Eduard Heinkel He.111H-3 Upgrade & Mask Sets (for ICM 1:48)

[Mike]

Heinkel He.111H-3 Upgrade & Mask Sets (for ICM )

1:48 Eduard

 

 

Promptly after completing a well-loved series of newly tooled Dornier Do.17/215 kits in this scale, ICM have now turned their attention to the Heinkel He.111.  We reviewed the first of these brand new tooled boxings, the H-3 here (very) late last year, and they're every bit as good as their Flying Pencil kits.  Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner.  Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point.  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.

 

 

Nose Interior (49886)

Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass.  A complete set of new layered instrument panels and side consoles that will be prominent within the greenhouse are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; seat details; canopy internal structure; additional instruments; gun sights and extra details, and even a bomb sight also supplied.

 

 

 

Zoom! Set (FE886)

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.

 

 

Radio Compartment (49887)

Two frets are included, one small nickel plated and pre-painted, the other larger one in bare brass.  It involves a heavy upgrade to the level of detail within the compartment, adding racks for ammo; stowage boxes; racking; partial bulkheads; a huge range of radio boxes and other equipment; gun sights and ammo embellishments;  a framework with instruments around the top gun hatch, and a base for the nearby antenna.

 

 

 

Bomb Bay (48948)

Unlike older kits in this scale, ICM have included the four bomb bay compartments within the fuselage, which this set details with a replacement set of baffles that drop down to allow the bombs free release untroubled by the airflow; stabilising strips that link the bomb fins together; bay framework details; a full new set of bay doors with detailed hinges that require you to provide lengths of 0.6mm rod to complete; a set of towel tail antennae, and oddly, a pair of radiator skins for the engines.

 

 

 

Undercarriage (48947)

This set is provided as a single large fret of brass, and creates a new internal skin for the box-shaped bays, with additional structural details added throughout.  It also extends and details the firewall behind the engine that is seen from within the bay, adds some small parts to the landing gear legs, as well as brake hoses.

 

 

 

Seatbelts STEEL (FE887)

In case you don't already know, 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 pilot's four-point crew belts, you also get two sets of lap belts for the other crew, plus a set of webbing for the top gunner's position.

 

 

 

Masks (EX580)

Supplied on two sheets of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the rather pane-fully faceted canopy (see what I did there?) and other glazed parts, 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 main and tail wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort, plus a landing light mask.

 

Review sample courtesy of