RESIN2Detail Packard V-1650-7 (Merlin 60-Series) 1:48

[Mike]

Packard V-1650-7 (Merlin 60-Series)
1:48 RESIN2detail

New company RESIN2Detail, run by Brian Watkins in the US, are creating products for the advanced modeller that appreciates the ultimate in detail and quality control. This license built Packard Merlin is one of his first products, and suggested applications include P-51D Mustangs, Mosquitos, P-40s or Lancaster, some of which used this exact engine.

The kit arrives in a small white cardboard box, and on lifting the lid you find the first reassuring sign of attention to detail. A small sticker shows a checklist of all the parts, some of which are grouped together in a bag, others which are separate. Everything is bagged, some parts have card inserts to protect them, and the larger bags are folded over and taped closed to prevent movement. A cocoon of bubble-wrap finishes off the packing, and a stapled portrait A5 instruction booklet is supplied outwith the box.

Did I mention that this is a highly detailed kit? Good. The parts are all superbly detailed with some very fine hoses and ancillary parts included. The instructions guide you through the process of construction in thirteen steps, including scrap diagrams that show you which parts are the casting blocks that need removing. The main engine block has the supercharger, intercooler, exhaust manifold, and magnetos added in successive steps, followed by the smaller parts, the intricate hoses and the ignition harness. The harness has projections from which you need to add the plug wires from your own stock, but a bending template and completed engine are shown as a guide to achieving the finished item.

The instructions are in black and white, but you can download a colour version that makes everything more clear, and includes colours that make the details much easier to see. Click on the Buy It Now link to see these and more photos.


Conclusion
A superbly detailed resin engine that would shine when painted sympathetically, whether installed in a kit, or just built for the sheer beauty of it.

Review sample courtesy of