James H

I love this build. Sure the inspiration that will see me kickstart mine again. You're doing amazingly with this kit. Sure hope you publish a full build of your next masterpiece up here.

Holy crap!!! That is astounding. How expensive is it to print this out?

It sure does. They can be bought separately, but I really think they should have been included here instead of the metal belts.

1:32 F4U-1A cockpit Eduard 'Brassin' Catalogue # 632053 Available from Eduard for €41,25 Bunny Fighter Club price: €35,06 It hasn't taken Eduard as long to release a complete cockpit upgrade for the recent 1:32 Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair as it did for the initial Birdcage variant, and I'm pretty pleased about that. Having the kit in my stash for a pending magazine project, and knowing the level of detail within the cockpit, it may seem surprising that a whole resin replacement is now available, but just wait until you see this! You really won't want to build that kit without first seeing the detail that this upgrade offers. Before you say it though, yes, this set does differ from the original F4U-1 cockpit. I can't give a list of general changes, but the pilot seat on the F4U-1A set is in a higher position than it its predecessor. Eduard have used their satin black cardboard package for this release, and before you open it, you can feel that it's quite weighty. When opened, you'll see that part of that weight are the four, double sided and folded instruction sheets required for this project, followed by SIX bags of resin which is cast in a combination of light grey, mid grey and clear, plus a small wallet with two PE frets and an instrument panel decal. Two casting blocks are packaged within the main box, un-bagged due to their delicate nature. The resin parts are protected within the box by pieces of soft grey foam, and the instructions are wrapped around these for extra security. This is going to be no quick project, and the FOURTY-NINE pieces of resin and around SIXTY photo-etch parts, are testimony to that. Strangely enough, I'm attracted to the bag with the two largest parts first, plus those loose parts: Eduard appear to use the darker resin for the thinner components, and here, these are the deeply curved floor and the upper side walls which are attached at a late stage in construction. Light grey resin is used for the forward and rear bulkheads. The detail within these key areas is stunning, with plenty of subtle detail hiding around the key structures and avionics/pipework/cabling. I have to say that some carefully applied washes and dry brushing will bring levels of detail out that would normally be overshadowed by the larger cockpit components. Holding the various parts together, you can see that a lot of effort has been made in ensuring that detail areas, such as constructional elements, line up perfectly, as was seen in the 1:48 Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit replacement set. There are a number of minor webs on the cockpit floor, underneath cabling and pipes, and this will need careful trimming away. This goes for the main, central web in the floor too. These thinner, fragile parts are connected to their casting blocks via thin resin walls which look easy to remove and clean up. You will fine smoothly recessed areas on the sidewalls into which the side consoles will neatly fit, so there will be no guesswork here. A number of avionics boxes and cabling are included too. The main, light grey components for the bulkheads are a detail painters dream; especially the forward bulkhead with its mass of pipes, wiring, junction boxes etc. My only real criticism of these parts are the quite thick casting blocks which will need some elbow-grease to remove and clean up. This is a very complex set and one which will bore the pants off you if I describe every single piece (many of which I couldn't' even put a name to), so from here, let's take a look at this bag by bag, with photos, using captions where appropriate. I will also highlight anything which I think you should be aware of. Wallet 2 Wallet 3 Wallet 4 Here we can see that Eduard have given the choice of two different instrument panels. A full resin part is supplied, including cast instrument detail. Those instruments also have dial detail, so unless you're into dry brushing and micro-detail painting, you might prefer the other option. That second option is a resin panel with only a minor amount of cast detail. A first layer of PE is then applied, and then the instrument decal. Finally, a PE fascia is overlaid to complete the panel. This will be painted, and onto this you will lay the instrument decal before then applying the fascia. In an unusual move, this fascia panel is supplied as base brass, and is not colour-printed. Wallet 5 Wallet 6 All resin parts have been thoughtfully connected to their casting blocks in the least obtrusive manner possible. Many connecting areas fall along assembly joints, or will be hidden from view, despite them not really being a problem anyway. Eduard has mastered the easy to remove system for casting blocks, with only those two bulkhead parts having blocks which will require some substantial effort to remove. Many parts are also quit e fragile-looking, such as various pipes etc, and again we see these parts cast in the darker grey resin, which perhaps is a little different and more resilient to being handled. No flaw can be found anywhere, such as breakages, bubbles or short cast. This is as good as it can possibly get. Photo Etch There are two PE frets in this set, with one being colour-printed, and the other in bare brass. The colour fret contains the seatbelt set which is composed of belts and separate buckles. I think I prefer the textile belts to these though, for a more realistic effect and weathering possibilities. The second fret holds the various instrument panel layers, with neatly etched bezels. A series of levers are included too, as well as pedal adjustment ratchets and various brackets. Etch quality is excellent, and small connecting points mean parts will be easy to remove from the fret. Instructions There is a LOT of work involved in assembling this, and an even bigger job in painting it, but that is fun, right? There's no doubt that Eduard have done an admirable job in presenting the various constructional sequences with relative clarity. Newly attached parts are shown in blue ink, whilst any surgery required to the host kit, is inked in red. There is indeed some surgery to perform, but this seems to be limited to the removal of the moulded structures (frames) within the cockpit, and no actual wall thinning is required. This should be a relatively easy project to install within the plastic. Colour reference codes are supplied for Mr Hobby paints, throughout construction. A useful parts map, with part numbers, is supplied on the rear page of the manual. To complete the cockpit assembly, you will need a little lead, tin or copper wire for various tasks. Conclusion In the UK, you can buy this set for £30 to £35, and whilst the Tamiya kit itself can be bought for around £90 to £95 (cheaper from Lucky Model etc), it seems like quite a high proportion of cost to spend on just the cockpit. Having said that, the sheer number of parts in this set, and how thorough it is, for me, is a perfect reason to do so. It seems incredulous that you could improve the Tamiya kit parts to such an extent that you'd scrap them completely, but this is exactly what this set provides, at the same time, offering a mammoth leap in detail over the original. For me, this set is a MUST! Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to Eduard for the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

