Eduard 1/32 F4U-1 Corsair Birdcage Exterior detail set for Tamiya kit

[NigelR32]

F4U-1 Birdcage Exterior Detail Set
Eduard
Catalogue # 32 344
Available from Eduard for €12.74
Bunny Fighter Club price: €10.83

Eduard wasted no time whatsoever in releasing all the Photo etch and Resin wheels for the amazing Tamiya F4U-1 Birdcage kit. This lovely Exterior set is one of those releases.
 
I know what you're thinking right now... "The Tamiya kit is amazing, surely it doesn't need more detail"?? Yes, the Tamiya kit is a masterpiece and probably THE best engineered kit out there, in my opinion, but injection moulding does have limitations. Eduard have stepped in here to add the finest of details to the areas that even Tamiya couldn't produce in their amazing kit. Did I mention I like this kit??
 
This set of Photo etched parts is presented in the usual Eduard plastic sleeve with card insert, containing one unplated sheet of brass measuring 139mm x 70mm. Although the set is titled "Exterior", it consists mainly of parts for wells and the wing folds. The fact that the set contains a comparatively small number of parts is testament to the detail provided in the box of the Tamiya kit.
 
So, what do we get in this lovely little set?
 
Here's the Fret with 78 parts of etched brass...
 

 
As we can see, there are many small brackets and pipes along with some larger panels.
 
In this picture, we can see the panels that go onto the walls of the undercarriage bays. The kit parts have no rivet detail in these areas
 

 
Along the sides of the large opening in the tail for the tail wheel and arrestor hook there is no detail in the kit. Eduard have provided these slim panels to add interest to this are. There are also many parts to superdetail the tail wheel bay internals.
 

 
If you want to display your Corsair with flaps dropped, they look great this way in my opinion, you may want to add some detail to the outer edges of the plastic parts? Eduard provide the parts you need in this set, pictured here..
 

 
The wing fold area of the kit is lovely, with many beautifully moulded parts. Eduard have supplied all the necessary pipework and retracting elastic/springs to make this area of your model really come to life. Here's an example of what you get...
 

 
The instructions for the set are supplied as two sides of black and white printed A5 paper. I have downloaded the instructions from Eduard's site and printed them in colour on A4 paper...
 
Sheet 1, Tail wheel bay detail, oleo detail and flap end finishers.
 

 
Sheet 2, Wheel bay detail and pipework for the wing fold. Note parts 3 and 4, the springs which pull the cables into the wing fold when retracting.
 

 
So, we have a little set provided here which will enable us to build a masterpiece from an already amazing kit. If you are building your model wheels up, on a stand, there's no point in buying this set, however, if like me you will build your model on the tarmac with flaps down, this set is worth every penny. I will be using this set on my forthcoming build of this kit here on LSM.
 
Thanks to Eduard for manufacturing and supplying this set. Watch this space for more reviews of Eduard sets for the Tamiya F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair.