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

UH-1D Cargo Interior

Published: January 6, 2018
Company: Eduard

Eduard has released some great sets for the Kitty Hawk UH-1D. This is another one of them. This big fret contains a brand new interior flooring and the anti-skid surface for the exterior roof.

The cargo floor is simply gorgeous. It has the diamond pattern, tiedown rings and the seat rails. It also has the seatbelt hold downs for the front seats. They are available in the seatbelt set just in case you didn’t get that set. It is hard to convey how beautiful this flooring is. It is a big piece and it fits over the entire floor from the front to the back.

The roof is a nice addition. It will have to be faired in with some putty but that should be pretty easy to deal with.

Another super set for the Kitty Hawk UH-1D. The level of detail on these two big parts is… more

UH-1D Masks

Published: January 6, 2018
Company: Eduard

The thing about helicopters besides all those fiddly parts is that there is typically lots of clear parts. The Huey is a perfect example. I really dislike masking windows and canopy. This latest set from Eduard makes this a simple matter.

Printed on Kabuki tape, which takes curves really well, this set has masks for the interior windows on the door and the rest of the exterior windows and canopies. You will have to supply some liquid masking fluid.

These masks will save you lots of time and frustration. They will fit flawlessly like every other one I’ve ever used. Its nice that the interior windows on the cargo doors are addressed as well.

I try not to build a kit without canopy masks and these Eduard canopy masks are just the ticket to make it simple and easy.… more

F-5N Modern Adversaries

Published: October 26, 2017
Company: Twobobs Aviation Graphics

I’ve always thought the F-5 Freedom Fighter was a sexy little airplane. And with a neat paint scheme, it is even cooler. Two Bobs has dabbled into these markings with this release.

The adversaries of VFC-111 and VFC-13 sport some of the camouflage schemes that many potential adversaries would fly in.

Typical of all Two Bobs releases this one comes in a ziplock baggie of 6x9 inches. The decals themselves are printed by Microscale so you know they are thin, opaque and in register. This sheet features three aircraft, one from the Sundowners and two Fighting Saints. There are stencils for each aircraft and decals for CATM AIM-9 markings.

The instructions are printed on a double-sided 8.5x11 sheet of high-quality paper. The front side has both sides of the three… more

Bf-109F Early Seat

Published: November 12, 2020
Company: Eduard

The Bf-109F had three different types of seats throughout its development. One being the early style similar to the style of seat in the Emil but completely different. It was more representative of the style of seat used in the Bf-110. Then the seat moved towards what we are familiar with but with a different backplate. This was short lived and the familiar backplate that would be in the Gustav was the final version.

With the release of the Bf-109F-2 from Eduard, they have added this early style of seat. Some of the most famous aircraft, such as Galland and Molders, have the early style of seat.

In their Brassin series, Eduard offers up this new seat. Inside of a plastic blister pack that is typical of the Brassin range, Eduard offers up one resin… more

Luftwaffe FuG-16 Antennas

Published: October 22, 2017
Company: Eduard

Packaged in a typical Brassin blister pack are these little gems. Let’s face it, one of the issues with plastic parts is the requirement to clean up the molding lines on a part. Even the finest kits in the world have them. It is a function of the molds and injection process. Cleaning up these parts is a requirement. If the part is small or fragile it is a pain in the seat pan. Resin parts can work around this and provide even more detail. Again, that is just a function of the material.

Inside the blister pack are enough resin antennas for three aircraft. The FuG-16 antenna is placed on the left wing of Bf-109s, typically G-6 late, G-14, G-10 and K-4 variants. These are molded in medium grey resin and are perfectly formed. A fret of photo etch is provided to make the panel that… more

Bf-109F/G Pitot Tubes

Published: October 21, 2017
Company: Eduard

If you are like me, I can become ham handed when modeling and anything sticking out will get knocked off. The Eduard BF-109F/G is a perfect example. Eduard molded the pitot tube on the wingtip and sometimes I knock it off. Well, you can use the kit supplied extra pitot tube or you can elect to use the Brassin one. The Brassin pitot tube is significantly better and easier to clean up. There are no mold lines which must be cleaned up on the plastic piece.

There are three pitot tubes on the pour block. They are simple to remove. Also remove the little tip at the end and it is ready to use. You will have to drill a hole in the wingtip. The pitot tube angles down slightly. Attach with super glue and you are ready for paint.

While designed for the Eduard kit these pitot tubes… more

Bf-109G-6 Photo Etch set

Published: October 21, 2017
Company: Eduard

This small set is designed for the Zvezda Bf-109G-6 kit. It contains what I consider the essential cockpit items. Packaged in a typical small Eduard self-sealing packet with a cardstock to prevent bending, the set includes a single pre-painted fret.

The primary focus of the fret is the instrument panel. This is a thing of beauty. Interestingly, the panel has the lower right two instruments painted with red and yellow surrounds like they are supposed to be, but on the sets designed for the Eduard kits, they are not. The chains, knobs, and various items in the cockpit elevate the kit cockpit to a whole new level.

One thing I did to make my life easier was to cut the upper part of the instrument panel. The panel with the clock that has to go around the gunsight. This… more

Bf-109G-6 Mask

Published: November 12, 2020
Company: Eduard

I hate to mask canopies. If there is a masking set available typically I will buy it and use it. Eduard produces some of the nicest masks out there. They use Kabuki tape which is flexible and able to withstand curves.

This set is like many of the others, in that it contains the masks for all the canopies in the kit, both the regular and the Erla Haube one. To make this set even more valuable it includes masks for the wheels, as well as, masks for the head armor. I can’t think of anything else I would want to mask.

The fit is perfect to the Zvezda kit canopy and the wheels. They make life so much easier than having to me make the masks myself. Thank you to Eduard for making this portion of modeling easier.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA… more