James H

I'm more than sure you will do a great job of yours Chris. I hope you'll share your build with us here. NOW.....how is the progress of the new Victory?

1:32 de Havilland Sea Hornet NF.21 HpH Catalogue # HPH32024R Available from HpH for €184,00 When we think of de Havilland, perhaps the type which most comes to mind is the Mosquito. The versatile 'Wooden Wonder', whilst being used for just about every conceivable type of mission, also provided the de Havilland team with a wealth of technical information which would later be used to develop their next fighter design; the Hornet. This aircraft took the wooden fighter concept to the very stage, incorporating split landing flaps, laminar flow wing, and a lower wing surface and ailerons which were bonded with an aluminium skin, allowing for greater airframe stresses. The Hornet also had slimline Merlin engines whose propellers rotated in opposite directions, reducing torque, and the need to lean on the stick whilst taking off. A great field of view was afforded to the pilot, due to the cockpit being placed right at the front of the nose. It was envisage from an early stage that the Hornet could be adapted for aircraft carrier use, and as a result, the F.20, NF21 and Pr22 were developed. The types naturally low landing speed made it ideal for carrier-based operations, and the design modifications included folding wings, cropped wing tips, fuselage reinforcement related to the arrestor hook, and hydraulic oleo legs instead of the rubber compression system of the regular Hornet. The night fighter derivative (the subject of the kit) was also fitted with a second cockpit in the mid-rear fuselage, incorporating the tell-tale glass dome on the aircraft's spine. The NF21 also has exhaust dampers and radar equipment. de Havilland Hornet, giving an overall impression of the Naval variant. First flown in 1944, the type entered service in 1946, and continued to serve until 1956, by which time, the jet-age was beginning to pretty much outclass even the fastest piston engine fighters that were available. Eric 'Winkle' Brown conducted the carrier landing tests for the Sea Hornet, and described the type as being one which made the 'deepest impression' on him during his long and illustrious career. A testament to the de Havilland design team, and what was essentially an excellent, robust and even aerobatic fighter aircraft. As modellers, we really are truly spoilt these days. I still have to pinch myself to believe that we are seeing subjects that we never thought would ever emerge in 1/32, such as the B-25, P-61, Me 410, Catalina etc. Along with those subjects that we thought unlikely due to sheer scale, are those which we simply never thought would ever hit the radar of any manufacturer. One of those is the remarkable de Havilland Sea Hornet. Being no regular injection-moulded kit, this isn't one which your average modeller should consider tackling unless that have had experience on a simpler full resin kit before, but what HpH offers here is a unique chance to build this unusual type in large scale, and with detail that is just jaw dropping. I picked up our review sample which at Scale Model World, Telford, back in early November, and managed to take time out with the guys to discuss their work, including the forthcoming 1:32 Focke-Wulf Fw 189 which we will also review here. I also saw their 1:48 Concorde release. Exciting times for us modellers, indeed. Whilst the box for this release takes up quite a reasonable piece of work bench real estate, it's actually quite shallow, being only around a couple of inches in height. Don't let that fool you though. That box is extremely sturdy, and sports an attractive lid label which shows both marking schemes in profile. In order to protect the parts inside the box, compartments have been created which are tailored to fit the fuselage halves and the wing panels. Other compartments contain zip lock bags which are carefully filled with the remainder of the parts. Some bags contain flat sheets of resin parts, whilst others contain the more substantial pieces. One bag contains the clear resin parts. On top of the compartments is a large wallet which holds an instruction manual on CD, some HpH promotional material, THREE frets of photo-etch parts (one colour printed), a sleeve of wire, and also some turned metal parts. There is also a set of laser cut HGW seatbelts included, as well as a single decal sheet and a set of pre-cut masks for the canopies. In all, a very complete package. I do admit that I quite like the CD format for the instructions, but as my MacBook has no optical drive, I have to port the data over to a pen drive, using my wife's laptop. No big deal though.... Oh, did I mention the chocolate? FUSELAGE Firstly, those fuselage halves. These are further protected with a piece of bubble-wrap, and the parts are simply one of the many highlights in this kit. Cast as full length pieces, with a separate fin, the exterior is necessarily spare in detail, with