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L-39ZA Albatros SPACE (3DL72046) 1:72 Eduard Eduard have just re-released their Aero L-39ZA Albatros that we reviewed here, and have also released some new upgrade sets to improve on the detail already moulded into the kit’s parts. Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. To prepare for application of the decals, you need to remove the moulded-in details from the two instrument panels and the four side consoles, which will involve sanding or shaving away the raised components with a sharp blade, taking care not to stab yourself in the process. New 3D printed decals are applied to the instrument panels, ensuring that you use the correct one for front and rear, adding grey sidewall decals over the interior of the fuselage as indicated, and finally fitting four side consoles, two per cockpit to the flat tops that were prepared earlier. The pre-painted and nickel-plated PE parts are used on the ejection seats, and include a full set of four-point harnesses, anti-flail leg straps and pull-handle at the front of the seat’s base, plus equipment and levers that fit to the sides of the base frame. The headbox sides are skinned with two triangular panels, adding a tangle of belts and a handle to the top of the box, representing the drogue ‘chute’s mechanism. This is done in duplicate of course, as the aircraft is a two-seater. It's a huge upgrade to the cockpit detail that offers pre-finished dials and instruments that begs for an open cockpit to show it off. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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B-24H Wheels (672380 for Airfix) 1:72 Eduard Brassin We’ve recently reviewed the new Airfix Consolidated B-24H Liberator here recently, and it’s a fine kit. The Kit wheels are in two halves with two more parts for the hubs, which means you have the resultant joins around the circumference to deal with, and limitation to 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 seam-line 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 typically a drop-in replacement. As usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, it arrives in a flat resealable package similar to their PE sets but with different branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. This set includes four resin wheels on their own casting blocks, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a set of pre-cut masks on kabuki-style paper washi tape material. The attachment points are on the contact patch of the tyres where they are flattened out due to the weight of the airframe, so it should be straight-forward to cut them free with a razor saw, filing the remainder flush. The detail is exceptional, including diamond tread on the rolling surfaces of the tyres, and hub details are upgraded, although the option of fitting flat PE hub caps will hide the hubs away, but for accuracy’s sake it must be done, unless you don’t want to, of course! There are two nose-wheels, with a choice of eight or nine spoked hubs for you to use after checking your references. Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks provide you with a full set of masks for hubs/tyres, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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Fw.190A Seat w/Integral Belts PRINT (6481038 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s 1:48 Fw.190A kits are well-crafted, but now we have a technology that can create parts with exceptional detail and fidelity that simply makes a drop-in replacement for focal points of the model. Although this set arrives in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about during shipping and in storage. The parts are 3D printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the remnants away, leaving them ready for action. Consisting of a single part on its own base, the new seat is a direct replacement for the kit part, and has the seat belts and base cushion moulded/printed-in. The belts are naturally draped over the shell of the seat, and due to the technology used in 3D SLA printing, there are gaps engineered where the four-point belts curve around the sides and back of the seat, offering an enhanced realism that improves on previous methods for depicting belts that have gone before. All the supports are located on the rear and underside of the seat shell, so that clean-up will be easy, the modeller simply ensuring that the slightly raised location points are removed where they might be seen or may impinge on proper fitment of the part. Once sympathetically painted, the seat will be a fine focal point of the cockpit of your next Fw.190A project. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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B-24J Engines PRINT (6481029 for Hobby Boss) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Hobby Boss followed their 1:32 Liberator last year with a new tooling in 1:48, which was the first in this scale (my preferred scale) since Monogram’s excellent but dated kit from the 1970s, which although it had raised panel lines could be built into a decent replica with help. This new one from Hobby Boss is crying out for super-detailing, and Eduard are making that a possibility. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. There are two segmented bases containing eight parts in 3D printed resin, four engines and four adapters to ensure a snug fit of the parts on the kit nacelle bulkheads. The engines are attached to their bases via fine support tendrils, which can easily be removed, but take care not to accidentally remove the wiring loom that is engineered into the front face, as they are also fine and could easily be mistaken for more supports. There is a useful scrap diagram in the top-left of the instructions that shows the various wires and push-rods along with painting call-outs in Gunze Sangyo codes, which is Eduard’s preferred brand. Once cut from their supports, the engines should be painted and weathered, followed by fitting the adapter-plate to the rear, and inserting a 6.8mm length of 0.3mm rod from your own stocks into the bell-housing at the front of the motor to act as prop-shaft. That will allow you to hang the kit propellers from the front, but improving the detail a thousand-fold. There are also smaller scrap diagrams that show the removal of a tab from the bottom of the nacelle housings, with the part numbers called out, and the remainder of the tab thinned down to 0.7mm for easy fitting of the new engines. Detail is stunning, and the inclusion of a wiring loom on a twin-row radial will save hours of modelling time trying to get lengths of lead wire to stick somewhere near where they should be without covering the parts and yourself with superglue. VERY highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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So while I’m waiting for Uschi to send me my “wood decals” I’ve decided to build another Eduard Spitfire. This time I’m going to build one of the options from the “Per Aspera ad Astra” dual combo… …this kit offers 12 schemes… I’ve not seen this tri-camo’ version before so I think it'll be an interesting subject… I’m toying with the idea of an “in flight” version, I’ll check my spares box to see if I have ant suitable pilot figures? Next, as “normal”, I’ll be starting with the cockpit until next time as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received. rgds John(shortCummins)
