James H

That's looking real good, and you did proper photos (at last)

Nice big box of modular stuff: And this is the vinyl flooring I'm using. Easy to find dropped parts This will be bonded to a ply base as the floor board edges aren't great. Work on this will be complete tomorrow, then it's on with the benching.

I approve of these improvements. They have my blessing. All you need now is some modular stuff, courtesy of the finest modular workbench manufacturer in Poland!

Some posts deleted and others edited. No name calling or other mud slinging allowed here. I know certain subjects can be emotive. For me, it's the Me 262, but we're supposed to do this for a way of chilling out, and so it must be. Please go pour a large one and relax.........breathe......

Guys & gals, Thanks for your input on what I perhaps needed to get to create my ideal workroom. The time has come to catalogue this being created. Here are a couple of photos of the room as it stands, and here is what is needed to be done: Carpet up, plywood down and hardwearing dark wood effect vinyl glued down DONE Curtain rail/curtains down and slatted blind fitted DONE 750mm kitchen worktop installed in 'L' plan, as benching Bench sockets installed HobbyZone modular units installed PC installed under benches, and monitor mounted on wall (perhaps) Wall-mounted paint rack for Gunze/Tamiya paints Studio downlighter light-shade and LED lamp Shelving for some nice 1:6 Star Wars figures from Sideshow Collectibles. This is only a small room, but will provide plenty of bench room, and drawer units will fit underneath too, storing aftermarket stuff and partial projects. Photo tent and extractor will go on window side benching. This is the majority of stash, but will be stored in attic, so need for it in my workshop. More photos as work is completed!!

Beautiful! How big are these, in comparison to something?

Hi Jamme, Yes, the box arrived almost 2 weeks this Thursday. Very impressive and well packed. I understand what you mean about enlarging the holes slightly. I did a quick test fit and saw they needed opening up a little. Hopefully I'll start to assemble these later next week Also, I'll take a photo of the workroom as it progresses too.

That looks great Jamme, I like the use of electronic printed labels too. Got one of those at work, so I think I'll do that too. Did the magnets need force to pop them into the holes?

Jeez, that looks good. I really wish they'd open these out to more aircraft types, but I imagine the work would be immense.

