when the lifts are lowered. Other flightdeck items include a well detailed crash barrier which can be posed either lowered or raised, and replacement Landing Control Officer station. Each gun mount gets new railings and footplates, plus new splinter plates for the 20mm Oerlikons. Apart from the ships main radar, the rest of the sheet contains, floater baskets, open and closed armoured doors, vertical and short inclined ladders, plus hole templates for the islands ladder rungs, which look like they could be the most awkward parts or this set. Lastly there are four cable reels, which will require a short length of plastic rod to finish off. The smaller of the sheets contains the ammunition racks for the 40mm and 20mm gun mounts, the rungs for the island ladders mentioned above, inclined ladders for the catwalks. The support structure for the main radar aerial plus platforms and supports for all the other radars are also included. These are really nicely done, but will require some careful bending and gluing. The final parts on this sheet are for the ships crane, which gets a new jib, ladders, railings, and hook. Conclusion Eduard really know how to do etch sets, and this set is no different. All the parts are nicely detailed in their own right with relief etching and will go toward making a good model into a great one. The fineness of the parts is a wonder to behold, although they are quite fragile, until the assemblies are glued together, particularly the radars and supports. This set may not be as extensive as some other manufacturers sets, but this may be an advantage for those modellers that don’t need any more detail. Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Photo-etch USN Carrier Decks 1943-44 & 1944-45 Eduard 1:72 Eduard have recently increased their range of carrier deck bases in 1/72 scale with these little gems creating even more opportunities to bring your 1/72 scale USN collection to life. If you don't have one, now there's even less reason not too ! 73420 USN Carrier Deck 1943-44 This sheet portrays one of the varnished wooden decks with the inter-weaved plank layout typical of USN type in service in this era. It’s a generic format with no reference to a particular carrier. The lines of planks have subtle variations in colour which really give a realistic look. What I like about the varnished look is that if you’re model is blue, and most aircraft using this type of deck were, you get a nice contrast. Lines of drains and deck markings are finely created to add some detail to the surface and break the monotony of the planking up. 73422 USN Carrier Deck 1944-45 This sheet is pretty much identical to the other one except for portraying the blue painted deck rather than earlier varnished one. Again, some subtle wear and tonal variation on the planking gives a realistic look. With a few figures around the aircraft, there is a great potential for a compact diorama bursting with late war character. The sheets are quite small being 132 x 110mm, so they’re best suited to the single engined fighters such as the Wildcat & Hellcat. If you want to display a larger aircraft, it may be feasible to fit too together although the join may need a little work to blend it in. The sheets are typically thin, so should ideally be fitted to a rigid base. Care should be taken handling them, particularly around the edges to prevent any damage as I’ve found out ! Conclusion These decks are wonderful additions to USN fighter displays of the era. Creating realistic bases is difficult to achieve and doing them poorly spoils any good work done on the kit itself, so having a solution out of the pack is no doubt a popular solution. They are probably too small for larger aircraft such as the Avenger which is unfortunate, however the great thing about the range offered by Eduard is that you can have a selection of models on display together, each with slightly different display bases but equally looking the part. Review sample courtesy of

Here's my entry for the group build - a nice Eduard FW190-F8 Profipack. Not decided on which scheme to do yet, but it doesn't make a difference yet So work starts with the cockpit - slotted all the plastic bits together, then added some of the PE (the non pre-printed bits) Then added all the 'pre-printed' PE - ended up painting the PE anyway as Eduard have managed to get the RLM66 a different colour from the paint. Weathered the cockpit with some chipping, an oil wash and some dirt pigments. Not a bad mornings work Peter

I bought this kit with a view to entering the Fw190 group build, but before the GB started I realised I wouldn't have any modelling time spare to be able to even start the kit. It's this weekend edition: I started this build about 4 weeks ago, and I progressed pretty quickly, getting the cockpit tub, engine & ammo storage assembled & painted up, as well as the wheel bay. However, I've been stalled for the best part of 2 weeks now as I'm not looking forwared to getting the fuselage halves & wings together. I've seen in the WIP's of the STGB that assembly can be a pig, and sure enough dry fitting the parts so far has put The Fear ™ into me a bit. I probably doesn't help that this is the firt Eduard kit I've tried to build. I though that posting a WIP might give me a bit of impetus to carry on. This weekend I painted up some lionroar PE belts, and fitted them to the cockpit, so hopefully that will get the ball rolling again. In the mean time, with the sun out, here's where I am so far: Cheers Chris

