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Found 19 results

  1. Just a placeholder for the Piper PA-48 Enforcer I'm planning to build for the GB. Although not a true Mustang, this has been approved by Patrice @TEMPESTMK5 and will be the Halberd Models resin conversion for the Revell P-51D-15-NA kit in 1/32. Looking forward to starting but modelling opportunities are few and far between these days 😢 See you all back here at the weekend! Cheers, Alan
  2. Ok after a self-induced time away from GB’s I’m back feeling nice and fresh and ready to go hard or go home........something like that would make a great GB title/idea! This is my first planned GB/STGB for the year out of probably 3 I’ll be doing this year....have too of other projects planned! Ok for this build I plan to take one of the finest 1/32nd Mustang models ever released.....throw away most of it!!!! 😱 Then mix some of the best resin porn of the market to build this! (There are a few people here an in my local club to blame for this! ) Halberd Models Cavalier Turbo Mustang III! .....and yes it is resin porn taken to 11! I’ve built a lot of resin models and I can easily say this is some one the best resin cast models I’ve ever seen, I think equal to anything Fisher Model and Pattern did. I’ve spent plenty of time fondling all these goodies, the fuselage is cast in two pieces that are the same thickness as the Tamiya ones!!! There is not a lot to the conversion kit but it’s all moulded perfectly. The instructions are nice an clear and easy to understand, just some basic decals, the actual aircraft had none other than these. Only one scheme and I really do like SEA camo schemes. Unfortunately the conversion kit requires an awesome donor model!!!!! Most of this will not be used, not to sure what I’ll do with the leftovers! Am looking forward to this build to get back into the groove....not that I haven’t been really busy......currently on the work bench,1/48th IDF RF-4E(S) “Peace Jack”, Su-27UB, RF-111C (with all the new correction bits), plus some other mystery builds. Plus this lovely bit of resin porn finally arrived the other day....... JetMADS 1/32nd AJ-37 Viggen!
  3. Halberd Models is to release - a 1/48th Republic XP-72 Ultrabolt conversion set for the Tamiya P-47D Thunderbolt bubbletop kit. - a 1/32nd Republic XP-72 Ultrabolt conversion set for the Hasegawa P-47D Thunderbolt bubbletop kit. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02sJabMXYpLjTuQexzgdTYL4gAzC5bZ15PL3ZBe6GDqnGqJLeAVnDpfHitNTyjAZMNl&id=100064057054695&locale=pt_PT V.P.
  4. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid03inbeuZWD1PSf7hAajfkJuyfJ4ttoZb2DGtEEWUCUdQAAsAG84CUtdSkw8SahvJkl&id=100064057054695 And don't forget the 1/48th motherships ! 🙃 B-36 or easier a EB-29 http://shop.hphmodels.cz/en/model-kits-in-scale-148/201-concorde-101102-v-meritku-148.html Source: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=55902.0#topic-8 V.P.
  5. Halberd Models is to release soon a 1/48th Republic XP-47H Thunderbolt conversion set - ref. for the Tamiya P-47D Razorback kit. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0wdFwFeqT6dpydcZp7o94SaS5c8SYvJnKvYgC6wngbrse5kGs4hb6sk3JqMaa1ZKvl&id=100064057054695 V.P.
  6. Halberd Models is to release 1/48th & 1/32nd Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk resin kits. The 1/48th scale kit is scheduled in December 2022 while the 1/32nd one is for January 2023. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02b3MgjJvn9NmZh6BTiQBbv5iQq8vN317h7HauNmjqoMbyXL4bLdXfFHdo3m1P3auul&id=100064057054695 The 1/48th kit box art, schemes & test build V.P.
  7. Halberd Models (https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/halberdmodels) from Ukraine is to release on September 20th, 2022 three Mustang resin kits - ref. 001-345 - North American XP-51 Mustang - ref. 001-355 - Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X - ref. 001-355 - North American Mustang Mk.I Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0YpfivSysCSibsr7q7Z2XTWBrxp8hAWcEYTavbxCrVif4rDJ7kkPdfkizFzJaeJG9l&id=100064057054695 V.P.
  8. Cavalier Turbo Mustang III 1:32 Halberd Models Conversion for Tamiya P-51D After WWII, the P-51 Mustang continued to serve with the US Air Force for a while as their standard fighter, although with every day it became more out-dated due to the headlong rush of aviation technology after the advent of jet propulsion and the race to break the sound barrier. By 1957 the last Mustang left US service, and North American sold the intellectual rights to the design that they then considered worthless to Trans Florida Aviation Inc., who intended to create a high-speed executive transport by taking surplus airframes and rebuilding them as an improved two-seat civilian aircraft. The initial Cavalier Mustangs were stripped and rebuilt without their military equipment, but apart from their livery and the taller rudder fin, they were visually almost indistinguishable from the old warhorse. They were well-appointed, with new avionics and luxury interiors, were powered by an improved Merlin engine, and were available with various-sized fuel capacities that gave a range from 750 up to 2,500 miles. Around 20 were made of the initial mark, then the Mark II was designed, with tip-tanks for extra range and various structural and avionics improvements. It was also outfitted with hard-points for weapons, and another boost to the power of the Merlin engine. Some of these were sold to Asian and South American countries, where some El Salvadoran airframes took part in the Soccer War. During this period Cavalier were actively courting the US Air Force trying to sell them the improved airframe as a Counter Insurgency (COIN) or Close Air Support (CAS) platform, but they weren’t biting, so sales were low to other customers. Soon after, they retired the trusty Merlin and replaced it with a Dart 510 turboprop, again from Rolls-Royce, although they had really wanted a Lycoming engine. It reduced the maintenance burden and was more gutsy and fuel efficient, but they still couldn’t get the US government interested. The design with the preferred Lycoming turboprop engine replacing the Dart was sold to Piper, and became the PA-48 Enforcer, but only four were made and shared so few parts with the original Mustang that there was little in the way of cost-savings from use of existing Mustang parts. Only two of the four survived the years in between, and are to be found in US museums. This was probably the ultimate Mustang and a world away from the original design. Many of the original Cavalier Mustangs were converted back to their original specification when Warbirds and heritage flights became popular. The Set This is a new resin conversion kit for the Tamiya P-51 Mustang in 1:32, and will convert it to the Rolls-Royce Dart equipped Turbo Mustang Mk.III that was unsuccessfully marketed to the US Air Force, we’ve already reviewed the original Cavalier Mustang here. The conversion arrives in a large box with a sticker and a profile of the aircraft on the front, plus logos and a link to their eBay shop in red. Inside are 25 resin parts in Halberd’s signature green resin, surrounded by bubble-wrap and Ziploc bags, with the two large replacement fuselage parts taped together and encased in bubble-wrap to keep them safe