1:32 Laser-cut seatbelt sets and mask set. HGW Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from HGW We like to keep you up to date with the very latest releases from HGW. We are big fans of these guys, here at LSM, and if you’ve ever used their products, then you’ll know why. Today, we have their latest releases which focus on seatbelt sets for those newly released kit, and also a very welcome canopy masking set. 132564, Arado Ar 196A-3 seatbelts, 299 Kč 132565, SE.5a seatbelts, 132566, Felixstowe F.2a/Hansa Brandenburg W.29 (The Duellists) seatbelts, 499 Kč 632029, Felixstowe F.2a masks, 119 Kč I generally do a recap as to general usage for HGW’s seatbelt sets, and I’ll do that again here. Each set is packaged into an attractive, narrow sleeve, with a card stiffener. The Duellists set is obviously packed in a larger sleeve in order to accommodate belts for both the Felixstowe and W.29. Where we have a little difference here is that the Arado set comes with a number of resin items which are bagged and placed within a blister pack. This is slid over the regular narrow sleeve, but the stiffening card within the pack is narrower to allow for the blister. Please be careful so as not to damage this pack, as it is generally easier to bend. HGW’s seatbelt sets are a two component solution. They both comprise a printed, laser-cut microfiber sheet with all of the parts ready to assemble. All you need to do is to first peel off the paper backing sheet and then each part in turn, from the textile sheet, as you use them. Printing quality is excellent, with serials, data labels etc. (where appropriate), and then there is the generally unseen laser-etched stitching which will become visible when a wash is applied. Before any assembly, you should take each textile piece in turn and repeatedly scrunch it up into a ball and open it out. This breaks down any rigidity in the material and allows you to pose the parts in a natural looking way. Assembly should typically be with CA. As these parts are laser-cut, the heat of the laser has an unexpected but surprisingly neat effect on some parts, with the edges of them being ever-so-slightly darkened. Almost like in-built shading! These belts can also be weathered with oil paints etc, and then flat varnished and dry-brushed. A metal fret contains all of the relevant fasteners and buckles, with this part being produced by Eduard. Always go for there only being enough parts to make once belt set, although I have worked with these where there were actually as many as two whole sets of parts included, despite only one set of belts being packed. Etch quality is always high, as you would expect from Eduard. Each set also contains an instruction sheet. The use of red and blue colour on the instructions denotes the difference between the textile and PE parts. Drawings are also typically ‘Eduard’ in their approach, with excellent clarity, although no further annotation other than parts numbers, is supplied. Each sheet also explains the weathering process to you. Arado Ar 196A-3 seatbelts This set is supplied with resin parts. There are three in total, designed to replace the plastic parts within your Revell Ar 196A-3 kit. Whilst I’m unsure who makes these, they look similar to the style of part that HPH uses in their releases, and cast from the same colour of resin. One part replaces the pilot’s seat, and is beautifully mastered and cast, with just a little clean-up needed on the reverse. A large casting block will need to be carefully removed, and you will need to carefully profile the curvature of the seat underside, where the block is removed. Another part, not shown in the instructions, appears to be a padded cushion for this seat. The last resin part is for the observer/gunner seat and incorporates the mounting brackets. As with HPH resin parts, this is cast onto a thin, flat sheet which will need to be carefully ground away. All else looks pretty normal for an HGW set, except for a large metal part on the fret. This isn’t shown on the instructions, but was originally intended as a template for cutting the back rest for the original Arado Ar 196 kit. For this release, it won't be used. SE.5a seatbelts A simple yet effective set which replaces the photo-etch lap belts of the WNW kit. Confusingly, this it titled as having two sets included, yet first glimpses of the parts seems to show two kits in that there aren’t two identical sets. This is correct. What this set provides are two OPTIONS for the SE.5a, and indeed, if you have two kits in your stash, then there WILL be enough parts for both (as long as you use different types of course). One part, printed in brown, does appear to be out of register on my sample. No problem to fix it though. Felixstowe F.2a/Hansa Brandenburg W.29 (The Duellists) seatbelts Both of the sets in this dual release are available separately, but this is of course a nice set to acquire if you are lucky enough to own the impressive WNW ‘Duellists’ release, containing both the Felixstowe F.2a (Early), and Hansa-Brandenburg W.29. A single piece of textile and a PE fret is included for each of these aircraft, and the instruction sheet is simple to follow for both assembling the belts and installing them to your model. Felixstowe F.2a masks Whilst this set doesn’t actually stipulate this, it appears that that the ‘Early’ release of the WNW Felixstowe is the kit this is designed for. The ‘Late’ version has only small windscreens due to the cut down rear deck and absence of a forward canopy enclosure. The intended kit does have a LOT of panels to mask, so this release is most welcome. It’s not just canopy masks included here either. You will also find masks for the propeller tip sheathing. This is another very welcome addition due to the complex curvature of these items. Now you may airbrush the sheathing first, mask it off and apply your wood grain finish to the rest of the blades. Another nice feature are the masks for the prop hubs, allowing you to mask the timber areas and finally blow some metallic paint over the hub. As is normal, these masks are made from kabuki tape, and are sharply cut. The instructions are very clear about the location of each item. Conclusion I’m beginning to find HGW’s seatbelt sets almost a staple of my regular modelling diet. They look great when assembled, and are nice and easy to assemble, and in a reasonably quick time frame. I know of no other seatbelt solution which looks as authentic and is resistant to the rigours of weathering. They are also reasonably priced, and provide a great focal point for your detailed cockpit. Oh, did I tell you that I really like them? VERY highly recommended My sincere thanks to HGW for sending these samples for review. To purchase directly, click the links in the article. James H

I'm really not happy with the way the resin parts look in photo. They look far nicer and sharper to the eye, including the seat with the belts. For a set which is over a decade old, it stands up pretty well, and it's still the only real 190D resin pit on the market.

