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AZmodel 1/72 Eduard 1/144

Hi, One of my older models.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/EduardCompany#!/photo.php?fbid=778630752151874&set=a.122154977799458.21995.116570475024575&type=1&theater OK the illustration picture is a joke but the info is true. Eduard is to release in May 2014 a two-seater version from the successful 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc kit. V.P.

Messerschmitt detail Sets Eduard/Brassin 1:32 Revell produced are cracking kit in their 1:32 Me-109G-6 particularly for the price, but it have some shortcomings and Eduard believe the detail also needed to be spruced up. With this in mind they have released a selection of sets for this kit, and an additional one for those modellers who would like to use the kit in a diorama. All these sets can be found in the Big Ed set or bought separately, it’s entirely up to the modeller to decide how much detail they would like or need to add. The relief etched brass is up to their usual high standards yet the instructions still let them down and really should be clearer on how parts are folded and fitted. Detail Set (32788) The two sheets contained in the standard poly sleeve provide parts for both the interior and exterior, so no need for separate sets. The majority of parts are on a medium sized relief etched sheet whilst the smaller sheet containing the cockpit parts is mostly pre-painted and self adhesive. For the cockpit the set includes a new seat support and panel for the rear bulkhead, new seat pan, a pair of very well detailed rudder pedals, trim wheel control chains and support bracket. The instrument panel is made up of several layers with the instruments printed on the backing plate, as other sets of this nature a drop of Klear or Aqua Gloss will be needed to represent the instrument glass. On the side walls there are several new or replacement instrument boxes and pre-printed faces, along with new cable runs and pipework. Each of the alternative gunsights receives new reflector glass supports, lens surround and brackets. Externally the set provides new radiator front and rear grids, a new intake grille, internal fittings for the radiator housings and main wheel bays; brake pipes and replacement lower undercarriage leg doors. The ailerons are given new end plates and the slats are provided with new internal lip strips. There is a nicely detail aerial mounting bracket on the tail fin and strap for the drop tank. Finally, each of the alternative canopies receive new armoured back plates and handles for the windscreen frame. Interior Zoom Set (33128) This zoom set contains only the above pre-painted sheet and allows the modeller to build a well detailed cockpit without the hassle of getting bogged down with detail that might otherwise be deemed superfluous. Tools and Boxes (32351) For those modellers that want to use their model in a diorama, whether in a workshop or on the line then this two sheet set will be just for you. The main part is the carry case, which, once folded to shape is fitted with four carry handles, two per side. Into this are fitted four shelves, two shallow ones for the general tools, such as spanners, snips, hammers, cutters and the like, (all provided), and too deeper ones in which the more specialist tools are held, all safely kept in place by various spacers and locking parts. Also included is a large tool roll, which when assembled and painted up should look great lying on a wing on the grass by the aircraft. The roll is also well populated with the more popular tools such as screwdrivers, cutters, rule, adjustable spanners etc. Seatbelts (32784), and (32791) These two sets of seatbelts give more choice to the modeller, they can either buy the all etched brass set, which is pre-painted and go through the process of annealing to make them more flexible to sit in the seat pan correctly, or go for the fabric ones which should sit more naturally. Both sets come with a full selection of buckles and clasps and whilst whilst quite fiddly to assemble they will really help make the cockpit stand out from the crowd. Brassin Wheel Set (632 018) In addition to the etched sets Eduard, in their Brassin range have also released this set of replacement resin wheels. The inner and outer hubs, plus the tyres are all separate, making painting so much easier. Detail is also enhanced with the tread looking very nice and the brake details more representative. Once removed from the moulding blocks it shouldn’t take to much cleaning up before they are ready for use. Conclusion This is another great selection of sets from Eduard, who seem to be churning them out like it was going out of fashion, yet keeping the standard high. The tool box set is my favourite and I hope they produce more diorama sets in the future. The rest of the sets will go towards making the finished model look top notch, particularly when the Brassin wheels are used as well. Review sample courtesy of