and aligned during shipping and storage. In addition to the resin is a small set of decals on white backing paper, plus three pages of A4 instructions printed in colour on both sides. The parts are expertly cast, and the fuselage parts have all the detail of the kit parts, carried over flawlessly onto the new nose that extends from the front of the canopy. The new and old details are perfectly matched, which is very impressive, given the finesse of the originals. This finesse is carried through to the large square-tipped prop blades, the oval side-mounted exhaust and the antennae that are attached to the new taller tail fin. As usual, take care with sanding resin, as the fine dust can be hazardous to your health if you breathe it in. Wearing a mask and wet-sanding will help keep you safe. Construction begins with adapting the seat to remove the head armour, adding it and the new resin rear passenger seat to the cockpit along with the headrest as part of building the kit cockpit with whatever upgrades you may or may not wish to apply from other sources. The new fuselage needs little in the way of clean-up, but ensure it is done before you begin adding the kit parts, and remember to use CA to glue them, as resin cannot be bonded together or with styrene parts by our usual plastic glues. Epoxy resin can be used for large parts if structural strength is needed. It’s your choice of course. At the tail the fin has been adapted ready for the extended tip, and you should drill two holes in the sides for the antenna on each side. The fin fillet from the kit will fit in the gap at the leading edge of the tail, and the kit rudder will fit too once you have removed a short section from the top, using the new fin top as your guide. It should be noted that it will be difficult to adapt the Revell 1.32 kit for this conversion as the tail is different from the Tamiya kit. Next up the kit canopies are used, but with the stiffening hoop omitted to fit the new resin part at the rear. Going back to the fuselage, the front is finished with another fine resin part, with a top intake and a small gap between the cowling and the gearbox housing, with some fine stators visible at the back of the space. The prop boss has recesses for the four blades cut into its sides, and a peg that mates with the recess at the centre of the nose for easy installation. The prop blades however aren’t keyed, so you will need to set the angle yourself to ensure they are all correctly aligned and facing the right way. It may be an idea to create a small temporary jig to help with this. The large exhaust is fitted through an oval opening in the starboard side of the fuselage, and the inner end butts up against a recess inside the nose, so insert that before you get too far ahead of yourself and can no longer see the part’s destination. The tip tanks have their fairings and a shallow peg to mate to the open wingtips, and they are moulded with the nose separate to allow them to be cast as smooth as possible. Due to the size of these resin parts some extra reinforcement maybe needed? The pylons for the numerous weapons the Turbo Mustang could carry are attached to the underside of the wing on pins, and you should first measure and drill the holes, preferably before you have completed the wing, so take care there too. There are six pylons in total, two from the kit, and four resin parts from the conversion, all of which are set 20.25mm apart in a line. The rest of the kit is put together in the same manner as the kit instructions suggest, but it will be key to your success to familiarise yourself with both sets of instructions to ensure you know exactly where all the parts go, and at which stage in the build you should insert them into the model. Markings There were only a few of these aircraft made, so there aren’t many options unless you’re going to go with a “what-if” scheme. From the box you can build the following: Cavalier Turbo Mustang III, Sarasota, Florida, 1968 The colour call-outs use FS numbers and colour names, and the few decals are shown in an enlarged form where necessary to save straining your eyeballs. The decals are well-printed with a thin carrier film, and a small arrow is printed next to the step-marks on the wing roots so that you fit them correctly. Stencils for the large prop blades are included, as are a selection of RR logos and fire warning stencils. Conclusion The previous sets were excellent, but the sheer strangeness of the nose of this version makes it strangely irresistible. This is crying to be built and has worked its way towards the top of my stash. We can only ope sales encourage Halberd to keep working on the unusual. Extremely highly recommended. Halberd Models sell their products via eBay for their ease, and the link below will take you to their shop there. Review sample courtesy of
  9. Cavalier Turbo Mustang III (11149) 1:48 Halberd Models Conversion for Eduard P-51D After WWII, the P-51 Mustang continued to serve with the US Air Force for a while as their standard fighter, although with every day it became more out-dated due to the headlong rush of aviation technology after the advent of jet propulsion and the race to break the sound barrier. By 1957 the last Mustang left US service, and North American sold the intellectual rights to the design that they then considered worthless to Trans Florida Aviation Inc., who intended to create a high-speed executive transport by taking surplus airframes and rebuilding them as an improved two-seat civilian aircraft. The initial Cavalier Mustangs were stripped and rebuilt without their military equipment, but apart from their livery and the taller rudder fin, they were visually almost indistinguishable from the old warhorse. They were well-appointed, with new avionics and luxury interiors, were powered by an improved Merlin engine, and were available with various-sized fuel capacities that gave a range from 750 up to 2,500 miles. Around 20 were made of the initial mark, then the Mark II was designed, with tip-tanks for extra range and various structural and avionics improvements. It was also outfitted with hard-points for weapons, and another boost to the power of the Merlin engine. Some of these were sold to Asian and South American countries, where some El Salvadoran airframes took part in the Soccer War. During this period Cavalier were actively courting the US Air Force trying to sell them the improved airframe as a Counter Insurgency (COIN) or Close Air Support (CAS) platform, but they weren’t biting, so sales were low to other customers. Soon after, they retired the trusty Merlin and replaced it with a Dart 510 turboprop, again from Rolls-Royce, although they had really wanted a Lycoming engine. It reduced the maintenance burden and was more gutsy and fuel efficient, but they still couldn’t get the US government interested. The design with the preferred Lycoming turboprop engine replacing the Dart was sold to Piper, and became the PA-48 Enforcer, but only four were made and shared so few parts with the original Mustang that there was little in the way of cost-savings from use of existing Mustang parts. Only two of the four survived the years in between, and are to be found in US museums. Many of the original Cavalier Mustangs were converted back to their original