Eduard Hawker Tempest V Resin Upgrades (for Eduard) 1:48

[Mike]

Hawker Tempest V Resin Upgrades (for Eduard)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

We've just finished the review of the gorgeous brand new tooling of the mighty Tempest Mk.V in 1:48 from Eduard here (very much worth a look if you've not seen it already), and Eduard have very sensibly released a host of PE and resin sets to coincide with the launch for those that just can't get enough detail.  This review covers the resin sets minus the new Löök instrument panel, which is a bit of hybrid, so it's in with the PE sets on the basis that it shares the same packaging format.  As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box or a rectangular cardboard box for the larger sets, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. 

 

As always with resin, take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding resin, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in.  Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them.

 

There are five Brassin sets, as follows:

 

 

Wheels Early (648420) & Wheels Late (648421)

Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip and sink mark issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department.  That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument.  They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement.  The early wheels here have a smaller diameter hub and larger balloon tyres, while the later ones have the opposite.  Both sets include main and tail wheels, plus a set of masks (not pictured) to make painting the demarcations a breeze.

 

 

Early (648420)

 

Late (648421)

 

 

 

Exhaust Stacks (648418)

These simple drop-in replacements have deep hollow exists and rolled lips with much more crisp and finely moulded detail that lifts it head and shoulders above the already good kit parts.  Just razor saw them off the blocks, glue them in and paint (or paint them first – your choice).

 

 

 

 

Cockpit Set (648416)

On opening the box you are greeted with a huge collection of fine resin parts in a number of bags, plus instrument decals, PE seatbelts and a small sheet of clear acetate film with the shape of the gunsight printed on multiple times.  Due to the cockpit's location between the fuselage framework, there are a lot of delicate parts, but they have been sensibly moulded with flash supporting them where necessary, and clever use of pouring block locations that make liberating them a fairly easy task.  The build begins with the framework parts for each side, to which lots of resin controls and panels are added along with the angled side consoles, which are detailed with more levers and controls as appropriate.  A large portion of the main spar is provided and this spaces the two sides apart along with other framework parts, some of which are used later to support the floor, which isn't quite as solid as the kit floor would have you believe.  The foot "trays" are fitted on top of the mechanics of the rudder and control column parts, with those parts added respectively, both having PE parts used to detail the yoke and pedals for the ultimate in detail.  A pair of diagrams show the correct location of the assembly when joined with the framework, and you'll need to decide in advance which bits to attach together and when to apply paint.

 

 

The seat is supported by two cross-braces, and has a set of pre-painted seatbelts to go with it that you can apply after painting.  This is then inserted into the cockpit framework and is hemmed in by a bracketed piece of back armour, and the rear cockpit frame, so you'd better hope that you don't knock anything off inside after this stage.  A fuel tank is plonked in front of the pilot (yikes!), with the highly detailed resin instrument panel laid in front of it, with decals provided for all the instrument faces, and separate compass part.  The kit cockpit insert that is fixed into the aperture after the fuselage is closed gets a piece of resin head armour and a Y-shaped length of belt, over which another rail is glued.  This is then fitted with the gun-sight with clear film glazing to the front, and set aside while the interior of the fuselage is detailed.  The moulded-in detail is retained, and the equipment is augmented by resin and PE parts with much more detail squeezed in.  The fuselage can then be closed around the cockpit, using the kit front bulkhead and remembering to put in the other kit parts that are encased in the fuselage, with the cockpit insert installed along with the shoulder straps of the seatbelts, hiding most of the awesome detail away.

 

 

 

 

Gun Bays (648419)

The gun bays on the model are moulded closed, so the first thing you'll need to do it cut the wing apart, making a T-shaped hole in each upper panel, following the panel lines shown in the instructions.  You'll also need to chamfer the inner side of the landing light blister inside the lower wing, or your bays won't fit.  The whole bay frame is moulded as a single part per wing, and is given a PE floor with the lower wing internal structure depicted.  The two ammo boxes fit into the top of the T each side of the cannons, which are added after, and plumbed in with some small resin parts.  The rear of the bay is a mixture of resin and PE parts to obtain the correct thickness of the trailing edge once the bay is offered up to the underside of the upper wing.  It fits within the hole, recessed to give a more realistic look and thickness to the bay edges, which are then lined with PE parts that replicate the lip and fastener locations, with the front sections inlaid with more PE to depict the hinges so that the new resin bay doors can be attached folded forwards, while the aft section is loose and usually laid upside down on the wing when removed.  A CAD image shows their correct orientation, and Mr Hobby paint codes are called out throughout construction to aid paint choices.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of