just a few panel lines and port detail present, as well as the belly gun troughs and shell ejection chute holes. This is of course due to the fact the Sea Hornet had a laminated and moulded wooden fuselage. You will need to remove a small number of areas that are webbed over with thin resin. These include the cockpit and wind entry point. There is also a very thin casting block which runs the length of the fuselage. This can actually be removed with a few cuts from a sharp knife, before being sanded back to profile. Clean up time should be minimal. Now, internally is where the fun really is. Whilst the pilot's cockpit is built up entirely from separate parts, the rear cockpit has much of its detail cast into the walls, including avionics units, wiring and structural elements. See for yourself just how great this looks. The avionics units are designed to be fitted with colour photo-etch parts for detail, and of course there is a whole other raft of other internal detail which supplements what you already see. This area is better catered for than most kit small, you can still see this area by looking through the lower entry hatch, which can of course be posed in an open position. There are positions running down the length of the interior into which you can place an alignment pin, meaning that bringing the halves together should be relatively easy, assuming that prepared the facing edges first. WINGS Lower wing panels These are cast as traditional upper and lower plates, with a narrow casting block which runs down the leading edge of each part. This might sound onerous when it comes to removal, but it really isn't. The position and contact area of the block means that removal should actually be quite a quick affair, and final sanding can be completed when the upper and lower panels are joined together. Upper wing panels incorporate the rear section of the engine nacelle fairing, and the leading edge intake channels are also neatly cast. Again, through necessity, upper wing surface detail is very restrained, being composed of wood on the original aircraft. Panel lines are finely scribed, and some rivet/fastener detail is present, especially around the leading edge. Flip the panel over and you will see a partial rendering of the inner landing flap area. This will be further enhanced by the addition of rib detail parts. Wheel bay roof detail is also finely cast, and together with the separate walls and ancillary parts, these will be extremely detailed once built up. Maybe just a little extra wiring in there, but even that isn't really needed. Upper wing panels The wing undersides are a little more detailed due to the aluminium that was used to clad the timber. You'll see more in the way of rivets and panel lines. Notice the resin webs which fair over the nacelle/wheel bay openings. Of course, these will need to be trimmed away, and are only here as an aid to casting, and to supply a little extra strength whilst in the box. Each wing panel also has a series of positions within, into which the wing spar will fit. This provides necessary wing strength, and a means to align the wings when assembled to the model. Now, onto the zip-lock wallets of resin parts. These seem to have been packed so that specific areas of the model are kept together, making them generally easier to find. Remember that this is a model which contains several hundred parts, so anything HpH can do to assist the modeller in finding the part they want, is most definitely welcome. PACKET 1 A number of resin parts are cast onto thin wafers, and these will simply need cutting from the wafer, and the rear of the part grinding away by a tiny fraction of a millimetre. In most cases, I suspect you won't need to bother, and you can make the junction as which the part needs to fit, a little wider. This wallet holds a total of EIGHT delicate wafers, between them containing over EIGHTY parts. Generally, it looks like all parts included here are for both cockpits, including multi-part instrument panel, consoles, avionics, detailed bulkheads, pilot seat parts etc. Detail is quite remarkable, and you very much feel that there really isn't anything to add. Now, I did say that most parts here were generally for the cockpit. There are in fact three wafers with a low parts count that are for internal wing radiators, exhaust stub bases and the split landing flaps. You might have thought that these would have been PE creations, but no. These parts are actually extremely fine and I consider a better alternative. PACKET 2 Quite a large bag, and a heavy one too. There are two other wafers in here, and these contain the spinners, spinner mounting blocks, bulb nose, centrally mounted wing spar and also wonderfully detailed wheel hubs. You will have to drill the central shaft-mounting hole into the rear of the spinner though. I'm afraid that's a quirk of design, but the plus side is that there's no real casting block to remove. Propeller blades are cast onto their own individual blocks, but be careful, as