JayDee

Great pics Mike. Hey, that's not the Eduard 109 is it? I heard it was unbuildable

I use Radu's riveting tools. They are the mutts nuts. There are corner wheels for getting right up to raised detail too.

1:32 Roland C.II Wingnut Wings Catalogue # 32026 Available from Wingnut Wings for $99.00, with FREE worldwide delivery. Before the De Havilland Mosquito took to the air, with its innovative lamitaed plywood fuselage shell design, there was the Roland C.II Rumpler. Another aircraft, from another country, but more interestingly, from a whole different era. In a time when most aircraft were constructed from timber frames and doped linen, the Germans were becoming very proficient at producing a more robust, yet very lightweight structure which was far superior, aerodynamically. Roland was probably the leading light in this style of laminated and wrapped plywood structure, known as 'Wickelrumpf', in which a layer of diagonally placed ply strips was overlaid by another at angles to the first. Construction was done over a solid jig, and then the various ports, windows etc, were cut out of the shell, using a template, frames inserted, and the halves bonded together like a model airplane. Roland's C.II, introduced in 1916, was a fast, two man reconnaissance aircraft which was given the name 'Walfisch' (whale) due to its rather rotund, dumpy shape. To carry this a step further, the forward, wing mounted anemometer was often shaped as a whale, complete with facial features and a tail. The aircraft design was rather unusual for a biplane, having the upper wings almost blend into the deep fuselage section, instead of supported on cabane struts, and with thick, sweeping, single struts per wing, reducing the need for a more elaborate rig. The pilot's head protruded above the upper wing, giving him excellent forward visibility, with albeit a reduced lower view. A single Parabellum machine gun was installed for the observer, and a strut mounted forward firing Spandau for the pilot, firing above the propeller arc. Unusually, windows were fitted into the fuselage side walls, many of which even sported curtains, leading to some amusing photographs such as the one below. The Roland C.II was an able performer, being powered a 160hp D.III, and being capable of a top speed of 102mph. Designed by Dipl. Ing. Tantzen, the Roland was slow and expensive to produce due to its innovative construction, but offered reduced interception options for attacking fighters of that time, due to its speed and visibility of the crew. The type saw service through until the end of the war, often acting as a fighter escort. You must have had one of those died and gone to heaven moments? For me, the most recent is Wingnut Wings announcement of its surprise release of the LFG. Roland C.II. For me personally, it's one of those Holy Grail kits, as was the Hannover CL.II, another of WNW's surprise releases a year or so ago. This particular type is one of four aircraft which sparked my interest in Great War aviation, when I was a kid. I think it was a 1:72 Airfix kit that piqued my interest in this specific type. I still remember the box art. Flip forward 35yrs, and now I have that same aircraft in my very favourite scale, courtesy of WNW. The box art for this release is just as inspirational as the kit from all those years ago. Steve Anderson again weaves his magic by depicting a Ritter von Scheich's Roland C.II with its sinister grimacing face. As always, Steve's beautiful artwork is edged in silver foil, adding a real touch of quality to the proceedings. There are FIVE schemes from which to choose, with these being shown in profile on the box edges. That box is also one of the larger type, such as we've seen with the Hannover, Rumpler etc, and is chock full of plastic. All sprues within this release as individually bagged, as we have come to expect, and there are EIGHT sprues moulded in light grey styrene, and TWO in clear. The instruction manual, another superb publication, isn't in a sleeve, as tends to be the norm with the later releases. There are TWO decal sheets sealed within a sleeve in the base of the box (one small and one large), and within there, a single photo etch sprue is included. Time to get our hands dirty, and man, am I excited by this one! SPRUE A Following Wingnut Wings usual convention, this sprue is pretty much a detail sprue, containing the donkey work of the cockpit and other interiorparts. You will notice from the image that this sprue is relevant to both this kit and the C.IIa Late version which we will review shortly. Again, the interior is constructed as a module which sits within the fuselage halves. Delicate side wall frameworks are moulded here, and will just need a few ejector pin tags snipping from them before the frame is cleaned up. These are quite fine, with a cutaway in the upper longeron, so please be careful when handling this. If interiors are your 'thing', then these kits never disappoint. The interior of the Walfisch is beautifully appointed with a very respectable quantity of incredibly nice detail. On this sprue, you will find a series of internal fuselage bulkheads, instrument board, fuel pressurising pump, grease pump, two-part auxiliary fuel tank, pilot seat with separate cushion, observer's seat, morse code key, wireless aerial, spark advance lever, generator, fuel gauge, starting magneto, main fuel tank filler, to name the majority of parts for this area. Sprue B actually carries a good number of other key internal