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SR-71 Blackbird Jet Nozzles (MDR4859) 1:48 Metallic Details We were treated to a 1:48 SR-71 in 1982 thanks to Italeri, and it has been rereleased over the years in many boxes from a number of manufacturers, most notably Testors and Italeri, but also Tamiya as one of their cooperative ventures. Its age makes it ripe for detail upgrades, and there have been many, but this new jet exhaust set from Metallic Details is quite special, utilising the most modern mastering technology we have – 3D Printing. The set arrives in a card box, and inside are eight resin parts in separate bags, plus some clear foil to keep things safe during transit. Each exhaust is made up from four parts of exquisitely detailed resin parts that have such fine detail and tight tolerances that the two parts that arrive slotted together appear as one until you pull them apart. If you applied too much glue or paint, you may spoil the fit. The forwardmost part of the assembly depicts the rear of the engine face and the afterburner ring, which are deeply recessed and finely cast. That slides inside the exhaust trunk, which mates tightly with the next part, together making the inlets that partly surround the trunk, and it is these two parts that are handed due to the arrangement of the inlets. The final part is the exhaust nozzle, which is deeply ribbed inside and each petal is finely riveted, another masterpiece of design work. Each set of parts makes up one trunk, and care must be taken to ensure that the Left and Right marked parts are correctly positioned for accuracy’s sake. Careful painting in metallic shades will show off the detail, and let’s be honest – the detail is fabulous, as can be seen below in the detail shots. Conclusion Metallic Details continue to excel, and every time I open one of their sets to review, I’m astonished by the level of detail, finesse and fit that is included in the box. Mind-boggling stuff. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

EA-6B Prowler Exhaust Set (HMR48025) 1:48 Hypersonic Models This from our friends at Hypersonic are aimed squarely at the new(ish) EA-6 Intruders from Hobby Boss, which are pretty well detailed out of the box, but not up to Jeffrey's high standards, which has resulted in the set to both increase the detail and ease the build process of the exhausts a little. The set arrives in ziplok bag, with the comprehensive instructions on glossy paper stapled to the rear. Any delicate parts such as Photo-Etch (PE) is protected by a small slip of thick cards to prevent damage during transit/storage. The EA-6B has a different nozzle and upgraded engine from the rest of the A-6 family. The kit exhausts are split along their length around the curved section, and replicated by cylinder-shaped sections on the straight, with a separate engine rear face that is… well, shockingly poor compared to the rest of the kit. This resin replacement throws all those parts out, opting for a series of five cylindrical sections that remove the need for any sanding of seams, but also allows the parts to be moulded at a more scale thickness to improve realism. The difference between the resin and kit is akin to chalk and cheese, with lovely engine face detail with stator-blades, central bullet fairing and a delicate PE insert that fits between the two parts that make up this area. The two curved sections are added next, kinking outboard to the straight section that is the highly detailed tip of the exhaust. Each part is keyed with small blocks and cut-outs, so getting things lined up should be easy enough, and each part has a small raise number preceded by L or R so that you don't get the parts mixed up once the casting blocks are removed. When you have glued all the parts together, the casting numbers can be sanded off before painting the outside. Painting of the interior is probably best done before construction, and take care to remove any mould release residue in warm soapy water (or isopropanol) before you start painting. To install these corrected nozzles in the kit, you will need to thin the area of the fuselage into which they are fitted, which has been pointed out in two diagrams showing the inside and outside views, with shading where the work needs to be done. Another diagram highlights a tooling mistake on one of the kit parts, and how to remedy it by reducing the corner to a curve. Conclusion This set will lift the detail nicely with very little effort, while the improvement to the exhausts is massive, giving a much better scale appearance and detail to the area once fitted. Jeffrey's attention to detail is legendary, and it shows in every set he makes. Highly recommended. It is a also worth noting that Jeffrey has gone through the time consuming process to register for UK VAT so there are no issues for UK modellers ordering direct. Review sample courtesy of

Dear All, Having perused many of the excellent recent builds of these two aircraft it makes me realise just how 'unrealistic' my efforts are when it comes to painting the exhaust manifolds as they still end up just looking like painted plastic. I'm not after any trade secrets, and I know that practice may eventually make perfect though sadly not true in this case, but can anyone share some basic tips on how I can get them to look as if they are actually made from metal and far more like the real thing please? Apologies if this has been raised in a previous thread/topic. Kind Regards Colin.