specification when Warbirds and heritage flights became popular. The Kit This is a new resin conversion kit for the Eduard P-51 Mustang in 1:48, and will convert it to the Rolls-Royce Dart equipped Turbo Mustang Mk.III that was unsuccessfully marketed to the US Airforce, and we’ve already reviewed the original Mk.I and Mk.II Cavalier conversions that carried piston engines here, which has the same preamble for obvious reasons (my laziness, and a shared story). It was an evolutionary dead-end, but looks pretty awesome, so I for one am extremely pleased to see this conversion kit, resigning the old set by the now defunct Heritage to the bin where it belongs. You can buy the set in a box with some Eduard Overtree sprues, or separately in a smaller white box if you already have a candidate kit in your possession. The conversion arrives in the aforementioned white box with a large sticker and a profile of the aircraft on the front, plus logos and a link to their eBay shop in red. Inside are 24 resin parts in Halberd’s signature green resin, surrounded by bubble-wrap and Ziploc bags, with the two large replacement fuselage parts taped together and encased in bubble-wrap to keep them safe and aligned during shipping and storage. In addition to the resin is a small set of decals on white backing paper, plus three pages of A4 instructions printed in colour on both sides. The parts are expertly cast, and the fuselage parts have all the detail of the Eduard parts, carried over flawlessly onto the new nose that extends from the front of the canopy. The new and old details are perfectly matched, which is very impressive, given the finesse of the originals – kudos indeed. This finesse is carried through to the large square-tipped prop blades, the oval side-mounted exhaust and the antennae that are attached to the new taller tail fin. As usual, take care with sanding resin, as the fine dust can be hazardous to your health if you breathe it deep into your lungs. Wearing a mask and wet-sanding will help keep you safe, and carrying out the task outdoors would be ideal. Construction begins with adapting the seat to remove the head armour, adding it and the new resin rear passenger seat to the cockpit along with the headrest as part of building the kit cockpit with whatever upgrades you may or may not wish to apply from other sources. The new fuselage needs little in the way of clean-up, but ensure it is done before you begin adding the kit parts, and remember to use CA to glue them, as resin cannot be bonded together or with styrene parts by our usual plastic glues. Not even the mighty Tamiya Extra Thin can do the job. Epoxy resin can be used for large parts if structural strength is needed, but it’s slippery stuff and takes 5 minutes for initial cure, so needs to be held in place with tape or clamps, whereas CA generally bonds almost instantly. It’s your choice of course. At the tail the fin has been adapted ready for the extended tip, and you should drill two 0.2mm holes in the sides for the antenna on each side. The fin fillet from the kit will fit in the gap at the leading edge of the tail, and the kit rudder will fit too once you have removed a short section from the top, using the new fin top as your guide. The kit canopies are used, but with the stiffening hoop omitted to avoid decapitating the passenger and a new resin part at the rear, while the windscreen loses its rear-view mirror. Going back to the fuselage, the front is finished with another fine resin part, with a top intake and a small gap between the cowling and the gearbox housing, with some fine stators visible at the back of the space. The prop boss has recesses for the four blades cut into its sides, and a peg that mates with the recess at the centre of the nose for easy installation. The prop blades however aren’t keyed, so you will need to set the angle yourself to ensure they are all correctly aligned and facing the right way. It may be an idea to create a small temporary jig to help with this. The large exhaust is fitted through an oval opening in the starboard side of the fuselage, and the inner end butts up against a recess inside the nose, so insert that before you get too far ahead of yourself and can no longer see the part’s destination. The kit wings are built up as normal, but have the front section under the nose removed back past the curved section of the root fairing, and the wingtips too, both as shown in red on the instructions. Take care here, because the centre section is shown being removed in steps in two separate diagrams, which could lead to some confusion. The tip tanks have their fairings and a shallow peg to mate to the open wingtips, and they are moulded with the nose separate to allow them to be cast as smooth as possible. I have cut one of the parts free on the previous set, and with careful fitting, the noses can be mated perfectly to the main tank section. Just take some time and care with sanding and test-fitting the joints. The pylons for the numerous weapons the Turbo Mustang could carry are attached to the underside of the wing on pins, and you should first measure and drill the holes, preferably before you have completed the wing, so take care there too. There are six pylons in total, two from the kit, and four resin parts from the conversion, all of which are set 13.5mm apart in a line. I’ve also marked these out on a kit wing and drilled them out, so it’s not so hard. The rest of the kit is put together in the same manner as the Eduard instructions suggest, but it will be key to your success to familiarise yourself with both sets of instructions to ensure you know exactly where all the parts go, and at which stage in the build you should insert them into the model. Markings There were only a few of these aircraft made, so there aren’t many options unless you’re going to go with a “what-if” scheme. From the box you can build the following: Cavalier Turbo Mustang III, Sarasota, Florida, 1968 The colour call-outs use FS numbers and colour names, and the few decals are shown in an enlarged form where necessary to save straining your eyeballs. The decals are well-printed with a thin carrier film, and a small arrow is printed next to the step-marks on the wing roots so that you fit them correctly. Stencils for the large prop blades are included, as are a selection of RR logos and fire warning stencils. My example had two decal sheets in the bag, but yours may not, so don’t assume. Conclusion The previous sets were excellent, but the sheer weirdness of the nose of this version makes me unreasonably happy, and the fact that it has been so well done almost brings a lump to my throat. You really need one for your stash, and to encourage Halberd to create more excellent oddities to fill our cabinets and stashes with interesting aircraft and their lesser-known derivatives. Extremely highly recommended. Halberd Models sell their products via eBay for their ease, and the link below will take you to their shop there. Review sample courtesy of