parts that we'll look at in a moment. Holes will need to be drilled in pre-designated areas on bulkheads, so that you can pass the cables through for the rudder control. Other parts moulded here are the undercarriage V struts, engine bearers, oil tank, external radiator housings, tailplane struts, control horns, Orcarina exhaust, and the 'fishy enemometer', engine cowl etc. SPRUE B Again, this is a sprue common to both version of this kit. The beautiful (IMHO) lines of the Walfisch are clear to see here with WNW's immaculate reproduction of the fuselage. It's clear to see the beauty and advantage of the smooth, moulded plywood form of this aircraft. Being for both kits, there will of course be a little surgery to perform in order to make the fuselage halves comply with your variant. For this kit, it's just the removal of a few small louvres from a number of panels. A little more work, but not too much, is required to adapt for the CL.IIa Late version which Martin will review for you shortly. Externally, the Whale is superbly detailed with various louvred access ports and hardpoints, fastener detail (where internal equipment is secured to the walls within), and with an integral forward cowl ring. You'll notice a whole section missing at the rear tail area. The tail unit comprises the rear port and starboard fuselage sections, and sits atop the fuse like a module. The fitting of this seems to coincide with what look like panel lines, so you should have minimal seam removal here. Internally, the Wickelrumpf detail of the angled plywood laminations, is clearly seen, along with the points which you may need to open with a drill. If you're not opening any particular ones up, just pop a blob of putty in to hide. I doubt you'll see them anyway once assembled. Those ejector pin marks are also kept clearly away from any visible areas too, with a number of them being in the rear fuselage area, well out of sight. Wingnut Wings have moulded the fuselage floor so that it incorporates the main fuel tank, upon which the pilot's seat is mounted. You'd only have to hope he didn't take an enemy round in that vicinity! A sub-floor is also included here too, which forms a sort of foot-well for the observer. Interior parts on this sprue include a control column with separate steering wheel (wheel applies only to this variant), rudder pedal, observer – pilot communicator/voltameter unit, two part vertical fin unit, undercarriage spreader bar, upper wing – fuselage fairing, lower wing – fuselage fairing, rudder, observer's hand fuel pump, etc. A couple of wing parts exist here, but only for C.IIa use, NOT for use in this release. SPRUE C (x2) Whilst this sprue is common to both of the new Walfisch kits, certain parts do not pertain to this release. Two of those are the instrument panel 'windows' which sit in the upper wing – fuselage fairing of the C.IIa. Two of these sprues are present, and for construction of this model, you will use a single windscreen option, and of course the fuselage side window panes. As we have come to expect, clarity is exceptional, with no distortion or flaws to be seen. SPRUE D (x2) Another sprue for which two are included, and for sake of logistics, it tends to carry those parts which are doubled up. In this case, these are the thick interplane struts, flare racks, wheels with separate hubs, stabilisers and elevators, as well as a number of smaller components which aren't for use on this release, such as cowl louvres, etc. Rudder control cable pulleys are included here (a quick hole drilled between the pulley and mount will make these easy to rig). The tail surfaces were quite slab in section, so any surface detail is necessarily light. SPRUE E E is for engine, quite literally here. The Roland C.II was powered by a 160hp Mercedes D.III engine, and for those of you familiar with Wingnut's range of kits, this sprue will be quite familiar to you as it's common with a number of previous releases. Yes, there are different sump options on this sprue, but you will only get to use one specific type in this build. In fact, around half of the parts to be found here will not be used, so plenty for your spares box. Out of the four propeller types, again, only the Axial is slated for use. A number of parts aren't applicable to this aircraft either, such as the flare racks, but you do get quite a nifty service handgun which can be posed within the cockpit, or in a diorama. Despite the parts not used here, this engine builds into a beautiful replica of this common aero engine, and this time we get to use the cylinder head section with the facility to take the copper water cooling pipe, which looks very cool indeed (no pun intended!) SPRUE F Now, we take a look at the wing sprue, which as you'll note, is only specific to this particular Roland. The C.IIa had numerous differences, as you'll see from our follow up review from Martin. The wings themselves are moulded as separate port and starboard halves, both upper and lower. Detail is excellent, with a highly authentic looking rib and fabric structure, exhibiting just the right degree of 'taught', as the fabric spans the ribs and highlights the shorter sub-ribs. A scalloped trailing edge shows that this aircraft had wire to form this edge, and the doped fabric has pulled in inwards. Strut slots and rigging points are clearly defined, plus this model's rigging isn't quite as complex as a number of other aircraft of the period. The wing mounted compass is superbly rendered, and a