Fantastic! Wanted to see one of these being built here. Thanks for sharing. Looking mighty fine so far.

Noisy!

Great looking stuff Marek, and.......

A great looking build Michael, I'll be referencing this when the time comes to crack out my kit.

Wow! If it's anything like your Me 410, it'll be stunning

Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 Super Riveting Set HGW Catalogue # 321016 Available from HGW for 996Kč Now, this release is maybe a little spuriously named, and what is contained within this pack is mostly not entirely new, perhaps except for HGW’s new ‘Wet Transfer’ inclusion, but that alone is reason enough to look at this new, comprehensive Riveting Set upgrade for the Hasegawa/Revell Fw 190D-9 kit. This is probably the most comprehensive non-scheme decal set for this release, also containing a set of laser-cut microfiber seatbelts. This release is packaged into a clear, re-sealable sleeve that is just a little smaller than A4 in size, and also contains a thick card insert to prevent damage to the set whilst in your postman’s hands. HGW’s attractive presentation is carried over onto these super-releases, and all contents are clear to see over both the front and back of packet. A summary of what’s included is: 321001, Riveting Set 262004, Wet Transfer decal set 132501, Standard Luftwaffe seatbelts Riveting Set This is essentially split into two parts, and forms the main component of this product. The rivets themselves are described by HGW as ‘positive rivets’. That of course means that they stand slightly proud of the surface, but no so much as to look wrong. Each rivet is an individual dot of glue, and every single area of the external airframe will be covered with these. To make things far easier for you, the exterior is broken down into sections, which are easily identifiable on the two rivet sheets that are supplied here. A separate sheet of illustrations shows where the specific panels fit to the model. Before you can apply these, you must prime your model and ensure the surface is smooth. Each panel must now, in turn, have its backing film removed and then applied to the model as a regular decal, using decal setting solution. The latter is highly advised. After buffing down the panel onto the model, you leave this, and the carrier film in situ for 3 to 4 hours. After that time, you carefully remove the film, leaving ONLY the rivets on the surface…..nothing else! Any adhesive residue can be wiped away with water and a cotton bud. It’s that simple. I’ve used these before with excellent results. When you paint your model, you will see slight variations in the finish, where the rivets lie, and if you softly micromesh them, removing a little paint in places, this will look like some rivets do when the paint partially chips away from them. As a sort of bonus, extra decals are also supplied for the control surfaces, specifically tailored in shape and size, to fit perfectly. When applied, these give the rib structures a better definition than is already moulded. Wet Transfer decal set This is HGW’s new technology which provides decals that are very much akin to how they would be if you were to apply masks and paint them. Of course, you can’t really mask for stencils due to the limitations of the cutter. Weeding out stencils, if they could be produced as masks, would also be tedious and cause raised blood pressure. HGW’s new system is to apply stencils exactly as with their rivet sets, meaning that all that’s left on your model is the link, and NO carrier film. Sound good? Along with masks for markings, this must be the ultimate finish. Stencil printing is excellent, with all text perfectly readable, even to my poor eyes. As well as stencils, there are dashed walkway lines and also options for stencils where records show they could vary. Absolutely top marks! Now, along with the stencils, HGW have extended their decal technology to actual national markings, and a set are provided here too. These include Balkenkreuz and Hakenkreuz, with both size and style options available. Again, these are applied as per the stencils and rivet decals, and will leave no carrier film behind. Printing is first rate, with solid colour and perfect registration. Standard Luftwaffe Seatbelts These will be no stranger to you. We’ve seen these many times before here on LSM. This packet contains one full set of laser cut, colour printed seatbelts on a paper backing (which must first be removed), and a single Eduard-produced PE fret. If you’ve never used HGW seatbelts, then you really are missing out on an opportunity to add more realism to your projects. The new generation of their seatbelts are now all laser-cut, meaning you only need to snip them from their micro-fibre ‘fret’ The first thing you need to do (and some forget!) is to peel the thick paper backing from the textile sheet, and as you snip the various parts from the fret, scrunch them up in your fingers and then open them out again. This breaks any tension in the material, and allows them to be more realistically posed. You can now assemble the belts using small drops of CA, best applied on the end of a toothpick, or similar. Assembly is always very easy, with both textile and PE parts being identified by different colour markers on the assembly drawings. Unlike the RB Productions belts which are adjustable when complete, you will need to get a measure of your own specific model before setting any buckles and clasps into position, and then gluing them permanently. Now, you can apply your belts to your model, using a little CA, and draping them in a realistic fashion. Once set, apply a coat of gloss varnish to them and weather them with oils. Apart from the extra realism, you will notice another little quirk. A whole range of laser-engraved stitching will now be easily seen! It’s quite difficult to see these unless you apply a wash. Conclusion In the near future, I plan to build a Hasegawa Fw 190D-9, in Russian colours, incorporating obliterated German markings. As these wet transfers seem to be thinner, I’m sort of hoping that they will be perfect for lying the Russian stars over. Anyway, they’ll certainly be tested, as will the entire set. So please watch out for that build here at LSM, and Military Illustrated Modeller magazine. HGW are a pretty innovative company, and I quite like to use their products where I can, so this will be an interesting build, and hopefully I can show you these products to good effect. VERY highly recommended My sincere thanks to HGW for this review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

