James H

New Bf 109G-10 decal sheets from Barracuda Studios Barracuda Studios is proud to announce two new decal sets in 1/32nd for the new Revell Erla built Bf-109G-10. The Erla Built Bf 109G-10 is not to be confused with a G-10 fitted with a Erla hood. This variant had a completely unique engine cowling arrangement. The new Revell kit, which is a very nice kit and, for the most part, quite accurate, is the first time this variant has been kitted in injection. Each sheet contains SEVEN varied and interesting schemes for the Erla G-10. Exhaustively research by Anders Hjortsberg with further assistance by other notable 109 experts, these sheets reflect the very latest knowledge on the Erla G-10s. Anders has produced superbly detailed and accurate profiles, and larger versions can be downloaded from the Barracuda Studios website to assist you in recreating the fascinating camouflage schemes. .Extensive and detailed painting notes highlight a number of interesting points about the finish of these very late war Gustavs. For those wanting to know more, there is a link on the sheets to Ander's blog, where much more in-depth discussions of these aircraft can be found. Decals are gorgeously printed by Cartograf, and much effort was put into color matching. Each sheet contains all the specific markings for all seven aircraft, along with 2 full stencil suites and two complete sets of national markings and spinner spirals. BC32144 Erla Bf 109G-10s - Part 1 Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). White 14, Ex II./JG3 aircraft. Flown by Waldemar Wagler, JG51 at Garz, Germany, April 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). Yellow 6, JGr.300. Pilot Unknown. Neubiberg, Germany. June, 1945. Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). Black 13, JG27(?) Location Unknown, Mid June 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). Red 5, 2./JG300. Flown by Friedrich-Wilhelm "Timo" Schenk. Borkheide, February 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). Blue 1, JG301. Pilot Unknown. Base Unknown. Spring, 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). Black 22, 5./JG52. Pilot and location unknown. Bf 109G-10 (Erla built). No identity markings. Squadron and location unknown. June, 1945 http://barracudacals.com/proddetail.php?prod=BC32144&cat=33 BC32145 Erla Bf 109G-10 - Part 2 Bf 109G-10 (Erla Built). Black 4, JGr.300. Pilot Unknown. Found at Langensalza, Germany. June, 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla Built). Green 7, 11./JG300. Prague-Kbely in May 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla Built). Black 10, I./JG4. Pilot unknown. Giessen, Germany. June, 1945 Bf 109G-10 (Erla Built). Black Chevron, JGr.300. Pilot unknown. Location unknown. Bf 109G-10 (Erla Built). Yellow 2, KG(J)27. Pilot unknown. Kaufbeuren, Germany. May, 1945, National markings: Small Bf 109G-10 (Erla Built). Yellow 24, 6./JG27. Flown by Staffelkapitän Antonius Wöffen. March 11, 1945. Bf 109K-4 (Erla Built). W.Nr 570375, Unit, pilot and location unknown. http://barracudacals.com/proddetail.php?prod=BC32145&cat=33 These 2 new sheets are up on the website and available for ordering now! 109 fans also note that we now stock the terrific ADH book on building the Revell 109G-6 by Brett Green, with additional models by Marcus nicholls, Chris Wauchop and Roy Sutherland. A nice one stop reference for building the Revell G-6. http://barracudacals.com/proddetail.php?prod=ADH017&cat=9 A number of new resin sets for both the new 1/32 Revell 109G-6 and G-10 are coming shortly. Watch this space for announcements. Happy modelling! Roy

I agree. Any build images too?

Off to a great start! I quite like the TBD from an interior detail aspect, and you proved this could be something I look at in future. Can't wait for next updates. PLEASE post more of your work here too

1:32 Desktop Bf 109F Imcth Catalogue # IMCZ-003 Available from Hobby Link Japan for ¥30,000 This is one we have seriously been waiting to see for what seems like ages, yet it was only a few months ago that Imcth announced they were releasing a Messerschmitt Bf 109F in their amazing 'Desktop' series of all-metal kits. If you've been living under a rock for those last months, check out our reviews of the jaw-dropping Desktop Mustang and Desktop Zero. I do warn you though, prepare to have your wallet seriously dented in the process. Admittedly, these kits aren't cheap, but you are paying for quite a niche item, and one which will never let you see these aircraft in the same way ever again. When you buy something from Imcth, you are getting something which they have obviously poured their heart and soul into. First impressions are everything, and the packing box in which this kit came was also adorned with their 'Desktop Bf 109F' logo, hidden amongst the various address labels and invoice sheets. This study box, once opened, revealed the actual kit box, produced in a glossy white cardboard, with a metallic product sticker on the lid. This rather substantial box is then opened via a large side flap which then lifts the lid to reveal a number of other boxes within. On top, two smaller boxes contain the various white metal parts, wire, vac form canopy etc. These are safely held in situ by a couple of rolls of bubble-wrap around the internal box perimeter. Remove all of these, and underneath is a much larger box, securely fastened with tape, and containing the instruction manual, and various large sheets of stainless steel photo-etch parts. If you've read our previous reviews on the Mustang and Zero kits, you'll know that these aren't simply a flat, two-dimensional affair.....they are actually STAMPED to curve wing panels and fuselage sections! I don't recall seeing any other kit that includes such an innovative idea as this. Whilst we are in this particular box, we'll start to take a look at the various components on these sheets, interspersed with any specific findings on the instruction sheet which might help to colour things in a little for you. Then we'll work onto the white metal parts and other accessories in this release. The PE sheets themselves are quite fragile due to the pre-shaped parts, but thankfully, these are separated from each other with plenty of bubble-wrap. The flat sheets are packaged into a clear sleeve, protected from each other with tissue paper. SHEET A One thing you will notice with these kits is that the stainless steel PE sheets are actually a thicker gauge than you will be used to. This is obviously because it's more to scale with this being a 1:32 model. Whilst I'm explaining this, I will say that there are various parts within this kit, more namely bulkheads, which you will build up from laminated parts in order to achieve the desired thickness, but I digress. This first PE sheet contains wing components, and is laid out so that it is obvious that one half of the sheet is port, and the other starboard. Every wing rib in the 109F's svelte wing is immaculately recreated here, all individually. There are full ribs, sub-ribs to allow for wheel bay placement etc, and also partial ribs where they weren't full depth in the real aircraft. In short, if you could really peel back the skin on one of these iconic fighters, then what you would see, has been beautifully recreated here. This sheet contains the dual upper/lower inboard radiator flaps too, which will actually move on this model, so you can pose them as you wish. The landing flaps are built up from an exterior metal skin and a number of rib-lets, whilst the ailerons start life as a single piece of PE in which you need to twist the various ribs 90 degrees to the upright. As these are still too thin at the leading edge, they will be supplemented with white metal upper and lower frames which will give these parts their aerodynamic shape. Simplicity, but neatly executed. A wing needs spars of course, and this is where you will find them. Wing tips are actually supplied as cast metal parts, and we'll look at those later in the review. These comprehensive wings will eventually be fitted with ammunition, wing slats and slat actuators etc, all from white metal. SHEET B We take a break from the wing at this point and look at a sheet which contains the lion's share of the fuselage parts. All formers are presented here with various notches into which longerons and stringers are inserted. I did mention earlier about laminated formers. You will find these here. These notable go to the front and rear of the cockpit module, and the middle lamination of three is notched to allow the external framework tabs to slide into the recesses cut into the middle lamination. Everything is extremely well thought-out during the design process. This sheet contains those longerons and stringers, as well as various frameworks that exist within the fuselage, and also items such as the sloping plate to the rear of the pilot's head. Whilst we are in that specific region of the aircraft, the cockpit module itself is formed from a single piece of PE which starts at the cockpit wall, bends to form the floor and forward bulkhead, then back on itself to produce the upper framework, extending to the rear cockpit fuselage frame. This clever way of creating the basis onto which every fits, ensures that all the various extra frameworks and internal details should fit perfectly. SHEET C Now we're talking! I mentioned those pre-shaped PE parts, and here you'll most certainly see them in the form of upper and lower wing panels. These contain the caps to the wing ribs and other major wing structural elements. The curvature of the wings is superbly captured here. Apart from the wing panels, spars and ribs are also supplied here for the horizontal stabiliser, as well as a couple of vertical fuselage formers for the construction of the vertical fin. SHEET D This is the last of the PE sheets in this kit, and again it contains pre-shaped parts, namely the fuselage belly, cockpit module side frames, and undercarriage doors. Other parts on here include the elevators and rudder, supplied as per the ailerons with twist ribs and a structure that will be 'bulked' with white metal castings, as well as exhaust plates, nose radiator meshes and a number of other smaller airframe detail, as well as seatbelt buckles. All photo etch is produced to the very highest of standards, with no defect. I'm particularly impressed with the loop tags that Imcth now use to hold the shaped parts on the frets. The previous straight tags could break, meaning a small piece of tape was added to hold the part in place. These looped ones are designed to open up when the fret is stamped into shape. Now, onto the white metal parts. All of these are supplied in grouped bags in one of the smaller boxes. All white metal parts are expertly produced by Model Factory Hiro, who produce some of the very best castings seen in our hobby. There are no horrible pitted textures here, and poor, soft detail as seen on white metal undercarriage legs that we see from a particular manufacturer. These are sharp, smooth and perfect. Nowhere on my sample did I see any parts bent out of shape either. A little clean-up of parts will be required. Some cast parts will have the faintest of mould paring lines that a quick tickle with a fine grade sanding stick, will eradicate. The cloudy appearance of the parts is also only mould release residue, and a polish with a rotary tool will show these parts to be as sharp, if not sharper, than contemporary plastic kit equivalents. E – Propeller Parts This is a simple packet containing just three parts. These are a full piece propeller and boss, and a main spinner with a separate back plate. The propeller locates to the rear spinner plate by means of a cast pin. As with the majority of these white metal parts, you will need to open up most locating holes with a small drill bit, as indicated on the instruction sheet. A hole in the rear plate allows the hub cannon aperture to seat neatly, and the spinner itself falls neatly over the top of everything. You will need to open up the central hole in the spinner as this is cast closed. A little clean-up of the prop edges will be required. F – Engine Parts There are FIFTY-TWO parts which go to produce the Daimler Benz DB 601E engine. That's pretty impressive, as is the design of this area. All parts are split between THREE bags, stapled closed. I would use some cheap zip-lock bags to store the parts, until you come to use them. Of course, you need to check everything to ensure it's all there, and you don't want those parts rolling loose in the box. A very traditional method of assembly is used for the engine, and one that plastic modellers will immediately recognise. What is particularly neat are the cylinder banks. These are supplied as halves, with the cap casing separate. The banks themselves are designed so that the inner half inserts within the outer, meaning there is no horrible and awkward joint line at the front and rear. Another example of how Imcth are evolving their design work. The breakdown of the engine is very traditional, with supercharger intake, engine bearers, oil and glycol tanks, fuel injector block, supercharger induction pipework, ignition conduits, magnetos, hub, prop shaft, and split crankcase. Some parts are supplied on casting blocks with a paired part. These are easily identified as left and right parts with L and R being cast. Even the fragile looking engine bearers are die-straight with no bending. Congrats to Model Factory Hiro for getting this so darn right! G – Main Wing Parts All of the structural elements of the wing that can't be reproduced with PE are here, as well as parts to give the ailerons their correct profile. The latter is achieved by means of adding a half aerofoil section to both upper and lower faces of the flat PE ailerons. This specific group contains TWENTY-THREE parts. Here you will find wing slats, slat actuators, wingtips, radiators and housings, wing ammunition bay, control surface horns, and aileron mass balance etc. H – Cockpit Parts For the detail connoisseur, the cockpit is always a main area of focus, and I think Imcth know that, because this rather detailed and busy group of white metal contains no less than FIFTY parts. In all fairness, not all of them are strictly in the cockpit, but are more concerned with what can only be described as the cockpit module, incorporating the undercarriage unit and forward weapons bay. This kit actually comes with two sets of undercarriage legs; one for deployed, and the other for retracted. You CANNOT change these once you install them, so you need to decide how you will pose your model when complete. Those legs include the bracket/pivot assembly as part of the leg itself, and this is what dictates this move. As it comes, the PE cockpit tub is devoid of any detail except for a number of holes which are used to locate the various white metal components. It's now you really begin to see the level of detail afforded to the modeller. There are THREE bags of white metal included here. These include forward ammunition bulkhead/feed, machine guns, oleo scissors, control column, rudder pedals and rudder pedal spacing bar, foot plate, fuel tank, various instrumentation and avionics units, two part pilot seat, two part trim wheel (to be supplemented with PE), lower fuselage support framework, and instrument panel. That is by no means a comprehensive list, as you'll see from the photo of the parts. The instrument panel is so designed that two colour printed paper inserts fit into a recess from behind to form the dials. On top of this sits a plate depicting the rear instrument area. Those instruments themselves are better than the previous release. The larger panel is very good, but the smaller could do with some Airscale decal magic. I – Tail Parts The TWENTY-FIVE parts included here are concerned with the rear fuselage, right down to, and including, the tail area. Detail in this rear fuselage area isn't often depicted, unless you super-detail using resin aftermarket sets, but here, absolutely everything is included. Here you will find two bags containing compass, radios, compressed gas bottles, choice of retracted or extended tail gear leg, tail fin and stabiliser parts including the elevator and rudder surface profiles, junction boxes and socket plates. All I think could be added as a little extra is some lead wire to wire things up. That's the end of the metal parts. Now we look at the last box in this kit. J – Sheeted Parts & Rubber Parts Vac-form parts are supplied for the canopy. Please don't let that put you off as these are exceptionally clear, and with superb frame line definition. Rubber tyres are provided, but they don't look quite right for a 109. Perhaps these can be replaced with an aftermarket item. For your information, the hubs are separate to the tyres. Some resin parts are supplied for the wingtip lights and gun sight reflector. These are milky in appearance, so I would look at replacing these with clear plastic. The box also contains a fabric material which is for the seatbelts. The parts are pre-cut, but as the sheet is a little thick, I would perhaps use some HGW or RB Productions seatbelts here. As well as the instruments printed sheet, there are two self-adhesive foil sheets which are pre-cut, and contain the canopy framing. These also have laser etched riveting on them. This can be a tricky area, hence the reason you have been supplied with two sheets of parts. Take your time. This sheet also contains gun barrel jackets, designed to be wrapped around wire. Again, I would replace these with barrels from the MASTER series of products. The last remaining parts in this box are some lengths of piano wire and some tubing. Instructions These are about as comprehensive as it can possibly get. Firstly, there are A3 two sheets which contain parts maps and also an explanation as to the different fold styles employed. The assembly drawings have different symbology which refer to things such as 'valley fold', and 'mountain fold', referring to whether parts are to be internally or externally folded. Instructions are also given on how to eradicate any pouring nubs and paring lines on the cast parts. As for the constructional sequences, there are MANY! Whilst this project isn't quite as complex as the Mustang and Zero with regard to airframe (nature of the beast!), it is still a complex model which deserves your time and patience. Construction is broken down into various areas, such as engine, wings etc, as you would imagine, but there are TWENTY-FOUR pages of A4, double-sides diagrams which you need to carefully study, and explain all aspects of that construction, including memos for when you need to fold, drill and file etc. The drawings themselves are actually very clear when you look at them in relation to the parts, and start to mentally visualise the skeletal form of the model. Model Stand My sample was sent with an acrylic stand which simply plugs together. The clear acrylic is protected by paper sheet which needs to be peeled off. Bearing in mind that the narrow undercarriage is white metal, this would probably be a good idea to use, and of course, it's unobtrusive. Conclusion As I just mentioned, the Bf 109F airframe doesn't have the same level of overall complexity as that of the Mustang and Zero, but it is faithfully reproduced here for you in mindboggling detail. You still have a LOT of work to do to complete this model, and the results, from the finished images we have, or staggering. Yes, I would replace the seatbelts, barrels, and the clear resin parts, but that is something and nothing. The wheels and hubs seem simplified too, but there are so many accurate and cheap ones on the market that these can easily be replaced. My only other minor niggle is the lack of weapons tray for the MGs mounted on the upper fuse. This area is faired off with a cowl panel. If you wanted to make something representative here, which I may just do, you'll need to employ a little scratch-building. You may not bother too much about this, and it certainly is no deal breaker for this amazing kit. Where else can you get something which contains all this detail such as fuel tanks etc? Also of note are the wing to fuselage connection points. These employ lugs and pins, as per the real aircraft. The level of detail is simply that good. This is a brand new release, and it just seems that Imcth are getting better and better. If you liked the Mustang and Zero, this will blow you away! VERY highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Imcth for this review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