depression exists on the underside, below this point, where you will installthe compass well. Other parts on this sprue include the ailerons, engine cowl part, roll over hoop, mounted captured Lewis gun (for Ritter von Schleich's machine), captured Lewis gun for observer (Meerkatze machine), radiator intake mashes, header tank radiator pipe options, and an early rudder option. SPRUE G1 Quite simply, this is a Parabellum sprue, containing various parts pertaining to that weapon, including ammunition drums, and both a simple and detailed option for the actual gun. For the detailed option, with a photo etch jacket, a former is included around which to wrap the PE so you have the correct diameter. I usually find wrapping them a tad smaller is a better option and slightly springing it apart so the joint faces mate together with no gap. A few other parts on here aren't for use, such as another MG option and a scope etc. SPRUE G3 This is the 'German Accessories' sprue which is also included with other kits, such as the Hannover CL.II and Rumper . There are items on this sprue though that are most definitely required within the actual build, and these are the Telefunken Type C Wireless set, ammunition drums and belt ammo feeds,wind driven fuel pump, and other small detail such as anemometer vanes etc. The remainder of items for use here would be typically used on a diorama etc, and these include access ladders, camera equipment, flare pistols, homing pigeon box, first aid kit, and even a little teddy bear for use as a mascot. I suppose it could be the WW1 equivalent of having furry dice handing in your car windscreen. PLASTIC OVERVIEW This area would normally be one for critique, but apart from saying that there's no flash or troublesome ejector pin marks, I can't add anything into the negative. Not that I would want to, but just so you know that I write as I find, and this kit is immaculate in terms of its engineering and moulding quality. Seam lines are nigh on negligible, and all detail is pin sharp. All I suggest is that you invest in a fine razor saw, such as those available at RB Productions, as some sprue attachment gates are quite short, and you wouldn't want traditional sprue cutters causing any part distortion as you aimed to clip the parts from their sprues. PHOTO ETCH Only eight parts are included here, and these are the pilot and observer lap belts, MG cooling jacket and sight reticule, and also undercarriage dual buckles. Etch quality is excellent as always. DECALS Two sheets are included here, printed by Cartograf. The main sheet is pretty crammed full of decals, so it's obvious why WNW had to have a small overspill sheet. Most decals for all schemes are included on the main sheet, including the famous mouth and eyes markings which apply to three of the five schemes. For wing markings, where they overlap ailerons, the decals are supplied in parts, and any detail protrusions are catered to with cutaway areas too. Decals are supplied for the instrument panel and various others such as engine serial and data plate. Stencils are also included. The smaller sheet simply contains further national and personal machine markings. As you would expect, printing is thin, and with minimal carrier film. Registration is perfect, and colours look authentic and solid. The FIVE schemes included are: Roland C.II, Eduard Ritter von Schleich (35 victories), Johann Czermak (1 victory), FFA 2b, January (?) – March 1916 Roland C.II, "Meerkatze", FFA 18, Early to Mid 1916 Roland C.II, Rudolf 'Rudi' Windisch (22 victories) & Maximillian von Cossel (1 victory), FFA 62, October 1916 Roland C.II, "stripes", Kasta 8, Kagohl II, Mid 1916 Roland C.II, "spots", Kasta 8, Kagohl II, Mid 1916 INSTRUCTIONS WNW supply a high quality 26 page manual with probably the most beautiful assembly instructions you are ever likely to see. All assembly sequences are in a drawn format and coloured grey, but with new parts being highlighted in blue. A number of full colour illustrations are included of individual areas, to give you an impression of how things should be painted. Those paint references are given for Tamiya and Humbrol paints, as well as FS Standard codes being supplied so you may reference these to your favourite paint brand. The manual is interspersed with a lot of period images of the Roland C.II, including images of the aircraft under construction. There are also images for the specific machines which have been chosen for schemes. A full rigging drawings is supplied, and Ronny Bar's rather superb colour schemes occupy the last pages of the manual. The images clearly show full decal placement and scheme colour reference. Conclusion As I started this article by saying, 'this is the one I have really waited for', that wasn't a throwaway statement. Most of us have a sort of Holy Grail, but for me, this is one of perhaps 3 or 4 types that I seriously hoped would be produced in injection plastic, and Wingnut Wings have stepped up the the plate and produced a beautiful kit that it now appears a large number of modellers wanted. I was in good company all along. This is a great kit, with a reasonable number of parts options and some great schemes with some history attached. I wonder how long before I can resist starting a build of this. All I have to say to WNW if they are reading this, is 'Halberstadt CL.II' Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to Wingnut Wings for this 'dream come true' review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