....not that I know of. It could be worth asking if they would be willing to help you out though.

Wow! Looks like they've improved quite a lot. Great looking photography etc, and excellent review

1:32 Focke-Wulf Fw 190D upgrades EagleParts Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from Eagle Editions You will perhaps note that most of these sets aren’t exactly what you could call new releases. In fact, these sets range from being 11 to 12 years old. So, why look at them again, you may ask? Firstly, this is for two reasons. Judy Crandall kindly sent them over to me for a future magazine project where I will do a full detail build of the Hasegawa kit, and more importantly, these are still probably the very best resin sets available for the 1:32 Hasegawa ‘Dora’ kit. As we stand at the moment, that particular kit is still the only mainstream Dora in 1:32. Another reason to look at these sets now is that they are now joined by another release; namely a brand new set of Fw 190D-9 propeller blades! Whilst we are all flooded out with choice for the Me/Bf 109, there is simply a real lack of new Fw 190 releases for large scale. Of course, Revell has slightly readdressed this recently with a new-tool F-8, and of course, ZM are promising a range of Würger too. The four sets I’ve received are: EP#40-32, Fw 190D series cockpit, $34.50 EP#42-32, Fw 190D ‘3-piece’ gun cowling, $11.50 EP#43-32, Fw 190D radiator cowling, $9.50 EP#64-32, Fw 190D-9 propeller blades, $14.50 Fw 190D series cockpit Yes, there were differences between the cockpits of the main variants of the Fw 190, and this set is only suited for use in the Dora. This release is packaged into a quite large blister packet which contains not just the resin, but a fret of photo-etch parts too. Two instruction sheets are folded and placed within too. If I have any reservations about the packaging, it’s that the resin parts are loose within, and possibly prone to damage amongst themselves or in contact with the PE fret which is in a small zip-lock and not protected with card. The package itself is sealed with a product label which requires cutting or tearing away. This set comprises of TWENTY-EIGHT pale grey resin parts, cast both separately and in combination with a small number of casting blocks. The largest part is the cockpit tub, which extends from the forward bulkhead, backwards to the rear of the radio bay to the rear of the pilot. There is no block as such to remove here, but you might need to thin the floor a little. Detail on this part is exceptional, with some great detail on those busy-looking consoles, and with a map case and map moulded onto the starboard console side. This blows away any injection moulded Fw 190 pit I’ve seen, including the new tool F-8 from Revell. Rails exist to the rear of these, and the seat will slot into place just in front of the shoulder armour. The floor contains control linkage and box, foot plate, secondary instrument panel and a good deal of wiring and plumbing. A cockpit-builder’s dream. Both sidewalls are separately cast. One of mine had a warp in it, but a few seconds in hot water, and this was fixed. Again, detail comprises of stringers, rails, fuel and electrical port rear areas, wiring looms, and of course, the interior of the radio access door. When it comes to the seat itself, Eagle have given a couple of options here. You can choose to either use the part with the cast seatbelts in situ, or a bare seat onto which you can add your own belts. A set of PE buckles and clasps are supplied, but not the actual belts themselves. Made up with a textile set from HGW, this would look amazing, but don’t underestimate the look at the seat with cast belts. This looks great, and I may even decide to use that part instead of attaching separate belts. Options are also given for you to choose to install either early or late versions of the foot pedals, which are supplied as PE parts. You can also choose to model the pit with or without the chronometer. The pilot would usually remove this when he exits the cockpit, but the option is there, or you could use as part of a dio, with the pilot holding it. As the Dora can be built as a JABO machine, a separate bomb control panel is also supplied. Even the control stick ‘boot’ gets the options treatment with both a standard part and an animated one, allowing you to display the control stick cocked over to one side. I think that covers all bases!! To fit this cockpit, the biggest job will be to thin the kit cockpit sides, removing the moulded detail. The instructions DO state that this isn’t a drop-fit, so please be aware of that. A certain degree of plastic butchery will be required, and a little patience. Having already fitted one of these, I can tell you that patience pays dividends. Part of that butchery will involve removing the instrument panel coaming. A corrected resin part is supplied, with detail moulded both on the inside as well as the