Search the Community

He.51B-1 PE Upgrades (for Roden) 1:48 Eduard Following our recent review of the new Roden kit here, Eduard have produced a couple of sets to assist the detail hungry modeller in getting there. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. HE.51B-1 Set (49743) The majority of this single sheet set is used in the cockpit, and as such it is nickel-plated and pre-painted for the most part. Saying that, there are control linkages for the tail planes and ailerons; a filler cap for the fuel tank; radiator cores; spinner tip for the prop, and a replacement crew access door for the cockpit. Inside the cockpit the two instrument panel parts are scraped clean of moulded-in detail and replaced with laminated pre-painted items, plus a full set of seatbelts for the pilot. The rudder pedals, control column trigger, and the other controls throughout the cockpit are also replaced by more detailed items, with a rear-view mirror on the upper wing, and some additional PE framing around the windscreen. Mask Set (EX486) The windscreen on the 51 is a simple deflector, but it is made of three panels, with a small hole in the front panel. The side panel masks are single parts, while the front panel mask has been split into two sections to ease positioning over the hole. As there is quite a bit of space left on the sheet, a full set of tyre masks have been included to allow you easy painting of the hubs. Review sample courtesy of

HMS Queen Elizabeth Eduard 1:350 The Trumpeter 1:350 HMS Queen Elizabeth has been out for a little while now, and Eduard have only just released some etch for it. Well, I say some, in fact it’s four sets, covering the whole ship. Set one, (53-145), is a single sheet set, which contains a ships worth of railings, some inclined ladders and four accommodation ladders, with the foreward pair being “double” depth, and really quite complicated so will require great care in folding them to shape. Be careful when fitting the railings, as there only appears to be just enough for the kit, with no spare lengths of stock railings if you make a mistake. Sheet two, (53-146) is a slightly larger sheet and contains parts to super detail all of the tertiary anti-aircraft weapons. The 20mm Oerlikons, of which there are seventeen, receive a new gun shield and support, traversing wheel, front and rear sights and the shoulder arms. The twin 20mm mount require a bit of surgery before the etch can be added, by the removal of the gunners seating position which is completely replaced with a carefully folded etched part. The gunner also receives a new seat and gun sight, whilst the two guns are fitted with ammunition cans. For the octuple Pom Pom, the ammunition tanks are removed from the kit part as are a couple of parts from the mount base, which will be used on the new etched base. The gun block is fitted to the etched mounting, which is complete with the gun sights and fitted with the new ammunition tanks, the mount is then glued to the base, along with the railings, mount electrical boxes and other fittings. Sheet three, (53-147), is more of a general purpose set and includes lots of smaller items, such as the watertight doors, vertical ladders, funnel cap grilles, various platforms and walkways, platforms supports, Type 284 radar arrays and mountings, Type 282 radar arrays and mountings, plus Type 281 radar arrays for both the foremast and the mainmast. The set also includes the bridge canvas awning, flag locker, mast yardarms, a new star platform and its associated supports and a new DF aerial and its platform. There are quite a few of the kit parts that need to be modified or removed before any of this etch can be added, so best read the instructions and do the removing first. Sheet four, (53-148), contains the parts for the ships boats and cranes. Each of the cutters receive new gratings, decks, thwarts, seats, oars, rudders and either a tiller or wheel. There are replacement cradles provided for all boats, including the special ones which fit into the larger cutters for small boats to be stacked on them. The motor boats also receive new internal gratings, decks, and varying sizes of cabins and windscreens. The larger of the motor boats also have additional railings and masts and are fitted with either single or twin propeller shafts and rudders. As with the cutters, each boat is sat upon up to three cradles. Both the ships aircraft/boat cranes are completely replaced with etched brass, including the crane mounting structure, winding gear the booms, secondary jibs and hooks. When assembled these cranes will look so much better than the kit parts, even with the etched booms that are included n the kit. Conclusion The Queen Elizabeth is a very nice kit in its own right, even though the hull has some major errors, but these can be alleviated by building the model as a waterline in a seascape. The addition of these etched sets will be the icing on the cake and, with care, can make a good model into a great one. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SU-22M4 Photo-Etch & Mask Sets (for Smer) 1:48 Eduard The Smer, Kopro/KP/etc. kit is getting a bit long in the tooth, mould-wise and could do with assistance in the detail department, which is what Eduard specialise in. These two sets As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. SU-22M4 Set (49735) This set consists of two frets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, one of which is nickel plated and pre-painted, the other bare, plus a small slip of clear acetate with the HUD glass shape pre-printed on the surface. The instrument panel and side consoles are first to be attacked, shaving all the moulded-in detail from the main panel, to replace it with a layered assembly of parts that will improve the look no end, and avoid all that delicate painting. The side consoles are folded up and attached to the cockpit tub sides, with some additional parts for extra 3D effect. The kit seat is given a set of pre-painted seatbelts; the control column an additional part; the rudder pedals are replaced with new PE ones, and the HUD receives a nice framework on which to seat the aforementioned film once cut out. A pair of cockpit sill skins allied with the closure hooks in the canopy and rear-view mirrors finish off the interior work, after which there are a LOT of small aerials, raised panels and sensors added around the airframe. The afterburner ring has its central ring removed and the new highly-detailed PE part glued to the remainder, for a much more authentic look; the drop-tanks are provided with detailed filler caps; the chunky probe on the nose is stripped of its over-thick protrusions, and a full new set are added, probably best done right at the very last gasp of the build. SU-22M4 Mask Set (EX479) Whilst the masking job for the -22 isn't extensive, this set gives you both a full set of frame-hugging masks so that you can fill in the compound curves with tape or liquid mask, plus a set of wheel masks to allow you to paint a perfect hub after doing the tyres. All of this is pre-cut into yellow kabuki masks with the instructions pointing the way through every panel. A masking set is a great time or stress-saving addition to your build, whatever your motivations. Review sample courtesy of