  10. Cavalier F-51D Mustang/Mustang 2 Conversion Kit 1:32 Halberd Models for Tamiya Kit After WWII, the P-51 Mustang continued to serve with the US Air Force for a while as their standard fighter, although with every day it became more out-dated due to the headlong rush of aviation technology after the advent of jet propulsion and the race to break the sound barrier. By 1957 the last Mustang left service, and North American sold the intellectual rights to the design to Trans Florida Aviation Inc., who intended to create a high-speed executive transport by taking surplus airframes and rebuilding them as an improved two-seat civilian aircraft. The initial Cavalier Mustangs were stripped and rebuilt without their military equipment, but apart from their livery and the taller rudder fin, they were visually almost indistinguishable from the old warhorse. They were well-appointed, with new avionics and luxury interiors, were powered by an improved Merlin engine, and were available with various-sized fuel capacities that gave a range from 750 up to 2,500 miles. Around 20 were made of the initial mark, then the Mark II was designed, with tip-tanks for extra range and various structural and avionics improvements. It was also outfitted with hard-points for weapons, and another boost to the power of the Merlin engine. Some of these were sold to Asian and South American countries, where some El Salvadoran airframes took part in the Soccer War. During this period Cavalier were actively courting the US Air Force trying to sell them the improved airframe as a Counter Insurgency (COIN) or Close Air Support (CAS) platform, but they weren’t biting, so sales were small to other customers. Soon after they chopped off the Merlin and replaced it with a Dart 510 turboprop, again from Rolls-Royce, although they had really wanted a Lycoming engine. It reduced the maintenance burden and was more gutsy and fuel efficient, but they still couldn’t get the US government interested. The design with the preferred Lycoming turboprop engine replacing the Dart was sold to Piper, and became the PA-48 Enforcer, but only four were made and shared so few parts with the original Mustang that there was little in the way of cost-savings by using existing parts. Only two of the four survived the years in between, and are to be found in US museums. Many of the original Cavalier Mustangs were converted back to their original specification when Warbirds and heritage flights became popular. The Conversion For this conversion set you get a replacement cockpit floor; replacement Seat head rest; replacement part for the rear of the canopy; a new propeller hub, and cuffed blades (plus a jig to attach the blades); new tip tanks, new wing drop tanks and their mounts; new underwing racks, new underwing rocket stub attachment points; and for the tail new aerials and the fin tip. You get a full set of instructions printed in colour on both sides of two pages of A4, plus three pages of profiles for the four decal options, including the undersides on the back page. The conversion begins with cutting off the head armour and headrest from the seat, then adding these to the new cockpit floor. The tip of the rudder and fin get the chop, and are replaced by the new fin-tip, with a pair of large swept blade antennae inserted into holes in the fin on both sides. For the canopy the rear brace is not used and a new part for the rear of the canopy goes in. The new propeller is made up from the central hub and four new cuffed blades. A Jig is provided for this to do one blade at a time. The lower wing will need a set of holes drilling if you are fitting either the resin pylons for decal option 4, or the rocket stubs for Options 1 and 2. All dimensions for these are given in the plans. Again, for markings option 4, you will need to remove the original wingtips from the finished wings and use the resin tip-tanks, which have separate nose cones and a tiny resin vent on the top, with the kit tip lights slipped into a hole in the outer sides. While this conversion is designed for the Tamyia kit I am hopeful it will fit the new Revell kit due out later this year. Markings As already mentioned, there are four decal options, three of which are F-51D Mustangs, the last an F-51D Mustang 2 with the tip tanks, which happens to be my favourite option, other than the Enforcer. From the box you can build one of the following: Cavalier Mustang F-51D US Air Force Sarasota, Florida, 1968 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Bolivian Air Force, 1971 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Bolivian Air Force, 1972 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Mk.2, Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, El Salvador, 1969/70 The decals are printed anonymously with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion We have been wishing for a good Cavalier Mustang conversion for a while now, and this set ticks all of the boxes, with a generous four decal options into the bargain. Based upon the excellent Tamiya kit, it doesn’t get much better. Very highly recommended. Halberd are currently marketing their products via eBay, so the links below lead to their site. Conversion Review sample courtesy of
  11. Cavalier F-51D Mustang/Mustang II Complete Kit & Conversion Kit 1:48 Halberd Models After WWII, the P-51 Mustang continued to serve with the US Air Force for a while as their standard fighter, although with every day it became more out-dated due to the headlong rush of aviation technology after the advent of jet propulsion and the race to break the sound barrier. By 1957 the last Mustang left service, and North American sold the intellectual rights to the design to Trans Florida Aviation Inc., who intended to create a high-speed executive transport by taking surplus airframes and rebuilding them as an improved two-seat civilian aircraft. The initial Cavalier Mustangs were stripped and rebuilt without their military equipment, but apart from their livery and the taller rudder fin, they were visually almost indistinguishable from the old warhorse. They were well-appointed, with new avionics and luxury interiors, were powered by an improved Merlin engine, and were available with various-sized fuel capacities that gave a range from 750 up to 2,500 miles. Around 20 were made of the initial mark, then the Mark II was designed, with tip-tanks for extra range and various structural and avionics improvements. It was also outfitted with hard-points for weapons, and another boost to the power of the Merlin engine. Some of these were sold to Asian and South American countries, where some El Salvadoran airframes took part in the Soccer War. During this period Cavalier were actively courting the US Air Force trying to sell them the improved airframe as a Counter Insurgency (COIN) or Close Air Support (CAS) platform, but they weren’t biting, so sales were small to other customers. Soon after they chopped off the Merlin and replaced it with a Dart 510 turboprop, again from Rolls-Royce, although they had really wanted a Lycoming engine. It reduced the maintenance burden and was more gutsy and fuel efficient, but they still couldn’t get the US government interested. The design with the preferred Lycoming turboprop engine replacing the Dart was sold to Piper, and became the PA-48 Enforcer, but only four were made and shared so few parts with the original Mustang that there was little in the way of cost-savings by using existing parts. Only two of the four survived the years in between, and are to be found in US museums. Many of the