outside. Whilst a much improved instrument panel is supplied in this set, Eagle suggest you use the kit decals to detail it. I suggest you don’t, as they are pretty crap. Instead, consider the superb sets that Airscale sell, including cockpit placards. That will really help to make this a masterpiece. Even the PE parts provide further options for you here. To the rear of the pilot is the battery and radio compartment, and above this sits a photo-etch turtle deck. Parts are supplied to either complete this with a standard lid for this area, or with a vented lid. You’re spoilt for choice. All resin here is beautifully cast, with no visible flaw anywhere that I can see. Fragile parts are protected by walls on their casting block, and those blocks will be easy to remove in every case. The PE fret contains around 40 extra parts, such as rudder trim wheel, foot pedal options, turtledeck, battery compartment lid options, seatbelt buckles, and also the two undercarriage indicator sticks which fasten to the wing! PE production is also very good, and should present no problems, as long as it doesn’t get banged in transit. Pictorial instructions are supplied, with plenty of text to guide you. Read this carefully. I know it will pay off, having once used this set on a previous project. All parts have labelling too, for easy identification. Fw 190D ‘3-piece’ gun cowling An area that few companies manage to portray properly on the Dora, is the forward gun cowling. Hasegawa also failed to get this correct. Thankfully, we have folks out there who can indeed do this, and these replacement parts are available through Eagle Editions. Eagle actually sell both the three and five piece gun cowls, but my project called for the three-piece part. Hasegawa’s attempt leaves the cowl looking a little odd with pronounced gun bulges creating a sort of plastic ‘cleavage’. The three-part cowl, moulded as one piece, was the type fitted to the later Fw 190D machines, so you will need to check your references to see whether you will need the three or five part item. Jerry Crandall’s Fw 190D volumes are an excellent reference. The number of parts actually refers to those used on the fore, gun cowl, and not the forward trough section. The replacement part is quite literally a single piece of light grey resin which simply needs removing from its casting block, with no further modifications required. Removal will be easy as it’s connected to its block via a thin resin wall that is connected to the canopy side of the part. A few small resin ribs will need to be shaved away too. As even this cowling could vary due to the numbers of small bulges on them, all are cast here, and you just need to nip and sand away those that don’t pertain to your own machine. Fw 190D radiator cowling Again, this is another ‘drop-in’ part that directly replaces the incorrect kit component. The problem with the Hasegawa part is that the front section of the cowl opening doesn’t properly depict the aerodynamic profile of the real thing, and it simply moulded as a rounded edge. Eagle’s part addresses this and corrects it. The side profile of the Hasegawa part is also too rounded, giving a slightly incorrect character to the final appearance. Another aspect of the Dora cowl that Eagle have included, are the plates on the cowl sides, which are used to join the cowl ring together on the real aircraft. These had a common interlocked hole, by which insertion of a pin was the means by which the cowl halves were secured to each other. The kit part omits this detail entirely. This replacement part is connected to its casting block by a very narrow wall of resin, and you’ll need to be extra careful when removing it. Fw 190D-9 propeller blades A very simple upgrade, designed to fit the Hasegawa D-9 (is there any other?). This addresses the inaccurate paddle-blade prop parts in this kit, with a newly sculpted option that more accurately captures the appearance of the real thing. In fact, the basis for this correction set is an original 190D-9 prop which is in a private collection. These are packed into another blister packet, and each blade is cast in light grey resin, on its own casting block. Casting is excellent with no flaw, and these will look real good in conjunction with the replacement cowl parts. Conclusion Even after a decade, these upgrade parts for the Fw 190D simply cannot be beaten. Their casting is as sharp as I remember them when I used my first set about 8 years ago, and the detail is just amazing. I love the cockpit work on a project, and this simply cries out for some special care and attention. Even if you don’t bother too much about the cockpit, I really do recommend the gun cowl, prop blades and radiator ring. These help to transform the front end of the Dora. Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to Eagle Editions for the samples you see before you. To purchase directly, click the links in the article. James H

