Eduard has initiated a new line of masks that are rather unique in that they provide masking for the outside and inside of the canopy. While this is not a new solution it is the first time that pre-cut masks have been available. If you are like me you mask the outside and paint the inside color so that it shines through and call it a day. The drawback of this method is that while the correct color it is shiny.

• EX581
• EX582

In the past canopies have been rather thick and as such caused distortion so that if you masked from the inside it might not be perfectly aligned with the outside and vise versa. Modern kit canopies are significantly thinner than previous kits. So that opens up the possibilities of masking the inside.

Most of you should be at the least generally familiar with F-15 Eagle in its role as a twin engine all-weather tactical fighter. The F-15 was introduced into service in the United States in 1976 and just two short years later in Japan. The Japanese government made its initial purchase of F-15J “Peace Eagles” built by McDonnell Douglass in the late 1970’s before continuing to build additional J models and Pratt-Whitney engines under license. The F-15J is based on the US F-15C/D model for those of you familiar with the Eagle.

Tamiya‘s beautiful Bf-109G-6 is just a fun build. What it does lack is the seatbelts. Tamiya provides you with a decal to replicate the seatbelts and shoulder harnesses. This is a major letdown for me as the belts are quite prominent in the small cockpit.

Packaged in a self-resealing package that is typical for Eduard smaller photo etch is one fret of pre-painted photo etch. The fret includes the seatbelts and shoulder harnesses. They are painted properly with some shading around the buckles. It is very convincing and looks great.

I noticed that this set is slightly different from the one designed for the Eduard kit so it is definitely designed for the Tamiya kit. You can tell by the mount for the shoulder harness which will key into the kit attachment point. The set designed for the Eduard kit has the attachment point as well.