Eduard A-37B Dragonfly Updates (for Trumpeter) 1:48

[Mike]

A-37B Dragonfly Updates (for Trumpeter)
1:48 Eduard

See our review here of the recently released B model of this Light Attack/COIN aircraft from the Vietnam era. Needless to say, only a little time has passed since release, and here come Eduard with some update sets. Arriving in their flat packaging with white card insert keeping the Photo-Etch (PE) frets and instructions flat, you have a choice of a full airframe set, a Zoom! interior set, and a set of masks.


Update Set (49724)
This set covers all aspects of the airframe, as it is a fairly small aircraft, and didn't warrant separate sets. It contains two frets and a small slip of acetate film, with the smaller fret nickel plated, pre-painted and self-adhesive, while the larger fret is bare brass. The big cockpit receives a new instrument panel to replace the moulded-in one, and additional instruments and controls are applied to the side consoles, next to new rudder pedals. The ejection seats are updated with pre-painted seatbelts, plus a set of grab-handles to trigger the ejection sequence, and the canopy side-rails are detailed with a new side-skin, a better rear-view mirror and a structural support between the two sides of the hinge. A new PE gunsight is created from folded brass, and the acetate sheet is used to replicate the glass portion, which if you paint with some clear green, will look very realistic. The rear deck is detailed with some raised panels, and more panels are added to the deep nose gear well to improve the look. The air-brake that is below the cockpit floor has the raised detail augmented by some better looking rib-work with lightening holes etched in, and the brake panel itself is replaced by a laminated assembly that has more realistic hinges and retraction mechanism added.

The main wheel bays are detailed with raised access panels, a retraction mechanism to replace the kit part that has been moulded in the wrong place, and other small details within the bay. The gear legs have their oleo-scissor links removed and replaced with PE parts, plus a small tie-down lug halfway up. The rearmost sections of the heat shields behind the exhausts are PE in the kit, but they are replaced by new parts that are more accurate and thinner, but you'll have to watch you don't twang them during handling, as they will bend easily.

The balance of parts are used to convert the rocket pods to have two flat circular end-caps, which are folded up from a single piece to create the cap front and the lip around it. Each of the eight pylons have attachment point skins added to improve the detail, which will require you to remove the mounting pins from the sixteen sway-brace parts.

Zoom! Set (FE724)
If for whatever reason you don't want to go the whole hog, you can buy this set instead of the full one above, which includes just the pre-painted, self-adhesive fret that contains the majority of the cockpit parts, including instrument panel, seatbelts, side console & rudder parts. Good value, and if you're not interested in the other fret, it's the one for you.

Mask Set (EX467)
The Dragonfly's canopy is large, and the focal point of the model, so getting the masking right is important. This set contains masks for the edges of the panels due to the compound curves involved, and you will need to cover the centres with scrap tape from the sheet, or with masking fluid. As a bonus you get a set of wheel masks, with two hub masks for the nose wheel, and a combination of two doughnut masks and two hub masks for the main wheels. The rear of the main wheels is raised, so I think the idea is to apply the doughnut masks around the raised brake hubs, cover the hubs with masking fluid, then remove the mask. It seems a bit complicated unless I've got the wrong end of the stick (which does happen). The final two circles are for the landing lights under the wing.

Review sample courtesy of