Glad we're seeing decals for this kit now.The kit ones are pretty poor, plus these have full stencils!

That colour looks perfect. I'll remember that for mine next. Good to see this one coming together finally.

Love it! I obviously saw this kit at first hand, but it's good to get another opinion on it too, and be able to learn something too. I'll publish to SP&R this week too.

I'm really looking forward to your Ju 88 build, Ralph. I know resin is a new medium for you. Got any questions, then please ask via forum or PM

1:32 Messerschmitt Me 410A-1 HPH Catalogue # HPH32023R Available from HPH for €196.00 The Me 410 had a sort of ignominious history. By the outbreak of World War 2, the Bf 110 was already a little long in the tooth, and after the success of Blitzkrieg in Poland and the Low Countries, the limitations of its design had become painfully apparent during the Battle of Britain, when losses for the type had become quite severe. The Germans, never ones to let the grass grow under their feet, had already started to design the successor to the Bf 110, and this, the Me 210, first flew around the start of WW2. In an unprecedented show of faith, the RLM granted Messerschmitt to put this machine into full production, despite it not having being proven in both performance and handling trials. What was worse, the Me 210 had a number of design flaws which were literally to prove fatal to some of the crews that flew it. The favour in which Willy Messerschmitt was held, had now been proven to be acutely embarrassing to both the RLM and the Messerschmitt company itself. Whilst the Me 210 did see service in a small number of variants, it's successor, the Me 410, was already coming on-stream, with a number of existing Me 210's being recalled and updated. A number of Hungarian produced machines, designated Me 410Ca-1 entered service with the Luftwaffe, and they were relatively well-received. The Me 410 had uprated engines, as well as an extended fuselage which helped with handling characteristics. Other changes included automatic leading edge slats and outboard forward wing sweep. The new aircraft was designated Me 410 in order to disassociate it from the rather abortive Me 210 programme. This new aircraft was nicknamed 'Hornisse', or 'Hornet'. Carrying an internal bomb bay within the nose, and packing serious forward facing firepower of two MG17 machine guns and two MG151 cannon, these were also supplemented by a further two MG131 machine guns installed into rear-facing barbettes and controlled remotely by the rear gunner/radio operator. Without a doubt, the Me 410 design was actually quite versatile, with a number of versions spawned which carried heavy guns within the forward bomb bay. The type was also capable of carrying multiple WGr.21 rockets underneath its wings. Despite the relative success of the Me 410, and a promising development program ahead of it, production was cancelled in favour of the Me 109G, and even more ironically, the Bf 110G design which was finding a renewed success as a night fighter. Total production run of the Me 410 stretched to around 1200 machines. The Me 410 is almost identical in size to the Bf 110, but the box in which HPH have released this new multimedia kit will surely make you think otherwise. In comparison with the Dragon Bf 110 box, this one is a little understated. Yes, it's got quite a reasonable upper surface size, but it is also quite shallow. Don't let that fool you though. This is one cleverly packaged kit, and one that is simply choc-full of resin, photo etch and turned metal parts. Two schemes are available 'out of box' and both of these are shown in profile on the lid. We'll look at those schemes towards the end of this article. Open that lid and you'll see probably one of the best-packaged kits on the market. That is perhaps with the exception of the clear parts. No biggie, but again, I'll come to that shortly. The inside of this large box is compartmented specifically to cater to the various larger assemblies primarily, with a number of other compartments set aside for mass bagging of the many other smaller parts. All resin parts are packed into a number of zip lock bags with the larger parts being wrapped in layers of bubble-wrap. Peeling back the initial layers of bubble-wrap, the first thing we come across is a wallet containing a large decal sheet, HGW laser-cut seatbelt set, two wallets containing photo etch parts, an instruction manual on CD, some HPH leaflets, a bag of turned metal parts, vinyl masks, and last but not least.....a rather tasty Belgian chocolate. The latter might be a gimmick, but so what! My wife certainly enjoys these, and it didn't last long once the kit was opened! We'll look at the fuselage halves first. You really must see past the rather jaggy resin edges, as these of course need to be carefully ground away in the clean-up phase. Look across the surface of the parts. You'll see the most refined panel lines, and the some superbly refined raised detail. Port and access panel detail is sharply scribed, and the whole exterior exhibits some rather fine riveting. I feel this is pitched correctly, with a quite subtle appearance that is lacking in most injection moulded plastic kits. Internally, the detail is every bit as good, with clean stringer and other constructional