these are handed, depending on whether they are to fit to the port or starboard engine. There is no tool provided which allows you to set the same pitch per blade. You will need to come up with your only solution for this. If the weight of a resin model causes concern, then don't worry about it. Here, you will find the sharply detailed main gear struts, complete with their locking lugs. You'll just need to drill these out. The strength of the undercarriage legs comes from a steel rod inserted into them during the casting process. Thin resin walls connect these to the casting blocks, as with the main wheels themselves. I don't know how HpH produce their masters (hi-res 3D printing?), but the tread on the wheels is probably the very best I've seen on resin wheels. They also have a flat on them that connects them to the block, proper. A steel wire also reinforces the tail wheel strut and an anti-skid tail wheel will just need a little more work to remove it from its block. Other parts in this bag include detailed main gear doors, instrument panel shroud, undercarriage actuator struts, fuel tanks, super-detailed cockpit floor, and bomb mounting pylons. It's very obvious that HpH have done their very best to make sure that there is as little resin to cut through and clean up as possible, when it comes to utilising each part. PACKET 3 All control surfaces are cast as separate entities here, with only a thin resin wall holding them to their respective casting blocks. All end facing connecting points are cast with 'drilled' ends, allowing the modeller to easily pin these to the models. All flying and control surfaces here have finely engraved panel lines and riveting. External fuel tank mounting pylons, found here also, exhibit the same refined levels of detail. My fin has a couple of small holes that need fixing. They look like there is a hollow space within the rear of the fin, but can't see a reason for it. PACKET 4 There are two identical casting blocks here which contain the detailed inner walls for the wheel well bays, and also a single one containing the forward gear mounding wheel well bulkheads, rear cockpit bulkheads and also the rear crew access door. A little resin will need to be removed from flashed over areas. Two smaller casting blocks contain some rear cockpit parts, as well as the arrestor hook assembly. Lastly, the exhaust flame damping shrouds are included here. These last parts are very thin, and you will need to open up the gas ejector ports. \ PACKET 5 Only four pieces here, but pretty important; the engine/gear nacelles. There is the smallest hint of a warp on one of mine, but these are so thinly cast that it will be so easy to pull everything back into alignment. The solid, inner rear of the nacelle incorporates a pin and socket that provides initial alignment. From here, everything should be easy to pull into place. Again, some resin webs to remove; namely for the exhaust and the bay opening. As will most large parts here, there is a little minor flash to remove. A minor casting block exists around the spinner area, connected via a thin resin wall. Detail both internally and externally is very good, being both subtle and attractive. PACKET 6 If you thought the resin parts were petering out at this point, then think again. This smaller bag is just jammed with the stuff. In here we have the majority of the smaller detail parts, such as landing flap inner ribs, resin connecting pins for main assemblies, fishtail exhausts with the most amazingly thin walls and deep openings, to name but a few. You can see from the photo just exactly what's in here. Hollow exhaust manifold Bombs are included, with a fin section that is separate (and very thin), as well as other small cockpit detail. If you can think of any small parts, the chances are they will be included here. Casting is great. PACKET 7 A small packet containing two identical casting blocks that hold some of the longer and thinner parts of the Sea Hornet. Protective walls have been added to the ends of the block to help prevent any breakage to the thin, vulnerable parts. PACKET 8 If there is just one thing I don't like in HpH kits, it the packing of multiple clear resin parts into a single bag. I don't suppose it really causes an issue, but I'm quite funny about it, in case of any damage that could be caused. HpH are the kings of crystal clear resin casting, and these parts are virtually optically perfect. They look as good as some of the best injection parts you'll see. There are some incredibly minor imperfections in places, but you need to look for them. Even those will disappear in a quick bath of Klear. Quite remarkable. Parts exist for the canopies, of course, as well as gun sight, wing lights and crew entry window on rear access door. Casting blocks tend to be large, but connected via thin walls. Be very careful with these parts.... The first thing I'll do here is to pack these parts into separate bags! RESIN SUMMARY I don't think I've noticed any more than a dozen bubbles in the whole kit. And those are below the surface, with no breakthrough. There are those couple of unexplained holes on the fin, but they will be easy to fill. HpH casting really is excellent, and the thoughtful placement of casting blocks will mean a pleasurable build. Some resin exhibits a little mould release agent, so ensure you wash everything with mild detergent before you start to work. PHOTO ETCH There are THREE frets supplied in this release, with one of them being printed in colour. All are made by Eduard, so you know that these are about as good as you are likely to find when it comes to production standards and fit. That colour fret contains all of the instrument panel sections that are printed with the instruments. It's not too obvious with the instructions, but you actually have a choice with the instrument panel. You can either use the resin rear parts and add the colour printed, laminate fascia/instrument ensemble, or you can use the colour instruments with the resin fascia and mix things up yourself. There are also other colour printed avionics units to be found here, as well as various levers and switches, plus the seatbelt buckles for the HGW seatbelts. The other two bare brass frets are sure designed for those who like to work with PE. There's no shortage here whatsoever. You will find numerous cockpit parts here, such as various avionics frames, rudder pedal swing brackets, and details for ammunition drums, to name but a few, but the majority of parts aren't connected with the crew positions. Instead, you'll find such parts as flanges, optional wing radiator meshes (if the moulded detail doesn't cut it for you), radiator vents, gear door actuators, landing flap parts, bomb sway shackles, rocket clasps etc. Production is by Eduard, and there is nothing at all to criticise here. SEATBELTS If you've never seen or heard of HGW's amazing textile seatbelts, you really ought to read some of the reviews we have on this website. They are printed onto a textile sheet, and are laser cut. They are about as photo-realistic as you can hope to get, and they can also be weathered with oils and enamels. This set is specifically designed for this kit, and they are simplicity itself to assemble. I consider the inclusion of to be a real bonus. MASKS A small sheet of sharply cut vinyl masks will provide all you need to mask off the main canopy and the edge of the rear glass dome. You will need to fill in any open spaces for the main hood and dome with pieces of masking tape, or scrap material from the included mask sheet. TURNED METAL PARTS Have you seen those amazing rocket sets for the 1:24 Hawker Typhoon, from Master Model? Well, these are the equivalent in 1:32! A small wallet contains some beautifully turned and smooth rocket heads, separate rocket bodies with a cross machined into the base (for fin insertion), turned and hollow pitot, and some (as yet) unidentified shorter lengths of brass tube. DECALS A single, large decal sheet is included, containing markings for TWO schemes. I think the sheet is locally made, but looks excellent. Decals are thin, have minimal carrier film, solid and authentic colour, and are in perfect register. They feel of them is very reminiscent of the best Cartograf that I am used to seeing. A full set of stencils is also included. The two schemes are: DH Sea Hornet NF.21, second prototype, PX239, Farnborough, 1947 – 1948 DH Sea Hornet NF.21, VZ672, 809 Squadron FAA, HMS Vengeance, 1951 Instructions As I have already said, these are CD-based, and you'll need to dump the images (JPG) to your computer. There is no Acrobat version this time, which is a shame. Instructions are clear, and look simple to follow for the most part. I found that actually looking at the parts in conjunction with the images does tend to help with any ambiguity, so if in doubt....don't just try to understand the images! Colour call outs are given throughout for regular paint colours. You'll need to do a little referencing in order to ascertain exact interior colours, but as no machines exist any longer, who's going to argue with your choice? Both colour schemes are presented here, showing each machine in various profile forms. Decal placement and colour scheme are easy to follow. Conclusion This kit just screams out to be built, and I will do just that as soon as current magazine commitments are completed. HpH design their kits with maximum buildability and maximum detail, and make the whole process look very simple. However, this is no kit for a beginner. You really need to be au fait with resin and have some experience of whole-resin kits under your belt before you attempt anything like this. I adore the de Havilland wooden fighters, and to see this kitted in my preferred scale is a dream come true. These kits, for me, are an event, and no just another project. All I can say about this is that it's...... EXTREMELY highly recommended! My sincere thanks to HpH for the review sample. To purchase directly, please click THIS link. James H