F-104 Pylons (for Hasegawa/Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Following the recent reboxing of the Hasegawa kit of the original man-in-a-missile, Eduard's Brassin guys have released a super-detailed set of pylons and fittings for their kit that will also go well with many of the Hasegawa boxings. The set arrives in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Inside the box are a surprisingly large number of resin parts, a small Photo-Etch (PE) fret, and a large (for the size of set) decal sheet, the latter found in between the substantial instruction booklet. There are twenty three parts in mid-grey resin, with two additional clear resin parts separately bagged. From the box you can build the following: 2 x BL75 Underwing Pylons with options for unladen, fuel tanks only or bombs only fitments using PE and resin small parts. 2 x Kormoran Pylons with resin sway-braces and PE attachment surface details. 1 x Centreline Pylon with resin attachment lugs. 2 x Red Dog Wingtip Launch Rails, which require the very tips of the kit wings to be trimmed to accommodate them. 1 x Aero-3 NATO Catamaran Launch Rails with resin adapter rails and cross braces. Each weapon type has a scrap diagram showing painting and decaling options using Gunze colours, and even shows which holes need to be drilled out on the kit parts where appropriate. There is a placement diagram toward the rear of the instructions to show where each pylon is sited on the aircraft in case you are unfamiliar with the type. Conclusion The detail far exceeds that available from even the best injection moulded parts, and the attention to the stencils, coupled with the finesse of the parts will add realism to any Starfighter model. Review sample courtesy of

Hello and thanks for your interest. This is the new Eduard 1/72 Focke-Wulf Fw190 kit, released a couiple of weeks ago. The box contains two grey runners, a clear sprue, photo-etch parts and masks for painting. All parts are sharp and very clean, this is not an average short-run kit, it’s on the highest technical standard possible. Eduard did not repeat Airfix’ mistake – the access door on the tail fin is on the left side only: Two different propellers are included, a standard one and the broader one also found on the A-9/F-9 or D-9. You can’t replicate a textbook A-9 though, as the later 14-blade fan is not included. Radar antennas for the A-8/R11 conversion (night fighter) indicate another possible variant: Undercarriage doors come in two styles as well – one for the A-8, another for an earlier version (a-5/A-6). These parts are a little overscale in thickness and I plan to exchange them for phot-etch parts from Brengun. You get two different types of wheels, with or without tread, and different hubs too: There’s a variety of gun cowlings as well. Clear parts come in variations for open or closed canopy. Both styles of canopies are included, as well as ‘blinkers’ that indicate a ‘Sturmbock’ is likely to follow this release. If you decide to use Eduard’s pre-painted photo etch parts, you don’t have to grind down the structure of the plastic parts – there’s a part without structure as well if you go for the photo-etch. Fine rivets are represented on the skin, the best I’ve seen on a 1/72 Fw-190 kit so far. Strangely, Eduard have molded the pitot tube on the wing. I doubt this is a good idea as it will inevitable break during construction and painting. Five attractive decal options are supplied in the ‘Profi-Pack’ box. I chose "White 6" of JG300. So, how does the kit go together? As ususal, we start with the cockpit. And of course I threw in all the nice colored phot-etch parts. Looks great in that scale, doesn’t it? Well, the problem is, all of the beautiful assembly will not fit into the fuselage! It’s too broad on the front end and needs to be reduced significantly. Sadly, also the photo etch parts are oversized and need trimming. The wheel bay assembly is a very complex affair, made up from 12 parts. There’s little tolerance in Eduard’s kit – if you don’t work super precise you will face major problems later on. If you have ever built a 1/48 Fw-190 from Eduard you’ll recognize similarities between those kits. The inner guns have to be mounted before gluing the wings together. While this makes sure they are in the correct position, they will be in the way when you clean up the mating joint on the front of the wings. There are locating aids on the inside of the fuselage for the positioning of the cockpit; nonethelss, it takes some time and patience to get a good fit here. The front part of the cockpit is a very delicate assembly with some leeway; Correct positioning is mandatory to make the clear parts fit later on! A dry run reveals some tension on the wing/fuselage joint. Wheel boxes must be sanded down. A little pressure helps to align the wings: Another fit issue appears on the fuselage side where the wing meets. Filled it with water-based Vallejo putty. Now the front clear part can be glued on. A gap appears on the motor cowling ring. I know that this is present on real Fw-190s but it looks odd on the model, so it was closed with Vallejo putty. Next up is ‘Primer Time’! I use Tamyia Grey Primer, decanted into the airbrush. The coat helps to detect irregularities, dust and scratches. Let’s do some pre-shading, that gives the finished model a more realistic look and adds depth to the surface structure. As I chose “White 6” from JG300 out of Eduard’s marking options, first comes the Blue/White RV band. I start with the White color. With the places to remain White masked, next comes the Blue color. The underside color RLM76 is applied. After about 7-8 runs of highly diluted paint, the density of color builds up. Upper colors are RLM75/RLM83. We start with the lightest color, RLM75. I always add a drop of pure white for scale effect. Blu Tac sausages are draped over the wing to replicate the camo pattern. Paper masks keep paint away from Grey areas. Some more pre-shading before we go along with RLM83 Dark green. Looks alright, doesn’t it? Painting instructions show a rather dense mottling on the front of the fuselage. See if we can replicate this in small scale.... Ouch! The RV Band didn’t turn out as expected. Color looks iffy, too. Let’s do it again! Second attempt looks more convincing: Now it’s time to put decals on. These are of highest quality, like you expect from good aftermarket manufacturers. Decals are very thin but tough and can be moved on the surface for some time. They do tend to fold up when slid off the backing paper, though. That's been two weeks on my workbench; more updates to follow next week. Cheers! Roman