elements. Cockpit and gunner side-wall detail is excellent, with cutaways included in that detail into which the various assemblies fit. My test fit shows that these parts perfectly align. That internal detail also includes the tail wheel area. Bulkheads will be installed here, along with a highly detailed tail wheel strut, reinforced with a steel pin. If you wish to install the detail for the forward bomb/gun bay, then you will need to remove the doors which are cast in a closed position. Replacement doors are supplied for posing them 'open', so don't worry about saving the removed resin. If you don't want to pose them open, the fuselage still has a very good level of cast detail in situ in this area, which of course can be seen through the glazed nose of the Hornisse. HPH have cast the fuselage beautifully thin, and very lightweight. Whilst the resin has a lot of inherent strength, just be cautious when you're removing the waste material before construction. You'll notice the tail fin is a separate part. This approach is good as it means that this isn't cast with a thin fin which could be warped and difficult to align properly. The resin fin itself is a single piece, with a separate rudder. A little clean up of this area and the excess resin at the rearmost tail/fuse area, will be needed. It's clear to see what needs to be removed. My parts have numbers written on them internally. For me, it's #133. I presume this is the 133rd kit to be produced. Who knows? Apart from some excess resin at the tail, and a small stub on the nose, there's no sign of any casting block. Once you've cleaned up the mating surfaces, you'll need to remove the webs from the cockpit area, barbette, wing area etc. With this kit, there's no fumbling with wing dihedral and trying to ensure that port and starboard are aligned equally. The lower wing is a full span part, which in itself is a serious feat of resin casting. There is a full length casting block that will need removing from the front edge of this part. Thankfully, the connection to the part is quite thin, and shouldn't be too difficult to remove and quickly profile the leading edge. Some other areas will also require cutting out, such as radiator, undercarriage, and aileron filler resin webs. Again, no big shakes, and will be quite simple to perform. Detail on this part, and on the upper wing panels is excellent, with the same standard of fine panel lining, access panels, raised detail and subtle riveting. Looking at the underside of the upper wing panels, you'll see some wheel bay detail. This will be surrounded by a rib and spar box to complete the area. The forward spar extends into the wing center section, which then glue together to give extra lateral strength. You'll notice that the engine/undercarriage nacelles aren't cast along with the lower wing. These are separate units, and they align perfectly with the finely scribed guide lines on the lower panels. These are cast with the lower main gear doors closed, as many period images do show them closed while on the ground. If you do wish to saw the rear covers off the nacelle, and pose them open (as they are on the machine at RAF Cosford), then you'll have the added benefit of seeing the wing internal detail. As with most resin kits of this ilk, there aren't any engines supplied in this kit. Instead, there are two upper forward engine cowls which fit directly to the lower nacelle, and into these fit plates which hold the engine exhaust manifolds, which are suitably hollow ended These upper cowls are also 'handed', as are the nacelles, meaning that they have to fit the correct side of the machine. These parts are marked with an L and R internally. Also identified with the same key is a forward internal cowl insert into which you'll plug the pins onto which you'll hang the propeller/spinner assembly. That insert, which is suitable tapered and fits perfectly, also has an arrow pointing upwards, for better clarity. The spinner is cast as a single piece, with holes to take the separate prop blades. HPH seem to have got the shape of these parts just right. You will need to put your own hole into the rear of the spinner, and a jig is provided to help you do this. You will have noticed that I said the ailerons are separate parts to the wings. This is the same of the landing flaps and also the rear radiator plates/airbrakes at the trailing edge of the wing. Resin and photo etch inserts fit along the trailing edge of the wing in order to blank off any gaps in the airframe, and at the juncture of where landing flaps end, and airbrakes start. Every minute detail is present. When it comes to posing the flying surfaces, this is easy as they are pinned into position, so all you need to do is to use soft copper or brass wire and et voila! The same applies to the rudder and elevators too. Whilst the vertical fin plugs into the upper fuselage via a resin tab, there are steel pins cast into the horizontal stabilisers, and these plug into the pre-determined holes in the rear fuselage. When I say this kit is amazingly detailed, that is probably an understatement. There are a number of large zip-lock wallets in this kit, containing hundreds of resin parts, and some of these larger wallets have a number of small wallets within. These predominantly contain the parts