Eduard Spitfire Mk.I Upgrade Sets & Masks (for Tamiya 1:48)

[Mike]

Spitfire Mk.I Upgrade Sets & Masks (for Tamiya)

1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin

 

 

Tamiya have retooled their Mk.I to modern standards in 1:48, although their old kit wasn't half bad, it just had a few shape issues.  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.

 

 

Resin Wheels (648455)

Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip 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. This set includes two resin main wheels with separate front hubs, and a tail wheel on a long leg that slots into the rear of the fuselage.  A sheet of wheel masks accompany the set (not pictured) in Eduard's usual yellow kabuki tape, with a pair of additional Pac-Man shaped masks for the tail wheel in case you mess the first application up.

 

 

 

 

Update Set (49960)

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 wall equipment are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; seat mounted flare pack; compass; head armour; radiator and oil cooler mesh with cooling flaps; bay door skins, tie-down brackets and hoses for the main gear; a replacement crew access door and rear view mirror inside the hood.

 

 

 

Zoom! Set (FE960)

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.

 

 

 

 

Seatbelts STEEL (FE961)

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 depth to the buckles and other furniture by clever  shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE.  You get a full set of four-point crew belts, which thread through the back of the seat and attach to the next frame aft.

 

 

 

landing flaps (48987)

Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the retracted flaps from the lower wing, plus scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays.  Each half of the two flap sections (bay and flap itself) is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape, with extra parts added along the way.  The bays glue to the inside of the upper wing and the flap attaches to the rear wall of the new bay with a length of 0.3mm wire that you will need to supply.  The short inner section also has a deeper bay interior giving the impression of seeing inside the fuselage.   Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done.  There are also parts included for the pop-through flap indicator "stalk" that gives the pilot a visual indication he hasn't cleaned up his flying surfaces before parking, thereby saving him an alleged fine of a few of shillings.  This needs a small hole cut where the panel line is engraved on the top wing half.

 

 

 

Masks (EX643)

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 the main wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

 

Masks Tface (EX644)

Supplied on a bigger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. 

 

 

 

Review sample courtesy of