So cool. Not seen one of these being built yet, and it looks such a sweet kit. Looks like you're pathfinding again

How the hell did I miss seeing this when I visited Brussels? Looks a great place. Must pencil into a visit in the near future.

1:35 U.S. Tracked Tractor (Military Crawler) USA D7 7M Tractor (Military Variant) Mirror Models Catalogue # 35850 Available from Creative Models for £39.99 The D7 caterpillar tractor was first produced in the U.S in 1938, and very commonly seen in its bulldozer guise. Known as the ‘Cat’, the type was designed for the U.S. military, and has served with distinction over numerous conflicts from WW2, right up to the illegal and destabilising invasion of Iraq. The Cat has been adapted continually over this time, being fitted with armoured cabs etc. and it is actually still possible to see many of these operating on farmland too, with the internet being an easy place to find these for sale at such a relatively cheap price for such a piece of history. You’ll notice that this release seems to have two names. When I ordered my samples from Creative, this release had, and still has, the D7 7M Tractor name, with a box art to match. The kit I was sent is indeed the same kit, and despite the box lid painting being the same, the rest of the box art is changed to a more attractive format, and the title ‘U.S. Tracked Tractor’ has now been used. I just thought I’d clear that up! For people like me, who know nothing about this subject, the D7 7M is a far more precise description. Mirror Models actually release this kit in both Tractor and Bulldozer format, meaning that if you wish to build the tractor, you can opt to buy the slightly cheaper kit and save the extra pennies. This kit is actually packed into quite a small box whose lid is bulging with plastic. The glossy lid depicts a green-painted WW2 era machine against a background that could be a destroyed German town or city. You will find a small number of images of the finished model on the box side, and very impressive this looks too. For those of you who aren’t acquainted with Mirror Models, this company is closely related to LZ Models, who produce resin kits. Mirror Models is Libor Zachoval’s injection moulded arm of his empire, with some kits still containing a number of chosen resin parts. This kit has no resin, but does have a couple of springs which can be used if you decide not to add the plating to the inner track area. Not all sprues within this release are individually bagged. To be honest, the fit in the box is so tight that it simply couldn’t be achieved. Still, all sprues are compactly packed and have suffered no damage as a result. In total, there are THIRTEEN sprues, packaged across 7 sleeves, with another two clear parts in a zip-lock sleeve. Plastic is moulded in a combination of brown and light grey. Two metal springs are also included, as is a small fret of PE and a single decal sheet for the two schemes on offer here. A rather agricultural instruction A4 instruction manual is supplied, and just to contrast, a super glossy colour scheme sheet printed in colour, and apparently sponsored by Mig’s Ammo brand of paint and weathering products. I’m not going to do a sprue by sprue assessment here, but will show each one in turn, and in detail. Unlike aircraft, and even armour, this one isn’t too easy to write, unless you’re a tractor geek. You’ll note that the brown plastic is given over to the 5 sprues of workable tracks that are included. Each track comprises three parts, and there are thirty-six tracks per side. Compared with the Miniart kit, which has a different track breakdown, with a higher number of parts, this solution seems a little easier, and is certainly shown in the final number of actual kit parts. This release contains 520+ parts, in comparison to Miniart’s release with a hundred more; tracks playing a major factor in that figure. Mirror Model’s tracks are superbly moulded, with incredibly thin edges and some great linkage detail. A little work to build them, but you’ll be pleased to know that sprue gate connections are minimal. Drive and idler wheels are moulded across two identical sprues, as are the running wheels. Notice how each of these sprues has a series of extraneous hexagonal bolt heads moulded along two edges. Whether you use them here or not, these will come in particularly useful if you don’t have a specialised punch and die set. Parts are sharp, and where possible ejector pin positions are on tags that are connected to the part. As the engine on this kit is very much in the open, Mirror Models have made a fabulous job of recreating it. Some optional photo etch parts are also included, and really should be used as they are very easy to attach. This is a model where perhaps the engine should be painted separately to the main chassis, and attached towards the end of construction. A multi-part hood is included, and you will need to still make sure that some engine piping will protrude through the holes in the hood. So, build the hoof first and ensure you adapt the engine ancillary detail to suit it. You can decide whether to fit the bogey safety covers or not. If you choose to omit them, the metal springs can be fitted here. Word of warning though. It looks like you will need to cut to length and also grind the ends down to flatten them. In this respect, you may be best thinning the plastic on the covers and twisting it a little before fitting, for some added realism. As this model doesn’t contain the dozer parts, a small number of holes on the chasses will need to be filled. It may have been a better idea to have had these flashed over to drill out for the dozer option, but hey ho! Overall, detail is simply amazing, with a small number of options here and there, for such things as seat arms, and a small smattering of PE for the engine area, including a very nice radiator fan etc. Other PE parts are supplied for the running boards and cabin floor, and the latter is a far nicer option than the plastic alternative. In all, two frets of metal parts are included here. As this is a tractor too, a towing bracket is a feature of this release. Clear parts are included for headlights. I can see no moulded Caterpillar logo, or a decal for it, but my quick scan of the internet shows that these weren’t always present, so no problems there. Plastic is beautifully moulded, with great attention to detail, including bolt detail etc with the kit having a real feel of the subject at hand. Flash is negligible, and seams also nothing to be concerned about. No defects can be found. A single decal sheet is included, with the various military stars, codes and registrations, and these are of very high quality. Printing is glossy, and also reasonably thin, with minimal carrier film. As all printing is white, registration is academic. Those schemes are depicted on that shiny insert, with colours being given for Ammo paints only, which is a shame, although as you only have to choose between olive drab and sand, it’s no real hardship to source your own paint codes. I’m actually fairly disappointed with the instruction sheet. The construction sequences look murky, and parts fit appears to be ambiguous. When something is attached, there is then no image of it really in situ, meaning you might need to scour the finished images for some detail. Text notation is also in poor English and should have been corrected beforehand. No colour references are made throughout construction. Conclusion This kit is actually a very good kit, despite my complaints about the springs and the instruction manual. If you can get past that, what you have here is a very comprehensive and apparently accurate model of this very famous little workhorse. Detail is thorough, and most certainly appears to be a match for the Miniart release. I have those reservations about the instructions, which could cause some issues, but that’s the only real bad things here. This kit retails at just under £40, and I think for what is on offer, that’s a very fair price, and there is definitely a very reasonable amount of work for your cash here. Highly recommended My sincere thanks to Creative Models for this review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