which are cast onto unfeasibly thin resin sheets, so they have less chance of totally breaking apart within the package. Thankfully, HPH do include these parts grouped together as sheets on their parts plan, making it fairly easy to locate the bits you need quite quickly. To remove these parts from the resin sheets usually takes no more than a quick twist of the sheet, and a clean up with a knife. If the sheet is a little thicker in places, and the parts more fragile, then I recommend removing the majority with a knife. The instructions do say that this backing should be sanded off to remove the minor extra thickness. You'll find in most cases that you won't need to do this, or you certainly won't need to remove much material, if you do decide to sand. Now, those big bags of resin. I'll not categorise and describe every single part within this kit, but look at the key areas, and describe the overall detail of the kit. A number of parts are cast on thin sheets, as I've just said. Some of these thin sheets are duplicated, where there is a need for two of each part to be used, such as undercarriage brackets and main gear nacelle interiors. The most crucial, load bearing parts, i.e. the undercarriage struts, are cast with pre-formed metal wires within them. These are extremely rigid, and will more than cater to the job they were designed for. The tail wheel leg has a false fork which only appears to hold the wheel. There is actually a length of wire protruding from the leg which will insert into the wheel itself. Of course, the fork will hide this. A small length of wire will be needed to thread through the fork and wheel too, for effect. Wheels are supplied weighted, and with separate hubs, Detail is generally excellent. I did find the tail wheel hub a little undersize, but that's a quick fix. If you're a detail freak, then the cockpit is seriously going to impress. The pilot's office is based around a tub with consoles containing moulded detail. A set of colour PE is supplied too, and if you want to use this, then you will need to remove the cast detail. Instrument panels and other details within look excellent, and they include instrument bodies to the rear. You'll just need to add a little wiring to these. The pilot seat is supplied with two resin cushions, which although almost hiding the seat detail, will look very good when fitted. Pilot knee pads are cast as a part of the cockpit tub. Side wall detail and that for the sliding rudder control assembly is perfect, with numerous small parts including junction boxes. Between the rudder pedals, a sheet of glass was installed to aid the pilot's downward view when bombs were carried. This part is supplies as a pane of crystal clear resin. HPH have supplied the bomb/gun bay with a full suite of detail, which looks excellent. To display this detail though, you will need to pose the forward bomb bay doors open. These doors are cast closed on the fuselage, so you'll have to take a razor saw to them and remove the resin. Don't worry about saving the doors. Throw them away. HPH have provided a set of extra ones which contain internal detail and the swing brackets. The rear gunner's position is no less well-appointed, with more great side wall detail, compressed gas bottles, foot rest, radio equipment and remote barbette controls. Unlike the pilot area, you will actually need to install some of the coloured photo etch here, as most corresponding parts do not have any cast detail. These include fuse/switch-banks, and the many radio transmit/receive sets. As a note here, these units are cast with wiring looms in place. Internally, there are also fuel tanks and a large number of other smaller detail parts, some of which sit on a thin upper deck which spans the full length of the pilot and gunner positions, but allowing space to fit the many glazings around its circumference. A key feature of the 410 was those remote gun barbettes. Discs of waste resin will need to be removed from the fuselage, and a retainer disc glued in from the fuselage interior. These are drilled to accommodate a pin which will ensure you can actually rotate these guns into any position you require. A two-part barrel/muzzle assembly is supplied for each. Most larger resin parts are supplied in a number of zip-lock bags, and contain some sort of casting block, albeit minimal, and easy to remove. You'll find a good number of parts for which the casting block is already removed, and just a little cleanup is required before assembly. Having these parts together in larger bags has no ill effect on them at all, as the bags are also bound with bubble wrap when inserted in the box. Resin quality is excellent throughout, with only an occasional air bubble being the very worst you'll have to tend to, and those are extremely rare in this kit. All parts are easy to clean up, and no mould release residue is apparent, although I still recommend washing parts in warm soapy water before any paint hits them. Now, my only real bugbear with this kit, and it concerns the clear parts. HPH are masters of producing superbly clear resin, and they are connected to their casting blocks by means of a narrow resin wall. The problem for me is that all clear parts are packaged into the same bag, and that can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to