LA-5FN Limited Edition (1183) 1:48 Eduard The LA-5FN was a development of the LaGG-3, shoe-horning a more powerful radial engine that was a development of a license built Wright R-1820 Cyclone, with the emphasis on the "clone" part. This was encased in the nose of a Sukhoi SU-2 and grafted onto the LaGG-3. Due to a falling out of favour with Stalin, the conversion was done on a shoe-string and although successful, was a little agricultural in places, resulting in engine fumes entering the cockpit, and a canopy that was almost impossible to open at high speed. Most pilots went against regulations and flew their aircraft with the canopy open both to protect themselves from carbon monoxide poisoning as well as becoming a casualty of war in the event they were shot down and unable to bail out. The resulting hybrid was excellent at lower altitudes by ran out of steam as the air thinned at altitude. The FN was an update adding fuel injection to the engine and further lightening the airframe to squeeze every last drop of performance from it. Over 9,000 were built before it was superseded, and it was well liked by its pilots, and a worthy adversary for the Luftwaffe's 109s and 190s unless they were schooled in climbing away from them to escape from dogfighting. The Kit The box is pure Eduard, with a fetching painting, a top opening lid and plenty of information on the sides. Inside are four sprues of grey styrene, a pair of resin wheels, two frets of Photo-Etch (PE) metal, one of which is pre-painted, a set of flexible pre-cut masks (not pictured), a sheet of decals, plus combined instruction booklet and painting guide, which is printed in colour. The styrene may well be familiar, as it has been sourced from Zvezda, and was released a few years ago by them to a good reception. The copyright on the plastic is 2011 with the exception of the smallest sprue of exhaust stacks, which is 2007. The moulds are typical of modern Zvezda kits, and have good detail, but a modicum of flash here and there, plus the occasional sink mark that will need cleaning up before construction and painting get too far advanced. The most noteworthy and visible areas are on the fuselage sides over the wing roots and on the upper wing over the wheel wells. Both of these would be tricky to deal with once built, so take a few minutes to putty and sand them before construction begins, and you'll be a much happier modeller if that's at all possible. The La-5 was constructed from wood in large areas of the wings and fuselage in order to save strategic resources, and this is represented well, with wide open expanses having no surface detail, as would be correct for this type. Where there is metal skin around the cockpit and engine, plus wing roots and flaps, there are finely engraved rivets, as well as other types of fasteners, vents and intakes. You are also treated to a very comprehensive interior to the fuselage, which is first to be built up and stretches as far forward as the engine mount, back to behind the pilot's area. The cockpit is a simple flat floor with rudder pedals that have PE straps, control column and very little else until it is mated with the wings, which are built up after the framework of the interior. Three parts are inserted in each wheel well cut-out in the full width lower wing, plus a flat box that acts as spacer for the cockpit floor later on, after which the upper wings with their moulded in wheel bay roves are added. The inner upper wings are separate from the outer to allow Zvezda to get more mileage from their moulds, and the outer has cut-outs for slats and ailerons, plus a hole to insert the raised formation lights from the clear sprue. Some additional ribs are added to the interior framework, along with a headrest and armoured panel onto which the pilot's seat fits later. The frame is then added to the wing assembly along with the cockpit floor, the side walls of the fuselage are detailed with PE and styrene parts, and the starboard half is added to the correct side. Three more frames are added behind the cockpit, fitting into recesses in the fuselage to obtain the correct spacing. The two part instrument panel for the cockpit is laminated up from the original kit parts, which are stripped of their moulded in detail and given new two-layer pre-painted PE replacements. Additional levers and sub-panels are added to the cockpit sills, and the port sidewall is detailed in the same manner. The pilot's seat is given a PE adjustment lever and a full set of pre-painted seatbelts The fuel injected Shvestov radial engine is depicted in its entirety, with both rows of pistons, the push rods, gearbox, and complex exhaust system, needing just the ignition harness to complete the job. Take care when assembling the exhaust collector tubes, as there are two per cylinder per row, with five exiting the fuselage on each side. That's a total of 24 parts devoted just to the exhausts! Now the reason for adding one fuselage side early on and not the other becomes clear. It allows the modeller to insert the engine and push the exhaust stacks through the inserts that are added earlier (and it's a good idea to add them at least 24 hours prior so they are nicely set up) before the two halves are joined together. The seat, gunsight with auxiliary ring and bead sight in PE, and the tail wheel assembly are added, the port exhausts slipped through the slots at the front of the fuselage, then the two halves are brought together and glued. Hopefully if you've got everything correctly aligned this process will go smoothly and result in a good seam, and as we've not heard cries of "unbuildable!" echoing throughout the internet, I will assume this is the case. At this stage the fixed slats and the ailerons are added, and you can pose the latter any way you like within the realms of possibility. The tail is also poseable, with separate flying surfaces on the elevators and rudder, all of which have interlocking tabs to give a good mating surface. The forward cowling is next, and here the top can be left off to expose the Berezin B-20 cannons, which are supplied in their entirety together with a mounting yoke. The nose cowling is a single part that attaches to the lower cowling moulded into the lower wing, and is joined by two side cowlings and the optional top cowling that stretches back to the front of the cockpit. Two PE exhaust covers are supplied for both sets of 5 stacks, giving the edges a nice scale look. The canopy is moulded in three parts, and two types of fixed rear section are supplied, over which the opening section slides. If posing the canopy open, a rail is added to the bottom of the fixed rear section, and the canopy placed on top of these. If leaving it closed, say for protection from the weather, or a particularly nesh pilot, a lever is glued on the inside before installation. There's a significant portion of the bare brass PE set left in the box up to this stage, much of which is devoted to the landing gear covers for both the main gear legs and the tail wheel. They are laminated up and additional braces are added on the inside of the leg covers, into which the kit gear legs are added. PE brake hoses are also supplied for the main legs, plus a retraction link for the tail wheel doors. A pair of styrene retraction jacks for the main gear is added as they are installed, fitting into well-defined sockets in the wheel bays. A pitot probe is mounted under the starboard wing, another two formation lights, and under the chin a radiator is constructed, including two PE radiator faces, and a PE exit flap for additional cooling. The engine is further cooled by rotating toothed baffles behind the prop, which are able to be posed open or closed by adjusting the rear of the two circular PE parts, before adding the prop and the spinner cap as the last act. Markings Five choices are present on the decal sheet, and although they all share the same light/dark grey camouflage (with small variations), the unit markings, patriotic slogans and theatre colours are suitably different to give some nice choices. From the box you can build one of the following: LA-5FN Flown by Maj. Ivan A Vishniakov, 171st IAP, Summer 1944 – white 76, Red/black cowling. LA-5FN Flown by Lt. Anatolii V Ruzin, 159th IAP, Summer 1944 – White 15, white rudder and spinner. LA-5FN Flown by Capt. Konstantin S Nazimov, 254th IAP, Poland, Summer 1944 – White 71, white rudder and silver spinner. LA-5FN Flown by P Rakov, Summer 1944 – Yellow 8 (or silver 8 – alternative numerals are supplied), Lightning motif along the side of fuselage, red cowling. LA-5FN Flown by Capt. Kirill A Yevstigneev, 178th GIAP, February 1945 – White 14, with < motif on the side of the fuselage, red cowling and spinner. The decals are printed by Cartograf in perfect register, good colour density and sharpness, with a glossy and closely cropped carrier film. Including the alternative silver 8 is a nice touch to please modellers that often disagree about such things, who can now please themselves! Conclusion A nice augmentation of an already good kit of an important Russian type during the later part of the Great Patriotic War. The addition of the resin wheels and substantial PE sheet (particularly as this is a small aircraft) add detail and value to the package, as do the superb decals. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Chance Vought F4-U detail Sets Eduard 1:32 The Tamiya 1:32 Corsair in a beautiful model straight out of the box with perhaps the only real area that needing attention being the magnetos on the crank case. Eduard obviously feels differently as they have released a raft of update sets for it, seven in fact if you include the zoom set. Each set are in the usual poly sleeve packaging with a card insert to prevent damage, and the instructions still leave a lot to be desired. Typically some of the kit details need to be removed before the brass parts can be added. Interior Set (32781) Contained on two sheets of relief etched brass, the larger one is unpainted whereas the smaller one is not only pre-painted but self adhesive as well. The unpainted sheet contains items such as the rudder pedal heel and toe plates, rudder cable attachments, side console inside faces, document pockets and additional fittings not included in the kit. On the engine bulkhead there is a pair of new cable runs and pipes, whilst the foot rests/”floor” troughs are fitted with more detailed bulkhead fittings complete with lightening holes. There are a large number of instrument boxes fitted around the cockpit, on the side consoles, coaming and side walls onto which the pre-painted faces are attached. The instrument panels are also pre-painted complete with the instrument faces on the backplate. A little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts. The fire extinguisher and oxygen bottles receive new straps and supports and the canopy is fitted with new frames fore and aft and latching handle. Interior Zoom Set (33126) This zoom set contains only the above pre-painted sheet and allows the modeller to build a well detailed cockpit without the hassle of getting bogged down with detail that might otherwise be deemed superfluous. Engine Set (32343) To really enhance the details on the kits engine this set provides a wealth of additional and finer parts for the job. Quite a few areas need to be cut away before the etched parts can be added, particularly around the cowling mounting bulkhead between the cylinder banks. Holes need to be drilled into the cylinder banks ready to accept the new wiring harness which is pretty complex and care will be needed as whilst the instruction diagram is better than usual, it could have been clearer. The exhaust manifold receives new flanges and jubilee style clips. Another complex area of the build is the fitting of the individual cowl flaps and cowl flap ring. Each cowl flap is fitted with a three piece etched actuator which will need a very steady hand to assemble and fit. The front cowl mounting ring is also provided as are the interior rib detail for each of the opening cowling panels. Exterior (32344) This single sheet set contains some very nice additional detail for the exterior and open areas of the kit. There are quite a few parts dedicated to the interior of the tailwheel bay, especially on the mounting bulkhead which has new mounting fixtures and fittings for the tail oleo, whilst the foreward bulkhead is fitted with new fittings which include the rudder cable arm and mounting bracket. The tailwheel bay doors are fitted with new hinges panels and attachment links. The main wheel bays also get a dose of additional detail with the fitting of new panels around the bay walls and roof along with additional cabling and pipe work. If you’re building the model with wings folded then you have the option of adding new end plates to the flaps and ailerons along with replacement brackets and web pieces. The wing fold areas have a host of new hoses and pipework fitted which will really make the areas look not only more accurate but busy. Placards (32795) This small single sheet set contains much of what is already on the interior sets pre-painted sheet and naturally the zoom set, which is rather annoying to be honest. There are a few parts different that the modeller could use in the cockpit, but not nearly enough to make this set worth being separate to the interior sets. Seatbelts (32784), and (32791) The first of these two sets is made completely from etched brass, pre-painted for the most part, but with unpainted clasps, buckles etc. The second has the etched seatbelts replaced with fabric ones, which really do look nice and may sit better on the seat. Either will look good even though they look quite fiddly to assemble. Conclusion Eduard do produce a very nice selection of sets here, although I do feel that they are taking the mickey a little with the placard set in that is does really add anything that are already included in the interior/zoom sets. The seat belt question also needs to be asked, why isn’t the brass set at least included in the interior set? That said they do what they do very well and the selection does give the modeller a choice on how far they want to go with detailing. So I can still recommend them, but be aware of what’s included. Review sample courtesy of