Gorgeous Cees! What did you use for the wash? It still looks a real busy surface despite just being silver. Like it lots

Danny, that's far too clean for a modeller. It's unhealthy NOW...go dirty it up a little. Great looking area though. I wish I could be as organised.

This has been an EPIC in the making What a superb build this has been to follow, and one of the best schemes for the Fok Fok I've seen. You pulled it off magnificently.

Some very useful detail there, even for the HK builders. Thanks for sharing

I place on a rubber mat, and use a fresh scalpel blade and roll it over the tube, applying a little pressure. Eventually it gives, and you get a pretty clean cut. Depends on the material you use too. Works well on brass, copper and Nickel-Silver for me.

That's looking real good. What repairs did you have to make?

This work is superb. Please can EVERYONE who has their own methods of creating this technique, post your hints and tips for us so we can build a catalogue of the best way to achieve this look?

Have you glued the wing to fuse? Would it not have been easier to fit and blend nacelles with the wing by itself? Loving this one. Now, get that Dutch Decals decal set at the ready.

1:32 Bf 109G-6 undercarriage legs BRONZE Eduard Brassin Catalogue # 632021 Available from Eduard for 17,25 € Bunny Fighter Club price: 14,66 € How about a brand new set designed to entirely replace both the kit undercarriage struts and the main gear doors on your Revell Bf 109G-6? This is the very latest in Eduard's Brassin range of products catering to the recent release, so let's take a peek. Presented in Eduard's familiar clear blister packet, this remit of this set is about as simple as it can get, and most certainly easy when it comes to implementing it. Containing just four parts, this is a set for which pretty much any modeller of any still can make use of. Eduard's love affair with white bronze (jeweller's bronze) continues, with this set replacing the 109's undercarriage strut, as a single part, complete with oleo scissor and brake line incorporated. There is also no clean up to do with these are there is no casting block to remove, and the faint mould paring seam is hidden to the rear of the strut, up against where the undercarriage door will fit. The locating lug for inserting to the model is also a part of the leg, as per the original kit part. There's no doubt that these bronze legs are indeed extremely strong. Being jeweller's bronze, they also hold detail amazingly well, unlike some replacement parts we have seen cast from white metal. As said, these parts are designed to be swapped straight out for the kit ones. The undercarriage doors are a massive improvement over the Revell parts, being thinner and having far more detail too. A locating indentation around the wheel axle point is designed to fit the oleo precisely, and is positively located around the top of the strut by means of a bracket. These doors incorporate hydraulic line detail as well as the double skin, pressed interior shell, with raised riveting. Very impressive indeed. Al small casting block will need removing from each gear door via a thin wall of resin, and two overflow tags need to be snipped from the top of each door also. Of course, there are instructions for this set, indicating assembly, and the possibly use of Eduard's Brassin range of wheels instead of the kit parts. A head on view and side view give you an idea of the attitude of the legs when they are installed, despite the kit allowing this to be attained pretty easily anyway. Colour call-outs are given GSI Creos/Mr Hobby paints. Conclusion A simple set which is so beautiful it almost seems a shame to put any paint on them. They aren't too cheap, but the quality is outstanding, and they are a definite improvement over the kit parts. If you add the resin cockpit, engine etc, then perhaps bronze undercarriage legs will be a useful insurance policy over all that added weight! Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Eduard for the review sample used here. To purchase directly, click this link. Consider joining Eduard's Bunny Fighter Club programme for further discounts on your purchases.

I think I'll use Cees's method to fix my intakes. Will a Vimto can do instead of beer?

Damn, that looks nice!

Nice clean build. I like your style.

Sure is a great review, and always good to see another modeller's perspective too.

