Eduard Fairey Firefly Mk.1 detail sets. :48

[Shar2]

Fairey Firefly Mk.1 detail sets

Eduard 1:48

 

Eduard don’t seem to mind if the kit they are releasing sets for isn’t, shall we say, the best out there, as such. they have released four etched sets and a set of masks.  The etched parts are for the interior, seatbelts, exterior and a smaller zoom set for the cockpit.  At least the modeller can’t say they don’t have a choice of what to use on his model, or how much they want to add.

 

Interior Set (49-913)

This set contains three sheets of PE, one is unpainted and is of etched brass, the other two are of the etched steel variety and both are pre painted, one for each cockpit. Neither is particularly large, but there is plenty of parts, particularly on the first, and larger of the sheet. The pilots cockpit is provided with a new instrument panel with a backing plate that has the instrument sprinted on it, compass and a host of switches and levers.  The cockpit floor is fitted with new footplates, having removed the spurious kit floor details. There is also replacement bracing for the rear bulkhead and sidewalls, which also receive a multitude of electrical boxes, frame work, and brackets. The starboard side additionally receives a new throttle quadrant, trim wheels, and what looks like a pistol case. The rear cockpit also gets plenty of new detail, in the form of new electrical and radio boxes, their support frames, a new shelf with additional electrical boxes, which are also provided for the port sidewall and port side canopy.

 

 

 

 

Exterior set (48-959)

Whilst not the largest single sheet set, its contents do cover some interesting areas. Namely the main undercarriage bays, with new sides and roof where the leg and actuator reside, plus new roof and accurate details for where the wheel sits, (which will require some very careful rolling to get to the correct shape). The side mounted oil cooler intakes are fitted with new grilles, while the main radiator intake is fitted with a new back plate and outlet door. The instructions also show where the intake needs to be modified to make it more accurate in shape, at least for the interior. The sheet also contains a full set of undercarriage bay doors with their respective strengthening ribs and brackets.

 

 

 

Interior Zoom Set (FE913)

This zoom set contains only the pre-painted sheet for the front cockpit and seems a bit of strange release as it is lacking all the detail needed in the rear cockpit, so should have at least contained both the pre-painted sets, to be honest.

 

 

 

Seatbelts (FE914)

This small single sheet set contains a complete and comprehensive set of seat belts, buckles and clasps for both cockpits. The belts look to be quite simplified when compared with previous sets, but will look great when fitted. The seat belts are pre-painted so no need for some fiddly painting, just a slightly darker wash to tone them down a bit.

 

 

 

Masks (EX607)

Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for both the front and rear canopies and windscreen, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or off-cuts from the background tape. In addition you get a number of masks for the main wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

Conclusion

 

There is a saying that you can’t polish something nasty, but at Eduard they do give it a good try. While the kit isn’t the most accurate of the Firefly, people will still buy it and some of them will want to add more detail to it. Therefore these sets are just for them. They will certainly Improve the look of the final build, and the masks will be particularly useful for that rear canopy with all of it’s panes.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of