original Cavalier Mustangs were converted back to their original specification when Warbirds and heritage flights became popular. The Kit Just like Halberd’s recent Bf.109W floatplane that we reviewed here, this model is available as a conversion kit only, or as a full kit in an Eduard Overtrees box so that you can either apply the conversion to a kit you already possess, or get the full package in one fell swoop. The difference in price between the two is about the same as the cost of the overtrees kit, so there’s nothing to stop you from choosing whichever one is most suitable for your needs. Within the box are twelve resin parts in Halberd’s signature green resin, plus a grey styrene sprue, and two new decal sheets. With the full kit (larger box), you also get the five Eduard grey/blue sprues and circular clear sprue in the box, which you can see below, culled from our reviews of this excellent kit. Resin & Styrene Conversion Parts Eduard Donor Kit (if applicable) You can also go through the details of the build of the base kit by following any of our Eduard P-51D reviews in this section. Suffice to say, this is our current favourite 1:48 Mustang since it came out. Highly detailed, crisp and with a growing range of options, as well as aftermarket upgrades. The Conversion We’ll assume that you’re now au fait with the contents of the Eduard box, so we’ll concentrate on the alterations made by the conversion kit. You get a full set of instructions printed in colour on both sides of two pages of A4, plus three pages of profiles for the four decal options, including the undersides on the back page. The Eduard instructions are available on their site by looking up kit numbered 82102 or clicking here. The conversion begins with cutting off the head armour and headrest from the seat, then where the radio gear would have been in the cockpit floor, the two lugs are removed and the rear seat is inserted from a part on the kit sprues, with a small resin headrest attached to the top. The tip of the rudder and fin get the chop, and are replaced by the new fin-tip, with a pair of large swept blade antennae inserted into holes in the fin on both sides. The lower wing will need a set of holes drilling if you are fitting the combination of kit and resin pylons for decal option 4. The innermost pair of holes are pre-thinned from the inside, but you will need to mark out the other four using the measurements provided on the instructions, spacing them 13.5mm apart from the inside. Again, for markings option 4, you will need to remove the original wingtips from the finished wings and use the resin tip-tanks, which have separate nose cones and a tiny resin vent on the top, with the kit tip lights slipped into a hole in the outer sides, which may need drilling out. The instructions then guide you through choosing the correct circular exhausts and the cuffed props, followed by the appropriate blown canopy and a tiny resin insert in the very rear frame of it. You also shouldn’t include the stiffening hoop inside the canopy, as you’ll slice off the passenger’s head when you open the canopy! As you’re not under threat of attack, the rear-view mirror can stay in the spares box too. The light grey sprue of styrene parts comes into play here, utilising just the two tanks to fit on the kit pylons for markings 1 and 2 only. Each one builds up from two halves and will need a little sanding to get rid of the join lines before you fit them. For markings option 4, the three pylons are inserted into the holes drilled earlier and it’s up to you what you load them with, if anything. Markings As already mentioned, there are four decal options, three of which are F-51D Mustangs, the last an F-51D Mustang 2 with the tip tanks, which happens to be my favourite option, other than the Enforcer. From the box you can build one of the following: Cavalier Mustang F-51D US Air Force Sarasota, Florida, 1968 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Bolivian Air Force, 1971 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Bolivian Air Force, 1972 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Mk.2, Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, El Salvador, 1969/70 The decals are printed anonymously with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion I’ve been wishing for a good Cavalier Mustang for years now, and this set/kit ticks all of the boxes, and includes a generous four decal options into the bargain. Based upon the excellent Eduard kit, it doesn’t get much better. Very highly recommended. Halberd are currently marketing their products via eBay, so the links below lead to their site. Full Kit & Conversion Conversion Parts only Review sample courtesy of
  12. Messerschmitt Bf.109W Conversion (for Eduard) & Complete Kit 1:48 Halberd Models If you’ve never heard of a Bf.109W, you’re not alone. I’d not heard of one until I spoke to Andrey about their new conversion, and I immediately wanted one. The W began life as an Emil, which was fitted with a pair of floats off an Arado 196 and was integrated by Fiesler. Later, using an F, Blohm & Voss to created a fast reconnaissance fighter for their fleet. The first prototype flew in late 1939 with the top speed reduced in excess of 50mph once it got into the air, rather than water skiing around on the test pan. There is very little record remaining of it in service, although some action is supposed to have happened in Norway, but it is unclear. The type wasn’t taken into service in any quantity, as B&V were unable to guarantee they could mass-produce the airframes, and the German high command couldn’t really find a use for them either once their fleet was being picked off. The Kit This is a brand-new resin conversion kit for the Eduard Bf.109F kit that can either be bought as a complete set from Halberd in an Eduard Overtrees box, or in a smaller box with just the resin parts within. That should allow you to pick up the complete package yourself, or augment an existing kit in your possession if you’ve already been spending your money. The difference in price between the two is about the same as the cost of the kit, so there’s nothing to stop you from choosing whichever one is most suitable for your needs. You just need one. Really. Within the box are seventeen resin parts in Halbard’s signature green resin, plus four flexible resin tyres in black, four hubs in stiff black resin, and a new decal sheet. With the full kit (larger box), you also get the four Eduard grey/blue sprues and clear parts in the box, which you can see below in case you’ve not seen them before, as we’ve not yet reviewed the F. Resin Conversion Set Eduard Donor Kit (if applicable) The detail on the resin is excellent as we’ve come to expect from Halberd's wheel sets, and the casting is also first-rate, with sensible placement of the casting blocks that are easy to remove as I found out when test fitting the lower wing panel. The great thing about the set is that once you’ve removed the casting blocks, it’s almost a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the wing underside the largest part, plus a tiny cover for the rear tail-wheel bay. The Eduard kit is built in the usual manner you’d expect, and the Halbard instructions show a link to the PDF document here to carry out the majority of construction with the exception of the aforementioned parts. The lower fits in very snugly without any alteration, and when you flip it over you can clearly see the slots for the vertical float supports. These are handed, and slot into the corresponding sockets in the floats, which have short nose-cones on the smaller casting blocks that make up the tips of the floats where the casting block is sited originally. At the rear of each float is a small rudder for directional control on the water, with a pair of depressions to locate them securely. The remaining parts on the blocks relate to the beaching dolly apart from the afore mentioned tail-wheel cover that is moulded on end with the smaller parts. The dolly is based on a flat chassis with a moulded-in cross-brace for the two castor wheels, plus two axle blocks that are made up from an axle frame and the diagonal cover with upright safety frames around the twin wheels, which are each built from a flexible tyre and their corresponding hubs, totalling four wheels that are fixed to the axles in pairs. A little adjustment of the various holes in this part of the assembly might be required to perfect the fit before gluing. As an aside, as well as having fitted the wings together in the adjacent photo, I have also been playing with the other parts, removing them from their casting blocks, which was a pretty short job thanks to their sensible placement. The parts fit together snugly, so check fit once you’ve been putting paint on the model to ensure the thickness of the layers hasn’t compromised fit. I so want to build this, but I have so many started projects at the moment, I daren’t! Markings There’s one exaple airframe included on the decal sheet, but as this is a niche type, that’s hardly surprising. You are of course at liberty to paint your model any way you like, so it’s entirely up to you if you follow the set of four profiles. They have colour call-outs in RLM codes and a detailed layout of the decals, including national markings and stencils from the sheet, which have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion Seriously. The moment I saw the first tempting pics from Andrey at Halberd, I was hooked, and just had to have one. It’s not often that you see a fighter in wading boots, and Halberd have done a cracking job of this conversion, beginning with the right decision to base it on the new Eduard plastic. Buy it with or without the kit as you see fit (I’m sorry, that wasn’t intended to rhyme), and get yourself a highly unusual 109, which should also encourage Halberd to do some other cool conversions that will draw us in further. Halberd are currently selling through eBay to simplify matters, so the links below lead to their store. Extremely highly recommended. Kit & Conversion Set Conversion Set Only Review sample courtesy of
  13. A-26B/C Invader Wheel Set (3225 for Hobby Boss) 1:32 Halberd Models Halberd Models’ new(ish) flexible resin tyre sets require a slightly different method of construction to standard resin wheels, so I’ll refer you back to my initial review in 2019 here, which explains the process and design ethos in more detail. It also has a link to a video that shows the process fully, so if you’re unsure about how to use flexible resin tyres it’s worth a read. This new batch however adds another level of configuration to enable the modeller to apply a variable level of sag to the tyres that as far as I understand it, is possibly the first in the hobby. The new techniques include the usual parts we’ve come to expect, but with the addition (or subtraction) of a thin section of the tyre that is destined to sit on the ground. This gives the tyre alone an incredibly flexible contact patch with the ground if they were to be used with the old circular hubs. The new hubs are different however, and have a block at the bottom that fills the thin area of the tyre, making it less flexible. If you wish to make your tyre sage more, simply sand back the “key” as we’ll call it, taking care to keep the curved underside, which helps keep the shape of the tyre. The assemblies are otherwise a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere to plastic with styrene glue. The advantage is that you can configure the sag as much or as little as you want, all before you glue the hubs into the tyres. Construction is straight forward and first involves removing the moulded-in brake detail from the kit gear legs, as shown in the instructions. The centre section of the flexible tyres is removed with a sharp blade and final clean-up with a burr in your motor tool, then the main wheels have the two-part hubs glued into the two main wheel tyres with optional adjustment of the sag with a sanding stick to abrade away the key. The smaller nose wheel has three styles included, each of which have two-part hubs, one with fine spokes, one covered in simple flat hubcaps, while the third has a single hub part with an 8-spoke hubcap. The 6-spoked hubcaps on the main wheels and the 8-spoke nose wheel (if you are using it) have flash across the interstices between the spokes, so this also needs to be removed, showing off the deep interior of the hub to great effect. Once painted they should look very realistic, and the flexible tyres can be painted and or weathered if you wish with latex based acrylic paints, which have flexibility to match the elastic properties of the resin. Highly recommended. They’re currently being sold direct to customers via their Facebook page and eBay shop worldwide. Review sample courtesy of
  14. P-51B/C/D/K Mustang & P-47D Thunderbolt Wheel Sets (2456 & 2450) 1:24 Halberd Models Halberd Models’ new(ish) flexible resin tyre sets require a slightly different method of construction to standard resin wheels, so I’ll refer you back to my initial review in 2019 here, which explains the process and design ethos in more detail. It also has a link to a video that shows the process fully, so if you’re unsure about how to use flexible resin tyres it’s worth a read. This new batch however add another level of configuration to enable the modeller to apply a variable level of sag to the tyres that as far as I understand it, is possibly the first in the hobby. The new techniques include the usual parts we’ve come to expect, but with the addition (or subtraction) of a thin section of the tyre that is destined to sit on the ground. This gives the tyre an incredibly flexible contact patch with the ground if used with the old circular hubs. The new hubs are different however, and have a block at the bottom that fills the thin area of the tyre, making it less flexible. If you wish to have your tyre sag more, simply sand back the “key” as we’ll call it, taking care to keep the curved underside, which helps keep the shape of the tyre. The assemblies are otherwise a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere with styrene glue. The advantage is that you can configure the sag as much or as little as you want, all before you glue the hubs into the tyres. Andrey was kind enough to let us have a built example of the P-47 alternative tread, which you can see below with no weight upon it, and the weight of my sausage-finger deforming the carcass of the tyre a little. These sets from Halberd are for any kit, with the P-51 having Airfix and