1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 cockpit set Aires Catalogue # 2189 Available from Hannants for £15.50 Revell's recent Bf 109G-6 has certainly spawned a whole new wave of aftermarket items to help push this kit to the next level. While I think it's generally accepted that Revell's kit, although offering plenty in terms of detail and option possibilities, isn't absolutely perfect, this hasn't stopped a whole swathe of complicated and involved detail/correction sets being released by the main protagonists in our hobby. On the slab today, we have an entire cockpit replacement set, sent to us by the fine guys at Aires. This release is packaged into a clear blister packet with a card insert slid into this from behind, and the instructions sheet within this. This is stapled through the plastic in order to seal the package. To open, you need to start extracting heavy gauge staples. I much prefer the approach from Eduard with their pop open packets. All resin parts within are backed by soft grey foam so they don't rattle around too much. Above this, a small blister contains a single PE fret. This is sealed into position securely with black card, taped all the way around. Revell neatly designed their kit so that the cockpit walls fit into recesses within the fuselage. This is manna from heaven for the aftermarket companies who champion the modular approach for their cockpit upgrade sets. This means that this set, as with the Eduard one, are designed to be built as a module as per the actual kit parts, and then simply glued into place with minimal fuss, and what appears to be zero surgery for the host kit. Aires have cast this set in their usual creamy, light grey resin, with the three main components being the two fully detailed sidewalls, and a single piece cockpit floor, incorporating the rear and forward bulkheads. This part also includes many details which may normally have been cast as separate parts, including the seat, footboard and rudder pedal mounts. There is a space for where the MK108 cannon breech protrudes into the space between the pilot's knees. There are actually THREE breech options for this cockpit, with each cast separately onto their own blocks. Two notches exist in the floor at each side of the module. This is to allow the sidewalls to properly locate and key into this main part. Detail in this area of the office is superb with sharp bulkhead detail, incorporating wiring, connectors and riveting, and various avionics units on the floor. Of course, there is a casting block to remove, and in the case of this part, it's pretty substantial. The whole of the area underneath the rear seat bulkhead, extending to a 3mm depth plate underneath the cockpit floor, is solid resin. I wouldn't think you would need to remove all of this block, looking at the kit itself, but I think you would need to remove the majority of the resin from beneath the floor. The material to the rear of the pit could be left in situ. Those side walls are simply stunning, and are going to call for a steady hand and a fine brush in order to bring out that detail. You will need to use the kit part for the fuel line with the clear viewing glass though. In all fairness, Revell did a pretty good job of that feature, so it should look just at home here among the superb regulator, switch box and fuse panel detail. Despite most detail being moulded in situ, such as exterior vent and throttle quadrant etc, there are a few areas which will need to be supplemented by the PE parts included in this set. We'll look at those in a moment and see what's included. Casting blocks run along the bottom of the side walls, and be careful you don't cut through the locating tabs at the bottom of these when you saw away those blocks. There aren't too many other resin parts included in this set, apart from the 3 major components and the three MK108 cannon breech options. That's pretty much a testament to how this set is designed and mastered. Other parts included in resin are the control column complete with leather gaiter and wiring, weapons selector panel (optional), two gun sight options, head rest padding, and a handful of other small detail. Again, you will need to use the kit parts when it comes to the armoured head rest plate itself. The instrument panel has partial detail cast onto it, with the remainder of the instruments being complemented by a layered PE approach which includes sandwiching a clearly printed film between the resin and metal parts. You will of course need to add the film to a white-painted background for the instruments to stand out. That film piece also contains the plates for the gun sight options. A full seatbelt set is included on the photo etch fret, which has a bare brass finish. I'm not really a fan of Aires belts, and would much prefer the HGW/Eduard textile belts to these. This fret also includes the rudder trim wheels and chain, rudder pedals, instrument panel sections and bezels, armoured headrest brackets, and a small amount of side wall detail. I can't ever fault the quality of Aires' photo etch parts, apart from those seatbelts, as everything is cleanly manufactured, and are held in place with thin, narrow tags. Conclusion As long as you have a steady hand, and some creative flair in order to get the very best out of the detail cast into this set, then this is one upgrade that could be managed by a newcomer to resin sets. Superbly designed, and extremely busy-looking generally, this is most certainly a definite improvement over the kit parts and will give the wow factor to what is always a key focal point of any large scale model. Resin casting is excellent, with no flaws, and all parts are pretty easy to clean up, prior to assembly. As far as accuracy goes, I have to admit I'm no expert on the Bf 109. Having said that, looking at the limited reference I do have, and with Google being my friend, Aires do seem to have pretty much got this looking correct. This is also a fairly cheap set, even in comparison to the low price of the Revell kit, and it is one you should consider if you like an eye-catching office. Highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Aires for the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

Those decal schemes look great. Are there a full set of stencils in there too?

This is just amazing. Loving those seats and that nose interior.

If you are on Windows, press CTRL and PRTSCRN, then go to Paint, and Press CTRL and V. This will copy the image from screen, right into your clipboard for saving. If you are on Mac OSX, you can press the SHIFT, CMD and key 3 for a full screen cap, or SHIFT, CMD and key 4 for a selectable capture area.

Sweet! I'd forgotten about this one. We should aim to have every WNW kit built up here on LSM.