Russian BT-7 for Tamiya 1:35 Eduard Eduard are really churning out the etched detail sets, trying to keep up with the number of releases that the various manufacturers are putting out. These two sets are for the Tamiya 1:35 BT-7 Russian medium tank. The relief etched sheets are up to the usual standards as Eduard seem to have good quality control on their releases. Coming in the usual sleeve packaging with card inserts to protect the brass there is one set for the exterior and one for the interior. [36253 Interior Set] Contained on one medium sized sheet are a plethora of small parts, the majority of which seem to go into the assembly of the six ammunition drum racks for the machine guns and their associated strapping. There are also racks for the 45mm for either side of the turret ring. The drivers compartment is provided with new instrument cluster, with acetate sheet for the dials, various placards and other instrument faces. The driver also gets two new control leavers, a complex pedal assembly and gear stick. Inside the turret there new vision block details, two radio boxes an ammunition drum rack. The main gun is detailed with catching bin for the expended cartridges and the breech leaver. [36257 Exterior Set] Also contained on one medium sized sheet of brass this set, as its name implies is for the outside of the model. Apart from the usual brackets and clamps that most of these sets include, particularly for the pioneer tools there are also fittings for the front inner fairings, headlamps, rear lights and loudspeaker. The kit fenders are completely replaced with etched items along with their support brackets, this goes for the front and rear mudguards as well. The four external fuel tanks receive new tops and straps and filler caps whilst the jack is provided with a new cradle and tire down strap. The perforated fairing over the exhausts needs to be carefully rolled over the kit former and fitted with additional handles whilst the intake on the left hand side will need some careful folding to get it to fit into the kit recess, as does the rear storage box which is fitted then with two long hand rails. Conclusion Even Tamiya kits can do with some extra detailing every now and then, and these sets provide enough to make the difference without going overboard. With care and patience they should be ok to be used by all but the pure novice but still be slightly challenging in areas. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Hello, I´ve just finished my new kits. It´s 1/48 Eduard´s Bf 109 E-1. Pants: Gunze, Tamiya, Vallejo, Humbrol Lacquers: Gunze, Future. Happy new year to all :-)))))

US Armoured Gun Truck for Italeri 1:35 Eduard [36254] Comprising of three sheets of relief etched brass this set for the new Italeri M923 Armoured gun truck is well up to Eduards usual standards. They provide a host of detail parts to really take the model to the next level. Unfortunately the instructions also live up to their reputation in being cramped and certainly not the easiest to read. As usual the modeller will need to provide styrene or brass rod for some of the assemblies and some of the kits details need to be removed before the new brass items are fitted. It’s probably best for the modeller to go through the instructions and removing all these parts at the beginning to improve the flow of the build. Construction starts with the fitting of a new top and lid for the smaller of the main storage boxes. To the lid a new jerry can bracket and straps are attached. The larger box is fitted with a new support bracket, top fitting, padlock and handles. To each inner wheel there are new flange fittings attached, similar fittings are also fitted to the faces of the drive shaft couplings. The fuel tank is assembled with new straps, supports and what looks like an armoured shelf surrounding the filler cap. The exhaust stack is given a new heat shield which will need to be carefully curved to fit whilst the spare wheel mount at its associated jib are provided with new support brackets, hook slide and wheel restraining bracket/ramp. Moving forward, the hood/bonnet is fitted with new hinges and brackets, whilst the headlights a provided with new surrounds, there is a new radiator face and grille. The rear face of the cab is also fitted with new brackets and a new vent cover. Inside the cab, new instrument cluster, facia, switch panel and passenger grab handle are included, along with replacement clutch, brake ad accelerator pedals. The drivers and passenger seats are fitted with new supports and the windscreen has all of its styrene furniture replaced, including items such as wipers, hinges and supports. The cab doors also receive new handles, window winders and wing mirrors. To the rear of the truck there are complete replacements for the rear mudguards and supports, plus numerous catches for the rear and side cargo bed panels. Naturally, being a gun truck it only seems sensible to have the gun details updated. The two 50 cal machine guns are each fitted out with new barrel handles, perforated covers, fore and aft iron sights, firing handles and fittings, new mountings and replacement ammo box support bracket s, ammo boxes and a short length of ammunition. The pintle mounted gun on the truck bed is also fitted with a new gun shield and support brackets. Conclusion Given that the Italeri Armoured Gun Truck kit is already pretty well detailed out of the box this set isn’t that complicated. With very few complex bends or folds it should be useable by all but the newest modellers and would be a good introduction to the art of using etched brass. The details contained in the set do help to improve the somewhat clunky look that of the styrene parts and will help make a good looking model into a great one. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A few days ago, I started my new project I would like this type of camouflage: ... and some progress:

Jaguar A Updates (for KittyHawk) 1:48 Eduard The KittyHawk kit was a delight to behold when it came out, but like every kit it had some issues and areas that needed a little more detail. Although it included Photo-Etch (PE) parts in the box, they were a little soft in their detail, and not altogether suitable for the more discerning modeller. All three sets arrive in Eduard's familiar flat packaging with card backing and instructions hidden inside. Interior Set (49642) Consisting of two frets of PE, one of which is pre-painted and self-adhesive, measuring 7cm x 6cm, the other in bare brass 7cm x 4cm, the prime focus is the cockpit, the equipment bays in the nose, and the nose gear bay. The equipment bays are substantially re-worked with a large chunk removed entirely to push the wall back to a more representative depth, using a piece of PE backing plate to avoid fouling anything inside the fuselage. New equipment boxes and wiring are built up and added to the back wall, and some of the other boxes on the kit part are removed to be replaced by new ones. Some additional wiring, pull-handles and other detail is also added to further improve the look, while the doors of the bay are also upgraded with ribbing and other detail parts on the inner skin. The ejector seat is updated with a new more accurate set of seatbelts, all of which are pre-painted, while the headbox is removed and replaced by a more detailed rendition in PE, which includes pull-handles above the pilot's head and between his knees, already painted black and yellow, with red warning panels here and there. The cockpit tub and side-wall inserts are overhauled with additional parts, with a complete new set of side-console skins that are pre-painted with lots of subtle details on a black background. The instrument panel is replaced by a two-layer pre-painted assembly that has some extra levers added for good measure, and the HUS is given new supports for the glass, plus a new panel skin. The canopy opener is given a pair of sills, plus a pair of rear-view mirrors to complete the job. One solitary part is used in the nose gear bay, which is a black skin to cover an instrument box that nestles in the roof of the bay. It is pre-painted and has bevelled edges, so should look quite good once installed. Zoom! Set (FE642) If you don't fancy spending out on the full set, you can obtain the Zoom! Set that covers the same areas as above, with the exception of the canopy parts, but has a cut-down level of detail in the nose bays, giving only the equipment box fronts and lacking some of the additional wiring found on the bare brass fret from the full set. You might find this set more appealing if you're leaving the canopy and nose bays closed. Exterior Set (48788) Measuring 13cm x 7cm, this single bare brass set is used to update and upgrade the gear bays, gear legs and the bay doors, plus the engines, arrestor hook and the kit weapons. Starting with the nose gear bay, the sides are given wiring detail, some additional equipment boxes are added, and a bay liner is added to the recessed area, which was installed to catch any dirt from the nose gear wheel to prevent it getting into the sensitive electronics. The bay doors are skinned and hinge details added, including the prominent doors that are captive to the gear leg, where the twin landing-lights are surrounded by new cages. The nose gear leg is also provided with two sets of hoses that run up the rear of the leg, with the retaining clips etched into the length. The main wheels are given brake details on each side of the axle, plus a full set of hoses on the complex main gear legs. Their bays are updated with additional panels, boxes and a cage around one of the moulded-in boxes, while the bay doors are skinned and hinged with a substantial array of parts for their size. The arrestor hook between the exhaust heat plates is weak on the kit, so Eduard have replaced the hook section, which is inaccurate, and also suggest you remove two small lugs at either end of its track. It doesn't address the thickness aspect of the hook, which should be slightly thicker at the hinge-point when viewed from the side. I added a sliver of styrene sheet to the rear of mine when I built the kit. The exhaust petals are PE on the kit, but Eduard have replaced them anyway, and their versions look a little more crisp than the originals. You'll need to roll them into a cylinder and then bend the individual petals in to fit inside the outer casing, as well as rolling the insert that fits forward of the new PE afterburner ring within the exhaust tube. Aside from a few parts added here and there to the copious weapons supplied with the kit, the breech parts for the cannons in the underbelly are treated to a wiring loom and a more detailed feeder chute representation that is folded up from a single part per side. Conclusion To me the small details are what adds that sense of scale realism, and these sets do just that. they cover most of the main points of interest around the airframe and should be easy to put together on the kit. The only tricky parts being the rolling the exhaust parts, but you'd have to do that anyway with the softly detailed kit parts. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi, This is my latest build, a RNoAF F-16 MLU. I used the Eduard NATO Falcons kit, i.e. Kinetic, together with decals from Vingtor and a PJ pilot in the office. As Eduard is adding resin and PE to the Kinetic kit the build is more or less OOB, just some wiring added. I have added a decent amount of weapons from the kit and Hasegawas Weapons set to make it look like pictures that I found on the web taken at Souda Bay, Crete, during the Libya Air War. I always wanted to make a Norwegian F-16, but it is rather difficult to get all over one tone grey schemes to come alive but I gave it a try. She is painted with Gunze and Aclad II where needed. Hope you like it Cheers /Fred

Supermarine Spitfire MkIX 1:48 Brassin Continuing Eduards releases for their own Spitfire MkIX they have released these two sets of resin wheels, which should also be ok for other manufacturers kits. Both sets come in the now standard blister pack and held in place by a foam pad. The outer hubs are separate for the wheels/tyres but the inner hubs a moulded in place. Set 648 115 contains plain tyres and four spoke hubs, whilst set 648 118 contains tyres with a block type tread, again with four spoke hubs. The mouldings for both sets are very nicely done with no sign of flash and will require a minimal amount of clean up due to the way they are connected to the moulding blocks by thin webs. Each set also comes with a set of paint masks which will certainly help with the painting of the inner hubs but shouldn’t really be needed for the separate outers. Conclusion Another great pair of wheel sets from Eduard subsidiary Brassin that will give, I think, a pair of very nicely detailed extras to any Spitfire model that used the four spoke wheels, not just the Eduard kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi All, Third post for tonight I present to you a mirror finish English Electric Lightning belonging to the Royal Saudi Airforce. This was a Eduard Limited Edition Boxing of the Airfix kit, which is an absolutely superb kit with some lovely resin and photoetch in there as well. To get the finish I polished the bare plastic of the kit down to 12,000 grit with micromesh until the plastic itself was extremely glossy. I then primed the bare plastic with Tamiya rattle can gloss black and shot Alclad polished aluminium over the black base coat. The intake ring is sprayed with Alclad Chrome. Unfortunately the clear of the decals showed up on the finish, but I was so happy with the mirror like finish I didn't let this bother me too much. I should have removed the carrier film from around the decals. I also could not do a panel line wash on the finish, as it would just bead up on the surface. All comments welcome. Cheers, Arthur.