Trumpeter offerings, while the P-47 is doubtless intended for the Kinetic or Vintage Fighter Series kits, which AFAIK are the same moulds. P-15B/C/D/K Mustang Wheel Set #1 (2456) Sets #2 & #3 have cross and block tread patterns, while this set #1 has diamond tread. You can get them all from Halberd’s eBay shop by clicking the link below: P-47D Thunderbolt Wheel Set #2 (2450) There are currently two sets for the Thud, #1 with diamond tread, and #2 as above with cross tread. See below for details: Construction is the same for each set and involves removing the centre section of the flexible tyres and final clean-up with a burr in your motor tool, then gluing the two-part hubs into the two main wheel tyres with optional adjustment of the sag with a sanding stick to abrade away the key, and of course the small two-part hubs for the tail wheel. The spoked hubcap has flash across the interstices between the spokes, so this also needs to be removed, showing off the deep interior of the hub to great effect. Once painted they should look very realistic, and the flexible tyres can be painted and or weathered if you wish with latex based acrylic paints, which have flexibility to match the elastic properties of the resin. Highly recommended. They’re currently being sold direct to customers via their Facebook page and their eBay shop, as per the links above. Review sample courtesy of
  15. Junkers Ju.88A-4 & A-5 Wheel Sets 1:32 & 1:48 Halberd Models Halberd Models’ recent flexible resin tyre sets require a slightly different method of construction to standard resin wheels, so I’ll refer you back to my initial review in 2019 here, which explains the process and design ethos in more detail. It also has a link to a video that shows the process fully, so if you’re unsure about how to use flexible resin tyres it’s worth a read. The assemblies are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere with styrene glue. The tyres will deform slightly under weight, just enough to give them a more realistic look, but not so much that they'll look in dire need of more air before the next mission. Ju.88A-4 “Continental” Wheel Set (3233) This set is designed for the big Revell kit, which has been available for a while now, and this one is getting treated to a set of new wheels. Arriving in the by now familiar box, there are six resin hub parts on two casting blocks, plus three tyres – two main and one nose. Construction involves liberating the resin from their undercut base either with a razor saw or motor tool, then cutting the spoked centres out of the tyres and smoothing the inner face with a burr chucked into a motor tool. Each main wheel has a thick rear part with a deep hole in the centre, and a stepped front hub face, while the nose nose-wheel has two hub parts as you’d expect, over which you slip the tyre. They’re best glued with super glue (CA), and the wheels can be painted with latex based acrylic paints if necessary. Ju.88A-5 Early Type Wheel Set (4832) This set has a huge range of models it can be applied to with a little adjustment of the axle hole being the only possibility. They arrive in the same box as their larger sibling, and inside are ten resin parts that allow the modeller a choice of two types of hub, with and without a vented outer rim. Choose the correct parts after checking your references, and glue each hub half into the tyres using the groove in the rim to guide you, checking the scrap diagrams for the correct orientation of the tyres on the ground. The little tail wheels are built in the same way, but with one style of hub. Detail is excellent both on the hubs and tyres at either scale, and with sympathetic painting they should far outstrip that of the kit parts. Highly recommended. They’re currently being sold direct to customers via their Facebook page and through their distributors worldwide. Review sample courtesy of
  16. F-35A/B Lightning II Wheel Set (3231) 1:32 Halberd Models Halberd Models’ recent flexible resin tyre sets require a slightly different method of construction to standard resin wheels, so I’ll refer you back to my initial review in 2019 here, which explains the process and design ethos in more detail. It also has a link to a video that shows the process fully, so if you’re unsure about how to use flexible resin tyres it’s worth a read. The assemblies are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere with styrene glue. The tyres will deform slightly under weight, just enough to give them a more realistic look, but not so much that they'll look in dire need of more air before the next mission. This set is designed for the Italeri kit, which has been about since 2017 in a couple of boxings. Arriving in the by now familiar box, there are eight resin hub parts on three casting blocks, plus three tyres – two main and one nose wheel. Construction involves liberating the resin from their undercut base either with a razor saw or motor tool, then cutting the spoked centres out of the tyres and smoothing the inner face with a burr chucked into a motor tool. Each main wheel has a thick rear part with brake-detail insert added inside the rim and a front hub face, while the nose wheel has two hub parts as you’d expect. They’re best glued with super glue (CA), and the wheels can be painted with latex based acrylic paints if necessary. Detail is excellent both on the hubs and tyres, and with sympathetic painting they should far outstrip that of the kit parts. Highly recommended. They’re currently being sold direct to customers via their Facebook page and through their distributors worldwide. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Panavia Tornado Wheel Set (3230) 1:32 Halberd Models Halberd Models’ recent flexible resin tyre sets require a slightly different method of construction to standard resin wheels, so I’ll refer you back to my initial review in 2019 here, which explains the process and design ethos in more detail. It also has a link to a video that shows the process fully, so if you’re unsure about how to use flexible resin tyres it’s worth a read. The assemblies are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere with styrene glue. The tyres will deform slightly under weight, just enough to give them a more realistic look, but not so much that they'll look in dire need of more air before the next mission. This set is designed for the big Revell kit, which has been re-released more than a few times under different marks, but the wheels shouldn’t differ so only one set is needed. Arriving in the by now familiar box, there are ten resin hub parts on two casting blocks, plus four tyres – two larger main and two nose wheels. Construction involves liberating the resin from their undercut base either with a razor saw or motor tool, then cutting the spoked centres out of the tyres and smoothing the inner face with a burr chucked into a motor tool. Each main wheel has a thick rear part with brake-detail added inside the rim, and a thinner front hub face, while the two nose wheels each have two hub parts as you’d expect. They’re best glued with super glue (CA), and the wheels can be painted with latex based acrylic paints if necessary. Detail is excellent both on the hubs and tyres, and with sympathetic painting they should far outstrip that of the kit parts. Highly recommended. They’re currently being sold direct to customers via their Facebook page and through their distributors worldwide. Review sample courtesy of