1:32 Supermarine Walrus Mk.I HPH Catalogue # Available from HPH for 170€ The Supermarine Walrus, or 'Shagbat', as it became more affectionately known, was designed by Reginald Mitchell, the very same man who designed the infinitely beautiful Spitfire fighter. Designed to satisfy an RAAF request for a reconnaissance/patrol aircraft to operate from cruisers, and was designed to be launched by catapult. The Walrus was an amphibious aircraft, so as well as being catapult launched and winch retrieved, it could also operate from land. Powered by a single Pegasus VI radial engine, swinging a 4 blade propeller in a pusher configuration, the quite agile Walrus carried 2 Vickers MG guns in gunner openings both fore and aft of the cockpit. The Walrus could also carry bombs and depth charges. First becoming operational in 1935, the Walrus was operated by a number of Commonwealth countries as well as Egypt, France, the Soviet Union, and Turkey, and for the UK, primarily with the Fleet Air Arm. The type finally left service in the late 1950's when Argentina retired the handful that they operated. Think of Supermarine, and the image of the iconic Spitfire might come to mind. Yet again, you may well think of those amazing Schneider Trophy winning seaplanes, whose design paved the way to our most prestigious fighter plans design. For me, however, it is the Walrus that is the design which sticks in the forefront of my mind. I was captivated by this aircraft after building the 1:72 Matchbox kit when I was a kid. We recently took a look at perhaps the most major of resin kit designs recently, the HPH 1:32 PBY-5A Catalina, and this sparked an intrigue in me to look at the earlier Walrus kit release. Thankfully HPH delivered this to us in a very reasonable timeframe, in order that we could evaluate this smaller, but for me, far more beautiful flying boat. HPH's Supermarine Walrus is packed into a very sturdy top opening box, with superb colour artwork on the lid which depicts the TWO schemes available within this release. The inner box itself is neatly compartmented with the resin parts packed into various zip-lock bags, and further protected by layers of bubble wrap. The large fuselage halves and wing sections were wrapped in generous lays of bubble wrap too. On top of the various parts, a large ziplock wallet contains a CD with digital instructions, HGW textile seatbelt set, photo etch frets (including colour PE), canopy masks and a decal sheet. HPH have managed to finely cast the fuselage as halves, in their full length, minus the vertical fin which is left off in order for the model to first accommodate its stabilizer. The fuselage halves appear to be very delicate due to how thin they are. But of course, this thinness is necessary to produce a scale interior, which this model indeed has. And I mean a FULL interior! Externally, the Walrus depicts superbly mastered detail, such as delicate rivets and reinforcing doublers. Resin webs and structures are cast over areas which need to be removed, such as the gunner positions, cockpit, hull windows and various other portals. Internally, you will be amazed at the detail cast within. As this model contains a full interior, all the constructional elements within are included. The fuselage has the various longerons and minor vertical structures in situ, and there are a lot of them. The internal frames, however, are separate entities which need to be inserted within the recesses cut within the stringers and longerons. The manual shows these in detail, and where exactly every one of them needs to be inserted. I imagine this will aid the rigidity of the fuselage somewhat. A little of the stringer detail on my sample, is broken away, but this falls squarely in an area which will be covered by the duckboards flooring, so I'm not at all concerned by this. Points exist within the fuselage, into which you attach resin pins. This is to help align the fuselage halves when you glue them together. They act in the same way as the locating pins on an injection moulded kit. No casting blocks as such exist on these parts, and all you'll need to do to prepare them for assembly is to remove the aforementioned webs and a little flash which exists around the edges. On my sample, a little micromesh will be needed to buff out a mark on the external port side. The wings are simply a fantastic exercise in mastering and casting, with the lower wings having integral wheel well bays into which the externally hull-based undercarriage would swing into. Excellent fabric and rib detail is present throughout, with the fabric having just that right amount of pleasing 'sag'. There are also recesses in the lower wing into which bomb both resin and PE mounting racks and brackets can be fitted, although looking at the reference which comes with the kit, the main bomb racks are perhaps an optional feature as the recesses in the wings are the same as the photos of the Walrus which are supplied. The ailerons are cast separately too, and do have scope for being positioned dynamically, if you so chose to. The leading edge of the wing panels have a casting block attached, and you'll need to carefully remove this, along with some resin webs on the wingtips. This is pretty common fayre for such parts, so take it easy in cleaning these up. The wing roots have indentations into which you should drill in order to mount the wings on the wire pins which are suggested for use. Another bag of large resin parts contains the outboard wingtip floats, cast in a single piece, as well as the engine 'pod'. Just a little clean up is required here, and as per the main airframe, beautifully detailed with restrained rivet detail. The engine itself is cast as a central crankcase, with separate cylinders. The cylinders themselves will be a little clean up in order to remove small amounts of resin debris which seems to have stuck to the parts. It's no major deal though. The manifolds will also need a little clean up, and our sample has a little rubber from the moulds which is attached. TWO propellers are included, which are fitted back to back. Just a little clean up, drilling, and the trailing edge thinned, should see these good to go. A resin jig is included which fits over the fuselage, and helps align the engine pot height and angle. HPH's solution for producing the vertical tail plans is to produce it in port and starboard halves. You can pin these together for rigidity, and of course, when you sit the fit parts in place, you will see no joint line whatsoever. Again, the elevators are cast separately, and the rib and fabric detail is excellent. The same is to be said for the rudder and vertical fin parts. Look at pinning these parts wherever you can, and perhaps fixing with slow setting CA gel. The internal formers, like many parts in this kit, are cast flat, onto thin sheets of resin. Julian Seddon is building one of these on Scale Modelling Now, and he gives an interesting note that you simply don't cut these from the sheet. Instead, you must sand the part from the rear until the sheet falls away. If you don't do this, the parts way well be too thick to insert into the slots within the fuselage. You may find it a little easier to slightly nick away the stringer within the fuselage in order to finally fit these, as the formers can be quite thin and flexible. A series of duckboards are flat-cast too, in a slightly darker resin. These are beautifully sharp and require minimal cleaning before use. Most of the actual hull floor will be obscured by these, with the exception of the cockpit and rear fuselage. Where the hull floor can be seen, keel strips mean you won't actually see any joint at all. This aircraft has many struts, whether to support the wing, tailplane, engine pod, or wingtip floats. All of these are cast onto sheets, and have a tough steel pin insert within. The same applies to the undercarriage legs and tail-wheel strut. These pins don't bend too easily, so you should have no problem with your model being properly supported. The majority of other parts which comprise the detailed interior are sheet cast too, and detail is excellent. The pilots seat comprises of a basic chair, into which padded cushions are installed, and the seat itself being connected to a tubular frame. The cockpit is dripping in detail, comprised of both photo etch parts, and resin. I really don't think any facet of detail has been left out here. The cockpit will be seen from the capacious glazed greenhouse canopy, and from there, you will see into the area to the rear of the pilot. This itself is adorned with seats, radio equipment etc. You will also see the cockpit through the forward gunner position, which is open through into the cockpit. A bare resin instrument panel plate is included, and onto this, you will attach the coloured photo etch parts. The radio equipment from the engineers area is pre-cast with detail, but you can also opt to grind this off and attach some colour PE instead. Granted, you won't see every angle of the internal detail, but you will see pretty much most if it, whether through the forward or rear gunner positions, or through the hull side wall glazing. Although I'm one modeller who 'builds for me', meaning 'I really don't care if the detail is seen, as long as I know it's there', in this case, you will see a LOT of it! Believe me, and this is probably the best interior that I have seen on any model, with perhaps the exception of the PBY Catalina. It really is difficult to describe the detail internally, so here are a few images for you.....just to give you an idea. The forward gunner position even has a winch and choice of two anchors! All grey resin parts are generally superbly cast. Being resin, there will always be a few parts which will need cleaning a little, and may need a little reworking in places. I think out of the whole kit, there are probably no more than a dozen parts which will require me to work a little at them. For a kit with this number of parts, that is perfectly acceptable to me. The exterior of the hull, as I said, will need a little micromesh in places, but nothing too major. Casting blocks are relatively few, and are mostly confined to the flying surfaces, with other parts being mostly sheet cast. There are a few pin size bubbles in some parts, but for me, these are mostly hidden by other detail etc. A small number of parts seemed to have a little debris in the castings, such as a few wooden splinters, and fine grit. Luckily, they are in places which won't be seen, and either way, this is quite easy to remove/hide. I have a slight issue with the clear parts in this kit, as there is a flaw across the main canopy. HPH has assured me that that will soon be here and I will then insert the image here. So what else is in this pack? Well, apart from a Belgian chocolate, which my wife appropriated, there is a set of HGW textile seatbelts, specifically designed for this release. The belts themselves are comprised of a microfibre material which you scrunch with the fingers, then straighten out. This helps give a realistic sag. You can also weather the belts with oils etc. All buckles are supplied in photo etch form. TWO photo etch frets are included, produced by Eduard. The colour fret not only contains the layered instrument panel, but also the radio equipment faces and cockpit placards, to name but a few parts. The larger fret carries parts for MG ammunition drums, such as the drum faces and handles. These are an option, as the detail is already cast, but I do prefer the PE alternative. Other parts on this fret include bomb racks and accessories, cockpit instrument detail, exterior detail such as window frames, brackets and plate detail, and also some canopy frame detail. If you like attaching PE, you won't be disappointed here. A set of masks, cut into vinyl sheet, is also included. There are quite a few panels to mask, so this is a welcome inclusion. HPH provide their instruction manual in digital format, on a CD. The disc contains the instructions in both Adobe Acrobat format, and in JPEG too. The instructions are scalable, and can be blown to full screen size easily, as well as being very high quality. The manual is 45 pages, with the first 34 pages being lent to the model kit itself, followed by a number of pages of colour images in a walkaround, and finishing with the two schemes being supplied in glorious, digital high resolution. An overview of kit parts starts the manual, with all constructional stages being illustrated by photographs. A good number of photos are annotated to include detail on pinning parts, applying PE etc. The seatbelts have their own drawings at the places where you will need to assemble and install them. My only criticism of the instructions is that some things are installed, such as equipment within the hull, and then it is suggested you fit other internal constructional hull detail. It is obvious that some things are better being installed before others, contrary to the plan. Remember to work ahead several stages. A full set of rigging drawings are included, but you will need to provide your own rigging material. The manual, as mentioned, contains many images of the Walrus, to help with your detail and painting work. Please also consider 'Supermarine Walrus & Stranraer', from Mushroom Model Publications, which has some excellent images of the interior to help you with this seriously impressive area of modeling. Paint call-outs are given throughout construction, but not with any specific manufacturer codes. You'll need to check that all important reference, both in your manual and in your own books. A single decal sheet is included. Decals are nice and thin, and have minimal carrier film. Colours look authentic, and everything is printed in perfect register. No stencils are included, but the footprint walkway marks are included, as are a number of walkway bars too. The two schemes included in this release are: Supermarine Walrus Mk.I, Royal Navy, HMS Sheffield, 1941 Supermarine Walrus Mk.I, Royal Navy, 1700 NAS, HMS Ameer, 1945 Conclusion Absolutely stunning. I love it! It's been 30 years since I had my last 'fix' of Walrus, and my passion for this aircraft hasn't diminished in that time. Not only is there now a 1:32 kit, but one with so much detail that I really feel very, very spoilt. Apart from a few faulty parts I snagged, which are now being replaced, there really isn't much to fault here. There are some constructional quirks which you'll need to check as you go, and in light of that, I have to say this is a kit which you really should NOT tackle as your first resin build. If you are used to resin ,then you'll have immense fun building a massively detailed model of one of the prettiest seaplanes ever to fly. Pricey? I think in comparison with other resin kits, this is well pitched. It's not a massive model, but it also is no shrinking violet. VERY highly recommended. Our sincere thanks to HPH for supplying this review kit. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