Hello All, Back again with the sublime Eduard Spitfire in Micro scale: Happy to take comments, and thanks for looking.

B-17G Updates (for HK Models) 1:32 Eduard The HK Models kit of this four engine heavy (reviewed here) has been pretty well received all round, and Eduard have leapt into the fray to provide a myriad of detail updates for the kit, initially with a small batch of sets designed to flatter the exterior of the kit and including some rather handsome wheels (reviewed here), and now with a raft of sets that will detail the rest of the airframe to within an inch of its life! Eight new sets in total, which I suspect complete their offerings, but you never know… B-17G Interior (32774) This set undertakes a sizeable update to the cockpit area over three sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, two of which are pre-painted and self-adhesive, measuring 7cm x 6.8cm and 7cm x 6cm, while the bare brass sheet measures 7cm x 11.5cm. The overhead console is completely updated with new instrument faces, additional boxes, grab handles and additional equipment around the sills, such as headphones on hooks and additional small boxes containing more instruments. The central console is wrapped in a slotted skin, into which the control levers are glued, with short lengths of styrene rod and half-round added for the handles. Have some Evergreen strip of suitable sizes on hand for this part of the task. The instrument panel in front of this is stripped of detail and then skinned with a more detailed panel front and raised detail, with the sides of the area also suitably skinned. A central boss for the control wheels, some handle-detail for the crew access cover, and a nicely detailed floor skin are then added, plus more skin on the hatchway that leads to the nose area. The sidewalls are updated with new instrument skins and detail parts, the oxygen bottles are strapped to their mounts, and of course the large main instrument panel is built up from a lamination of two painted sheets to give recessed and detailed instrument dials. The coaming is edged with a new PE part, and sundry instruments are dotted around the area for extra detail. The rear bulkhead is similarly updated with instruments, stencils and an empty fire extinguisher bracket, and the crew seats are given a set of yellow cushions with the words "US Air Corps" stencilled on the backs, and the admonishment "Do not remove from airplane" on the seat cushion. B-17G Seatbelts (32764) Because the seatbelts in the B-17 aren't limited to just the pilots, a separate set has been created to cater for all seated crew. It is pre-painted and measures 7cm x 6cm, containing sufficient parts to fabricate five sets of standard lap-belts that consist of two separate sections, and two wrap-around belts that loops through the chair legs. The belts are made up from the same strap sections, but with different buckle parts for right and left halves of the belt. The furniture is separate and attaches to the folded over ends of the belts for realism, with pull-tabs added for adjustment, and mounting lugs on the opposite ends to the buckles. The loop belts are simple bands with a cam-lock on one end, and loop through the legs of the office-style chairs found within the aircraft for the navigator, radio operator and bomb aimer. The paint is only applied to one side, so if you plan on depicting your belts tangled and messy, you'll need to source a good match for the paint. If not, the bare metal will give good adhesion. B-17G Front Interior (32775) As the name suggests, this set is designed for the nose of the mighty Fortress, and consists of two sheets of PE, one which is pre-painted and self-adhesive, and measures 7cm x 6cm, while the other in bare brass measures 7cm x 14.8cm. Rather helpfully, a number of half-thickness shapes are included in the set to cover the areas between the moulded in ribs that have ejector pin marks. Due to their fine gauge it will be almost impossible to tell that they are even there, which instantly takes away all the hard work removing the ejector pin marks. Once the pin marks are hidden, the insides of the nose are detailed up with various missing or simplified equipment, including a retaining tray and strap for the kit supplied ammo boxes, which also get stencils for the ends to show what is within. The observation dome is detailed in and about with various items, and a bracket is supplied for the starboard wall to hold an oxygen bottle that if you want to fill will need to be scratch-built, although a regulator dial face is included. The rear bulkhead has a large projection into the nose space that is the rear of the instrument panel, and shows the backs of the instruments as supplied in the kit. A curved "modesty panel" is provided to cover that sensitive part over, as well as sundry details for the area, and another rectangular cover for the underside ribbing. A small gaggle of instruments are added to the port side over the plotting table, and the big wedge-shaped instrument package forward of the table is cleared of moulded in detail before four pre-painted and laminated instrument panels are added to the face, with a bracket on the front housing extra equipment. The bombardier's office-style chair is mounted on a cover that sits over the ribbed top of the chin-gun's accessway, and his additional equipment is updated with more parts, including a set of levels at the front of his area, and extras for his top-secret bombsight. A small red-cross box is added to the rear bulkhead, a base for his lamp, and curiously, a set of instruments for the radio operator's table behind the bomb bay, plus mount, ammo feed and breech details for two .50cal Brownings numbered K2 & K3, for the cheek mounted guns. B-17G Radio Compartment (32779) This set consists of two sheets of PE, one of which is pre-painted and self-adhesive, measuring 7cm x 7.8cm, the other in bare brass and measuring 7cm x 8.8cm. The radio compartment is situated behind the bomb bay's aft bulkhead, and is separated from the waist compartment by another bulkhead that must have given the operator some respite from the rattle of the .50cals outside the door. The front bulkhead has a moulded in table, which has an instrument box sat on it, which is shown in the wrong place on the instructions, so Eduard update the instrument fronts and sides with new skins, and the plotting tools supplied in the forward interior set are duplicated here for no apparent reason. Additional boxes are glued to the bulkhead, plus an empty fire extinguisher rack. The Radio Op's seat is un-touched, but the two jump-seats that share his cabin are given the same yellow cushions as the pilots, complete with US Air Corps in black on the seat back. The seats' legs are made up from one length of styrene rod for part, which unfortunately has no length or diameter suggestions. Two boxes moulded into the floor are removed, and the third is treated to a couple of stencil panels to improve the detail. The rear bulkhead is festooned with instrumentation "black boxes", which are all given new pre-painted faces, with grab-handles and side-panels adding to the detail. The cabin side-walls are upgraded with a number of boxes, headphones, brackets, map cases and small parts, and another pair of .50cal front and rear sights are added to part J21, which is mounted at the rear of that section, firing out of the overhead panel at the back of the crew "hump". B-17G Waist Section (32870) The waist gunner's section needs quite a lot adding to it, hence the size of the bare brass fret, which is 10cm x 14.9cm, while the pre-painted sheet is 7cm x 4.8cm due to the low instrument count back there. The sidewalls are covered in small panels, hooks for headphones, O2 bottle racks, and of course large ammo-bins for the two .50cal Brownings that reside there. The ammo feed parts are detailed with skins that better depict their flexible segmented structure, and a large triangular section bag is attached to the side of the fuselage under the window by a pair of pre-painted straps to catch the spent brass from the guns. The guns are both given ring and bead sights on the breech and at the end of the barrel, with a short length of wire used to space the breeches from their mounting point. As previously, if you want to depict the O2 bottles in place, you'll need to do a little scratch-building to use the supplied regulator faces. The front bulkhead is detailed with additional skins, plus replacement ammo boxes for the ventral ball-turret that have a curved underside. At the rear of the waist compartment is a small compressor/auxiliary power unit, which is detailed with various panels, an instrument panel and controls. I have no idea at this point what task it fulfils, but I'm sure someone will be along to inform and educate me shortly. Curiously, some parts for the tail gunner position are included in this set, including some instruments and black-boxes on the sidewalls, headphones and hanger, plus a replacement gun-sight that sits on the rotating platform in front of the gunner. Another pair of reflective sights are also included in the set that use included pieces of film (not pictured), but it isn't made clear where these are used. B-17G Bomb Bay (32336) Consisting of one large fret measuring 13.4cm x 15.5cm, the set concentrates on updates the bomb bay, but does not include parts for the bomb rack itself, which is in a separate set. The narrow walkway over the bomb bay is skinned with new PE parts, and the latticework support is given new web-work with detailed riveting to supplant the moulded in detail. The bomb bay doors themselves are partly covered with half-thickness panels to hide a number of ejector pin marks, while the bay sides are completely replaced by a new skin with additional detail, no ejector pin marks, but requiring the modeller to create the trusses with 1.5mm square profile styrene stock, to which more strengthening web-work is added once complete. The parts should be easy to measure and cur due to the fact that their position is already marked out on the backing piece to which they are glued. The bomb racks are removed from the kit part and attached using brackets to the new sidewalls for a more detailed look, and hinge brackets are added along the bottom of the sidewalls in pairs that are marked out on the part. The forward and aft bulkheads of the bomb bay are augmented with various small parts including brackets, pulleys and web-work strengtheners, some of which will need short lengths of wire to complete. A number of additional parts are added to the fuselage sides above the sidewall position, and the sidewalls are glued to the bulkheads to create a self-contained assembly. B-17G Bomb Rack (32782) On the face of it, it may seem illogical to separate out the bomb rack from the bomb bay set, but as well as it representing a substantial set in its own right, it also allows the modeller to choose either the rack detail or bomb bay sets, or go for both. Why would one not wish to detail the bomb bay? If you're not confident with scratch-building the new side walls, you might want to at least improve the detail without going to all that trouble. Diff'rent strokes and all that! This set consists of one bare brass fret measuring 9cm x 13cm, and one pre-painted fret measuring 7cm x 4cm. The full-depth A-frame bomb racks that straddle the walkway are given new detailed skins, and the moulded in trio of shackles at the lower end are upgraded with pre-painted faces and red data plates to one side. The backside of the racks are updated with strengthening ribs on each side of the "ladder". The shorter racks on the sidewalls can either have their moulded in detail removed from the kit sidewall, or can be built directly onto the separated parts before applying them to the new sidewall if you are using the bomb bay set above. A new skin, bomb shackles and data plates are added all the way up the rack, and a small number of bare metal boxes with black stencils are added to the sidewalls themselves. Eight bomb carriers are latched onto the lugs on the racks, and these attach to the lifting lugs that are supplied to attach to the bombs themselves. Front spinners and rear arming spinners are also included to add to the bombs, with another lug under each bomb and a detail skin for the rear of the bomb body. At the top of the A-frame central racks, a pair of winch points are added, attaching to the central bay roof part with the winch wheels lined up with the edges of the rack, although this isn't made clear on the instructions. B-17G Exterior (32340) A small set at 7cm x 6.8cm, the content is dotted all around the airframe, adding fine details to the turrets, double mesh grilles to the intakes on the leading edges of the wings, filler cap details to the wing tops, grilles on the rear wing root area, and some optional FOD guards with handles for the moulded in intakes that are found in pairs inboard of the inboard engines, and outboard of the outboard engines. Conclusion A lot of brass, but it's a big expensive kit that many people would want to build as a "tour-de-force", and if you're not comfortable with scratch-building all that, you're going to need Eduard's help. Pick and choose from the sets available, or go crazy and get them all – possibly in the BigEd set that should be available soon. Some of the instructions are a bit vague in places, and there's an element of cross-over between some of the sets that is perhaps unavoidable. At this scale none of the sets is small (with the exception of the exterior set), so breaking them down into more affordable chunks makes sense so that the modeller on a tighter budget can cherry pick what they want to turn into the focal point of their model. Really impressive! Review sample courtesy of

McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom Detail Sets 1:48 Eduard and Brassin Continuing Eduards releases for the Academy F-4B Phantom are these two sets. The first is a new style set of fabric seatbelts and the second, in their Brassin range is a set of replacement wheels. Seatbelt set, - (49064). The set comes in the standard flat pack style with card backing and contains a small sheet of fabric belts, which are made in conjunction with HGW, with enough parts for both seats, including the shoulder straps, lap straps and seat cover. There is also a small sheet of pre-painted etched nickel which encompasses items such as the buckles, ejection handles for both upper and lower positions and the quick release unit. There are a couple of spare buckles should you lose them when fitting. Brassin Wheel Set – (648 114). Does exactly what it says on the packet, and that is providing a complete set of new wheels for the F-4B. As is usual for Brassin these wheels are beautifully moulded with pin sharp details and only the slightest clean up required when the small webs attaching them to the moulding blocks are removed. As an extra bit of detail to the potential diorama, Brassin have also included six yellow chocks which will only need some thin wire or thread attached and the six chocks placed in position. Of course you will have to check references to ensure the correct colour as they are also to be seen in black or red. Conclusion Another great pair of sets from Eduard and their subsidiary Brassin that not only provide extra detail for the model but also help provide visual enhancements for a diorama, what’s not to like. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Howdy! A couple of recent builds. Started out with the Tamiya Mk. Vb with the intention of building "Johnnie" Johnson´s aircraft, or atleast a couple of them. "DW-B" is the one he flew during Operation Jubilee. The Eduard Mk. IXc is my first Eduard Spitfire and my first Eduard-kit - it is excellent but I made a couple of mistakes halfway in and decided not to use my precious "Johnnie-decals" on this one just yet.. I saved those for future builds with less mistakes. Will probablt try out a couple of those Brassin upgrades as well, now that I have the chance. Both are painted with Tamiya rattle-cans (which is evident where I have built up too much spray between the camo and have received a sharp line.. Brush-painted details with Humbrol-, Citadell and Vallejo acrylics. Master-barrels for the Vb and decals from Victory Models and Eduard. No weathering to speak of - yet, except the fuel-stains on "Johnnies" Vb.. Prince Emanuel Galitzine´s Mk. IXc I lost the navigational light on the bottom.. Think I can find it though. Same for the support on the undercarriage - lost one. Will have to find a replacement. The cockpit: "Johnnies" DW-B: Both aircraft together: Learnt a lot from the Eduard kit and will defiently build looaads more of both kits! Hopefully with fewer mistakes and better results every time. Love them and have so many ideas for decal-options, camouflage.options etc. Thanks for looking and any constructive criticism is more then welcome!