  18. F6F Hellcat Wheel Sets 1-5 (for Airfix) 1:24 Halberd Models Halberd Models’ new(ish) flexible resin tyre sets require a slightly different method of construction to standard resin wheels, so I’ll refer you back to my initial review in 2019 here, which explains the process and design ethos in more detail. It also has a link to a video that shows the process fully, so if you’re unsure about how to use flexible resin tyres it’s worth a read. The assemblies are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere with styrene glue. The tyres will deform slightly under weight, just enough to give them a more realistic look, but not so much that they'll look in dire need of more air before the next mission. This group of sets from Halberd are for the big Airfix Hellcat Superkit released early last year, and believe it or not there were a choice of five different treads on the tyres fitted to the Hellcat during its career, so check your references and choose the most appropriate one for your needs from the available sets. Andrey sent us a full set of #5 and an example of each of the other tread patterns, as the resin parts are the same for all sets. Diamond Tread #1 2435 Circumferential Tread #2 2436 Block Tread #3 2437 Oval Tread #4 2438 Cross Tread #5 2439 Construction is the same for each set and involves removing the centre section of the flexible tyres and final clean-up with a burr in your motor tool, then gluing the three-part hubs into the two main wheel tyres with optional alternative back plates, and the small two-part hubs for the tail wheel. The spoked hubcap has flash across the interstices, so this also needs to be removed, showing off the deep interior of the hub to great effect. Once painted they should look very realistic, and the flexible tyres can be painted and or weathered if you wish with latex based acrylic paints, which have flexibility to match the elastic properties of the resin. Highly recommended. They’re currently being sold direct to customers via their Facebook page and through their distributors worldwide. Review sample courtesy of
  19. Resin Wheels & Flexible Tyres Various Scales Halberd Models We've had resin wheels for years now, with most of the major aftermarket companies producing them, and some companies even including them in the kit off the shelf. They benefit the modeller because they include more detail, and as kit wheels are generally in two halves, you don't have the resultant joins to deal with, or possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels. Then of course you sometimes get less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. That's where Halberd Models and their interesting new take on the resin wheel diverge from the masses. We've had separate hubs before now, which can make painting the tyre and hub separately that much easier, but runs the risk of glue damage if some oozes out when you complete the job, and then there's the task of painting your tyres in a realistic manner, even if you're presenting them as clean and free of dirt. What if you never had to paint a tyre again? That's possible with these new sets from Halberd, who started out making realistic-looking wheels for small-scale car models, and have expanded into aircraft now with a pretty large issue of sets in the three major scales. What's different? Firstly, the tyres are moulded in a realistic-looking black/grey polyurethane resin, but they're also FLEXIBLE, in a similar manner to those old skool tyres that came with some Monogram kits in the 70s, which eventually melted the plastic hubs they were attached to. These flexible tyres however are made of a non-volatile resin that won't melt just from being exposed to the air, so you shouldn't have any longevity problems. Each set arrives in a sturdy printed cardboard box, with the tyres and resin hub parts in separate bags, and wrapped in the short instruction booklet that comes with each one. The resin is injected with resin from the centre, so have no casting marks to clean up on the tread, and they have their makers' marks and technical stencils moulded-in for convenience. The hubs are all moulded in two or even three parts, which slide inside the tyres once everything is prepared for installation. The construction phase will be a bit dusty of course, as you will need to remove the central boss from the tyres, which I did with a small #15 curved blade cutting through each of the spokes for the initial removal. Then I used a sanding drum (they recommend a quality burr, but I didn't have one to hand) chucked into my Dremel multi-tool. You remove the remains of the spokes until the inner surface is smooth enough to accept the hub parts, and then set them aside to prepare the hubs. Use either a saw, cutting disc or a combination of the two to remove the hub parts, and dress the backs of the parts to achieve a smooth, level surface, using the lip of the hub as your guide. With all the parts prepared, give them a good wash in warm water to remove the dust and any mould release residue from the resin. Then you can test fit, and if you've done the job correctly first time, you can glue the hubs in place now, or later on when you've painted them. The instructions show you which parts go where, as there is usually either a lip or groove on the internal face of the tyre, so check before you glue, and follow the scrap diagrams to ensure you have the hubs in the correct position too. If you want, you can scuff up the tyre's contact patch a little, and apply some wash or pigment to highlight the tread and markings, but that's entirely your choice and totally not mandatory. As this is a fairly new process, Andrey et al have produced a video of the construction phase that also quite long should be instructional, and covers the process in great detail below: Facebook Video Link The assemblies are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so they should glue straight onto the landing gear axles, but it's always wise to test and adjust as necessary, as you'll be using either epoxy or super-glue to attach them because resin doesn't adhere with styrene glue. The tyres will deform slightly under weight, just enough to give them a more realistic look, but not so much that they'll look in dire need of more air before the next mission. B-25 Mitchell Wheel Set 1:72 (7205) B-24 Liberator Wheel Set 1:72 (7218) Fw.190 Wurger Wheel Set 1:48 (4802) A-0,1,2,3,4,5 (early), F-1,2,3 (Early), G-1,2 (Early) F-14D Tomcat Wheel Set 1:48 (4809) A-26B/C Invader Wheel Set 1:48 (4825) F-14A Tomcat Wheel Set 1:48 (4826) B-17 Flying Fortress Wheel Set 1:32 (3207) P-61 Black Widow Wheel Set 1:32 (3210) Do.335 Pfeil Wheel Set 1:32 (3212) He.219 Uhu Wheel Set 1:32 (3217) Conclusion A really interesting variation on the resin wheel theme with superbly crisp moulding, and one that's pretty easy to put together as long as you don't mind a little dust. As usual with resin, take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding it, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in. Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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