Eduard Tornado F.3 ADV (BIG49191 for Revell 1:48)

[Mike]

Tornado F.3 ADV (BIG49191 for Revell)

1:48 Eduard BigEd

 

 

In case you're unaware, Eduard's Big ED sets are a great way to purchase all the sets you want for your model whilst availing yourself of a bulk purchase discount that can be quite tempting.  The set arrives in a large cardboard envelope with the Big ED branding and a sticker in the top left that details what's inside.  Within the envelope the sets are all still individually packaged to protect the frets from shuffling past each other and getting damaged until you're ready to use them.

 

 

You get five sets with this one, as follows:

 

Exterior (48943)

This larger bare brass set contains some important upgrades, such as delicate new afterburner rings; wing-seal details; reversing bucket ribs and mechanism details; spoiler and spoiler bay parts; aileron bay details; air-brake interior skins for bay and brakes; fuel tank fillers; a new set of vortex generators for the tail with an attachment template and a number of grilles for vents etc.

 

 

Interior (49880)

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 are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; ejection seat details; coaming instrumentation; sills; rear-view mirrors, and canopy internal structure also supplied.

 

 

Undercarriage (49881)

Consisting of two frets, one of which is nickel-plated and painted, the other in bare brass, this set comprehensively details the gear bays, which are quite cavernous and boxy.  The painted fret contains equipment boxes, while the bare fret is structural in nature.  The main bay is skinned with details for the most part, with strips for in between each rib; boxes that fold up to add missing detail; gear leg parts including data placards and brake hoses.  The nose gear bay is similarly bedecked, and the gear leg gets the same treatment, improving realism immensely.

 

 

Masks (EX574)

Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, 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 masks for all the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

Seatbelts STEEL (FE881)

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 two sets of crew belts, you also get a set of leg-restraints and the pull-handles between the pilot's knees that gets him out of there in case of an emergency.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of