HK plan to release the E/F this year, so I'll be building one, no doubt...just as soon as the Lanc is complete. I'll be plagiarising this somewhat.

1:48 Bv 141 detail sets, for Hobby Boss kit Eduard Catalogue # see article for price and code Available from Eduard Last year, Hobby Boss released their 1:48 Blohm und Voss Bv 141 reconnaissance aircraft, and we reviewed it here. A few months have now passed, and if you’ve been patiently resisting building it, pending aftermarket sets, then your wait is finally over Eduard have released THREE new sets for this. When you consider the viewable interior through the greenhouse canopy, then a little help in maximising that detail will always be welcome, and most certainly the canopy mask set too! 49699, Bv 141 S.A, €22.45 FE699, Bv 141 S.A. ‘Zoom’, €9.95 EX443, Bv 141 masks, €12.75 Hobby Boss have made some great kits, and some maybe, er, not so great. One really good one that comes to mind is their Me 262, which is essentially a scaled down version of the Trumpeter release. They have also seen accolades for their A6-A Intruder. Recently, their performance with the Westland Whirlwind and De Havilland Hornet has seen much derision. When they announced the release of the Bv 141, there were certainly a reasonable amount of enthusiasm, and thankfully, I think they pulled off a pretty reasonable job with it. Maybe the control surfaces were a little too heavy, but that’s my only real criticism of what is otherwise a very nice kit. Hobby Boss also made a very reasonable job of the cockpit/crew area, but as this is very much a focal area of this bizarre aircraft, it’s not surprising that Eduard have decided to use this as a focal point for their joint interior/exterior set that we’ll look at now. Bv 141 S.A. Firstly, the ‘S.A.’ suffix indicates that this set contains a self-adhesive PE fret, that is also printed in colour. There are actually TWO frets in this set, with the second being a larger, bare brass item. Of course, the PE fret contains parts which are exclusively for the cockpit area, such as a two-layer instrument panel which is an overlay of fascia onto plain instruments, and also a number of other panels and consoles; all printed in what looks like a reasonable interpretation of RLM66. Also on this sheet are various loose instruments for other areas within the glasshouse, as well as complete crew seatbelt sets and rudder pedals. Those belts are simple to use too, being produced as single part straps etc, with only the padded section to add to the lap belts. The larger, bare brass sheet contains some very nice and interesting parts, such as completely new main gear doors which contain all of the internal detal that the plastic parts were devoid of, plus a wing walkway panel, main gear brake line cabling, and a number of internal parts too. These include ammunition containers (which will require careful folding and rolling), and faces for the ammo saddles too. There is also an optional shield which fits within the glass nose, but I don’t think I’d fit that myself. Other parts on here include various handles and arms for posing the canopies in an open position. Some surgery will be required to fit this set, such as a little grinding away of moulded detail, but that is essentially ‘it’. Bv 141 S.A. ‘Zoom’ This set contains the same, identical colour fret of the abovementioned one, allowing the absolute basics to be addressed, whilst still adding some very nice detail to be installed, such as the instrument panels and seatbelts etc. Bv 141 masks If there was ever a set which was more worthwhile to buy than any other, then it’s THIS one! That large greenhouse canopy is studded with numerous windows of varying shapes and sizes. I know it would drive me stupid to try and mask this without this set. If it took me 4 hours to recently mask a 1:32 Mosquito canopy, I’d need two or three days for this session on the Bv 141. Of course, this is quite a complicated set in terms of the sheer number of parts, but the instruction sheet makes it clearly obvious where they must all fit. You’ve still got a couple of hours work here though. Hub masks are also included for the wheels. A single sheet of kabuki mask material is included here, and the instruction sheet. Worth EVERY penny! Conclusion I’d been waiting for these sets to be released as I would quite like to build this one before too long. The Bv 141 has always been a favourite of mine, and I think Eduard did a great service to the very nice Hobby Boss kit. All I’d like to see now are resin replacements for the dodgy looking ailerons and elevators! Highly recommended My sincere thanks to Eduard for these review sets. To purchase directly, click the links in the article. James H