That looks great! I was thumbing our sample at the weekend. Looks very impressive indeed. Following yours with interest.

Amazing! Love it. I'd quite like to build that kit. Have you got any construction photos?

That's what I'll be doing with mine. A real shame to do all the internal detail and not to be able to see it properly. Great work so far. You painted the pit?

Fantastic stuff Adrien. How did you do your chipping effect?

Superb work!

Adrien, That is fantastic. What kit did you use for the carriage? Trumpeter?

Pfffffffff

I'm hoping to have some tooling information in the not too distant future. I'd love to drop in and spend a few days with these guys and do an interview. Perhaps in the near future, I can at least get the interview part done.

You sure can! Give me a few minutes.

Here we go! I've been working on this one at the same time as the Mosquito, but this one has taken a little precedence until HK deliver me the new cockpit parts. Again, I've worked on quite a lot of different parts on this one. Resin is all now cleaned up and casting blocks ground away, especially on the rear pit area, as I need to reduce as much weight as I can in that area. You also need to cut away the plastic for the upper rear cockpit on this model, and the clear part fits great if you take it slowly. I just need to wrap some sandpaper around a drill and clean up those small circular windows. Fitting the lower canopy to the chin wasn't going to be easy, differences in curvature, and lots of gaps were also going to hinder me if I fitted this at a later stage. I decided to fit if before painting. I first had to add plastic shims and do some careful sanding, and all that was left was a small seam that I ran Mr Dissolved Putty into. I'll now paint this area with that glass in place. Here are the chin and internal components which I've started to build. These are more or less just awaiting paint. It was my idea to do something a little different with one of the engine nacelles, so I'll be opening one up to display a Jumo 004, from a Trumpeter Me 262 kit. The engine fits a charm into the nacelle, even with the resin parts. Very little work to do to get this to work together. I have done more work, such as glue RATO pods, wheels etc. I'll lay paint on this kit at the weekend.

Ok, you want an update? As this is for a magazine, I've been darting all over the model, building and test fitting many sub-assemblies. I've no paint laid yet, and of course, there are still cockpit revisions that HK need to make, as well as a number of other exterior detail changes etc. Even though this is supposed to be released in a couple of months or so, it's still very much a work in progress for HKM. The famous one-piece wing is open at the trailing edge, and into that you will insert the module which forms the fuel tank area of the bomb bay. The fit is pretty darn good, as you can see. Here are the options for the cookie and the regular bomb load: The cockpit is built up as a module, and when complete, it simply slides into the single-piece nose, utilising a couple of plastic rails. Pit detail is superb, but HK are still working on the starboard wall. To get the kit ready on time for Telford, HK intentionally mirrored the walls. These parts are the very first out of the moulds, and they were literally moulded just hours before being packing up for the UK show! I have only just begun to work on the engines, and these are far from complete. There are still other components to fit. Engine bearers are excellent and very robust. I'm still waiting for the exhaust stubs yet. They will probably be on the sprue which contains the two-stage Merlin parts. Engine nacelles have an excellent level of detail within the gear bays. These pretty much mirror the style of detail in the Do 335 wells, with pipes that interconnect from one part to the other. Such a great model. I can't wait to lay paint on this. A module builds up which plugs into the rear, slide-moulded fuselage. Like all bomb bay bulkheads, these are moulded with the door arms. I'm not really a fan of this as they could easily break. I have reported this back to HK, but I don't know if these will be revised. The same design feature exists on the Do 335 too. This kit has a hollow, single-piece stabiliser, and also rudder. The tail wheel assembly sits to the lower side of the tailplane, and then the whole lot inserts into the tail area, with a fuselage fairing which slots into place. The fit is excellent. Don't forget, this is a FIRST test shot! I hope you like her so far. See, I DO actually build stuff!!

What a beauty! I'd love to see you start a build here.

The cutaway Catalina is quite tempting. I might try that some day. The skeletal wing and stuff really does it for me. I really admire the HpH releases, and we'll be publishing the new 1:32 de Havilland Sea Venom review on Sunday evening

You know this makes me want to do this to mine? Great work!

I feel your pain with some of the internals. I feel I'll be replacing them with scratch built items, using some of the castings as a pattern. Looking forward to those photos

Sure is. I've been building lots of various sections, prior to paint. Photos will be here TOMORROW, as well as a number of photos of the HKM Mosquito build too

Cheers, I'll fix that too.

You got an image of the hinges? Love that fuse work. Now....S L O W D O W N!

