UH-1D Big Ed Set

Published: May 4, 2018
Company: Eduard

As someone who was very involved in developing the Kitty Hawk UH-1D, I know of some of the shortcomings of the kit. Some things that were not able to be addressed or were caused by the limitations of the plastic. Some things are just better in photoetch.

The key about these Big Ed sets is that they are a one stop shop for a kit. Not only are they a one stop shop but they are discounted significantly than if you were to buy the sets separately. In this case the saving is almost $20.

This set does contain everything you’ll need in photoetch. The first set is 48935- UH-1D Cargo Interior. It contains one large fret that has a new photoetch floor with new pedal troughs and seat tracks. It also contains a new roof piece that has a pattern which is added to the kit part. If… more

P-40B Warhawk Cockpit Set

Published: May 3, 2018
Company: Aires Hobby Models

The new Airfix P-40B is an excellent example of the iconic fighter made famous by the Flying Tigers. The kit is nice but there are some things in the cockpit that need to be ‘fixed’. Aires has released this new cockpit set for the kit.

Inside the typical Aires blister pack are 21 pieces of molded in light grey resin. My example was flawless despite damage to the blister package. The set also has a small fret of photo etch that includes the instrument panel and seatbelts. A film of acetate is also provided for the instruments.

This set will require some thinning of the sidewalls to get it to fit properly. But once you get past that, the set fits together simply and easily. The parts breakdown is very similar to the kit breakdown. The pour stubs are easy enough to remove… more

F-14A Tomcat Beaver Tail

Published: May 3, 2018
Company: Quickboost

The Tamiya F-14A Tomcat set a standard for plastic model kits. If there is a drawback it is that the aircraft can only be built as a very early Tomcat. Some things that need to be addressed to change your Tomcat to a later A model and B model is the so called Beaver Tail, as well as, the chin pods and gun vents. Quickboost addresses all of these areas with individual upgrades.

This offering is a single piece of light grey resin. It represents the beaver tail as seen on later F-14As, B, and Ds. It includes the fuel dump port and the ECM pod. Removing the part from the pour stub is easy enough. It is a drop in replacement part for the kit part. Simple and very easy to add.

If you want a later Tomcat then you need this part. No two ways about it. This part is an important… more

Bf-109G-6/14 Exterior Set

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Vector

The new Zvezda kit picks up where the excellent Bf-109F kit leaves off. The new kit shares many of the same sprues and because of this it has some similar issues. Notably the kit needs some help in a few areas, namely the ailerons, exhausts and wheel wells. Well Vector has stepped up to the plate and provided some exquisite resin corrections.

Packaged in a small ziplock bag with a paper label at the top, Vector provides you with some beautifully cast light grey resin that is blemish free. You get two new wheel wells, two ailerons, exhausts, cockpit shelf and bulged battery box.

The kit ailerons feature some exquisite fabric representation on the top side, but only on the top side. The bottom is missing the fabric detail. Not a horrible thing but a noticeable oversight.… more

FW-190A-4

Published: January 26, 2018
Company: Eduard

No one can accuse Eduard of not listening to their critics. First the redid their Bf-109s and now they have started to redo their FW-190 series. The first Focke Wulfs that Eduard released were complicated and over engineered for most modelers. They contained a lot of great detail but the fit was fiddly and could confound some modelers. Well all that has changed with the release of the FW-190A-4.

Packaged in a sturdy top opening cardboard box with impressive box art the A-4 is the first time Eduard has done up an early ‘short’ nosed 190. The kit features five sprues of light grey resin that is crisply molded with no flash. I did notice that my fuselage halves had a slightly raised ridge at the join on both halves. Three of the sprues are the common sprues for the entire 190… more

Bf-109G-4 Profipack

Published: January 7, 2018
Company: Eduard

The Bf-109G-4 was very similar to the G-2. Bigger tires along with the corresponding wing bulges and a bigger tail wheel were the only external differences. The service length of the G-4 was short as it was quickly replaced by the G-6 for its increased armament. The G-4 was quickly used by the photo recon units of the Luftwaffe and is often associated with them. There were a couple of variants of the G-4 in the photo recon role. I wanted to have a Bf-109G-4/R3 which could have had the photo recon window under the fuselage, oil deflectors aft of the engine and two 300 liter drop tanks mounted to the wings.

The boxtop has some of the best artwork I’ve seen on a model box. This is just an inkling of the goodness inside the box. Inside the sturdy cardboard box are four… more

Bf-109G-4 Canopy Masks

Published: January 7, 2018
Company: Eduard

If there is one thing I hate about modeling aircraft it is masking canopies. To me it is just a chore. I can mask an entire model multiple times but something as mundane as a canopy is a pain and time consuming. That is why I really enjoy Eduard’s canopy masks.

Printed on Kabuki tape, similar to Tamiya tape, these masks are precisely cut for the Eduard Bf-109G-4 kit. They should fit the G-2/5/6 as well. The thing about these masks that is different from other masks is that the aft canopy has internal framework. Eduard gives you both the interior and exterior framework for the aft canopy. The other canopy parts are just the outside. The single page of instructions shows you which masks goes where.

Everything fit perfectly, which is what you would expect for… more

UH-1D Photo Etch Set

Published: January 7, 2018
Company: Eduard

This set is designed for the Kitty Hawk UH-1D. While not marketed as an interior set because there are other parts in here. There are two frets included. One is a pre-painted one that is also available in the ZOOM set and the other is brass.

The first fret is a simple little pre-painted fret which is a perfect accessory for the Kitty Hawk UH-1D. One of the things about the Kitty Hawk kit is that it has an instrument panel with extra gauges that were added after Vietnam. It also is painted flat black while Vietnam era aircraft had light grey interiors.

This fret features some of the exquisite detail that is common for the Eduard pre-painted frets. There is simply no way that you can paint this good. The instrument panel is a perfect example of the type and markings used… more

UH-1D Seatbelts STEEL

Published: January 7, 2018
Company: Eduard

Kitty Hawk UH-1D comes with photo etch seatbelts, but they are not as accurate as they should be for a Huey. This set is a pre-painted STEEL set. That means that it is able to be bent a little bit more than the previous sets. I’ve enjoyed using the STEEL seatbelts on other builds.

This set is very complete. It contains EVERY seatbelt and shoulder harness for the UH-1D/H. Unlike the Kitty Hawk seatbelts the front seat belts and shoulder harness are perfect for the Huey. The colors are great. The leather end pieces are included which they aren’t on the Kitty Hawk parts. Also included in this set are the parts for the rear facing seats and the cabin area. Tiedowns are included for the front seat belts and even the cover for the inertial reel.

All in all this is an… more

FE861 UH-1D ZOOM PE

Published: January 7, 2018
Company: Eduard

This simple little pre-painted fret is a perfect accessory for the Kitty Hawk UH-1D. One of the things about the Kitty Hawk kit is that it has an instrument panel with extra gauges that were added after Vietnam. It also is painted flat black while Vietnam era aircraft had light grey interiors.

This fret features some of the exquisite detail that is common for the Eduard pre-painted frets. There is simply no way that you can paint this good. The instrument panel is a perfect example of the type and markings used in Vietnam. There is also detail on the overhead and lower console. These will look impressive when installed in the cockpit.

Installation is easy. Simply sand down the kit detail and add the new pre-painted parts. I’d recommend painting the parts flat and then… more