1:48 5-colour lozenge decal (upper and lower) Eduard Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from Eduard Whilst producing decals isn’t exactly a new thing for Eduard, releasing standalone sets of lozenge decal is a pretty new area. We have seen lozenge supplied with the both the Albatros D.Va and Siemens-Schuckert D.III releases, of course. For those modellers who wish to use the earlier 5-colour lozenge, then Eduard’s new sets may be just what you’re in need of. Remember that the 5-colour lozenge was eventually phased out and replaced with the simpler-to-manufacture 4-colour lozenge, later in the war. You will need to ensure that your particular aircraft was in fact using the earlier 5-colour and not the 4-colour. Sometimes this is easy to gauge, but the tricky bit comes around the time these were changed (early 1918 I seem to think). At least up until the end of 1917, you can be sure that this style of lozenge was used. Ok, onto the sets… D48022, Lozenge 5-colour upper, €11,25 D48023, Lozenge 5-colour lower, €11,25 Both of these sets are packaged into a medium-sized zip-lock wallet, with a colour printed product insert, and a piece of card to stiffen the package. A single sheet of decal is provided with both sets, with 4 strips of lozenge decal on each, measuring 123mm x 35mm, and in a direction which appears to run from front to back, and not lengthways. If this is the case, and I’m no expert, then no seam joints are included which would indicate the full width of the fabric bolt. As this is generic decal, there are also no rib tapes, and you will need to add these to suit your own particular model. I can’t vouch for colour authenticity, but the colour reproduction on these does look very good compared with those from other manufacturers, and like Wingnut Wings’ own decal sheets, these are printed in solid colour, as opposed to the fabric texture seen on Aviattic and Old Propeller decal sheets. Printing is very good, having been done in-house by Eduard themselves. I am a big fan of Eduard’s own decals as they behave superbly with setting solutions, and are nice and thin. Ironically, they are also in perfect register. The reason I say this is because the actual lozenge suffered from overlap of the various colours, albeit minimally, and I think you could also see glimpses of unprinted fabric between some panels. I can’t really criticise the reproduction here though, especially in 1:48, as the sheets themselves actually look very good. Conclusion If you model WW1 in 1:48, these will be very useful sets to have in your stash, and they are also very attractive in that the colours aren’t too vivid in their interpretation. A simple product, but invaluable for the Great War Modeller. Very reasonably priced too. Highly recommended My sincere thanks to Eduard for these review samples. To purchase directly, click the links in the article. James H

