Eduard F/A-18F Ejection Seats & Wheels (648775 & 648776) 1:48

[Mike]

F/A-18F Ejection Seats & Wheels (648775 & 648776)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

We recently reviewed the first batch of aftermarket from Eduard for the new Meng F/A-18F here, and now we have a second tranche, including wheels and a delightful pair of ejection seats, all highly detailed and pretty much drop-in replacements.  As is now usual with Eduard's medium resin sets, they arrive in a shallow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding.  The smaller sets are supplied in flat resealable packs with the instructions wrapped around the protective card inserts within.

 

 

Ejection Seats (648775)

The two seat Super Hornet carries its pilots on a pair of Martin Baker Mk.14 seats, and those seats are replicated in exceptional detail in this boxed set.  Arriving in two Ziploc bags, the first bag contains two each of the main seat components, cushions and umbilical between the pilot and aircraft.  The other bag has a small fret of brass Photo-Etch (PE) that depicts the anti-flail leg restraints that tighten in the event of ejection, a full set of four-point crew harnesses in pre-painted brass, plus the stripey pull-handles that initiated the process between the pilot’s knees, and additional loops and controls on the side of the seat pan.  The decal sheet includes three stencils per side of each seat, one of which is a stripey rectangle that is wrapped around the alternative ejection handle on the right side of the seat pan.

 

Paint codes are given using Gunze codes for acrylic and lacquer, and stencil decal placement is shown on a pair of diagrams on the instruction booklet.

 

 

 

 

Wheels (648776)

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 main wheels with separate rear hubs that have copious brake detail moulded-in, plus two nose wheels, all of which have fabulous detail on the side walls, circumferential tread on the contact patches, and a minimal amount of sag in the bottom of the tyre where the weight of the aircraft makes itself visible.  This is also where the casting block is attached to each wheel, so once cut off, it just needs to be flatted off and doesn’t affect the tread.  Painting is eased by the inclusion of a sheet of pre-cut kabuki tape masks (not pictured) that will allow you to cut the demarcation between wheels and tyres with little effort.

 

 

 

Conclusion

A fabulously well-detailed pair of resin and PE sets that will add extra detail to an already excellent kit.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Review sample courtesy of