Dear All, In the process of building the Airfix MK1a Spitfire and Arma Hurricane Mk1 in 72nd scale as part of my Battle of Britain project but as usual my biggest problem will be obtaining a realistic finish to the exhaust manifolds. I'm not after any trade secrets but just a good method to avoid them simply looking obviously just gun metal or brick red! Kind Regards Colin. Ps. any ideas on when the much anticipated Revell Ju88A-1 will be issued?

Hi Guys Two new sets are available are now available for the Airfix Phantom, but could be used with other manufactures kits as well. Parts layout for Pylons, 12 parts shown but twice that will be supplied, so you will get two of each variation of the inner pylon, and four outer pylons assembled pylon options, 2 each of inner pylon (at top), 2 each of inner pylon (in middle) 4 each of outer pylon (at bottom) New resin exhaust compared to kit part Please visit Aerocraft Models website here http://www.aerocraftmodels.com

Hi all, I finished my Hurricane last night and took some photos... The WIP thread is here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234993484-airfix-148-hurricane-mki/ It's the new tool Airfix kit, with Brassin exhausts and wheels. I used the kit decals for the 501 Sqn. option. Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I by Phil Jones, on Flickr Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I by Phil Jones, on Flickr Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I by Phil Jones, on Flickr Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I by Phil Jones, on Flickr Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I by Phil Jones, on Flickr Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I by Phil Jones, on Flickr Cheers, Phil

Steve N, Found this photo of a restored B-25J, Am I correct in assuming this example has both parts of the Hays modification? Looks it has the squared-off air intakes as well as the modified exhausts with some of the Clayton stacks combined and exiting through the single outlet? Figured it would be better to post this as a new topic rather than cluttering up the Airfix Mitchell discussion. Also has a good view of the bombardier's escape panel- looks like the two horizontal frames are internal- is that correct? Mike https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B-25J_Bomber.jpg

As most folks reading this will know, Spitfire prototype K5054 began life with a row of holes down each side of the engine cowling and was later fitted with triple ejector exhausts. During the transition period, at least one experimental flame-damping exhaust shroud was fitted, comprising a long channel open at the bottom. On 22 March 1937 she crash-landed with wheels up. Following repairs and a new green-and-brown camouflage scheme to replace the "French grey", she next flew on 19 September. I have two references which say the ejector exhausts were fitted at the same time, with their first flight being on 19 September 1937. But a photo of the March crash (in one of those very same sources) shows clearly that the ejector exhausts were fitted back then. Does anybody know the detailed history of all this? In particular, when was the very first triple ejector exhaust actually fitted? Among other things I'm trying to match my model of K5054 to a specific time period.

Hi, I am currently in the process of building Eduards Me110 D. I have read a few reviews of people using after market resin engine exhausts. The thing is though I cannot find any where to buy any, anyone have any ideas? Also I am led to believe that the me110 D had smooth treadless tyres, are the kit ones incorrect then? Which ones are the right ones? Any help would be great and appreciated.

The latest offering from Northstar Models for September is A set of Resin, Metal & Photoetch exhausts for the Trumpeter 1:32 Flanker. One of the features of the SU-27 are the large engine tunnels housing the Saturn/Lyulka AL-31 Military Turbofans which lead to the exhausts. The eye on the model is drawn to this area as it is on the real aircraft to the multi-hued metal finish in this area. Now kit parts will never replicate the standard modern resin & PE obtain for this area. The Northstar set will make a great deal of difference in this area. The resin, metal & PE combo will take some work to get right, but once built and correctly painted I am sure it will greatly enhance the Trumpeter kit. For more details please visit Northstar Models If you decide to buy some of these then please be sure to tell them you saw them at Britmodeller.