1:32 F4U-1A BIG ED Eduard Catalogue # BIG3349 Available from Eduard for €71,25 Bunny Fighter Club price: €60,56 Yes, the ‘Birdcage’ Corsair was nice, but the one we all really wanted to see was the bubble canopy variant! Of course, after a period of selling their initial tooling, the F4U-1A was released in the last months, and despite Tamiya’s reputation for moulding and engineering excellence, it sure doesn’t stop Eduard bringing out a number of upgrade and detail sets. These are now packaged in the popular BIG ED set, saving you a little money. As I write this, a new F4U-1A specific Brassin cockpit has also just arrived, and we’ll bring that to you as soon as we can. In the meanwhile, let’s see what’s inside this new BIG ED set. I also enclose separate product links, as well as the one for the whole suite. BIG3349, F4U-1A (for Tamiya kit), €71,25 32365, F4U-1A engine 32366, F4U-1A exterior 32828, F4U-1A interior S.A 32829, F4U-1A placards 32784, F4U seatbelts JX176, F4U-1a masks F4U-1A engine All photo-etch sets here are packaged into Eduard’s familiar, slim letterbox format sleeves, with a protective card inner. This particular set contains two, bare brass PE frets which include detail for the engine, radiator cooling flaps, and also a set of replacement PE engine cowls. A small amount of remedial work will need to be carried out, such as drilling holes so that ignition lines may pass, and also removal of the sockets around the collector ring. I’m not a massive fan of this, and flat ignition wires. I would perhaps just drill the plastic sockets, and add lead wire, using the wiring guide here. Other areas of detail are very good though, such as the small actuators which sit within the cooling flap ring. These will take a little time to assemble. Those internal faces also undergo a change, with a metal facing plate for each one. A real seller for me is the inclusion of the main circular cowls, which after being belt to shape, are then lines with the internal framework. These should look very nice when complete. It’s just a pity the metal is bare brass, as chipping down to a nickel-plate surface would have looked excellent. F4U-1A exterior This is a single-fret release which helps to tidy up a few areas that Tamiya were a little remiss with, such as the bare ends of the wing flaps, and a little rib detail etc. A suite of wiring looms are also included for use in the gear bay and wing fold area too. A notable area of change is the tail wheel bay where various brackets and a box are installed, onto which the rudder cable horn will be attached. That’s a particularly nice touch, onto which you can possibly add the wires/rods too. A bare minimum of surgery will be required for this set, and nothing too worrying either; just a little end rib detail removal on the flaps. Certainly no headache F4U-1A interior S.A As the suffix denotes, this set contains self-adhesive parts, which I’ve always found to work very well due to adhesive strength. Just make sure you align things before setting them together! This set contains TWO frets; one in nickel and printed in colour, and the other in bare brass. The first fret is essentially the various cockpit consoles, switches etc, along with the now familiar two part, layered instrument panel. This layered approach also applies other elements within this set. Colour printing is excellent, but of course, you will need to remove a certain amount of detail so you can install everything. The second fret is where the rest of the detail comes into play, with everything from foot pedal sheathing and brackets, through to upgrades for the fire extinguisher and its mounting bracket. This fret offers a lot in terms of detail which Tamiya missed out, whereas the first fret deals with upgrading current detail, mostly. Other parts on this fret include more wiring looms for bulkheads, seat detail, sidewall detail including throttle and avionics upgrades, and also edge trimming for the canopies, instead of the smooth plastic edge that companies still seem to mould on their kits. This set is NOT to be used in conjunction with the forthcoming resin cockpit set, and must simply be used to detail the plastic kit parts. The resin pit will contain its own PE sets, and a number of details will be incorporated within the resin itself. This is a very nice upgrade set, but with some careful surgery required to install it. F4U-1A placards Again, this set contains a single fret, but with quite a high parts count. As well as the actual placards, there are some parts that appear to be duplicated from the Interior set, including console detail, and a good number of the avionics. However, some parts are present only this set, such as the data and manufacturer plate for the Pratt & Whitney engine. I would have though these would have been included in the engine set! It sort of makes this set reasonably important if you bought the other sets, despite the duplications. This set would be a perfect stablemate to the Zoom Interior set, if you don’t want to bother with the other sets in this schedule. F4U seatbelts I’m not really a believer that you either love or hate photo-etch, colour seatbelts. I have activelt tried to avoid them in favour of the textile belts, but I recently had to use a set inside my 1:32 Do 335, and I have to say that they were actually very easy to use. A couple of toothpicks were used form a ‘wave’ into the belts, so they weren’t absolutely straight, and of course, assembly is minimal. I think the overall effect was very good. This set consists of a single, colour PE fret that is beautifully printed. The stitching may look a little heavy, but in all, this should build up into a very attractive set. If you aren’t a fan of metal, then Eduard have released a set of fabric belts. F4U-1A masks These are a real time saver, and in my opinion, worth every penny. When you spend 4 hours masking a Mosquito cockpit, you really understand the true worth of having a specific masking set. Of course, the cockpit canopy is the main player here in this set, with the sliding hood being supplied as frame outlines only. Don’t fill in with liquid mask if you use Klear on your canopies, or you’ll fog things up. I would use scrap sheet infill to do the job. Masks are also supplied for wheel hubs and other small, peripheral detail. Conclusion Overall, these are excellent upgrade sets, despite some of the inclusions, omissions and layout being a little odd in places. Essentially, for the interior, you have numerous options to detail the kit, and I would look at the Eduard site and the instructions, and check exactly what each set offers you before you commit to buy. In all though, certainly worth checking out if you have one of the new release 1A kits in your stash. Highly recommended My sincere thanks to Eduard for these review samples. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

You're welcome Brent. Whilst there is some piss-poor excuse for humanity out there, that stole your birthday present, it's good to be able to try and balance out the negative karma and give you that gift that was so callously stolen. This will be posted out in a few hours, and I'll send you the tracking number. So pleased that we managed to turn your birthday around for you. Can't wait to see you with this nice big box! Jim

That is stunning Rick! Certainly one of the best Würgers' I've seen built. You should try your hand at the new Revell kit.

Silverwings seem to be getting better and better. This is my review of 2015 so far. Astounding!!

Hi guys and gals, I'm in the market for some new clamps. Pretty urgently. What do you use and recommend? Can you provide links?