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F-4E Parachute (672382 for Fine Molds) 1:72 Eduard Brassin A lot of fast jets land at high speed, and need to slow down in a hurry, especially if they have landed at a shorter runway than usual. They do this by applying the wheel brakes, air-brakes, but also many jets have a parachute pack that they can deploy at the rear to further retard the speed of their aircraft. The ‘chutes don’t go on fire because they’re made from a tough, fire-resistant material, but also because the aircraft’s throttles are either at idle or in reverse, assisting with the braking. The F-4 was designed primarily as a carrier aircraft, where it would usually land using an arrestor hook, which brought it to a halt in a hurry, but that puts a huge stress on the airframe, shortening its lifespan, so is to be avoided when possible. When landing on runways, rather than deploying an arrestor wire, which is specialist equipment that might not always be available, they use parachute packs that are deployed from a compartment within the rear of the aircraft, inflating due to the airspeed, allowing some of the air to bleed through the slots in the material, as they’re intended to slow it down, not pull the tail off. They were used as a matter of course on even the longest runways, although crews were trained on parachute-free landings, just in case. The Set The ‘chutes utilised to slow an aircraft’s roll aren’t excessively large, and at 1:72 scale it fits with room to spare. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, it arrives in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, two sheets of protective dark grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. There are five 3D printed resin parts in two separate Ziploc bags, plus a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass in another bag with a sheet of white card protecting it from bending in the box. Adding a parachute to your Phantom model will be key to a landing or post-landing taxiing diorama, and the detail is exceptional, even having a flattened edge to the ‘chute where it presses against the runway after initial deployment. Construction begins with sliding the resin para-pack compartment into position, which has the door moulded open and out to the rear. The parachute is printed as a single part, which is attached to the base on the outer edge, and should be simple to remove and clean-up, adding a 1-4mm length of 0.27mm styrene rod from your own stores to the top, fixing the drogue bag to the end, and the drogue ‘chute itself on an eight-pointed PE star that represents the short lengths of cord that allows it to open. Between the parachute and the compartment is another 43mm length of 0.5mm rod with a 1mm ferrule for the last 2mm, all from your own stock, which ends with a 3D printed O-ring that gathers the individual cords of the parachute. These cords are depicted by fine PE strips that are anchored at the inner end by a strip, enabling you to form it into a small circle, spreading out the opposite ends so they can be attached to the circumference of the parachute, locating them on the tabs that project from the underside of the billowing ‘chute. Markings There are paint call-outs in Gunze Sangyo codes throughout the build, many of the cords are in white, the parachute and its lines yellow, and the drogue ‘chute in a light tan colour. Check your references for your particular example for fading or colour variance if you want to achieve maximum accuracy. Conclusion This is quite an unusual set that you’d think would be a niche product, but maybe its existence as a relatively simple method of creating a ‘chute-assisted landing scene will create the market and result in a lot more F-4s in landing dioramas going forward. Clearly the 1:48 set we reviewed some months back was a success, and maybe now we’re more likely to see a proliferation of these sets for other aircraft and scales. You could of course use this set with other branded Phantom kits, but you may have to do some work on the housing to make it work. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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P-51B Birdcage Canopy Cockpit (6481033 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new Bird Cage Mustang went under the microscope here, and now we have a finely detailed 3D-printed resin cockpit to augment the already impressive detail you’ll find in the kit. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the new deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin and other parts safely cocooned in bags, a foam sheet in the top and bottom and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside the box are forty-three resin parts of various sizes, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) that has been nickel-plated and pre-printed, a sheet of decals and a slip of clear acetate with the gunsight glazing shapes printed on. The instruction booklet tells you remove some sections of interior detail on the fuselage halves, which are marked out in red for your convenience. It’s worthy of note that there isn’t a pre-painted PE instrument panel in this set, but there are a host of decals for the instruments and placards, which you apply along the way toward a complete cockpit. Construction begins with the seat in a choice of three styles that are printed as one part each, and are decorated with pre-painted PE four-point seatbelts, a common headrest that attaches to the seat armour and mounting rail part, adding a cushion/stowage with a PE hook over the top. The seat is attached to the new highly detailed floor and is fitted out with the control stick, fuel hose, and a small instrument console, with detail painting and decaling instructions throughout. A bulkhead between the pilot and rear of the compartment is inserted behind the seat, adding hoses and other parts for detail, with a choice of three styles of rear compartments behind the pilot. Two options involve installing different equipment boxes to the floor, and another rear-facing instrument on the bulkhead. Two types of radio gear can be fitted to the pallet and after detail painting it is straddled by a pair of ribs toward the rear, which will allow it to be mounted as a second layer above the equipment on the floor, which will still be seen by the intrepid viewer. The third option involves the original kit fuel tank that has its attachment pins removed before it is glued to the floor, mounting a palette with equipment, and the ribs replicated from the other options, then wiring it with a 20mm length of 0.6mm wire from your own stock. The resin sidewall parts are well detailed to begin with, but they are both augmented with additional resin parts that vary between cockpit fitments, as well as having their own painting and decaling diagrams to complete the task. The result will be an exceptionally well-detailed pair of sidewalls, with a choice of variant specific instruments, providing you follow the instructions precisely. The three resin gunsight options have their glass replicated by a piece of acetate sheet of varying shapes and sizes, installing it on the kit coaming, which has a small portion cut away beforehand for one option, using the appropriate coaming for your chosen gunsight. The main panel is a resin part that has decals applied depicting the instruments, with more decals on the lower centre panel, mounting the new detailed rudder pedals on pegs in the rear, setting their alignment with reference to a scrap diagram showing the assembly from the side. The cockpit and sidewalls are brought together to create a tub, then the kit fuselage is closed around them, adding the coaming assembly, another small equipment box, and kit canopy to finish the set off. Conclusion A super-detailed set for a superb model of a legend of the skies with the original canopy style. Excellent use of 3D printed resin to improve a focal point to your model, with a choice of equipment options to add individualism to your P-51B. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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They Fought to Rebuild Limited Edition Dual Combo (11180) Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V 1:48 Eduard The Spitfire was the champion of the Battle of Britain along with the Hurricane and a few other less well-known players, and it’s an aircraft with an amazing reputation that started as a bit of a damp squib in the shape of the Supermarine Type 224. This gull-winged oddity was the grandfather of the Spitfire, and despite losing out to the biplane Gloster Gladiator, designer R J Mitchell was spurred on to go back to the drawing board and create a more modern, technologically advanced and therefore risky design. This was the Type 300, and it was an all-metal construction with a wafer-thin elliptical wing that became legendary, although it didn’t leave much space for fuel, a situation that was further worsened by the Air Ministry’s insistence that four .303 machine guns were to be installed in each wing, rather than the three originally envisaged. It was a very well-sorted aircraft from the outset, so quickly entered service with the RAF in 1938 in small numbers with minimal changes. With the clouds of war building, the Ministry issued more orders and it became a battle to manufacture enough to fulfil demand in time for the outbreak and early days of war from September 1939 onwards. By then, the restrictive straight sided canopy had been mostly replaced by a “blown” hood to give the pilot more visibility, although a few Mk.Is with the old canopy lingered on for a while. The title Mk.Ia was given retrospectively to differentiate between the cannon-winged Mk.Ib that was instigated after the .303s were found lacking in destructive power compared to the 20mm cannon armament of their main opposition at the time, the Bf.109. As is usual in wartime, the designers could never rest on their laurels with an airframe like the Spitfire, as it had significant potential for development, a process that lasted throughout the whole of WWII, and included many changes to the Merlin engine, then the installation of the more powerful Griffon engine, as well as the removal of the spine of the fuselage and creation of a bubble canopy to improve the pilot’s situational awareness. Its immediate successor was the Mk.II that had a better Merlin engine and higher octane fuel to give it a healthy boost in performance. The Mk.IIa was armed identically to the Mk.Ia with four .303s in each wing, while the Mk.IIb carried the two 20mm cannons of the Mk.Ib and two .303s in each of the wings. It was followed by the Mk.V that had yet another more powerful Merlin fitted, which returned the fright of the earlier marks’ first encounters with Fw.190s by a similar increase in performance from an outwardly almost identical Spitfire. The Kit This is a reboxing of a recent ProfiPACK tool from Eduard, following on from their other later marks of the Spit in their usual manner, providing us modellers with a wide selection of types and sub-variants as they proceed through their launch schedule. This Limited Edition boxing depicts the Mk.V This is a thoroughly modern tooling with immense detail squeezed into every part, and for the inveterate upgraders, the kits are moulded with that in mind, capable of being augmented by a raft of super-detailed resin and brass sets from Eduard themselves, which benefit from excellent fit. The outer skin has been fully riveted with fine lines of rivets everywhere, plus different widths of engraved panel lines, fasteners on cowling panels, and even some lapped panels such as the fuel tank in front of the windscreen. It arrives in Eduard’s usual top-opening box, with ten sprues in their grey/blue styrene, two clear sprues, two Photo-Etch (PE) frets of pre-painted, nickel-plated brass, two decal sheets with two separate stencil sheets, and the glossy instruction booklet with painting guide at the rear in full colour. The photos below represent one of two sets of sprues included in the box. The instruction booklet is prefaced by a four-page spread of text and photographs that give a brief synopsis of the service of Czechoslovakian pilots during WWII in RAF uniforms, flying RAF Spitfires. Having already fought the Germans in their home country, the brave pilots escaped at the last moment and travelled via France to Britain, to fight the Germans again with the hope of regaining their country from the oppressor. It is surprising how many Czech and pilots from other countries flew in RAF aircraft during WWII, and without them the Battle of Britain and other important moments in the long battle against the Nazis may not have gone so well. All sprues, PE and clear parts are supplied in pairs Construction begins with the cockpit, which will probably be familiar to most, although there is a huge amount of detail when it’s done the Eduard way. It is built up on the starboard sidewall insert, with equipment, controls and a choice of seat-carrying fuselage frames depending on which decal option you have chosen. The seat is next, having the flare rack at the front added from PE, as well as some nice painted PE seatbelts and rear armour. The control column is also made up, and has a PE trigger added before it and the flight control box (more of a tangle, really) are joined to the seat and inserted in the next two fuselage frames forward. The next frame forward holds the instrument panel, which can be made from plastic with decals, or the more realistic and detailed lamination of PE parts with those lovely glossy dial faces on a separate backing plate, either of which then glue to the frame, with the gunsight at the top of the panel, and the compass just below, then the rudder pedals are outfitted with PE straps, before being put just inside the footwell below the panel. Forward of that frame is a blanking plate that is glued in place along with the spinner back during the fuselage closure procedure. The socket for the tail wheel and the leading edge of the wing fairing are also glued in, drilling a 1mm hole in the port side. Posing the canopy open will require small parts of the sidewalls removing to accommodate the appropriate glazing, so make sure you cut those parts off if necessary. They slip in a mention of a panel line on the very front of the nose that you need to fill in, so don’t forget that one, as it’s called out with a line and the word “fill” during the attachment to the wings later that is easy to miss, but you might want to deal with that while sorting the fuselage seams. The lower wing is a single part that stretches as far as the wingtip attachment joint would be, and there are two pairs of 0.9mm holes that need drilling out on both undersides before you go any further. A long wing spar bridges the gap between the wheel bay cut-outs, then the rest of the bay walls are made from short sections and just the two outer wing-gun barrels per side are dropped into their slots ready for closure, placing the fuselage into the gap and gluing it home. The empennage is next, with separate elevator two-part fins and a full-span flying surface, plus the rudder and its control link that trap the elevators in position with the aid of a pair of inserts, allowing them to deflect if you wish. Back to the wings, and the elliptical tips or clear clipped alternatives (depending on your decal choice) are slid into place along with the ailerons, the latter you can pose deflected if you wish. Staying with the wing, the model is flipped over, and the radiator, oil cooler and chin intake with fairing are all installed, the radiator and oil cooler both having PE mesh added front and rear, adding L-shaped feeder pipes at the rear, and a flap with actuators for open and closed positions, plus small vents nearer the tips of the wings that have PE bases. The