Eduard Photo Etch Detail Sets for Cyberhobby De Havilland Sea Venom Kit 1:72 Eduard Cyberhobby’s recent aircraft kits have acquired something of a mixed reputation within the modelling community. Whilst superb engineering and flawless fit can usually be taken for granted, the occasional dodgy shape issue and dimensional goof have often blotted their copybook. Their Sea Venom was no different in this regard, but despite a rather generous wingspan and skinny tail booms, some beautifully finished examples have already appeared on the forum. Now Eduard have released some photo etched detail sets to help you make the most of this interesting kit. Sea Venom FAW.21 (self adhesive) 1:72 Eduard Eduard have followed their usual convention for smaller 1:72 scale kits and have released two sets for this kit. The first is a comprehensive set containing two frets of parts. The second is from their ‘Zoom’ range and contains just one fret. The larger set contains plenty of parts for detailing the cockpit, including a full set of pre-painted harnesses for the Martin Baker ejector seats, a pre-painted instrument panel and side consoles and a variety of smaller parts. The kit’s undercarriage receives particularly close attention. There are parts for detailing the undercarriage doors, including new hydraulic jacks as well as scissor links and brake lines for the undercarriage legs. The wing folds also receive some attention and some rather nice parts for detailing the hinges are included. The external airframe is not ignored either. There are a number of surface panels on the fret, as well as new fins for the wing tip tanks. Whilst you are cutting the old fins off, you might as well remove the whole tank and reduce the wingspan to correct one of the kit’s faults. Landing flaps are included as well. These are designed to fit around the kit parts, although some cutting will be required to install the flaps themselves. The end result should be worth it though, and at least they don’t have any fiddly ribs to make life difficult. A few fine details such as antennae, aerials and a windscreen wiper round off a very comprehensive set. Sea Venom FAW.21 Zoom (self adhesive) 1:72 Eduard The ‘Zoom’ set is simply comprised of the pre-painted self-adhesive fret from the set reviewed above. Opt for this set and you’ll miss out on those lovely landing flaps, but at least there are enough parts to bring the cockpit to life and add a bit of interest to the undercarriage and the rest of the airframe. Conclusion If you have chosen to invest in Cyberhobby’s kit, then I’d recommend you consider picking up one of Eduard’s sets as well. It will make a really positive difference to the finished model and can be firmly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Eduard Photo Etch Detail Sets for Airfix Fairey Swordfish Kit 1:72 Eduard Of all Airfix’s recent kits, the 1:72 Swordfish seems to be the one that has set the benchmark for future releases. Airfix really seem to have hit the mark with their Stringbag, as the kit features a perfect blend of fine detail, clever engineering and buildability. Now Eduard have released a brace of photo etch detail sets to build on the kit’s tremendous foundations. Swordfish (self adhesive) 1:72 Eduard The first set is a one-stop-shop for producing a super-detailed Swordfish. There are a multitude of parts for the kit’s already lovely cockpit. Starting from the bottom, the floor of the cockpit receives some additional details which help to add a realistic finish to the kit part. Belts are provided for the crew seats, as well as a new multi-part instrument panel and similar pre-painted parts for the radio kit. Details are provided for both the fixed, forward-firing Vickers Gun and the rear-firing .303 in Lewis Gun, including a tiny ring and bead gun sight. A whole host of smaller parts, such as throttle levers and cables for the control column, are provided as well. The overall effect will be a superbly detailed cockpit – no bad thing for a biplane with no canopy to get in the way! Eduard haven’t stopped there, however. The rest of the airframe benefits from a number of extra details too. There are quite a few surface panels provided which represent various access hatches. Having used a set of these on my recent Ju 88AA-4 build review, I can testify that they look excellent once in place. The Bristol Pegasus also receives some attention by way of ignition wiring and other details. As with the cockpit, there are literally dozens of small parts for detailing the undercarriage and inter-wing struts. Lovely as the Airfix kit is, the wing fold is one area that looks a little spartan. Happily, Eduard have this covered with some nice etch parts that capture the look of the real thing. Details are also provided for the ordnance supplied with the kit, including the torpedo. There are even details for the floats supplied with the brand new float plane version as well. Swordfish Zoom (self adhesive) 1:72 Eduard This ‘Zoom’ set is comprised of just the pre-painted self-adhesive fret from the set reviewed above. It is therefore cheaper and, presumably, zoomier. Conclusion How do you make an excellent kit even better? Add some fine photo etched details of course! If the Airfix Swordfish wasn’t brilliant enough already, Eduard have now enabled us to wring even more detail from the sprues. With the new floatplane version of the kit now available, it’s the perfect time to get stuck into what should be an absorbing build. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