1:32 Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8 cockpit and gun bay (for Revell kit) Eduard Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from Eduard Following hard on the heels of the undercarriage struts and wheels that we looked at recently, are two brand new sets that are designed for Revell’s recent Fw 190F-8 kit. Having built the test shot, and being in receipt of the production kit, I do know there are a few areas where the new Würger is let down a little. Whilst the cockpit is passable, it isn’t state of the art, and the forward gun bay is probably the worst feature of the kit, due to being both poor and lacking in much detail. The plastic parts, for me, were quite rudimentary, and the gun cowl was thick and lacked any interior detail. That pretty much kills that area for me, and you would either need to be a super-scratchbuilder or simply not bothered about it, to be able to display this area. Again, Eduard come to the rescue with these two new Brassin releases. 632056, Fw 190F-8 cockpit, 37,45 € 632060, Fw 190F-8 MG131 mount, 29,95 € Fw 190F-8 cockpit This set, presented in Eduard’s familiar satin black box, is designed to be a simple, drop-replacement set for the kit plastic parts. A quick scan of the instructions shows that to be the case, with no surgery needed to the host plastic, whatsoever. Inside the box, we see the three-sheet instructions, folded over some soft grey foam. Lift this out and you will find a one-piece resin cockpit tub, three small zip-lock wallets of resin, two photo-etch frets (one in colour), and a small decal sheet. Just as Revell made their tub in one piece, Eduard has designed theirs to fit the kit using the attachment points already present on the Revell styrene. As I know the Revell part very well, I have to say that, for detail, there is no comparison. The detail here is more numerous, accurate and certainly sharper. The ugly moulded-on throttle of the Revell part is a separate part here, which will attach neatly to the lever channel. Eduard really have made a beautiful job here, with a better looking foot plate and shield that covers the control column linkage, and the turtle-deck is a big improvement too. Not only is the stowage door is provided as a separate piece, there are two PE options provided. Removal of the casting block should be fairly easy too, and remember to also remove the resin web from the wall behind the pilot’s seat. Packet 1 Six parts are to be found here, cast in the same light grey resin that the tub itself is made from. Eduard’s seat really is excellent, being both thinly cast, and containing neat rivet detail and mounting attachment points. Two optional parts are also included for this. These are the main seat cushion, and separate lower back padding. The latter was missing from the Revell release. Also included here are resin replacement parts for one headrest option. Eduard supply a new instrument coaming too. Packet 2 Cast in a darker grey resin, the second canopy internal frame option is included. The armoured headrest for this is in the next package. Here you will also find a perfect-looking control stick (vastly different from the weedy looking thing in the kit!), the rudder pedal frames. Connection of the frame and canopy interior are easy to saw through, being thin resin membranes that require minimal effort to remove. Packet 3 Notice that Eduard have opted NOT to include a colour PE instrument panel here. The bezels and other detail on the Fw 190 instrument panel, perhaps don’t lend themselves too well to the 3D relief that is required? Maybe. Either way, the split level panel is supplied as resin parts, with blank instrument dial faces into which you can apply the decals that come with this set. As you can see from photos, the detail is really very good, with wiring also included. Optional panels are also included for WGr.21 rockets, or for the MG FF controller unit. These themselves are attached to one of two panel options. Another floor mounted instrument panel is included, as are two gun-sight option, with clear acetate parts for the lenses. Other parts include hood release handle. Photo Etch As standard, Eduard seem to include the colour-PE seatbelts in these cockpit upgrades. If I’m really honest, I’d much prefer to see the inevitable textile set