narrow track landing gear has a peg removed that is marked in red that is replaced with a PE part, and these then have the captive doors attached to the rear, and wheels made up from a tyre and a choice of two styles of hub parts, with a split yoke and wheel for the tail, which slides into the socket buried within the fuselage earlier. The 20mm cannon parts simply slot into their sockets in the leading edge of the wings, with nice muzzle detail moulded-in, and a pitot probe under the port tip. Two scrap diagrams show how the model should look when standing on its own wheels, noting the angle of the tyres to the ground from in front, and the rake of the gear from the side. The canopy has a choice of parts used for the different decal options, and a choice of open or closed canopies is possible by using different parts. The fixed rear glazing is fitted first for the open option, but is moulded into the closed canopy for better fit on a closed cockpit. The cockpit door can be mounted open or closed, then a choice of two aerial types is glued to the rear of the canopy on a base just in front of a clear lens. The exhaust stacks have been moulded carefully to give hollow tips, the fishtail sections provided as separate parts with two styles for different decal options. The three-bladed prop is a single part, covered front and back by a choice of styles of two-part pointed spinner, with the peg on the rear sliding into the front of the fuselage, drilling 0.3mm holes in the upper wing to locate the PE gear indicator pegs that give a quick visual indicator to the pilot of the state of his gear without having to take his gaze from the outside. Locations of aerial wires are given in the last step, and you will need to provide the wire or thread from your own toolbox. Markings There are a generous twelve decal options in this boxing, most of which have the same camouflage with one interesting exception that is painted black. From the box you can build two of the following: BM592, W/Cdr Alois Vašátko, CO of Exeter (Czechoslovak) Wing, RAF Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, June 1942 EN765, W/Cdr Karel Mrázek, CO of Exeter (Czechoslovak) Wing, RAF Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, June -July 1942 EP461, W/Cdr František Doležal, CO of Exeter (Czechoslovak) Wing, RAF Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, April-July 1943 AD325, F/Lt Emil Foit, No. 310 Squadron, RAF Perranporth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, December 1941-February 1942 AR423, F/Lt František Trejtnar, No. 310 Squadron, RAF Ibsley, Hampshire, United Kingdom, September 1943-February 1944 AD572, F/O František Peřina, No. 312 Squadron, RAF Harrowbeer, Devon, United Kingdom, February-June 1942 EP785, P/O Ladislav Světlík, No. 312 Squadron, RAF Churchstanton, Somerset, United Kingdom, January-April 1943 AD380, F/O Alois Hochmal, No. 313 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Devon, United Kingdom, October 1941-April 1942 EP110, F/Lt Otmar Kučera, No. 313 Squadron, RAF Hawkinge, Kent, United Kingdom, August-September 1943 BM210, S/Ldr František Fajtl, CO of No. 122 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Devon, United Kingdom, May 1942 R7192, P/O Josef Příhoda, No. 111 Squadron, RAF Debden, Essex, United Kingdom, February 1942 AR435, Sgt. František Loucký, No. 65 Squadron, RAF Gravesend, Kent, United Kingdom, July 1942 There are two stencil sheets in the box The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks (not pictured) deliver a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, gunsight glazing and formation light, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. There are sufficient masks for the exterior glazing of both your models. Conclusion It’s a known fact that the Eduard Spitfire Mk.Vs are excellent, their detail enhanced by the addition of the PE frets and masks included in this boxing, giving the modeller has an opportunity to build a double tribute to the brave Czech flyers that fought alongside the British, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, and many other nations under the RAF roundel during WWII. Very highly recommended. If you like the artwork of this boxing, an A2-sized full-colour vinyl art print is available without the necessary distraction of the branding below Review sample courtesy of
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A-10C Ejection Seat with Integral Belts PRINT (6481035 for GWH) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Great Wall Hobby released their new A-10C Thunderbolt II kit last year to applause, as it offered modern levels of detail in 1:48 to this highly regarded aircraft at the peak of its use. The kit is well-detailed, but in the usual fashion, you can improve on even the best injection-moulded parts with the use of other media, particularly 3D printed resin, which is starting to take over in the after-market world of scale modelling. As usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, the set arrives in a flat resealable package similar to their PE sets but with different branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The resin parts are further protected by a clear plastic clamshell box within the package, which has a sticky pad on the inside that helps to hold the parts in position. This set consists of five printed resin parts, one of which is also pre-painted. Your eyes do not deceive you, the ejection handle between the pilot’s knees is indeed yellow with black stripes, saving you a delicate job. A small decal sheet is also found in the package to apply after painting is complete, using Gunze Sangyo colour codes that are called out throughout the instructions. The main portion of the ACES II seat is printed as one in extreme detail, adding the headbox top with its canopy-break “ears”, the seat cushion, the afore-mentioned ejection handle, and a launch rail behind the seat that is also shown as a blue ghost image in position, allowing the completed seat to be slid down the cockpit’s aft bulkhead into position. The moulded-in belts have the potential for ultimate realism if sympathetically painted, as they are draped in a typical fashion to that of a real Thunderbolt, as if the pilot has just left. There are nine different decals on the small sheet, most of them doubled up, so you should have some spares if you make a mistake. Eduard decals also have removable carrier film that can be carefully peeled off when the decal is set, leading to a more realistic look to the finished model. It’s a focal point of the A-10 due to the prominent position of the pilot that gives him or her a bird’s eye view of the battle-space, so well-worth the effort to add to your model. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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#2/2025 After the first 1/48 armour model, here´s my dad´s first aircraft model for 2025. Eduard kit, decals from Techmod, the kit and the sparesbox, painted with MRP RLM 74 and 76. Added brake lines using plastic rods and antenna wires with EZ Line. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235147594-carpathian-eagle148-messerschmitt-bf109g-2-royal-romanian-airforce/ It´s my dad´s interpretation of "white 7", Escadrila 53, Grupul 7 Vanatoare. The unit was based in Mizil/Romania in 1943 and was used to defend and protect the Ploesti airfields. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0008 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0021 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0023 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr
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L-39ZA Albatros ProfiPACK (7047) 1:72 Eduard The L-39 is a fast jet trainer that was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia (as was) as a direct replacement for the earlier L-29 Delfin. It has been a success in its roles, and has received several upgrades that have resulted in new designations, and since the dismantling of the Soviet Union, some have found their way into private hands throughout the west, and they are often seen at airshows. It first flew in 1971, and was hoped to become the standard trainer across the Union, and following numerous upgrades by 1977 the ZA variant entered into service, fitted with a cannon and four hard-points for mounting various weapons in the Light Attack role with many Soviet aligned countries and their allies. With the Soviet Union gone, the orders began to dry up, and an updated L-159 was produced in partnership with Rockwell, using more modern avionics. More recently, an L-39NG has begun development to begin deliveries of a thoroughly modern ‘Next Generation’ of Albatros, which will be easily identified as it no-longer has the tip-tanks that were typical of its predecessor. The Kit This is a re-release of a kit that Eduard tooled in 2002, with new parts added over the years, and presented now in a ProfiPACK boxing that increases its detail. The kit arrives in a gold-themed top-opening box, and inside are two sprues of blue-grey styrene, a clear sprue in a Ziploc bag, two frets of Photo-Etch (PE), one of which is nickel-plated and pre-painted, a slip of clear acetate with outlines of the HUD glass printed in black, a sheet of kabuki-style pre-cut masking material (not pictured), four decal sheets in two re-sealable bags, and the instruction booklet that is printed in colour on glossy paper, with profiles of the six decal options on the rear pages. Detail of the moulds is good for the era, and the additional PE parts are of course up to Eduard’s modern standards, giving the model a strong boost. Construction begins with deciding on how to assemble the twin cockpits, making a choice between three sets of pre-painted PE instrument panels, sub-panels as appropriate after removing the moulded-in details, or you can leave the PE on the sheet and apply decals over the raised details of the styrene panels. The same choice is applicable to the side consoles that are moulded into the cockpit tub, using one of three PE parts each, or applying decals over the raised details, as before. The panels and rudder pedals are installed to the front of each cockpit position, with a large angular spacer between the two stations, adding control columns with separate levers for each pilot, and choosing which of two HUD and coaming assemblies is applicable to your decal option, removing the plastic structure and replacing it with PE and sections cut from the acetate sheet. Some options have a different-shaped box and various other PE parts installed around the coaming, with more parts fitted to the front. Before the fuselage can be closed the cockpit sidewalls are detailed with new PE skins, adding additional parts accordingly, the tapering frame between the two seats that is moulded into the fuselage halves is removed, an egg-shaped bulkhead is fitted at the rear of the cockpit area, and an oval bulkhead that has a representation of the engine front moulded into it is detailed with a set of PE stator blades that is painted an appropriate colour. A little bunny cartoon pops up to remind you to add some nose weight, but doesn’t tell you how much. More weight is generally better within reason, but you can always tape the main parts of the model together to make an informed guess, adding a little more than required to account for the smaller parts fitted later. The crew ejection seats are identical, building the shell around the cushions and two-part headbox, then applying the PE belts and pull-handle that actuates the ejection, fitting a few small detail parts to the sides of the seat and a two-part tangle of straps to the top of the headbox of each one before gluing them in either fore and aft of the rear panel coaming, which has another choice of two fits of equipment on its top side. PE cockpit sills are glued to the sides of the cut-outs, adding lugs to each one that holds down the canopy when it closes. The fuselage has a pair of intake trunks moulded into either side of the spine, which are extended by the addition of curved trunks and splitter plates, taking care to paint the interior before gluing them to the locations on the sides. The elevators are each single parts, and slot into holes in the sides of the tail, cutting a small fairing off the tip of the fin at its trailing edge, which is marked in red. Several PE antennae are drilled and inserted into the top of the fuselage, but the parts are best left until after main painting, drilling the holes out to locate them later. Both upper and lower wing surfaces are moulded as full-span parts, and are joined after drilling out holes for some of the decal options, inserting tip-lights into the recesses in the tip-tanks once the glue is cured and the seams dealt with. The wings are mated under the fuselage, adding a few PE appliqué panels to the rear, a cannon pack with six PE grilles under the cockpit, a T-shaped PE antenna under the wings, and two probes on the leading edges of the wings, making up a pair of two-part drop tanks for some markings options, which attach under the wings on pylons that have PE details and lugs fitted between them and the tanks. The main gear struts are inserted into their bays, sliding wheels over the axle, and fitting a captive bay door to the outer face of the strut. The nose gear leg has a yoke moulded-in, and the wheel is flex-fitted into position, adding a brake hose from the PE sheet, and another small PE part to a tiny cut you must make in the side of the leg. various PE antennae are mounted around the nose gear bay, under the belly, and at each wing trailing-edge, then more antennae and static wicks are fixed to the tail, which depends on your chosen decal option, so choose early and wisely. The canopy is provided in four sections, and both openers have a grab-handle on the inside, plus a handle on the outside, with a rear-view mirror on one frame, and a small instrument on the frame of the windscreen. The windscreen and the cockpit divider are glued in place around the opening, and you have a choice of posing the canopies opened to the side using a PE jack that fits in the centre divider, or in the closed position using the single canopy part that makes that task extremely simple. More PE antennae and Angle-of-Attack probes are added around the nose for various options, again best done after main painting. Markings There are six decal options on the sheets, which are split between national and unit markings on two, and the many stencils and instrument panel decals on the other pair. The stencil locations are shown on a separate page of profiles to make the process clear and relatively simple, also avoiding cluttering up the decal option profiles. From the box you can build one of the following: S/n.915254, 222 Training Sqn., Náměšt’nad Oslavou Air Force Base, Czech Republic, 2008-10 S/n.232436, 1 Fighter Sqn., Žatec Air Force Base, Czechoslovakia, 1991-3 S/n.035019, 213 Training Sqn., Čáslav Air Force Base, Czech Republic, 2008-10 S/n.035147, 299 brTA, Graf Ignaievo Air Base, Bulgaria, 2015 S/n.533218, Military Flight Academy, Grupul 20, Borcea-Fetesti Air Base, Romania, 2012 S/n.533218, 411 Sqn., 3 Air Division, 41 Wing, Chiang Mai Air Base, Thailand, 2014 The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. The pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy exterior, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Conclusion A substantial detail upgrade of a good kit in this scale, depicting a more aggressively tasked variant of the Albatros that has interesting decal options from various nations over time. Review sample courtesy of
