Mike Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 A6M2-N Rufe Seat, Exhausts, Cannons & Folding Wingtips PRINT (648845/6/7/8 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’ve just finished our review of the brand-new Mitsubishi A6M Zero derived Floatplane, the Suisen 2, more commonly known as the Rufe, which you can see here, and it’s a beautiful kit that’s every bit as well-detailed as its cousin, also from Eduard. If you’re inclined to cram as much detail into your models as you can, then Eduard also have you covered, with a raft of individual upgrade sets that allows the modeller to pick and choose which areas they’re interested in improving, or go mad and splurge on the lot, as your budget and inclination dictates. We have the first batch in for review, and we’ll deal with the quick and easy PRINT upgrades that anyone can add to their models, with little modelling skill required, just a few simple tools such as nippers, sanding sticks and a little super glue needed to ramp up the detail. A6M2-N Rufe Seat PRINT (648845) The Zero and Rufe both had a lightweight seat that was peppered with holes that offered no protection to the pilot, which is difficult to replicate accurately in styrene. This set contains a single highly-detailed seat on a small print base, attached on the underside, simplifying clean-up. Additionally, there is a small fret of nickel-plated STEEL Photo-Etch (PE) with the seatbelts etched on it and pre-painted with appropriate colours, making your cockpit immediately pop as the most visible part. A6M2-N Rufe Exhaust PRINT (648846) This set contains four parts, two small sections of the curved cowling with teardrop shaped openings that accept the other two parts, the hollow exhaust stacks that project a short way through the cowling. The parts are attached to their print blocks at the very edges, simplifying clean-up of the small tendril fingers that hold them in position. They will improve the look of this area dramatically, simply dropping into place instead of the kit parts. A6M2-N Rufe Cannon Barrels & Cockpit Guns PRINT (648847) Containing four printed parts and a small fret of PE, this set replaces the two machine guns, the breeches of which project into the cockpit and fire through troughs in the upper nose, as well as the wing mounted cannon muzzles. The parts are all attached to their print blocks at the back end, the breeches needing a little clean-up as they will be seen within the cockpit, and the cocking levers can be found on the PE sheet with a spare for good measure. The detail is a huge improvement over the styrene parts, with hollow muzzles and perforated cooling jackets. A6M2-N Rufe Folding Wingtips PRINT (648848) This set consists of four printed parts and a small fret of PE, and requires the removal of the tips of the kit’s wings, which are helpfully marked out on the inside for that exact reason. You then have a choice of inserting the PE ribs into the cut, or inserting a printed rib part as you see fit, onto which the new wing tips are glued at an angle, utilising the kit’s clear tip lights. Detail is excellent, and though you can see some lines on the surface of the tips in the pictures, they are incredibly fine and will disappear after a very light sanding with a fine grade sanding sponge without damaging the detail. As an aside, why the Japanese designers felt the urge to fold such a short length of the wings, I will never fully understand, but they do look cool in position. Conclusion 3D printing is now one of the best methods for creating some aftermarket parts, and that’s in evidence here, offering a heap of superb modular upgrades for your model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted August 22, 2023 Share Posted August 22, 2023 On 7/4/2023 at 2:46 PM, Mike said: As an aside, why the Japanese designers felt the urge to fold such a short length of the wings, I will never fully understand Deck elevator dimensions..? Cheers, Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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