Eduard P-38F Cockpit (648277 for Academy) 1:48

[Mike]

P-38F Cockpit (648277 for Academy)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

Academy's Lightning kits are about your best bet in 1:48, even though the original tooling dates back to the 90s, which probably helps explain the relatively sparse detail in the kit cockpit.  Here comes Eduard with a new cockpit set to put that right, as under the large blister canopy, a lot of the detail will be visible if you managed to keep the glazing clear.  The set arrives in the familiar Brassin rectangular box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between, doubling additional protection.  Inside the box are three bags of resin parts, plus a bag of pre-painted nickel-plated Photo-Etch (PE) and a small decal sheet containing a few cockpit stencils.  There are twenty grey resin parts, plus two in clear resin, all of which appear to have been mastered using 3D processes, resulting in incredible detail that is far more crisp than even the best traditional masters.  Casting is first rate too, with no bubbles, and some tubular parts that are so thin you wonder how the resin would find its way through them.

 

 

Construction begins with a complete set of pre-painted PE seatbelts, which attach to the resin chair, fixed to the cockpit floor with fine tubular frames and a portion of the main spar at the rear.  The rear deck and its finely detailed radio gear is separated from the pilot by head armour and a small circular cushion, with each section locking together using keyed tabs to ensure a concise fit.  A set of rudder pedals, laminated pre-printed PE instrument panel, control yoke, and detailed sidewalls go together to create the finished tub, which drops into the fuselage "pod" after the coaming is removed from the kit part.  Additional detail is added to the sidewalls before installation, providing throttle quadrants, plus a few other knobs & bobs.  The canopy is detailed with a gunsight as well as a section of the roll-over hoop in PE, which will require a little care with the glue.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of