Hahah! It turned up on Friday, and I spent all Saturday writing it

1:32 Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 Early Wingnut Wings Catalogue # 32036 Available from Wingnut Wings for $99.00, with FREE worldwide delivery Perhaps the Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 isn't a type you're familiar with. That's ok. We mostly tend to preoccupy ourselves with the Camels, Fokkers and Albatros aircraft of The Great War. That's quite a shame really, as taking that path of interest means that you'll miss uncovering some real gems, when it comes to specific aircraft types. Some of those are also quite significant. The W.12 is one such machine, designed by Ernst Heinkel as a fighter floatplane. Whilst looking relatively ungainly, the W.12 was a highly successful type, engaging enemy flying boats, and also airships. Carrying 2 crew and with an armament of 1 IMG08 'Spandau' (occasionally fitted with two), and a cupola-mounted LMG12 Parabellum for the rear observer/gunner, this 150hp Benz Bz.III powered machine was first flown in early 1917, and operated on the Western Front, based at Ostend and Zeebrugge. Unusually for this a biplane, there was very little rigging. The float strut arrangement provided an immense amount of lower wing support, with only inter-strut brace wires being used. The tail was also inverted, allowing the gunner a pretty unrestricted field of fire. The later W.29 monoplane was designed to replace the W.12, but the W.12 stayed in service up until the Armistice. A W.12 which landed in neutral Netherlands, was licence built after the war, and continued in service with the Dutch until 1933 Well, it's that time of year again folks: the annual Wingnut Wings Christmas surprise! This time, I'm sure they will have really pleased a lot of modellers. Now that the Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 is sadly now out of production, we have the option of building its predecessor, the W.12. This is one of WNW's larger boxed kits, being from their $99.00 range. Looking at the superb Steve Anderson box art, you may be left wondering if WNW intend to follow this up some day with the Felixstowe flying boat too. That would indeed be a behemoth, and we will indeed get to see this in kit form due to an announce that's been seen online over this weekend. This deep box is crammed full of plastic. There are NINE grey styrene sprues in this release, TWO decal sheets. Lastly, a beautiful construction manual will guide you through the build. So, generally, what does this kit offer? This is from the press shot that Wingnut Wings sent to me. Early production W.12, featuring short fuselage, and top wing ailerons only 216 high quality injection moulded parts Highly detailed Benz Bz.III engine Optional 2 & 3 gun armament, windscreens, exhaust manifolds and propellers Optional small and large top wing centre section cut-outs Beaching dollies and trestles for diorama display 11 photo etch metal detail parts, including LMG14 Parabellum and IMG08 Spandau machine gun jackets 28 page fully illustrated instruction manual 2 high quality Cartograf decal sheets with naval hexagon camouflage and markings for FIVE aircraft. Diving into those sprues.... SPRUE A Another tradition for WNW releases is that the first sprue tends to contain a majority of the cockpit and interior parts. This is no different. It's very common for WNW kits to have their cockpits built around a tub, consisting of side frames and bulkheads etc, and this is no different. The very nature of the best dictates that the cockpits of these early machines will sport timber frameworks, usually skinned over with a tautened fabric or plywood, and WNW really excel in their reproduction of this key, open area. Being a two seat machine, there is plenty of detail to play with here, including a floor with an integral tank which supports the pilot seat, camera, ammunition stowage, map board and map stowage cases, fuel pressurising pump, steering column with wheel grip etc. There don't appear to be as many parts within the interior, as I have seen on many of their kits, but that only looks like an engineering quirk, as the crew positions are superbly detailed, and will offer much to see on inspection. Those sidewall frames are exquisite, showing the characteristic hump which gave rise to the type's German nickname of 'Kamel'. In order to reduce the impact on ejector pin marks, a number of minor sprues are moulded between the frames, acting as the ejection point. You'll need to take care that you remove all of these and not mistakenly leave any behind. Aiding construction further, these frames are moulded with an angled strut to support the upper wing. Of course, photo etch parts will supplement the interior, such as the two sets of seatbelts, and the bracket which holds the vertical control stick to the torsion bar. Rigging within this office isn't too difficult either, with just control wires needing adding. No frame bracing required. Along with the small amount of external rig, this kit just has to look attractive to someone who may want to build a bipe for the first time. As this model can be fitted with either one or two forward firing Spandau guns, the ammunition bin will need to have one bin cut away, if you decide to use the single forward gun option. There is an exhaust option on this sprue (one of two in the kit), and the outlet is moulded is a separate part, allowing a fully hollow end. I do suggest thinning the plastic even further here, despite how