YES!! Radu has promised to send one over when ready. Watch out for the review.

You really do need to use the microfibre belts for 1:24. Nice set of reviews Dave. Eduard will share to their FB page. Now....when you starting this one?

Thanks Julien, I have to say this is probably the nicest 1:48 I've seen in a long time. I've already started to cut plastic for a future magazine build.

1:48 Fouga CM.170 Magister Avante Garde Models Catalogue # 88004 Available from HobbyEasy for $298HKD (around £25) There are a few subjects that I always hope will eventually be tackled in 1:32. Until that happens, I’m quite happy to see 1:48 incarnations. One such subject is the gorgeous Fouga Magister. When I was a kid, I built the 1:72 Heller kit, which I seem to remember was beautifully detailed. Mind you, that’s a view probably being seen through rose-tinted glasses now! Recently, Kinetic stepped up to the plate and released a dual 1:48 Magister kit, which by all accounts, is actually a great kit. Surely, if you want to release your own 1:48 Magister, you need to approach things a little differently then? Well, that is exactly what Avante Garde (AMK) have done with this; their fourth release. This kit is packaged into a fairly small but weighty box, which is adorned with CAD renders of the kit in various schemes that are supplied. Lifting that lid though, you will see where this is a little different from the Kinetic release. The main area within the box contains four re-sealable clear sleeves, akin to those that Great Wall Hobby use. Within these, there are FIVE medium grey styrene sprues, and a transparent sprue. That’s right, not all sprues are packaged separately, but in this case, no harm appears to be done due to them being properly packed. The clear sprue is a clone of the grey one that contains the fuselage halves, amongst a variety of other parts. The reason for this will become apparent. An area of this box is sectioned off with a cardboard insert. Sitting within this is a small plastic box which is around the same size as an iPhone. A graphic on the lid shows the parts contained within. This package actually holds a number of metal parts that look like either zinc, or an alloy. I’m sure they aren’t the softer white metal. We’ll look at this soon too. Underneath the cardboard, the clear canopy sprue is to be found, along with a single photo-etch fret. Pull everything from the box, and a beautifully illustrated instruction manual included, as is a comprehensive, and reasonably large decal sheet. Rationale: I first need to explain what I believe is AMK’s premise with this kit. The actual breakdown and design can be finished in a number of ways. You can choose to leave out any internals, and make the model as you normally would, i.e. in paint/decals. This would seem s shame though, and waste a lot of the kit’s engineering. You could also build it painted, and choose to have sections of the fuselage left bare, so you can glimpse what is within. Of course, you may also choose to build the model in the same way as the old Revell Phantom Mustang, but there is also one other option. The engineering breakdown of this kit allows for panels to be removed as they would on the real aircraft. This is idea for those that want to build either a diorama, or simply to choose whatever section they want to be seen within. This kit is no slouch in the part number department either, with it comprising 285 parts. For a model of this size, that’s a pretty sizable number. So what is on offer in this kit? For a start, apart from the option to use clear parts for the fuselage, you can also opt to use either the plastic or metal parts too. One of these is more the main wing spar. I’m pretty sure the plastic one would suffice, but there’s no doubt that the metal alternative is very attractive. Within the fuselage, just about every area is represented, from a beautiful cockpit, through to the primary and secondary fuel tank bays, oil tank bay, electronics and pressure equipment bays, and of course, two nicely detailed engines. AMK have even provided an impressively detailed interior to the nose cone area too. To match this level of detail, the internal fuselage halves have the circumferential former detail moulded in situ. Now, let’s take a closer look. SPRUE A This sprue, as mentioned, comes in both grey and clear styrene. It can be a little trickier when working with clear parts, due to their gluing properties and brittleness, but nevertheless, the option for a fully clear fuselage is available. There is actually a very bare minimum of intentional frosting on the parts, giving them more of a high quality appearance. Despite that frosting, you should still clearly see all the internals. Other parts on this sprue include the jet engine nacelle covers, intake ducts, turtledeck, canopy coaming, lower fuselage access panel, cockpit tub, instrument panels, and a multipart nose cone, with an option for faired gun ports. The fuselage parts are superbly rendered, and again remind me a little of GWH releases in their finesse. Panel lines are subtle, and the model is also provided without rivets…well almost. A number of rivets at the nail section are provided as raised detail. This also goes for a few other parts too, and we’ll look at these soon. An integral tailwheel is moulded to one half of the fuselage, and of course, the engine nacelle fairings are separate so that you can display the engines. AMK have made a very reasonable job of the cockpit tub and instrument panels too, with some beautifully reproduced detail, and plenty of it. Instruments are supplied blind, allowing you easily add instrument decals. Unfortunately, the kit contains none, so you will need to perhaps source some from Airscale. There are a few ejector pin marks within the fuselage, but nothing major. Strangely enough, the pin marks on the cockpit tub are on the upper side, and may need a little removal. I can’t understand why these were on the lower face of this part. SPRUE B This sprue contains the Magister’s flying and control surfaces, with the wings being quite typical of the standard upper and lower surfaces, and with integral ailerons. The latter is quite unusual, as the landing flaps themselves are moulded separately. Still, I never see separate ailerons