Mig-21PFM Update Sets 1:48 Eduard As is usual with almost every new release from Eduard, a raft of new update sets have been released to satisfy the need of some of us to improve and detail our kits as much as possible, but perhaps don't have the skills or time to scratch build everything. We have six new sets engineered to fit their new PFM kit in both Photo-Etch (PE) metal and resin, which gives you the flexibility to pick and choose where you'd like to add the detail, or just go mad and add it all! Brassin Cockpit Set (648111) The kit cockpit is quite well appointed, but it is built up in sections and feels a bit "choppy", which could lead to re-loading your airbrush for more of that weird green/blue shade if you miss a bit. The resin set contains a fully formed tub with superb detail moulded in, which is augmented by a large number of parts from the pre-painted PE sheet. You also get three options for the instrument panel, using either two pre-painted PE layers over a resin backing part, a resin/PE/resin sandwich, or a resin/PE/resin lamination with moulded in instrument faces in the front layer of resin. The cockpit is then installed onto the rear of the original kit floor, which is cut roughly in half, with the rear part discarded. The instrument panel and control column slide into place, and the whole lot can be installed in the fuselage, capped off with another nicely detailed resin coaming with additional resin and PE parts added for more detail. The canopy is treated to a set of internal frames, with more added to the sills within the cockpit and the "hoop" of the windscreen, and a number of small PE parts actually placed on the clear canopy. The best way of doing this is to float them on a drop of clear gloss varnish such as Klear/Future, or Alclad's Aqua Clear, all of which will dry totally clear, and melt into any previously applied dip of the same to enhance the clarity of the clear part itself. A resin HUD unit is installed in the hoop of the windscreen, and that leaves just the beautifully detailed rendition of the KM-1 ejection seat, which is built up from nine resin parts, and a number of PE parts that include pre-painted seatbelts. There is also a resin helmet with separate ear-cups within to further detail the cockpit, and this can be either dropped on the seat or balanced on the cockpit sill to give a more candid appearance to your finished model. A superbly detailed kit-within-a-kit. Brassin Wheels (648110) Resin wheels are a quick and easy upgrade to detail, removing those annoying seams on kit wheels, whilst adding lots of extra detail to the tyres and hubs. This set goes as far to include a set of masks to aid in painting, and a small PE fret to detail the gear leg, provide a trailing static wick for each leg, plus brake line routing diagrams and full brake detail. A fine circumferential tread runs around the contact patch on all tyres, which would be impossible to render in injection moulded styrene. Brassin Exhaust (PF/PFM) (648117) Completely replacing the full exhaust assembly, this set adds masses of detail to the interior of the exhaust tube, exhaust petals and afterburner ring, which is augmented by a PE part on a small square fret. The exhaust sections are presented as tubes, which means that there are no seams to sort out, so none of the fine detail will be lost in the process. Painting before assembly is a must, but once painted, assembly should be pretty quick. The bulkhead included with the kit is thrown out to pasture in favour of a more detailed resin part, which although unlikely to be seen is rather nice, and has a helpful TOP moulded into the rear face to help with orientation. Interior Set (49658) This set is designed with the Profipack cockpit in mind, but might be of some use to the buyers of the forthcoming Weekend Edition too. There is a little duplication of effort in the side consoles, which are more sensibly folded rather than supplied as separate parts that are found in the kit, but the rest of the interior set complements rather than supplants the kit PE. There is additional detail added to the replacement console parts too, and of course it's all in pre-painted PE, with plenty of switch and instrument detail printed at a high resolution. The rudder pedals are fitted with a set of foot straps, and the cockpit sills are given a make-over with a number of parts with slots in to receive the corresponding locking mechanism applied to the canopy. Here the parts are broadly equivalent to the parts found in the resin cockpit set, although the locking lugs are additional parts. The coaming is updated with a couple of black boxes folded up from pre-painted parts, and the K-1M seat is given control levers, additional details for the arm rests and the foot rests, plus a pair of red placards on the back rest and inside of the starboard knee protector. Exterior Set (48783) The main focus of this set is the landing gear bays, with a good quantity of parts going into the bays to improve detail there. This extends into the triangular extension into the wing, with cables and brackets, and a complete replacement of the outer covers for the main gear wells. The main legs get a set of brake hoses, as does the nose gear leg, with more realistic hinges for the bay doors in the nose. The kit exhaust is detailed with some internal skins providing the extra texture missing from the kit tubes, where you'll have to roll the parts to the required shape before fitting them, and there's even a pair of parts for the afterburner ring. The airbrakes receive extra raised access panels, and a few sensors are given additional frames on the underside of the fuselage, brackets for the RATO bottles, plus control wires, and some small tabs on the outer wing just forward of the central aileron hinge. The remaining parts give the various pylons additional detail on their mating surfaces after removing the less detailed kit representation, spinners for the rear of the iron bombs, nozzles and exhaust nozzles for the missiles. Accessories Set (48790) A handy set of FOD guards, chocks and drip-trays for this Cold War Warrior, on a single fret of bare brass. The FOD for the nose cone looks like it will be fun to construct, as you must roll a wedge-shaped part into a conical cover for the nose bullet, which is probably best done before you begin the kit, so you can use the kit part as a template for your efforts. If you succeed, it slides inside a flat torus, and a long narrow section is rolled to form the lip round the edge of the guard. A couple of locking handles attach to either side of the front panel. Working backwards from there, you will find another FOD panel for a sensor on the side of the fuselage level with the port side of the canopy, and lower than the wing leading edge. That has a raised edge, with two handles attached, one on each side. Next is a pair of metal chocks with lightening holes stamped out to make them light enough for the ground crew to lug about, and a large (one might say capacious) rectangular drip tray. A pair of drag handles are folded up and glued to each end, and it is shown under the central fuselage, just under the position of the jet engine, which must have been quite a dribbler! At the rear of the aircraft, a rudder lock is applied to the bottom of the panel, curving round the rear bullet fairing to stop it flapping in the breeze. Under that, the rear FOD is a large circular "bin-lid" with three cut-outs for the tail planes and a recessed central section made up from a separate part. The lips are attached to the rear face, but must be curved to match the profile of the rear, which might be tricky if you're not too experienced in brass rolling. A trio of locking handles affix to the rear at equal intervals. There is quite a lot of rolling and embossing of the brass with this set, so you will need a biro for the embossing (don't be tempted to use a cocktail stick or similar it won't work as well), and some rolling rods for the curved sections. I use the Small Shop's Brass Assist (reviewed here), and although it's not a cheap item, it does the job extremely well. Sadly, a crew ladder isn't included, but is available separately here and suitable for all variants so far. Conclusion Unless you were planning to strip away all the access panels, there's not much more you could want to increase the detail of your Eduard Mig-21PFM. Pick and choose, or splurge on the lot, but you'll have some very nice detail for your kit with no scratch building. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Well the epic build is over - this took forever ( 6 months ), with a 3 month break while I had to source a replacement canopy. Built using the Kit decals (which weren't great being honest), Aires Cockpit which is nice and fits, Eduard External etch set which has some great bits and some pointless bits, Orion vinyl MDC cord which is great if very fiddly and finally HGW Fabric Remove Before Flight tags which are nice. It's a nice kit, but is very fiddly in parts and a bit of a pain to assemble. It's a nice size for a 1/32nd Jet though, not too big. Painted with Gunze Aqueous throughout, weathered with oils and true-earth and pigments. build thread is available here Comments welcomed as always Peter