included instead, as these are far more realistic and easy to manipulate. Still, a full set of belts is included, and printing is very good. The brass fret contains the bulk of the extra detail for this set, including stowage panel door options, levers, rudder pedals and mounting frames, forward hood facing, sliding hood elements etc. As you can see, quality is everything you would expect from Eduard, with narrow, thin attachment points, and fine detailing. Decals All instruments are supplied as separate decals, and ideally, you should punch them out so as to eliminate every trace of carrier film. This will make them easier to apply. Decals are included for the warning shield on the pilot’s headrest. Just a thought, but if these are included, maybe some replica placards would be good too, such as those that Barracuda produce for the Mustang and Corsair. Again, just a thought…. Printing is very good, and is thin, in register and there is minimal carrier film. Instructions You really should have zero problems in assembling this product. Illustrations are clear and concise, and optional parts are self-explanatory. Mr Hobby paint codes are supplied throughout too. There are three folded A4 sheets here that makes use of different coloured inks to show the demarcation between resin and plastic parts. Fw 190F-8 MG131 gun mount This set corrects perhaps the weakest element of the Revell kit. Discard those plastic parts and install this beautifully detailed gun bay, complete with a thinly cast and amazing looking gun cowl! Packed into a clear blister packet, this set contains TEN resin parts, and a further NINETEEN photo-etch pieces, all designed to totally transform this area of the host kit. Resin parts are cast in a combination of light and dark grey resin. It seems that the darker resin tends to be used for the more fragile parts, perhaps with a slightly different and more flexible property to them. The light grey parts include the upper weapons tray, ammunition boxes, feed chutes and empty shell chutes. Just compare the kit part against Eduard’s resin weapons tray, with its connectors, wiring and other detail. Then look at the guns for comparison. Now you can see why I consider this set to be essential, if you wish to pose this area in an open position. I think these MG131 guns are an absolute work of art. Ammunition boxes have their riveting, neatly cast strap handles, and of course, hollow shell ejector chutes. It did seem that Revell perhaps knew their gun bay detail was more than a little bit pants. They made no real effort to produce a thin, detailed cowling. The clunky and internally featureless affair isn’t very good. However, Eduard’s resin alternative is a world away in terms of quality. It is so thin that light streams through the resin when it’s held to the light. Externally, the detail of this looks great, with neat riveting, and recessed cowl latch areas. Internally, all the constructional elements can be seen, including the rear of the latch recesses. Also the hinge matches up perfectly to that moulded on the weapons tray. Now….who will be the first to try and drill/pin these so they move? The PE parts include a sheathing for the kit bulkhead, providing some good detail, as well as a couple of frames that attach to this. You will also find the cowl latches here and a nice addition too, namely the windscreen wash tubes. With the latter, I would still possibly make these from thin lead wire, but at least Eduard included them. Again, the instructions are easy to follow, but you will have to conduct the most basic of surgery to the internal bulkhead. Colour call-outs are supplied for Mr Hobby paints. Conclusion. I love what Eduard has created for this kit. Revell did a great job with the new 190F-8, generally. The look and feel of it, to me, is correct, and these sets add that detail that I just love to see. Both sets are reasonably priced, and won’t break the bank. Surgery is minimal, if any is required at all, and as a result, a relative notice should be able to fit these to their model too. What I now wonder is if we’ll see a super-detailed BMW801 engine to compliment these sets. I really do hope so! VERY highly recommended! My sincere thanks to Eduard for these review samples. To purchase directly, click the links in the review. James H