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Hi 👋 A few pictures of my 1/48 Egyptian Air Force MiG-21PFS in Nile Walley camouflage. Eudard has not (yet) released a PFS, so it is a kit bash based on the Eduard PF Profipack. I added some Brassin extras from Eduard and mix of Eduard and Afterburner decals and a Master pitot. Thanks for looking 😀 Cheers! /Fred
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Hi, for extending my space collection I wanted to try something different and went with this little kit. I got the Eduard PE set, mostly for the two booms, which are solid plastic in the Hasegawa kit. The model went together without any real problem. The only thing was that practically any hole in the plastic was a weeny bit too small. After realizing this (AFTER on piece broke) and extending the holes before the glueing, all was well. The painting instructions are a bit off in my opinion. Most parts are supposed to be painted in black - which is the color of the thermal blankets that covered most instruments. The shapes of the palstic parts however are closer to the "bare" instruments. Which had other colors. I stuck with the black, because it is closest to the actual look of the probe in space (not that anyone can still see it). I did not replicate the thin white seams that the blankets have. The PE set compliments the kit nicely. I think it is a must to repelicate the two booms. Again, no real problems - bit I still managed to screw it up a bit. The magnetometer boom (the long one) is twisted about 120° along its longitudinal axis - I think is the right way to describe it. After having read a build report that mentioned it being hard to give the boom it's twist after the two parts have been glued together, I decided to try to bend the two pieces before glueing them together. Well, the construction does what it is supposed to do in the original thing: it gives a very good rigid stability. So the bending didn't go so well, as some of the smaller trusses bend the wrong way(s). I bend them back as much as possible without doing more damage, but it still shows. I think if I could do a do over, I would rather forgoe the original look and not bend the thing at all .... The kit comes with a globe as a base. I first just wanted to hang it into the showcase, but then wasn't sure if I could display it the way I wanted or wether the construction was stable enough. So I did use the stand. The globe has earth's continents engraved on the inside (it's made of clear blue plastic), but I decided that to be to boring and maybe, only maybe, beyond my painting skills. What you see in the pictures is my rendition of Neptune (probably a bit overboard with the clouds) to commemorate the fly by of this planet. That actually makes the probe to be Voyager II, as no. I never flew by Neptune. (I also believe that the instrumentation of the two probes was not 100% identical, but my sources where not good enough to tell me which of the instruments in the kit were really mounted on Voyager II, so everything went on). With a figure for size comparism and the alien the kit came with (I know it's hand has only four digits, but it still looks to me like the alien is giving me the finger 🖕). ... and together with the other 1/48 scale exhibits Explorer I and Apollo LM/CM/SM in the showcase (that boom takes a lot of space!). As always, thanks for looking and any comments welcome. Cheers Here are my othe space related builds: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DLrnifbiBdBnwxfF7
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P-39Q Upgrade Sets (for Arma Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Arma Hobby recently launched a brand-new tooling of the P-39 Airacobra in a growing range of variants, and it’s a well-detailed model, but as usual, you can always improve on injection-moulded parts by using other mediums. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, and this batch are suitable for most P-39Q variants. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), 3D SPACE, and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Upgrade Set (491477) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete new nine-part layered instrument panel and centre console with three levers; trim wheel; gun cocking handles; the extensive radio box, plus other details for the floor and rear bulkhead; making up two more boxes and adding more details on the cockpit sidewalls. There is also an entire pilot seat that is folded up to form the chassis, adding extra strengthening layers to critical areas, and the diagonal strip across the back of the base. Externally, the kit oleo-scissors for the main and nose gear legs are replaced by more in-scale parts, the belly-mounted intakes are given new in-scale doors with a mesh insert at the rear, and a filler cap for the drop-tank is also supplied. Going back inside again, a rear-view mirror and ring sight are fitted to the windscreen from inside, with paired handles fixed to each of the kit doors after removing the moulded-in nubs. SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48196) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The kit seat is upgraded with four-point belts with a comfort pad under the buckle, followed by a complete replacement of the moulded-in instrument panel facets, first removing the kit details, using five new dial decals, and adding PE cocking handles to the gun breeches. The cockpit sidewalls, floor and aft bulkhead are given eight decals, plus several PE parts, adding a rear-view mirror and ring sight to the windscreen frame to finish the set. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1478) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the four-point crew belts, you also get a comfort pad for under the buckle of the harness. Conclusion Another raft of upgrade sets that are specific to the P-39Q variant of the Airacobra, adding detail and colour of extremely high calibre. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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P-39N Airacobra Resin Upgrade Sets (for Arma Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Arma Hobby recently launched a brand-new tooling of the P-39 Airacobra in a growing range of variants, and it’s a well-detailed model, but as usual, you can always improve on injection-moulded parts by using other mediums. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, and this batch are suitable for most P-39N variants. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Upgrade Set (491484) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete new nine-part layered instrument panel and centre console with three levers; trim wheel; gun cocking handles; the extensive radio box, plus other details for the floor and rear bulkhead; making up two more boxes and adding more details on the cockpit sidewalls. There is also an entire pilot seat that is folded up to form the chassis, adding extra strengthening layers to critical areas, and the diagonal strip across the back of the base. Externally, the kit oleo-scissors for the main and nose gear legs are replaced by more in-scale parts, the belly-mounted intakes are given new in-scale doors with a mesh insert at the rear, and a filler cap for the drop-tank is also supplied. Going back inside again, a rear-view mirror and ring sight are fitted to the windscreen from inside, with paired handles fixed to each of the kit doors after removing the moulded-in nubs. Zoom! Set (FE1484) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1485) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the four-point crew belts, you also get a comfort pad for under the buckle of the harness. Masks (EX1073) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, and a set of hub/tyre masks for all the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort, plus a circular mask for the landing light. Masks Tface (EX1074) Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the inside of the glazing so that you can paint the model’s interior and give your kit that extra bit of realism. Having used these sets on my own models now, I can confirm that they are extremely accurate, and as there are seldom any raised frames on the interior of canopy parts, it's good practice to place the outer masks first to act as a guide for alignment of the inner masks. Conclusion Super detailed modular sets that raise the kit’s quality above the already excellent level that is found in the box. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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P-39 Airacobra Resin Upgrade Sets (for Arma Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Arma Hobby recently launched a brand-new tooling of the P-39 Airacobra in a growing range of variants, and it’s a well-detailed model, but as always you can always improve on injection-moulded parts by using other methods. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, and this batch are suitable for most P-39 variants, so will fit just as well with any of the boxings. Although these sets arrive in flat packages, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box within the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from rattling about. The parts are printed resin with the exception of the gun barrels, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little upstands away, leaving them ready for action. Exhaust Stacks Fishtail (6481049) This set is a straight-forward replacement for the kit exhausts, consisting of two parts that are incredibly well-detailed, and have hollow tips, with a splitter between the two halves of each outlet. Simply cut the parts from the print base, and use them as you would the kit parts, but fixing them with super glue (CA) instead of the usual plastic glues. Exhaust Stacks Rounded (6481050) Identical in use as the set above, these exhaust stacks have hollow rounded tips as part of their detail upgrade from the kit parts. Gun Barrels (6481053) Traditionally cast from resin, these four parts include two gun barrels with perforated jackets, plus a choice of two styles of muzzle for the centre-of-prop 30mm cannon, one with a shroud around a recessed barrel, the other unshrouded. They are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, but take care when handling them, as I managed to ping off a barrel when putting them back in their packet. Pilot’s Seat (6481054) Consisting of one print-base with a highly-detailed seat, plus a small fret of STEEL Photo-Etch (PE) that is nickel-plated and pre-painted for your ease, this set replaces the kit’s seat directly, and the added dimension and realism of the belts will be far superior to the decals that come with the kit. The seat has many strengthening grooves moulded-in, and the belts will drape well over the seat’s sides due to the softness and thinner gauge of the material that it is etched from. Conclusion An interesting and useful range of simple sets that raise the level of detail on the base kit with little effort. Review sample courtesy of
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P-51B Malcolm Hood Canopy Cockpit (6481032) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s new Malcolm Hooded Mustang went under the microscope here, and now we have a finely detailed 3D-printed resin cockpit to augment the already impressive detail you’ll find in the kit. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the new deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin and other parts safely cocooned in bags, a foam sheet in the bottom and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside the box are forty-three resin parts of various sizes, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) that has been nickel-plated and pre-printed, a sheet of decals and a slip of clear acetate with the gunsight glazing shapes printed on. The instruction booklet tells you remove some sections of interior detail on the fuselage halves, which are marked out in red for your convenience. It’s worthy of note that there isn’t a pre-painted PE instrument panel in this set, but there are a host of decals for the instruments and placards, which you apply along the way toward a complete cockpit. Construction begins with the seat in a choice of three styles that are printed as one part each, and are decorated with pre-painted PE four-point seatbelts, a common headrest that attaches to the seat armour and mounting rail part. The seat is attached to the new highly detailed floor and is fitted out with the control stick, fuel hose, with detail painting instructions throughout. A bulkhead between the pilot and rear of the compartment is inserted behind the seat, adding hoses and other parts for detail, with a choice of three styles of rear compartments behind the pilot. Two options involve installing different equipment boxes to the floor, and another rear-facing instrument on the bulkhead. Two types of radio gear can be fitted to the pallet and after detail painting it is straddled by a pair of ribs toward the rear, which will allow it to be mounted as a second layer above the equipment on the floor, which will still be seen by the intrepid viewer. The third option involves the original kit fuel tank that has its attachment pins removed before it is glued to the floor, mounting an equipment palette with equipment and the ribs replicated from the other options, and wiring it with a 20mm length of 0.6mm wire from your own stocks. The resin sidewall parts are well detailed to begin with, but they are both augmented with additional resin parts that vary between cockpit fitments, as well as having their own painting and decaling diagrams to complete the task. The result will be an exceptionally well-detailed pair of sidewalls, with a choice of variant specific instruments, providing you follow the instructions avidly. A built & painted example from Eduard’s website The three resin gunsight options have their glass replicated by a piece of acetate sheet of varying sizes, installing it on the kit coaming, which has a small portion cut away beforehand, using the appropriate coaming for your chosen option. The main panel is a resin part that has decals applied depicting the instruments, with more decals on the lower centre panel, mounting the new detailed rudder pedals on pegs in the rear, setting their alignment with reference to a scrap diagram showing the assembly from the side. The cockpit and sidewalls are brought together to create a tub, then the kit fuselage is closed around them, adding the coaming assembly and kit canopy to finish the set off. Conclusion A super-detailed set for a superb model of a legend of the skies with my favourite canopy style. Excellent use of 3D printed resin to improve a focal point to your model, with a choice of equipment options to add individualism to your P-51. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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I need to find some motivation to continue work on my F-84, but still have plenty of time for that. So I figured I’ll start my thread here in the meantime. I have plenty of planned subjects to choose from, including a couple for my yet to be built Wisconsin Aces collection, but I’m going to do a 361st bird for this GB. Specifically, Jasper Joker II flown by Lt. Donald Vulgamore. I’ll be building my first Eduard kit and using Aeromaster decals. And of course using an excellent Schiffer Military History book for reference.