Here we go with two Eduard 1/48 Hellcats. One will be an F6F-5K drone using the Alley Cat decal sheet. The other will be a Fleet Air Arm Hellcat II, using the Freightdog "Brits At Sea" decal sheet. The kits will be from the Eduard FAA Dual Combo boxing. This has to be the best value kit ever! Two complete profipack kits in one box, including PE. There are parts for a Mk 1 and Mk 2 (aka F6F-3 and F6F-5). All this for about 18 quid! Of course, both these kits won't be coming from the same box as they are both F6F-5s. I've already built a Mk1 from one box and I have another couple of boxes in The Stash, so I'm good for Hellcats for a while! These are the fuselage and wing sprues, which are specifc to the F6F-5. The kit has different sprues for the -3 version. The remaining sprues are common to both versions. Weapons won't be used on the -5K but I may well put rockets on the Mk2. The PE provides two sets of cockpit parts for the -3 (upper) and -5 (lower) Here are the aftermarket bits. The wheels in the kit are really only suitable for the prototypes so they will be replaced by resin wheels. The CMK set will go on the Mk2 and the Ultracast set with block tread will go on the -5K. The decal sheets are also shown. The -5K will be the red and orange Point Mugu aircraft while the Mk2 will have the blue and white checks on the cowling.

IJN Light Cruiser Agano Eduard 1:350 The Hasegawa IJN Agano has been out for quite a while now, but Eduard have seen fit to release these two etched brass sets for it anyway. This is in fact a good thing as Hasegawas own detail sets are, shall we say, rather expensive. So if you’re on a tight budget and yet would like to detail your Agano, these will fit the bill perfectly. (53096) The single largish sheet in the pack may not be as comprehensive as the Hasegawa sets, but is still filled with very nice relief etched items. There are a plethora of replacement hatches, grilles, watertight/armoured doors, which can be posed open should the modeller wish, vertical and inclined ladders, replacement davits and crane jibs, plus the tops of the bollards. Also included are replacement aerials and the D/F mast, doors and hatches for the rangefinder and direction controller stations. The main mast receives new yardarm ropewalks, aerials and access ladders along with a new starfish platform for the centre section. The ships cutters receive new oars, thwarts and gunwales, rudder and replacement cradles, whilst the motor boat are fitted with a new bulkhead for the cabin, two new masts, replacement anchor, foredeck guardrails, rudder, propeller and a lifering. The turrets 2 and 4 are fitted out with replacement aerial masts, whilst the torpedo launchers have a full complement of handrails fitted. The funnel has a very complex cap arrangement which will need some patience and careful assembly to get right, along with the foot and hand rails that are fitted on several levels either side of the funnel. Another complex structure, with numerous parts is the replacement catapult, which will not only be more detailed, but will look a whole lot more in scale, with a finer structure than the kit part it replaces. The aircraft also get new handling trolleys and launch cradles. The final parts that complete the set are new cradles for the spare aircraft floats, searchlight tower bases and supports, searchlight faces main crane platform braces and if the model is to be shown in a seascape Eduard have even provided Jacobs ladders for the boat booms so that they can be shown deployed correctly and a very nice accommodation ladder with separate deckside platform. The railing set, (53094) contains all the railings required to complete the ship. Each railing is pre-cut to the correct length for their respective positions, although some careful folding and rolling will still be required to fit some of the more awkward positions. Conclusion This should be a very welcome release for those who have the Hasegawa Agano, but can’t afford or want to add the supper amounts of detail contained in the separate detail sets Hasegawa have released. These sets are more than enough to enhance the Agano and take to another level of detail from that contained within the kit box. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

HMS Dreadnought 1907 Eduard 1:350 The release of the Trumpeter HMS Dreadnought was most welcome; although it didn’t come as much of a surprise as the Zvezda kit it was still very welcome. Trumpeter have since released a later version, but these two sets of etched brass from Eduard are for the 1907 version. (53091) This single sheet set may not be as comprehensive as some other manufacturers releases, but it will certainly add some nice fine detail for those who don’t want, or require any more than this to detail their model. The sheet contains the standard items found in most releases, such as new hatch covers and deckhouses, vertical and inclined ladders. In addition there are also new turret roofs, complete with railings, new bridge railings, bridge wing supports and bridge house, steam pipes for both funnels, ropewalks for the yardarms and replacement cockpits for the ships boats. The compass platform on the quarterdeck is also replaced with a very complex and rather challenging structure which will look great if done correctly. The railing set, (53094) by its very nature provides a full set of ships railings each, designed to fit in their respective positions. Conclusion Yet another nice set from Eduard which will go some way to making a very nice model of the Dreadnought into a great model. Apart from one or two challenging structures, it shouldn’t be too taxing for any modeller who has some experience of using photo etched parts. Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Hello, this is my third kit in scale 1/48. New kit from Eduard is simply great. All comments are welcome. Paints: Gunze C+H, Tamiya, Vallejo Lacquers: Gunze, Sidolux, Future

A departure from my usual subject but not unrelated. Used a slightly started second-hand Eduard 16th scale kit to get this one in the display cabinet. Although the sub-assemblies were all together there were no surprises in putting parts together apart from a little work to fit the cap to his head. Painted using a mix of Humbrol and Revel enamels by brush.