Eduard has released a series of WWII-era seatbelts in the “superfabric” series.

This review covers the following items:

• Seatbelts WWII RAF, Catalogue No: 49079, MSRP: $10.95
• WWII RAF Late, Catalogue No: 49080, $10.95
• Seatbelts WWII Luftwaffe Fighters, Catalogue No: 49081 , MSRP: $10.95
• Seatbelts WWII USAAF Fighters, Catalogue No: 49082 , MSRP: $10.95

The SUPER FABRIC seatbelts are made of some sort of “rubber-like” material. They have volume, i.e, they are not flat like decals, and they have a little bit of texture like if it they were made of ‘fabric’ (pun intended).

From what I read on the Eduard website, you can either apply the seatbelts “dry” directly on the painted seatbelt, or “wet” if the seatbelt has been coated in Future.

As I almost always like to coat my cockpits with Future in preparation for a wash, I applied all these seatbelts “wet”.

In order to do so, I wetted the backing paper (from behind) with just a few drops water and I waited a few seconds until the piece was loose on the backing. Then I used the back of a #11-blade to lift one end of the piece, and with tweezers I picked them up, very lightly applied white glue (do not use superglue) on the back of the seatbelts, and I applied the piece in place in the seat.

That is all that takes to use the SUPER FABRIC seatbelts. About 30 sec per piece and ultra-easy to do.

A Few Notes

• When removing them you should use care. They are a bit stretchy and forgiving, but if you are not careful you can break them.
• They are very flexible and easy to pose in any position you would like.

Pros

• They are easier to apply than typical photo-etch seatbelts.
• They are easier to pose than typical photo-etch seatbelts.
• They are prepainted.
• You can weather them with pastel chalk, pigments or even acrylic washes.

Cons

• None was found.

Usage

In this review I used a Tamiya Bf-109E-3 for the set Luftwaffe Fighters set, a Tamiya P-47D for the USAAF Fighters set, a Tamiya Spitfire MkI for the RAF Fighters seat and a Hasegawa Hurricane MkIV for the RAF Late Fighters set. As you can see, different kits and manufacturers were used and in all cases the seatbelt fit the seats, looking in scale.

Perhaps the only “opportunity for improvement” is in the instructions. For instance, the RAF Late set does not indicate which airplane is good for. I used a Hurricane Mk.IV, but I do not know if that is accurate. Would it be for a Spitfire Mk.IX? Who knows, it is up to you to do the research.

These items are highly recommended for modelers of all levels, except perhaps the most novices due to the small size of the lap belts. Honestly I have to say that I like them better than the pre-painted photo-etch seatbelts due to the ease of use.

Very highly recommended.

I would like to thank Eduard Models and IPMS/USA for the review sample.