Gladiator Upgrade Set (49862 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Following on from Eduard's re-boxing of the Roden kit, this Photo-Etch (PE) set is designed to lift the kit details further. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, it arrives in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The fret is bare brass, and contains substantial updates to the moulded-in detail, replacing the surface radiator panel with a more realistic PE part that requires the soft detail to be removed from the cowling beforehand. Inside the cockpit are a number of large constructional ribs, controls and wheels added around the sidewalls, as well as additional detail parts on the cockpit floor. The kit guns are detailed with breech sides, and the barrels are removed to be replaced by rolled-up cooling jackets, as they will be seen within the confines of the cockpit. The throttle-quadrant is overhauled with much of it removed to be replaced by more detailed and representative levers and control linkages, plus a totally new replacement pilot's seat made entirely from brass parts, apart from a length of 0.8mm rod for the seat adjusting mechanism that you'll need to find from your own stocks. The crew door and canopy rails are replaced; a little filter under the cowling is given a new lip; an intake trumpet in the engine compartment a choice of three new openings; the cowling some new hinge/fastening-plates, and a number of small panels are added around the tails. Additional panel are also added to the lower wings after removing the soft original parts; a rather precarious rear-view mirror is added on a tripod in the centre of the upper-wing; and if you are fitting the arrestor hook, you get a new hook-part and strop mounting lugs on the landing gear legs. Conclusion This set builds upon the additional PE that comes with the Eduard kit, as the instrument panels and so forth are already included with their boxing. If you are starting with the basic Roden kit however, you will have all that to do yourself. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Eduard is to rebox, as Limited Edition release, the Academy 1/48th McDD F-4B Phantom II as "Good Morning Da Nang" - ref.1186 - and as "Phantom Bicentennia" with Brassin resin adds on, HGW fabric seatbelts and Furball decals. Academy new 1/48th F-4C and F-4D will follow. Source: http://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2014/info-eduard-2014-01EN.pdf Box art? Anyway Vietnam era VF-84 F-4B markings were different. See here: http://www.almansur.com/jollyrogers/phantombones Looks like a F-4B with VF-84 F-4J markings... V.P.

AC-47 Gunship Photo-Etch Updates (for Revell) 1:48 Eduard The Monogram/Revell AC-47 has been around now for a while, and is showing its age in some respect, although it's still a nice model. In the eternal round of re-popping, which is what we colloquially refer to the re-release of a kit, it has surfaced again, and Eduard have come to the rescue of the detail-hungry with a trio of Photo-Etch (PE) sets and a masking sheet. As usual with Eduard's PE and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Interior (49736) Although the canopy of the Dak is a bit of a slit, it wraps around the sides of the fuselage, so it is well-worth adding a bit of detail, which this kit supplies on two frets. The first is nickel-plated, pre-painted and self-adhesive, containing the colourful parts that will lift the detail, while the other is bare brass for constructional elements that will end up painted the interior colour. The instrument panel is trimmed down to the basic board, and gets new laminated pre-painted instruments and dials, control "wheels" plus a new centre-console with throttle quadrant and other levers installed in the nub of the central projection. The radio panel and other instruments are treated in the same manner, and a replacement overhead console is added along with plenty of cockpit sidewall details. The crew seats are also improved with new arms-rests, seatbelts and other details, even down to a pair of headphones to hang on the arm of the radio-operator's chair. The floor between the pilots is skinned with a couple of detailed panels, and their rudder pedals are added after removing a small section of the cockpit floor. As a bonus, you get a couple of ammo-can upgrades too, which add to the detail so you can place them somewhere prominent. Exterior (48858) Consisting of one large fret in bare brass, this set includes fittings and upgrades to the airframe, starting with the cone-shaped tail-wheel well; various access-panels and fairings around the airframe; a bulkhead if you are planning on shortening the tail fairing; a small upgrade to the landing gear bay, with a lovely cross-brace that is folded up from perforated parts to replace the one moulded into the kit gear legs plus brake hoses; mesh filters on the oil-coolers; exhaust details, and a wiring loom for the twin P&W Twin Wasp engines. Other small parts are added under the nose; a surround for the wing-mounted landing light, and finally, a rather neat-looking crew access ladder for the fuselage cargo bay door, which would be useful in dioramas. Landing Flaps (48859) This large brass fret contains parts to allow you to drop the flaps on your model, which begins as you'd expect with the removal of the flap lowers from the centre and inner sections of the lower wing. The upper wing also needs scraping to a thin trailing edge to accommodate the flap bay skins, which are made up in four sections from one main part, which has the ribs twisted 90o and folded back, after which three stringers are added, plus a strengthening web in one corner, which differs between sections, as well as being handed. The flaps themselves are built up in the same manner, but have curved ribs and a long tab that acts as the hinge, attaching to the edge of the bay, with a ram holding it in the correct angle. Scrap diagrams show the correct positioning of the parts along the way, and once the surgery on the kit is done, the sets are surprisingly easy to use. Masks (EX481) With lots of windows, a masking set could save you time, frustration or both, so it's well worth looking at, as it is supplied as pre-cur kabuki tape, with masks for each panel of the windscreen; all of the twelve side windows (in two halves each); the landing lights; astro-dome, and as a bonus, a set of doughnut-shaped hub masks, although you'll need to mask off the rest of the tyres before you commence painting. The Astro-dome mask only covers the lower edge due to the sharp compound curves, so you'll need to top that off with either masking fluid or sections of scrap tape. Review sample courtesy of

AIM-4D and AIM-4G Falcon Missiles 1:72 Eduard Brassin The AIM-4 Falcon was designed by Hughes Aerospace. It was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the USAF. The AIM-4 was a not liked in the USAF it originally had a small warhead and was limited by lacking a proximity fuse. The missile had to hit to kill. In addition limited coolant meant the missile was useless on the rail after only two minutes. The AIM-4G was the Infrared seeker version of the Super Falcon as it was called which replaced the original AIM-4C. The AIM-4D was the final version of the missile which entered service in 1963. This was a lighter smaller airframe with the improved IR seeker head of the AIM-4G. Both sets of missiles from Eduard come as a four set, the missiles are one part moulding with the rear on the casting block. Once removed there is a phot-etched part fo the detail on the rear of the missile. Both sets come with a small sheet of decals for the markings. AIM-4D AIM-4G Conclusion The casting on these missiles is first rate and they will enhance any model you choose to hang them off. Highly recommended. AIM-4D AIM-4G Review samples courtesy of

Triple Ejector Racks (TER) 1:48 Eduard Brassin While modellers often buy additional weapons for their kits they hang them off the kit supplied racks. Eduard have now seen this and are supplying racks to hang their ordnance from. These TERs (Triple ejection racks) from Eduard in their brassin range certainly are detailed, they include mounting brackets and the sway braces for the attached weapons. Also included is a small decal sheet with markings for the TERs. Recommended for those wanting a little extra with their weapons racks. Review sample courtesy of

F-86F wheels 1:48 Eduard Bassin There are some good F-86 kits on the market but the wheels can be a bit on the soft on the details. These new wheels from Eduard rectify this with some nice crisp details. The main wheels come with separate hubs. There is a choice of early or late hubs for the nose wheel. Review sample courtesy of

M117 bombs(early) 1:72 Eduard The M117 was the standard bomb of the USAF from the 1950's through the 1970s and beyond. This version from Eduard is the early one and should be good for any aircraft from Korea through Vietnam. The casting of the six bombs is first rate with options for different fuses including extended ones in the pack. To preserve the casting of both ends the two parts must be joined in the middle. A small sheet of decals for bomb markings is included. Review sample courtesy of

Do.17Z-10 Photo-Etch Updates (for ICM) 1:48 Eduard It's a good time to be a modeller of the Flying Pencil in 1:48, as ICM have been releasing kits of this much neglected aircraft to fill a void. The 17Z-10 is the night-fighter variant of the earlier mark, and accompanies the Z-2 daylight bomber, which will doubtless have its own sets with a degree of commonality of parts. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Interior (49738) Although the night fighter has foregone the glazed nose of its daylight counterpart, there's still a fair amount of glazing, so the cockpit will be quite visible after building. This set contains one sizeable fret of nickel-plated and pre-painted brass plus another in bare brass, with a full suite of new pre-painted instrument panel skins that are either single layer, or made up from laminations to give a 3D look to the instrument dials. With the radar-equipped night-fighter, this includes a lot of black boxes, as well as detail to both the sidewalls and the rear bulkhead. The throttle quadrant is skinned with a more detailed pre-painted part, and has various levers added in different colours added to the slots to give the area more life. The pilot's chair and radar operator's more rudimentary seat are detailed with seatbelts, and their work-stations are updated with floor plates, rudder pedals for the pilot, and other sundry equipment not included with the kit. Finally, the twin drum magazines for the rearward facing machine gun are skinned at the front, and given more realistic carry-handles to replace the moulded-in ones. Exterior (48860) Consisting of one bare brass fret, this set concentrates almost entirely on the wheel bays, adding missing detail to the bulkheads plus the intricate latticework inside the bays and wing structure, plus more seen within the wing/fuselage join in the bomb bay, with hinge and structural details added to the bay doors. Those last parts may well be unseen in the night fighter, which carried no bombs, but they're there at least. The final few parts are used to improve the detail of the landing gear legs, and provides additional bracing for the kit mud-guard. Landing Flaps (48861) Another single large fret containing all the parts necessary to mobilise the flaps that take up the rear of the wing inboard of the ailerons. The work starts by removing the rear of the nacelles that move with the flaps, and then removing part of the off-cut which won't be seen in the retracted position. Then the trailing edge of the inner wing panel is removed and consigned to the bin on each side. The flap bays are then folded up from a single part, which is a surprisingly easy task. An additional rib is added between the front and back bulkheads, and the assembly can then be glued inside the wing, taking care to achieve good fit. The flap itself is then built in the same way, only with the addition of two stringers and a string of 1.6mm diameter rods in 6.2mm lengths to fit between the leading edge of the ribs. Each joint between the stringers and ribs has a tiny diamond-shaped strengthening plate added, after which it can be installed on the wing, gluing the remainder of the aft engine nacelle fairing in place so that it matches the rest of the nacelle. Clearly, this is done in mirror image for the other wing. Canopy Masks (EX482) Even without the nose glazing, there's still quite a bit of glass in the night fighter, so a set of masks may be just what the doctor ordered. In this set of pre-cut kabuki tape masking material, you get enough parts for every pane of the canopy, including the rear gunner's blown window and the additional windows under the nose on the gunner's gondola. As a bonus, you also have a set of wheel hub masks, and that includes the tail wheel. Review sample courtesy of

Another model I owe you to show. Built some years ago by my dad, Eduard kit with decals from the sparesbox, shows an a/c that was captured by the Allies in Denmark at war´s end, assumed to be a machine of JG1. Greetings from Krampus today here in Austria Cheers, Franz and Reinhard

Hello everyone! Here are a couple shots of my recently finished Eduard 1/72 Mig 15bis from the Royal Class kit. Finished OOB except for the ariel wire, and glued to the base because silly me didn't put enough nose weight in. Finished with Tamiya spraycans. Please let me know what you think, I'm always open to new ideas!

Dassault Mirage IIIC Seatbelts 1:48 Eduard - Fabric & Superfabric For the newly re-released Mirage IIIC Eduard give the modeller a choice of additional seatbelt. The Superfabric ones are one part peel off, Eduard recommend white glue to attach these to the seat. The fabric seatbelts pack as one small fret of the actual fabric belts, and one small set of photo etch buckles. Conclusion Either is a great choice to enhance your 1.48 Mirage IIIC kit. Highly recommended. Fabric Belts Superfabric Belts Review samples courtesy of

Dassault Mirage IIIC 1:48 Eduard - Weekend Edition Sacré bleu! If you have not heard of the Mirage IIIC where have you been? The Mirage III is one of the most recognisable aircraft to emerge from the Dassault Aviation stable in post war France. The Mirage III grew out of French government studies for a light weight all weather interceptor able to reach 18,000 meter in altitude in Six minutes and able to reach mach 1.3 in level flight. The tail less delta combined the wing with an area ruled fuselage to achieve its speed. The Mirage IIIC would remain in French service from 1961 until 1988. Export order would be received from Israel, Argentina, South Africa, Pakistan, and Lebanon. The Israeli Mirage IIICs performed very well against the MiGs of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In addition Pakistani aircraft performed well in the 1971 war with India. The Kit The Eduard Mirage IIIC has now been with us since 2004 and it is still a great tool of this famous aircraft. Eduard have released it in various boxing over the years, the moulds still look as good as they did the first time around. In addition to the sprues with the fuselage halves, and the wings we get six additional sprues of parts, and one clear sprue. For a weekend edition the modeller is getting a lot of plastic here, and a decent set of underwing stores. Two types of fuel tanks, Sidewinders, Matra 530 missiles, Matra ATM-9D missiles, and rocket pods are provided. Construction starts in the cockpit area (quelle surprise!). It is quite something how many parts there are here and how much detail Eduard have packed in. The ejection seat is made up first and this consists of 6 parts including ejection seat firing handles. The cockpit tub is then built up, this consists of 18 parts! the instrument panel and side panels are provided as decals if the modeller does not wish to paint them. Next up on the construction list is the jet pipe, this has eight parts on its own. Once built this and the cockpit can be sandwiched between the main fuselage halves and the intake bullets added to the exterior. The next area for attention are the main wheel wells. These are built up from six parts each and attached to the inside of the lower main wing. At this time the modeller will need to open up the appropriate holes in the wing for the externals tanks/ordnance chosen. Before the lower wing can be attached to the main fuselage the intake are behind the cockpit needs to be installed. Once this is done the upper main wings can be attached. **Note here that due to the flap attachment area Eduard advise no glue is used here at all** Once the main wing is complete it can be attached to the fuselage. Now the main parts are together the intakes can be completed. Next up the modeller needs to select the right underwing pylons for the load being used. The cannon barrels are installed under the intakes at this stage, and on the wing the three part pose able flaps can be installed. The next stage is the construction of the landing gear. Again Eduard seem to have gone to town with the parts count, but this should provide a good looking gear. The front gear is moulded in with its retraction strut so it should be a more stable join than most. The front wheel is attached with a locking part holding it in. One the front gear is in the gear doors and separate retraction strut can be added. The main wheels are of standard two part construction and attach to a one part gear leg. These are installed to the wheel wells and their retraction struts added. The inner and out gear doors are then attached with their appropriate retraction struts. To finish off Eduard provide the modeller with both a pilot figure and boarding ladder if the mopddel wants to use them. The modeller can then add the canopies and choice of underwing stores. Decals With what now seems to be standard there are two decal options in the Weekend boxing. The decals are printed by Eduard, look in register, are glossy and colour dense. The two options are; Mirage IIIC, No. 92, EC 02/010, Seine, Armée de ľ Air, BA 120 Cazaux, April 1976 Mirage IIIC, No. 87, EC 03/010 Vexin, Détachement Air 188, Armée de ľ Air, Djibouti, October 1984 Conclusion This is a great kit from Eduard, and it is good to see it re-released in a weekend edition. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

MiG-15 UTI cockpit 1:72 Eduard While Eduard's MiG-15 ITI is an excellent little kit, there is always room for improvement over the kit plastic in the form of a resin cockpit; and this set does not disappoint. You get the whole cockpit complete with the intake trucking which forms the cockpit wall. There is a cockpit floor, two control colums, internal bulkheads, instrument panel, and the rear decking parts. Two complete ejection seats are provided with PE belts. Also in PE are some cockpit details and the area behind the rear seater which fits into the canopy. All of the parts are well cast with no issues other than a couple of large pour blocks on the cockpit floor and instrument panel. Conclusion This set is a great cockpit set and will enhance your UTI, particularly if you choose to have the canopies open. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lewis Mk.III WW1 Gun 1:48 Eduard Brassin New from Eduard in the Brassin range is the Lewis Mk.III gun. Designed by American Colonel Isaac Lewis, from 1914 the Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) company produced it under license in vast numbers. It was used as both an infantry and aircraft mounted weapon. For ariel use it often dispensed with the air cooling shroud, with the option of either 47 or 97 round ammo drums. The Mk.III was produced from May 1918 and is thus applicable to aircraft in dervice from that time. The Brassin set contains resin and brass items to make 2 guns, with 3 ammo drums for each. The casting are beautifully done with extremely fine detail surpassing anything that could be achieved with injection moulding. The sights are provided on the etch brass fret, the ring sights being amazingly fine. These little Lewis guns will really add that finishing touch to your late war British or French aircraft, and were used either on fixed or ring mountings. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Vickers Mk.1 WW1 Guns. 1:32 Eduard Brassin. Developed from the Maxim Machine gum, Vickers improved the basic design by lightening it and using high strength alloys on key components. The ground based weapon had a water cooling system, but this was not found necessary when mounted on aircraft as the slipstream kept the gun cool, although the water cooling jacket was retained. It was very suitable for for use with synchronising system that enabled rounds to be fired through the spinning propeller, and thus widely used on British and French aircraft from 1916 onwards. The Brassin set provides 2 guns, with the main parts cast in resin with beautifully defined detail. Etched brass supplies brackets, sights, and a choice of 2 different cocking levers. The obvious place to use these will be on Wingnut Wings kits, where they will add that extra touch of detail to already beautiful models. Given that the gun was used well beyond the end of the First World War, and into the Second on the Gladiator and Swordfish, there are plenty of subjects that will benefit from a set of these. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I am somewhat stuck. I have mated the fuselage and wings and I was expecting more dihedral. I think it is 6-8 degrees but the wings look too straight. I was vey carful not to get fuselage bulge. Forgive the self, but it was the only way I could think of taking a picture

MiG-15 UTI 1:72 Eduard - Weekend Edition The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was one of the most famous fighter from the early Cold War period. Although a Soviet design, the MiG-15 famously made use of captured German research on the aerodynamic properties of swept wings, and was powered by a reverse-engineered Rolls Royce Nene turbojet. The resulting aircraft was a triumph, easily outclassing straight wing jet fighters when in the hands of an experienced pilot. In order to ensure it could fulfil its intended role as a bomber destroyer, it packed a formidable punch in the shape of two 23mm cannons and a single 37mm cannon mounted in a pack under the nose. The MiG-15bis was the second major variant. It featured a range of small improvements, including an improved engine, revised arrangement for the 23mm cannon, redesigned airbrakes and, in some models, underwing hardpoints for unguided rockets or bombs. The MiG-15 made its combat début during the Korean War, where it proved a nasty shock for UN forces. It wasn't until the North American F-86 Sabre became available that the American forces had anything able to hold its own against the new Soviet fighter. The MiG-15 went on to become one of the most widely produced jet fighters in history and saw service with air forces around the world. The UTI is the dual seat trainer version of the MiG-15. The Kit Despite a lengthy delay caused by a problem with the mould which necessitated the re-tooling of the whole kit, Eduard's MiG-15 was warmly received when it was released last year. When it did finally emerge, it helped to cement Eduard's reputation for producing high-quality models which feature exquisite detail and superb engineering. Thanks to the way the kit has been engineered, all of the parts for the UTI version are provided on three new sprues, two grey and one clear; with sprue holding the flying surfaces carried over from the previous releases. Construction starts with the cockpit (shock!). The ejection seats are made up from two parts each with the seat belts being supplied as decals. Once these are complete they are added to the cockpit floor along with the front, middle, and rear bulkheads. The instrument panels are added to the front and middle panels, with the instruments being supplied as decals. The cockpit sidewalls also form the inside of the intake which curves around the cockpit. Decal again being used for the panels here. The front wheel well is added at the front of the cockpit at this point also. The instructions indicate nose weight to be added here as well. The rear jet pipe is built up, and when done this and the completed cockpit assembly can be sandwiched between the main fuselage halves. The rudder is then added. The main wings (conventional upper and lower construction) are then added, along with the one piece tailplanes. Next on the construction list the nose ring and intake parts are added to the front of the complete fuselage. The front wheel is added and the front gear bay doors are also attached. Panels are then added to the underside of the nose along with the cannon pod. Next up the main wheels are built up and added. Two different styles of hubs are provided with no indication of which to be used for either marking option (the modeller will need to check their references here). The wheels and outer gear doors both attach to the main gear legs. The inner gear door and the main retraction strut then need to be attached. The canopy is the next area to get attention. This is a four part affair which can be posed open or closed. As it is a bit complicated a one part closed canopy would have been a nice option to keep everything lined up, but it is not. You have the front screen, front canopy, middle pat, and lastly the rear canopy. Some of these parts are small and I can see problems getting it all lined up. Lastly to finish of the model the under wing fuel tanks and wing mounted pitot tube are added. Two different styles of wing tanks are included, but again there is no reference as to which to use, so the modeller is back to their references. Decals As with all Weekend releases it seems now Eduard supply two decal options; Iraqi Air Force, 1980 (as per box art) USSR as flown by Yuri Gagarin / Vladimir Seryogin 1968 In addition to the national markings a separate sheet of stencil decals is provided. Conclusion This is a great kit from Eduard and it is good to see it in the Weekend boxing. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-1B Update Sets (for Revell) 1:48 Eduard The massive but ageing B-1B Lancer in 1:48 is back on the shelves after a long absence, and even though it is getting on a bit, it's still an impressive chunk of plastic, measuring almost a metre long when it's finished. Eduard's sets have been dusted off and brought back to address some of the less detailed areas, which is a good thing for anyone looking to improve the kit. As usual the sets are split into areas of the airframe, allowing the modeller to pick & choose which areas to focus on depending on budget, skill and where their interests lie. Each of the Photo-Etch (PE) sets and masks set come in the usual re-sealable flat-pack with white card insert protecting the sets as well as the instruction sheets. Interior (49737) Comprising three frets, two of which are nickel-plated and pre-printed, the larger one also being self-adhesive, while the last is bare brass. The main focus is on improving on the kit instrument panels, which take up a lot of the cockpit, replacing the main panel, side consoles and centre console and aft panel with new pre-painted parts, as well as a nicely detailed throttle box. Additional parts are included for the rear bulkhead; the four crew seats, all of which get belts and seat details, and the cockpit sidewalls. The only issue with the set is the slightly bluish grey of the instrument panel surround, but if that bothers you it is a simple matter to overpaint the background to blend it in with your cockpit paint. Exterior (48857) This set consists of two bare brass frets with a substantial part count. The nose gear bay is detailed first with additional panels and rib detail, plus bay door actuators, and a substantial upgrade of the nearby crew ladder, which receives a totally new set of steps, leaving just the side rails from the kit parts. The crew access door is also detailed internally before the ladder is attached. The main gear bay is next, and is detailed with additional panels to improve on what is already there. The large gear legs are also given additional parts, some of which are designed to be slotted into grooves in the curved top of a leg section, so have your razor saw handy. The huge weapons bays are upgraded with detail on the bulkeads fore and aft, including the big baffles that drop down to disrupt the airflow that allows the bombs to successfully leave the bay at speed. The separating bulkheads are also detailed with extra parts, which should help to reduce their dated appearance. The outer skin of the Lancer is next decked-out with a large number of aerials, static-discharge wicks, and two-part vortex generators under the tail. A few small probes and vents are also added around the nose, with additional detail installed between the twin engines on each side, with some fan detail parts inside. Mask Set (EX480) While there aren't many windows on the Bone (B-one, geddit?), they are large and rounded, the radiuses for which can be difficult to cut manually. The yellow kabuki tape is pre-cut for just such purposes, and you get the main canopy halves, side windows and portholes, most of which are of the strip type to hug the frames and avoid the compound curves that could cause wrinkles. Fill the centres of the masks with liquid mask or scrape tape before you spray for best results. Review sample courtesy of

Royal Navy Crew Eduard 1:200 With Trumpeter having started producing Royal navy ships in 1:200 scale, it’s natural that they will need some crew to man them, and once again Eduard have come to the rescue with this set of crew dressed in standard Atlantic No 3’s dress. The single sheet of what looks like tinned etched brass on which several rows of figures are attached. Each crewmember is pre-painted and self adhesive, making it a lot easier to produce each crewman just by the act of folding the two halves together. As with the 1:350 scale crew sets, these do still look rather flat, perhaps more so given the increase in scale, but at least they have some depth to them. There are several pose included, such as crouching, leaning on the railings, standing at ease, standing with hands on hips, (probably a Chief Petty Officer), and in a climbing stance for use on vertical ladders. There are other poses, one with what look like binoculars, and a couple that look like they’re manning a gun. There are sixty four crewmen in total, so with only a couple of sets you could really make your model look more alive. Conclusion As with the other sets I still have reservations with the thickness of the individual crew, but if you can overlook that, or you have some really fit/skinny crew on your ship then this really shouldn’t be a problem. The ease of use is superb, especially after you’ve spent months creating your masterpiece these will add the finishing touch. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German 128mm Flak 40 Zwilling Eduard 1:35 The Flak 40 Zwilling was a surprise kit from Takom, and a very welcome release as the only other in this scale was a rather expensive resin kit. Naturally though, Eduard have deemed it required some attention from the artisans of etched brass. This single sheet set, although quite small does add that little bit extra to an already nice kit. The sheet contains items such as the rifling for the ends of the barrels. These two parts need to be carefully rolled to fit inside the bore of the kits barrels. Whilst they are only about 20mm long, they will give the impression that the rifling goes all the way down if fitted correctly. The other parts on the sheet include the foot pads for the gun trainers, panels for the ends of each breech slide, along with additional brackets for the sides, the interior troughs of the shell cradles, the end plates of each breech block, replacement handles and panels for the electrical box and filler cap for the gearbox, plus the end panels and handles for the storage boxes. Conclusion Ok, so this is only a small set, but it does add some nice detail which Takom either missed off or are bit clunky due to moulding constraints. A bit like adding a cherry to an already great cake. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of