good the parts actually are. Lastly, you will also fine the ailerons and single piece elevator on this sprue. These are so beautifully delicate looking, with very fine trailing edges and what appears to be strips similar to the bamboo on the Eindecker wings, which cap all of the ribs on these parts. This is refined moulding at its very best. SPRUE B Just the wings here, but immaculately reproduced. Despite being quite broad in chord, the wings are also quite delicate in appearance, being relatively thin, with a graceful under-camber. Rib and fabric detail is excellent, with a nice thin, gently scalloped trailing edge, and subtle rib capping detail. Metal walkway plates exist on the lower inboard edges, as well as a lower wing compass which is superbly rendered. Underneath the lower wing panels, access plates are neatly moulded, and wing/float strut points are all very positive, as are the rigging points. Whilst the lower wings are moulded as port and starboard, the upper wing is moulded in the same fashion, but without a centre section. The W.12 was known to have had the cutaway in the trailing edge, enlarged in some cases, and as WNW are depicting machines with regular cutaway and modified, this centre section provides those alternative parts. SPRUE C This clear sprue contains EIGHT parts, including the observers lower fuse window and plate between the crew positions, panel lighting windows in fuselage side, two styles of windscreen, and the pilots lower view window panel. Clarity is excellent as you would imagine, with neat framing and fastener detail. SPRUE D (x2) Look carefully, and you'll notice this sprue is actually from the W.29 kit, as it contains a number of similar parts. Being a shared sprue, there are a number of parts here for the W.29, that simply won't be used on this release. There are no parts here which will fit to the airframe. Instead, we have beaching dollies with wheels, for the underside of the floats, two trestles for the front of the floats, and a larger, tall trestle to support the tail section. There is also what appears to be a flare rack, also included here. SPRUE E Again, 'E' is for engine, and the rather dainty 150hp Benz Bz.III is what you'll find here, along with the propeller. There are actually 3 props to be found here, but only one for use with this aircraft. There are also a large number of other parts which aren't for use, including the rear gun mounting ring etc. These were parts which applied to the previous W.29 release. The Benz B.III isn't as complicated an engine as the Mercedes, which was favoured for many fighters, and as a result, there aren't as many parts. Although one cylinder head part is shown as not for use, it provides an alternative for the modeller who doesn't want the part with moulded pushrods. Detail throughout is excellent, including the separate spring and rocker arm covers. SPRUE F You really know you're dealing with a sea plane when you see this sprue. The real clue are the rather large and cumbersome-looking floats. Each float comprises a hull and an upper deck. The stepped hull has finely moulded strakes to aid steering and control whilst travelling along the surface of water, and the upper strakes/grips on the upper, as well as some cap detail. The remainder of the parts are taken with the substantial struts and inter-struts which secure the floats to the fuselage, and also outwards to the underside of the wings. I have a feeling this will be a very robust construction when completed. The strut system has been designed to have minimal parts, retaining a robust construction, with hefty and positive points which anchor to the floats. You really should have no worries with construction here. SPRUE G This rather simple sprue concerns itself only with the Parabellum installation, and not all parts here are to be used. Out of the various weapons on here, only one Parabellum type is to be used, and you have the option of a moulded cooling jacket, or a gun where you can install the photo etch jacket. To help with the latter, you are supplied with a plastic former around which you'll wrap the PE parts, allowing you to achieve the correct diameter. Ammo drums and feeds are also included here. SPRUE F This the first sprue I have seen which is specifically labelled as 'W.12 Early'. I imagine the instrument board is different on the later machines, as this is where you'll find that very part, complete with reverse detail and parts. Engine cowls are also found here too. The port side panel is integral to the fuselage, but the starboard panel is here, complete with the finest set of open louvres I think I've ever seen. Quite amazing. The forward cowl is moulded with the integral car-type radiator which sits atop the prop shaft (as per the Fokker D.VII). Mesh detail is very good, and I can't really see a need to replace it with aftermarket. For inside the engine bay, the engine bearer mount is moulded here too. You can't help but notice the unusual tail arrangement on this bird, and this sprue contains the horizontal stabiliser, and the low-hanging rudder. Whilst the rudder contains the same detail and finesse as the other control surfaces, I'm sure the stabiliser was sheeted and as a result is plain, except for the elevator hinge detail. In the spirit of choice, both Spandau cheek guns are supplied here, and in the regular 'simple' format, and in one which allows you to add the PE cooling jackets. These guns are pre-moulded to the fuselage cheeks, for easy installation. Other