as being particularly useful. External panel lines do seem a little heavier than those on the fuselage, but nothing for any real concern. These can be reduced a little with an application of Mr Surfacer, and a general rub back of the exterior. Upper wing airbrakes are supplied as PE parts, and if you want to fit any weapon load-out, you will need to drill out the pylon location points from within the lower wing panel. Within the wing, the wheel well detail is actually very good, with a few very minor pin marks that will need eradicating. Side walls are supplied as separate parts. Landing flaps are supplied for both raised and lowered positons. Whilst the control surfaces are smooth, the actual tail plane parts have that unusual raised riveting. NOTE: The raised rivets are actually correct. AMK have sent me a close up of this area which shows this clearly! Photo courtesy of AMK SPRUE C A very detailed interior requires a lot of parts, and this sprue starts to supply that requirement. Here, you will find parts for both engines, as well as some of the interior bay areas, and also the plastic wing spar. A small number of other parts here are also supplied with metal alternatives, such as the engine exhaust channels. I actually find the plastic ones to look perfectly good, but it’s always good to have choice. This sprue also contains TWO wing tip tank options, seen on this sprue. SPRUE D (x2) We have a bit of a mish-mash here on this smaller sprue, with a number of internal parts, such as internal formers, crew seat parts, control stick, and the bracket for the V-tail (also supplied in metal), but mainly concerning external weapons load outs, including bombs, rockets, and multi-rocket pods. A small number of other external parts are moulded here too. SPRUE E This sprue is even smaller than ‘D’, but contains many key detail parts for the various internal fuselage chambers, including optional parts for the machine which was fitted with two forward-firing nose guns. A few external panels are moulded here, as are a series which fit along the spine, allowing the modeller to display the internal workings of this beautifully iconic aircraft. SPRUE F At last, we have the clear sprue, containing canopy parts. I have to say that these are CRYSTAL clear! Just great to look at. This model is designed so that you can pose the canopies in either an open or closed position. Frame lines are very fine, and you will need to be careful when masking, or aim for the inevitable Eduard mask set (they are already releasing stuff for this kit). Plastic Summary Looking at this kit, you get the impression these guys have been doing this for years, but remember, this is on early offering from them. Whilst detail is generally excellent, with high quality moulding, there are a few minor, yet annoying pin marks. I feel these could either have been placed on the reverse of a part, or maybe with an ejector pin point attached externally to the part. Still, I can’t quibble too much, as the standard is very high. Flash and seams are pretty much non-existent. METAL PARTS AMK have obviously spent a lot of time and effort on this aspect of the kit, and it absolutely shows. A variety of key parts within this kit have been reproduced in this sturdy metal alloy, and inserted within a moulded try which fits them exactly. A clear plastic lid sits atop this and a parts key card is included. Be careful prising the lid open or you may end up with all the contents on the floor. This set contains TWENTY-EIGHT high quality cast parts, including machine guns, central spar, nose weapons bay elements, tail brackets, undercarriage legs etc. To add a bonus, two cast nose weights are also included, so no guesswork when building this one. I have to presume that the weights account for the addition of various metal parts across the airframe. PHOTO ETCH A single fret is included, which contains those multipart airbrakes, seatbelts and a number of small internal and external details. This is presented in a small sleeve and backed with cardboard. Production quality is very good. Decals There are FIVE schemes available with this kit, and the subjects chosen really do show the Magister off to best effect, from the Tricolour of the French machine to the camouflage of the German, and the flame red of the Belgian aircraft. A single decal sheet contains not only the national and specific machine markings, as well as stencilling, but also various coloured panels and stripes. I can’t tell where these are produced, but they appear to be of high quality. They are reasonably thin, contain minimal carrier film and are in perfect register. You’ll have your work cut out applying all these! The schemes are: Flugzeugfuhrerschule, Luftwaffe MT24, Belgian Air Force MT35, ‘The Last of the Many’, Belgian Air Force Patrouille de France MT48 Belgian Air Force Instructions These are printed over a 24 page manual, with all constructional stages being presented as line drawings, and all parts options being clearly defined. The style and presentation of these means that you should have no difficulty in understanding them. In the front of the manual, colour profiles are supplied, as well as a paint chart which supplies FS and RAL codes. Paint references are supplied throughout construction. The rear part of the manual contains the load-out and colour scheme profiles, with decal placement being clearly supplied. A parts map is also included. Conclusion Seriously, what an AWESOME release. I love the Magister, and this kit is a detailer’s dream; in an entirely different zone to the wonderful Kinetic kit. Apart from some sloppy, yet minor ejector pin marks, there really isn’t anything to quibble at here. Everything seems to have been reproduced with finesse and the shapes look accurate to my book on the subject, by Radu Brinzan. In fact, that’s a great guide to use if you wish to build this kit. The inclusion of metal parts is also another big bonus. However, if you want the real deal-clincher here, this kit can be bought for around £25 from Hobbyeasy. Now, you really have no excuse to ignore this gorgeous release! I wish they’d scale it up to 1:32. VERY highly recommended My sincere thanks to AMK for supplying this kit for review. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H