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Hello everyone! Here are the other two of four Me 262 kits I finished right at last year's end (10 minutes before midnight!). Both are Me 262B-1a trainer variants from the Mark I Models 1:144 reboxing of the Eduard kit. Both kits were built very much OOB with only the wing pitot, underside IFF aerial and the radio mast and wire added from stretched sprue. The FuG 16ZY Morane mast and the spine loop antenna came with the etched fret in the kit although the instructions fail to mention the former. The painting instructions show a rearward-pointing aerial under the tail. This is a mistake as this was only present on the nightfighters. Both kits were fully painted and varnished by brush but were barely weathered at all as both machines were new. Firstly then, Messerschmitt Me 262B-1a V15 (ex S5) VI+AJ (W.Nr. 130010), with Blohm und Voss, responsible for the conversion, at Wenzendorf Air Base, Luftwaffe, Germany, July 1944. This was the prototype of the B-series and can be considered the first jet trainer. I didn't find any photos or profiles of this one except after being repainted on entering service with KG(J)54. Mark I suggests RLM83 Dunkelgrün for the darker colour of the top surfaces but I disagree. The change to the new green tones was stipulated at around this time so this machine must have still been in the previous grey 74/75/76 scheme as other early Me 262s were in this period. When I finished the kit, I realized that this one didn't sit on its nose leg at all, so I had to glue it to a base. Interestingly, the other one does, apparently thanks to the drop tanks! I decided to do this one with the racks but without them. Secondly, Messerschmitt Me 262B-1a B3+SH (W.Nr. 170075), of 1./KG(J)54, Luftwaffe, at Giebelstadt Air Base, Luftwaffe, Germany, November 1944.. KG54 'Totenkopf' ended its career as a bomber unit in August 1944 and was reformed as a fighter unit, hence the "(J)", in October, converting to the Me 262. Its career wasn't very illustrious. Although it scored several kills, mostly of US bombers, the inexperience of its pilots in fighter combat saw many shot down by Allied fighters. This must have been one of the first machines delivered to the unit together with other two-seaters. Only about 15 trainers were built in total. "So this is what we are going to fly now!" Thank you for looking and all comments are welcome. Miguel
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After many sorties and flying hours being logged, may I present my first Spitfire ..... Eduards fine 1/48 IXc version. Build log is here: HERE This is only my third aircraft build after a return to the hobby (3 years ago!) Finished as MH883 flown by F/Lt George F. Beuling of No. 412 Squadron, RCAF based at Biggin Hill December 1943 to April 1944 The kit was embellished with Eduards PE set including the instrument panel and harness. Cockpit, underside and upper surfaces painted with Vallejo acrylics and finished with Ammo matt varnish. So, onto the pictures: The fuselage roundels are slighly off being aligned and there was some removal of the roundels by the tape I was using to remove the film from the decals ... which was chipped rather than trying to repair: I have really enjoyed the build and do like to learn from them, and this has been great to find my limitation where aircraft are concerned. I hope you like it, and comments are welcome! Keith ☺️
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Hi 👋 A few pictures of my 1/48 Eduard F-4B Phantom II. I think the Eduard Good morning Da Nang kit is a re-boxing of Academys kit. The (excellent) decals are Furball Aero-design. I also added some extra weapons from Eduard and Cat4. Pilot, seats and exhausts are from Aires. Thanks for looking 😀 Cheers! /Fred
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Eduard is to release from late 2020 or early 2021 1/48th Hawker Tempest Mk.II kits Source: https://www.eduard.com/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2020/info-eduard-2020-01.pdf V.P.
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Bristol Bulldog Resin Upgrades (for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin These new sets for the recent Airfix Bristol Bulldog, the penultimate RAF biplane fighter with interwar origins, which has pleased many modellers that have been waiting for a modern tooling of this classic. Although they arrive in a flat package, the directly 3D printed parts are safe inside a clear plastic clamshell box inside the package, which also has a sticky pad inside to prevent the parts from moving around. The parts are directly printed resin, attached to the base via thin tendril-like fingers that are easy to cut off and sand the little raised points away, leaving them ready for action. The resin wheels are loose in their bag, as they are more robust and less prone to damage during transit. Gun Barrels PRINT (6481044) This simple set contains a pair or 3D printed Vickers .303” machine gun barrels that were mounted in troughs on either side of the cockpit. The kit parts are necessarily simplified to cater to injection-moulding techniques, so these drop-in replacements should bring a vast improvement in detail. They are both attached to the same print-base in opposition, like a pair of crossed swords, and have tiny supports that should be cut away, taking care not to lose the barrels in the process. Minimal clean-up will be needed, as the supports are on the insides of the barrels, where they will rest against the kit fuselage after installation. Wheels (6481045) Each highly-detailed resin wheel is cast on a separate base, with minimal attachment points, the largest on the tyre’s contact patch with the ground, so any errors you might make in removing them from the block will be hidden. In addition to the drop-in replacement wheels, there are is a small sheet of pre-cut masks of yellow kabuki-tape, and a small sheet of decals that have “Palmer Cord Aero Tyre” in white to be applied to each side of the tyre carcasses, with a total of six to allow for mistakes. Pilot’s Seat PRINT (6481046) Consisting of a single seat part with frame and adjustment mechanism on a small print-base, plus a set of four-point seatbelts for the pilot, it should be a simple task to upgrade the cockpit detail of your Bulldog. The print supports are all on the underside of the seat’s frame, and should be easy to remove, priming then painting it as per the colour call-outs using Mr Color paints, then applying the pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) belts as shown in the instructions, attaching all the parts to the model with Super Glue (CA). Conclusion These simple sets should improve the detail and look of your new Airfix Bulldog quickly and without breaking the bank. They also lack the perceived difficulty of working with traditional resin, although CA should still be used for attachment of the parts. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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Hello to all, The decision to begin a new thread dedicated to this aircraft build has not been easy, for several reasons. - First, because of this f... virus, that poison our lifes: was it decent, while many people are suffering in their flesh, to debate around such futile things? - Then, because my last thread, Indianapolis 500 Ford Mustang 1964 1/2: has been interrupted because it began really to turn boring, with a lot of parts that needed to be scratchbuilt (and often using 3D CAD/CAM, while I am totally dependant of competent people to model the parts). I don't despair, however, and hope I will find the courage and faith to end this very complex build... - Then because many ideas of this Nieuport 11 build are not mine, but either Juan Manuel Villalba's ones (in the great "Guide du maquettisme aéronautique", Histoire et Collections, 2011), either bughunter alias Frank's ones (see his amazing build here: But well, the desire is too strong, and being confined gives me more time than usually to share on my favorite hobby. I have to precise that I have built a first version, directly inspired by Villalba, following his steps like a pupil who tries to imitate his master. In particular, he gave me hints - in the book or through our frequent e-mail dialog on how to give a transparency effect on the wings, represent the rigging, paint the rosettes and so many other details. I like very much this first version and had a lot of fun building it, but I want to go a bit farer, and improve it on many aspects, using the wide documentation that JMV could not get when he wrote the great article in the book mentioned above. Here are some pics of this first version: This new thread is dedicated to Juan Manuel Villalba, and also to all victims of this awful disease. I have a particular thought for our Italian brothers (I live not far from Italy and we love this country), while the virus causes so many suffering there, especially in Lombardy... Olivier, 20/03/2020 P.S: I will detail in the next topic the many points I want to improve from this first version...
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