parts on this sprue are the inter-wing struts, and cockpit doors, alternative exhaust manifold, upper wing cabane V strut etc. SPRUE G Both fuselage halves are moulded here, full length. It's now that you actually see what a relatively small aircraft the W.12 was, with a wingspan itself, around the same as that of a Spitfire. Those fuselage parts are beautiful to look at, with the plain, slab sides being punctuated with access ports, foot holds, control cable exit points and various small brackets and plates. Unlike some WNW kits, the upper deck is also moulded to the halves, and not supplied as a separate insert with the cockpit and rear gunner position/cupola. The pilot's position has a very convincing leather edging to the opening. The port side is moulded with its engine cowl in situ, and both halves also display some beautiful, filigree louvre detail. Internally, there isn't really too much to see, as the detail relies on the internal cockpit tub. The engine bay does have a channel moulded into the cowl, allowing for correct alignment of the upper wing strut. Lastly, there are two options here for the upper wing centre section, both incorporating a different size scallop cut-out. Both parts do contain a little of the underside, trailing edge detail, linking into the upper wing panel parts. I don't know how visible that lengthways seam will look. I have to believe that WNW's ingenuity means it will be pretty invisible. Plastic summary I can't pick bones in anything I've seen here. Moulding is first rate, with ejector pin marks either being located external to parts, or within areas which won't be seen. If there is any flash, it's virtually impossible to see, and seam lines are so minimal as not to be a problem. It goes without saying that there are also no other mould defects, such as sink marks. PHOTO ETCH A single PE fret is included, which contains both sets of seatbelts, the control column bracket and chain, machine gun cooling jackets and gun sight reticules. Etch is sharply and precisely manufactured, with nice, small tags to remove the parts. DECALS This is another one for those of you who love lozenge decal. All upper surfaces displayed lozenge, whilst all lower surfaces were painted. The lozenge is of course of the hexagonal naval type, and looks very attractive. All wing and tail panels are supplied as one part, with holes cut out for the compass, struts, rigging points, and filler caps for the floats. There is so much lozenge decal that an entire sheet is taken up with it! There are some scrap colour panels too, which will help if you destroy any loz detail. A couple of maps are also supplied for the observer/gunner map table. The second sheet contains the various national markings, serious, badges and stripes etc, as well as a full suite of stencils and also cockpit instrument dials too. Decals are printed by Cartograf, and as you will imagine, they are thin, have minimal carrier film solid colours, and are in perfect register. You can want for nothing more, except for a few serious hours in which to add them all! The FIVE schemes available here are: Hansa-Brandenburg W.12, 1184, C3MG, Fl.Mt. Urban, Lt. Erhardt, C-Staffel, Zeebrugge, December 1917 Hansa-Brandenburg W.12, 1395, C2MG, C-Staffel, Zeebrugge, late 1917 to early 1918 Hansa-Brandenburg W.12, 1401, C2MG, Sylt, mid 1918 Hansa-Brandenburg W.12, 1407, C2MG, Norderney, July 1918 Hansa-Brandenburg W.12, 1410, C2MG, Zeebrugge, February 1918 INSTRUCTION MANUAL WNW manuals are consistently high class, high standard and highly informative. This 28 page, glossy production shows all constructional images as being almost hand-drawn and shaded. Blue ink is used to signify newly attached parts, and full colour illustrations exist for completed areas. Colour paint codes are used throughout, giving reference to Tamiya and Humbrol, with FS codes thrown in for good measure. You really can't go wrong with a WNW manual. They are easy to follow, and like others, this one has a selection of period images thrown in for good measure (and reference!). Internal rigging drawings are supplied, as are external drawings. The rear of the manual is given over to the five beautiful Ronny Bar profiles, accompanied with a few technical notes and colour scheme remarks. I wish I could buy prints of some of this work. Conclusion Was this Christmas's surprise worth waiting for? In my opinion, that's a resounding YES. I think the floatplanes are very attractive and provide the modeller with type of model which isn't usually seen on the club stand or model show. They are certainly in a tiny minority. Wingnut Wings have carried this kit off with aplomb, and if you've never built a biplane before, I strongly feel that this is one you could tackle very easily. Special kudos needs to go to Darren Mildenhall for his technical expertise with this great kit. The design is robust and fool-proof, and rigging is very simple. With all that lozenge, these are going to look gorgeous when they begin to roll off the plastic production line. VERY highly recommended My sincere thanks to Wingnut Wings for the review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

Perfect! Well, the differences I can see there are very easy to live with. I'll fix the elevator on my Fly kit, and add a small nozzle rig to the RATO pods. To be fair, I think Fly made a very reasonable job of this. Thanks for taking one for the team.

That is fantastic! I love it! You nailed those bays, and i haven't even laid down any paint yet.