their clarity being damaged with scuffs and scratches. My parts, thankfully, are in perfect condition, and I suggest you package these parts into their own wallets as soon as you get your kit. Framing quality is sharp, and casting beautifully thin. This is a complicated canopy, so take your time. Both pilot and gunner positions can have their sections posed in an open position. Clear resin parts are supplied for the wingtip lights too. You will need to saw the grey resin and replace with these parts. TWO photo etch frets are supplied, produced by Eduard. One is colour printed, whilst the other is in bare brass. The colour fret, as you will imagine, contains all of the various instrumentation panels and consoles. The split IP in the Me 410 is provided as a lower instrument face, and an upper instrument panel. Various levers etc. are supplied on this fret. The bare brass fret is larger, and contains cockpit parts such as rudder pedals etc. and also a large number of other parts, including radiator screens, control surface linkages, undercarriage and bomb/gun bay detail, aerials, aileron mass balances etc. Too many parts to try to determine during the course of this review. I would perhaps thicken up the lower aerial rails and mass balances with a little thinned white glue. There are no pesky colour PE seatbelts in this kit. HPH have included a set of HGW's laser-cut fabric seatbelts, designed specifically for this release. These are colour printed and even have laser-engraved stitching which will look great when a wash is applied. Read SP&R's reviews on these to give you an idea about how to work with them. A small PE fret is included which contains the various clasps and buckles. Assembly is easy, and the end result spectacular. Vinyl masks are included to help you when it comes to covering that complex canopy, prior to airbrushing. There isn't any real shrinkage to be seen, and if the finished model I've seen online is anything to go by, these should fit very well. A bag of turned metal parts is included for MG barrels, blast tubes, and also the under-wing WGr.21 rockets. Production quality is superb, with beautifully milled holes in cooling jackets, and those blast tubes which are pre-profiled to fit into the interior bomb bay. Those rockets are turned aluminium, and will be fitted with a PE exhaust gas collector ring at the rear. Their launch tubes are lengths of aluminium tube. The fit is excellent. Should you not wish to fit rockets, then resin fuel tanks are supplied. Instructions are superb, if not perhaps a little ambiguous in some places. Starting with a photo parts list, and followed with a Gunze paint reference chart, seatbelt and mask instructions, all sections in this are depicted with photographs of the actual model, with notes attached, including reference to any PE parts, where applicable. You will need to be careful with the instructions as occasionally, you will see something fitted which just appears from nowhere. Usually, you will see this being fitted later in the presentation. This is just how these guys have built their test model. Some things such as tail wheel addition are a little ambiguous. You are advised to study these images for many hours, along with the parts, and dry fit before you commit to glue. Unlike normal instructions, these are supplied on a CD. The primary file is a 180mb PDF, but all pages are also supplied as JPG. With a model this size, you are advised to print this manual out, but I warn you, it is FIFTY-TWO pages long! The colour TWO colour schemes are provided in the rear of the manual, in plan and elevation form. Decal placement is easy to follow. The schemes are: Me 410A-1, Erg. Gruppe/KG51 (Jagd), Germany, 1944 Me 410A-1, 5./ZG26, Königsberg, Germany, July 1944 Decals are provided on a single sheet, which look to have been printed by Eduard. It certainly has the appearance of their product, and I've always had good success with them. A full suite of stencils is also supplied, alongside national and unit markings, and the good news is that swastikas ARE included! I don't know if these are snipped out for German sales, or a different sheet is included. Printing is thin, and everything is in perfect register. Carrier film is minimal, and colour reproduction looks solid and authentic. Conclusion Simply put, this is a seriously amazing kit, dripping in enough detail to satisfy the fussiest of us. Kit design and production is also equally as good. I will tell you that this is not a kit for the faint-hearted, or someone with no experience of resin kits. It's a complicated kit which requires much understanding of all construction sequences before you even open your glue pot. You will need to measure, and ensure everything aligns perfectly all the way through. Those canopies and glazed nose are a certain width, so ensure that this is reflected in any part clean up you perform. This isn't a cheap kit, but for the model you get, and the limited nature of it, it represents a very reasonable value for money. If the Me 410 appeals to you, then this is just about the only kit available in 1:32, if you ignore vac-form. Very highly recommended Our sincere thanks to HPH for this review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. Please let these guys know where you saw this review. James H.

