WWII FFAR Rockets - 1:48 Eduard Brassin (648123)

[Mike]

FFAR Rockets
1:48 Eduard Brassin

Developed in 1943, the FFAR unguided rockets were originally designed with a 3.5" diameter body and were used for attacking surface vessels in order to puncture the hull and sink them. Upgraded to a 5" explosive charge on a bulged forward section, they were used with some success by Corsairs and Dauntlesses before they were phased out in favour of the HVAR, which flew at around twice the 485mph of the FFAR.

Arriving in a slim clamshell box, the package contains eight rockets, plus a large fret of Photo-Etch (PE) metal measuring 5cm x 4.6cm. The PE parts provide the details including fuse wire, exhaust nozzle and two mounting shackles that clamp around the 3.5" body in front of the tail fins and behind the 5" diameter charge. Painting is simple, consisting of Olive Drab for the body, with the tip of the warhead and all the PE parts aluminium, which as the PE is already metallic means those parts could be left unpainted for the ultimate in metallic finishes. Metal! The fuse wire is a red-brown, and once painted should look more three-dimensional due to the way surface tension gathers paint thickness toward the middle of any narrow surface with sharp edges.

Conclusion
Not the definitive HVAR of WWII, but they were in use until 1945 when the much more effective "Holy Moses" took over for the following decade. Super casting, and lots of detail in the PE parts give you the best 1:48 FFAR representation you can get.

Highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of