1:32 Scheuch-Schlepper and Pressluftballonanhänger Profimodeller Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from Profimodeller When it came to creating a problem and then implementing a solution, the Germans certainly were very adept. Nazi Germany was certainly the first, and only country to actively employ a rocket-powered interceptor, in Messerschmitt’s Me 163 Komet design, despite just how dangerous this aircraft was to use (for its crews!). This aircraft no taxiing capability, and once spent of fuel and landed, it needed to be recovered and brought back to the airfield for refuelling and re-arming. This brought a number of challenges with it, but a simple piece of agricultural machinery was adapted to do that very job. The Scheuch-Schlepper was designed as a simple tractor, by Rudolf and Eugen Scheuch, and was adapted for war use as a bomb cart tractor. A second steering wheel was also fitted, allowing a walking crewman to help manoeuvre the Schlepper if it was operating under an aircraft. This versatile little machine was seized upon for a role in collecting the landed Me 163 aircraft, but of course, like any good piece of farm equipment, it needed a little help. A custom designed ‘Y’ framework was developed for the Schlepper to tow. This wide-mouthed frame carried inflation bags on each arm that supported the aircraft under its wings, for transport back to its base. A simple yet effective solution. Meng’s Me 163B Komet has been out a little while now, but if you wanted to display this in a recovery dio, there really weren’t any options for you, until now. Profimodeller has released not one, but TWO multimedia kits for this very purpose. The Scheuch-Schlepper and Pressluftballonanhänger are separate releases, but of course are really needed as a single entity for displaying with your Komet. You could of course show an un-hitched Pressluftballonanhänger being positioned under your Me 163, but it would only really make sense if the diminutive little tractor accompanied it. The two kits we have here are: 32245, Scheuch-Schlepper, 1,990 CZK 32246, Pressluftballonanhänger (for Scheuch-Schlepper), 1490 CZK Both of these releases are supplied in small and rigid corrugated cardboard boxes, with their own specific product label affixed to the lid. Scheuch-Schlepper Despite this box being the lighter of the two, by far, it is the more expensive of the two sets. When you see the contents though, the reason is pretty clear. This set has far more parts, and they are also vastly intricate in comparison to the Pressluftballonanhänger. It appears at first glimpse that this isn’t a set for the faint-hearted or impatient builder. Inside the box, there are two small white boxes containing resin parts, a single PE fret, a bag of wires, rod and chain, and of course, the instruction sheet. Inside one of the small inner boxes, you’ll find the large resin body of this vehicle, cast in black resin. A zip-lock back contains all of the other resin components, except for the wheels…..and there are a LOT of resin parts here too, with some of them being fairly small. The tractor body resembles an earth digger bucket, or a small skip, and has some very nice external detail. There is some underside detail to be fitted, but this will be minimal. Internally, the bin is empty, as all internal detail is provided with both resin and PE parts. There are around another 90 parts included in the small bag, all cast superbly, with no flaws, and with excellent detail. These are probably the best castings I’ve yet seen from Profimodeller. In all, a very impressive set of parts, including the small VW engine, transmission, fuel tank, battery and tray etc. This particular machine was fitted with a single wheel adaptation to the rear, making the tractor a ‘tricycle’ vehicle. This rear wheel is supported on a framework that is bolted to the flange at the rear of the Schlepper. All associated parts really are very good, and the wheel itself has beautiful tread too. There are a couple of tiny divots on it, presumably where the overcast spouts were removed, but this is mo problem. Connection to the casting block is around the portion of the wheel that you should perhaps use as the area closest to the floor. There will be just a little work required here to make that look ok. The second small box contains seven parts, cast in a light cream-coloured resin. Four of these parts are the main Schlepper wheels with their heavy, agricultural tread, and also the ‘Continental’ logo on the side. Detail is sharp, but the edges of the wheels are quite square, so I think a quick lick with a sanding stick, just to remove the extreme sharpness of the edge, will make it look a world better. There are no casting blocks there, and very little clean-up is required. Wheel hubs are superbly detailed and separately cast here, as are the bucket seat, main engine upper cowl, and the steering wheel block. Again, I have to say it; the detail really is excellent, and there is very little clean-up to perform on the parts themselves. A