1:32 Me 163B interior and masks Eduard Catalogue # See article for code and price Available from Eduard Do you ever build a model as soon as it's released, and then just wish you'd waited a little while to see what aftermarket sets would be released. You knew there would be some, but impatience takes over. That's exactly how I felt when I recently built the Komet for Tamiya Model Magazine International (to be published March 2014), especially considering that the base kit lacks in detail in a good number of areas. Eduard to the rescue with these new sets that have been sent for review. The exterior set will follow in our next samples package. Now, I'm pleased I have another Komet in stash... The sets that Eduard have sent to us are: #32802, Me 163B interior, 22,95 € #33130, Me 163B interior ZOOM, 18,75 € #JX161, Me 163B masks, 9,95 € Essentially, the Zoom set is a cut down, and cut price version of the full detail set, but tackling on certain, key elements of the main set. We'll come to that in a moment. All of these sets are packaged into the standard Eduard re-sealable thin sleeve. #32802, Me 163B interior Meng's Komet cockpit is pretty deficient in many key areas of detail. There was simply no excuse in missing out the amount of key detail that can be seen in just about every photograph and drawing you see on Google. When I built mine, I had to address a number of basic omissions in the kit, but thankfully Eduard have tackled every single one of those, plus the things which I simply hadn't got the time or inclination to sort myself. The rear cockpit bulkhead is pretty bad in terms of accuracy or scale, and it will take a lot of determination to put this right without an aftermarket set. Thankfully, this set doesn't shy away from fixing this poor area of the kit. You'll need to do some major surgery to remove the moulded plastic structures first though. With the plastic gone, you can now install an entirely new seat framework, complete with the various fine girder sections and seat installation rails. Of course, a seat is also included, produced in two parts, and including a set of belts to replace the poor ones supplied in the kit. Bulkhead detail also includes the rather obvious control surface linkages that protrude from this area and into the wing roots. If you thought the bulkhead needed work, then the same can certainly be said of the cockpit floor and side consoles. An entire photo etch floor is supplied to fit over the plastic one which is pretty much devoid of detail. Another strange anomaly in the kit, but thankfully corrected here are the side console straps. The consoles were actually fuel tanks, and they they were secured with fabric straps; 2 vertically and 1 horizontally. Strangely enough, Meng didn't include the horizontal on in their moulded detail, so Eduard have included entirely new sets for here. You will of course have to remove the moulded detail for the ones they did include though. There is also extra detail to add to the console avionics units, by means of coloured photo etch, and other parts. This level of detail also spills onto the separate inner cockpit sidewalls whose detail is more or less replaced with PE alternative parts. Having built this kit, I can say that this new detail is 100% worth the effort it will take in removing original detail and fitting this. Other internal cockpit detail includes the rudder pedals, control column wiring, gun sight and mounting deck, and the small canopy opening handle. Eduard are well known for their instrument panel parts too, and the same is included here. The kit dies actually give the option for either a moulded plastic IP, or a simple plastic base with PE parts, but of course, these aren't coloured, unlike these from Eduard. When it comes to making my next Komet, I'll use this version as it's a massive improvement over what is offered in the kit. The IP is produced from a layer with printed instruments which is overlaid with the instrument panel fascia. The effect does look very good. Oddly enough, there is no detail for the engine in this set, so assume it might be in the exterior set, but there are two more parts included here in colour PE, or should I more correctly say 'two alternatives of two coloured parts'? These related to the ammunition saddle, and are an indication of the ammunition used in this, dependent on whether you use the MK108's or MG 151 option. #33130, Me 163B interior ZOOM As mentioned, this is a cut down version of the previous set, with only the colour fret included. It is worth mentioning here that the colour frets in both this and the set above are SELF-ADHESIVE too. #JX161, Me 163B masks Another set I wish I'd had when I built my first Komet. This includes masks for the main canopy, rear external windows, and also the internal, armoured quarter-light windows which sit in the pilot's rear bulkhead. The main canopy mask is provided as an external outline only, with the suggestion you use masking fluid to fill in the centre. DON'T do this if you use Klear or similar for your canopies, as they WILL fog in reaction to the latex/ammonia. Instead, use scrap pieces of mask sheet to infill. Instructions All three sets have clear and concise instructions, with any surgery required, readily illustrated and easy to follow. Conclusion Eduard have done as good a job with this as they did with their set for the old Hasegawa kit, but of course the base Meng kit is infinitely superior to the Hasegawa one, so this set can onl go a long way to produce the very best Me 132 in 1:32 scale. Some scraping and hacking will be needed in that cockpit, so I wouldn't recommend this for an absolute beginner. Detail levels supplied are perfect in order to fix what Meng decided, in their wisdom, to leave out. The only things not included are two fuel lines running from the consoles to the rear bulkhead. Just get some lead wire out, and the job's a good 'un, as we say in this part of the UK. Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Eduard for the review samples seen here. To purchase directly, click the links in the review. Consider joining Eduard's Bunny Fighter Club programme for extra discounts on your purchases.

Great looking work Jeroen. You get your wood decal looking better than mine. Any progress?