Eduard Canadair F.4 Sabre Updates (for Airfix) 1:48

[Mike]

Canadair F.4 Sabre Updates (for Airfix)

1:48 Eduard

 

 

There were a lot of cheerful people after the announcement of a new-tool F.4 Sabre by Airfix, but they were a little less so when it arrived, thanks to some soft detail in places and a few minor errors. 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.

 

 

Upgrade Set (491189)

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 to cover up the moulded-in lumps; ejection seat sides containing a number of parts, plus the foot steps in front of the seat pad; sidewall details and instruments/controls; detail for the soft and oversimplified rear deck behind the pilot and a piece of head-armour that I’ve not seen before; substantial upgrades to all the gearbays with skins, structural and wiring parts; complete replacement of the fuselage air-brakes with superb detail; detailing of the gun bays and the gun breeches themselves with a pair of new bay doors; PE oleo scissor-links for all gear legs, plus links for the captive nose gear bay door also supplied.

 

 

 

Zoom! Set (FE1189)

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 (FE1190)

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.  You get a set of crew belts that thread through slots in the back and sides of the kit seat, the latter you’ll have to cut yourself unless you get the upgrade set above.  At the rear, a buckle fixes to the back of the seat that the Y-shaped shoulder belt slips through.

 

 

 

 

Masks (EX783)

Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks provide 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/tyre masks for all the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

 

 

Masks Tface (EX784)

Supplied on a larger 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