couple of parts had broken from their casting blocks, but were undamaged themselves. The bright brass PE fret must contain around another 100 parts. I really haven’t counted these, but I would say I’m not too far from the mark. Here are various plates, brackets, grilles, frameworks, drive and control mechanisms/linkages etc, and also the driver’s foot board. This is etched with a little faux-wood grain, and really wasn’t necessary if you choose to replicate that with oil paint, or the excellent Uschi van der Rosten wood grain decal. I will choose the latter option. Lastly, another bag contains a cast resin towing bar, length of aluminium rod for axles etc. resin bolts for the wheel hubs (Masterclub?), copper wire, chain and turned brass parts for the control levers. Instructions are simple, clear and easy to understand, with illustration being in line drawing format, with simple colour call-outs being supplied. Pressluftballonanhänger Inside this box, there are three smaller white boxes, another bag of resin parts, a bag of springs, ferrules, white and rod, two PE frets and the instruction sheet. The first box contains a bag of the numerous wheels employed by the Y frame. These are cast in pale creak resin, with nice hubs and subtle tread detail. Thankfully, the casting blocks are slightly offset onto the wheel face, meaning they don’t interfere with the tread pattern. Another bag of black resin parts include the gas inflation tanks, tank valves, and frame parts for the ‘Y’ section and also the wheel area, tank supports and hitching mechanism. This bag itself has a total of around 45 parts. The next two small boxes contain the parts that make this set a heavy one; the inflation bags. The breakdown of these is also to be noted. Two large inflation bags are supplied, complete with the heavy sealing and stitching detail at either side, and you will notice that the upper mid-section of each is missing. Those areas are provided as inserts, simply because you can choose to model the Pressluftballonanhänger without the weight of the Me 163 pressing down, or using the indented tanks, it can be displayed under the Komet. A quick test of these inserts showed that you need to adjust these to fit the bag recesses. There is also another bag of wheels included here, identical to the packet in the previous box, providing 4 wheels per side. A bag that sits in the bottom of the main box, contains two black resin parts, forming the main arms of the ‘Y’ frame, and will be added onto with numerous parts in the first box that we looked at. I have to say that these parts, as well as most of the rein in this set, are superbly cast. Only a rough casting block edge on those flotation bags, needs to be cleaned and smoothed, but that can be done at the same time that you remove the seams from the upper inserts. TWO photo-etch frets are included. These contain the various footplates, straps, tank and bag supports and parts for the compressed gas tank valves. Instructions for this set are also clear to understand, and follow the same format as those in the Schlepper kit. Basic colour call-outs are given, and the builder should experience no problems. Conclusion Until now, it’s seemed like Komet modellers in smaller scales have been better catered for than those of us who indulge in large scale pleasures. Hearing that Profimodeller were going to release these pair of kits, really was a pleasure for many of us. Of course, we had to bring it here to show you as soon as we could. Both kits are superbly designed, contain excellent detail, and the quality of the parts is as good as you could want. These won’t be easy kits to build, but the effort will certainly pay off when you mount that 1:32 Komet on that Pressluftballonanhänger!! I’ve got to say that I’m pretty impressed with both of these. VERY highly recommended My sincere thanks to Profimodeller for the review samples seen here. To purchase directly, click the links in the article. James H

Just beautiful We really don't see enough of these built. Such a great job!

I think you're on the nail there Steve. Still, there are modellers who'll add AM to a £150 kit, and double the price, so the market will always be there. We'll publish the new Eduard gun bay and cockpit later this week too.

What a great little kit. I was put off by it not being my primary scale, but it does look real tempting. Dave showed me a photo of the TIE Fighter too. I reckon more purchases coming. Great review!

Christ! LSM should be on commission!! Please post your workbench stuff as you build and install it.

Looks great. I presume that canopy is dry fitted?

Great stuff Doug, and I love that neat workshop setup, as well as those gorgeous projects. What you working on now?

Very cool. We should have a 'HobbyZone Club' here at LSM

Wow! This has built up so quickly and looks so good. Kudos

What a great looking kit. For me, HpH are really trailblazing the more unusual types, and giving them real appeal with their quality. Great review! Now go clean the parts ready for construction