P-51D & F-51D Mustang Detail Sets (Italeri) Eduard 1:72 With all the media and discussion about the recent launch of the Airfix P-51D, it's easy to forget about the other kits that are out there. Italeri have had their rendition of this fine aircraft for some time in both P-51D & the F-51D guises, however having never built one, I struggled to find much information about it's quality OOB. Eduard obviously believe the kit has life in it as they've released these detail sets to enhance it. Taking the now familiar format, they've released the larger 2 fret pack and a Zoom set that just includes the Self Adehesive fret. P-51D Full detail set (73435) The self adhesive fret contained in the pack focuses on the cockpit interior. The instructions are clear and illustrated using exploded diagrams of where to fit the parts and using shaded areas to represent where the original parts need to be cut. The seat belts are a complex affair with lots of small parts that need to be glued together, so a good set of tweesers will really help to get this right. I've counted no less than 12 parts to the seatbelt assembly ! The moulded seatbelts on the kit seat will need to be removed. This looks quite challenging due to the seat having a lip around the edge making it difficult to get a knife in to trim the plastic. The instrument panel will need the detail filing off before fitting the two main parts. A further panel sits over the blind panel instruments giving a good 3D depth. The rudder pedals fit to the rear of the kit panel part and are pre-painted. The seat rear armour is detailed plentyful with 5 parts and as this is clearly on show, it's one of the most important parts of the cockpit upgrade. The cockpit walls are beautifully represented in pre-painted parts with several details such as throttle quadrant, levers and trim wheels needing to be glued to them further building up the 3D representation. The avionic pack behind the seat armour is made from folding the large etch cross shaped part into a box. This requires removal of the original part, however it's worth it ! The second fret focuses primarily on external enhancements. The radiator is given etch grills both front and rear and the rear variable gill is brought to scale with an etch replacement. The kit main wheel well detail needs to be removed and replacement hydraulic lines are included to drop straight in. These look very delicate, so go easy with the sausage fingers ! Oleo links, wheel hubs and wheel well side panels are provided to give an impressive look to the undercarriage with all this detail fitted. A ball point pen is recommended in the instructions to achieve the three grooves in the Main wheel door interiors. These parts then fit to the kit supplied doors. Further enhancements are supplied for the drop tanks and bombs including fuse timers, which ever you choose to have fitted. The aileron, elevator and rudder trim linkages are also included, but again due to their small size, take care handling them. The etch tail wheel doors are well designed and the scale thickness will give a much more accurate look to the rear of the aircraft. Zoom Detail Set (SS435) This set provides an alternative option by including just the Self Adhesive fret reviewed above to bring much of the cockpit alive. If you're not wanting to splash out on the full set, this is a welcome alternative F-51D Full detail set (73433) & Zoom detail set (SS433) The F-51D set is largely the same as the P-51D set. The coloured fret is identical and the external fret has all the parts included in the P-51D set. What you also get on this fret though is fine etch details for the rocket armament carried on this later version. Each rocket can be enhanced by the addition of 4 individual fins and a triggering cable. Zoom Detail Set (SS433) This set is identical to the P-51D set SS435. It seems a little strange that there are seperate sets available with identical components so I suspect the F-51D was a later addition to the Eduard range due to timings of the Italeri F-51D release. Conclusion Having reviewed pictures of the Italeri P-51D & F-51D kits, the finer detail isn't catered for due to the limitations of injection moulding in 1/72 scale. These sets are well designed to pick out that finer detail and all credit has to go to Eduard for breathing some life into the Italeri kit. With the large bubble canopy, the cockpit is on show open or closed, so the detail won't be hidden like on some aircraft. The exterior improvements will greatly improve the look and scale accuracy of the kit and many parts could be used with minimal fuss on alternative P51 kits if you choose. As the F-51D set contains some additional parts for the rockets, this offers slightly better value for money. Even if you don't fit the rockets, you will have some spare fins that I'm sure will be put to good use else where. Review sample courtesy of