WANT!

Hi folks, I've not been idly sitting on my arse for the last two months. I've been building something I've referred to as 'Project X' in the staff area. This is something I've been waiting to build for a few years, and since I was in a rut and wondering what to build, I thought I'd finally put it together. I have to thank John Vasco for his assistance in determining what this aircraft would have looked like, since there's only a chunk of fuse and two engines now left on display. This one will be in Military Illustrated Modeller issue #39, so watch out for it!

Sweet Jesus!

Erik doesn't lose his crown, or reputation

Yes......but what next?

Oh WOW! Without a doubt, it was worthwhile slicing that nose in half has really paid off. Your internals always make me envious. This is one of my favourite parts of a build, and I'd love to get within 1000 miles of what you achieve.

Y E S ! ! ! Superb work. You nailed that finish. I mean, I always knew you would, but that is excellent. I love the cowl and wheel huub weathering. Great work on the rig too. Do you feel relieved?

There are some photos of the painted test shot on SP&R

The Trumpy Hind was a kit I planned to do ages ago, but held back for apparent lack of aftermarket. Looks like I might now have to resurrect the idea Thanks for the review. Bookmarked!

That's a seriously nice bit of aftermarket Nige. Got to admit I can't stand trying to remove plastic seams on kit parts like this, so this looks just the ticket

That's a great build topic. I've bookmarked to read properly later. I quite like the Vietnam and Korean War era helos. This and the Bell H-13 are very cool machines. Thanks for sharing.

No, please post the link John. We have no issue with cross-posting

What a great build? Can you tell me any more about this kit? I quite fancy building one of these.

Oh yes, tell me about it! Here's a topic where I used it on an earlier project http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=28881&hl=messerschmitt

Rick, what's the problem with this one? You're doing a sterling job.

Superb purchase. I can't live without these sets.

Oh wow!! This is an education in itself. It's great to see something so complex as the interior of the 188 undergoing this transformation. I've never owned a punch & die set, but I have one coming shortly. Pretty eager to try an instrument panel from scratch, just like this one. I was thinking of trying it on the Me 410.