Eduard Beaufort Mk.I Engines (648983 for ICM) 1:35

[Mike]

Beaufort Mk.I Engines (648983 for ICM)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

ICM made the British modelling public, particularly those with a thing for WWII and 1:48 scale, very happy when they released their brand-new tooling of the oft neglected Bristol Beaufort.  We’ve had several boxings now with various markings and weapons loads, and now we have a set of hyper-accurate engines to add an immense level of detail to your model.  As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding.  The sixteen resin parts in the box are all 3D printed, and are attached to their print bases via thin finger-like supports that are easily but carefully cut away, sanding away any remnants before proceeding.  The detail is phenomenal, particularly the engine blocks, which are almost complete, just needing careful painting to bring them to life.

 

 

Construction begins with the engines, making two, installing the bell-housings and prop-shafts to the front, following the painting instructions that give Gunze Sangyo codes throughout.  The two exhausts and collector rings are made from two parts each, the collector rings inserting into the back of the cowling lip, while the outer surface should be painted in your chosen camouflage colour, as should the other cowling panels.  The cowling lip is fitted to the front of the painted engine, the stubs of the collector ring mating snugly* with the feeder pipes that exit each cylinder of the radial engine, and these are joined at the rear by the highly-detailed ring of cooling gills and their mechanisms, after which it can be glued to the model when you are ready to do so.  The two curved cowling panels per engine are separate parts that can be left nearby, on trestles, or on the wings once painted, and these are similarly well-detailed, having a near scale thickness to add even more realism to your model.

 

* I tested the fit whilst handling the resin, and they stay together without glue, such is the level of fit.

 

Conclusion

It’s difficult to keep using all these superlatives about these 3D printed resin sets, but they really are that good.  The part count is low, the detail is off the charts, and preparation should be pretty simple if you have some fine sanding tools, while the result will be well worth the effort you put into it.

 

Extremely highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of