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

Bf-109G-6 Seatbelts STEEL

Published: October 21, 2017
Company: Eduard

The biggest thing in any cockpit are the seatbelts. If you are going to add one thing to your model cockpit the seatbelts make the biggest impact. The Zvezda Bf-109G-6 is an impressive kit right out of the box but it does lack the seatbelts. Eduard comes to the rescue.

The set comes with a single fret in the new STEEL format. This thin steel is superbly pre-painted. I’ve never had an issue with the paint while bending the new STEEL belts. The only downside is that the paint is on the front side only. This pre-painted fret has enough material for one model kit.

Adding the set is easy enough to add. Simply remove and bend to shape. Then attach them with a drop of super glue. Flat coat and you’re done. Simple and effective. The best visual impact you can add to your… more

Bf-109G-6 Photoetch (Zvezda)

Published: October 21, 2017
Company: Eduard

I found it unique that Eduard, who produces what can be argued as the best G-6 in 1/48th scale, would produce a set for its prime competitor the Zvezda Bf-109G-6. But not being slighted Eduard has done just that. An update set for the Zvezda kit.

The Zvezda kit features a completely exposed engine, should you choose to display it that way. Having built Zvezda’s Bf-109Fs I can say that the fit or the G-6 is also incredible as is the detail. I elected to show mine off once I built it up with the Eduard parts.

This set features two frets of photoetch. One is pre-painted and the other is brass. The pre-painted one is designed primarily for the cockpit. The instrument panel is a thing of beauty. The dials can be read which is much better than I can paint.

The brass… more

WWII Luftwaffe Fighter STEEL Seatbelt

Published: October 20, 2017
Company: Eduard

The one thing that is a visual interest in a cockpit are the seatbelts and shoulder harnesses. Regardless of what type of aircraft the first thing you see when you look inside the cockpit are the seatbelts.

Eduard has been trying to perfect the use of photo etch seatbelts from the very beginning. Their latest efforts are really nice. This fret includes enough seatbelts for FOUR single engine Luftwaffe aircraft. The STEEL seatbelts are very thin and bendable. The fret is .002 thick and realistically pre-painted. The paint is shaded and looks very realistic. I was able to bend them without the paint coming off which can sometimes be an issue with thicker belts.

If there is a downside, it is that the belts are only painted on one side, but depending on how you bend them… more

Syrian Sukois Decals

Published: October 20, 2017
Company: Twobobs Aviation Graphics

The Russians design some very interesting aircraft. Two of these aircraft are the Su-34 Fullback and the Su-24 Fencer. The Su-34 is a side-by-side fighter/ground attack aircraft developed from the Su-27. There is nothing small about either one of these aircraft.

TwoBobs has a reputation for representing some very interesting paint schemes and these are no different.

The instructions are printed on two high quality pages with full color drawings on all sides. The first page covers the Su-34s. Full profiles are provided for the two paint schemes and then partial profiles where the changes exist. The backside shows the top and bottom views. This will prove invaluable with the complex paint scheme of the blues.

The second page of instructions focuses on the Su-24.… more

Bf-109F-2 ProfiPACK

Published: October 5, 2017
Company: Eduard

The Bf-109F-2 was the first real variant of the Freidrich that was produced in significant quantities. Some F-0 and F-1s were issued but the F-2 was the first mass produced version. The new streamlined shape made for what many consider the ultimate version of the 109. There are no prominent bumps and bulges anywhere. It is a sleek and sexy version of the Messerschmitt.

Eduard has released the F-4 previously, and did release the F-2 in their Royal Class kit. This is the first time that they have offered the F-2 by itself. The light grey sprues are still blemish free and feature great detail. If you've built any of the F-4s or G-2s you are very familiar with the plastic. There is also a clear sprue with the canopy and the fuel supply line for the cockpit.

There are three… more

Bf-109F ADVANCED Set

Published: September 10, 2017
Company: Eduard

The Eduard 109s are some of my favorite kits and sometimes I like to go ‘whole hog’ on them. Whether it is for a diorama or just to show off the detail the Brassin sets are impressive for the detail, but on the downside they are a little expensive. I think they are worth the price but if you are going to use a bunch of different sets you may want to invest in the Big Sin sets. They contain multiple Brassin and photo etch parts for a reduced price.

This set is designed for the Bf-109F and includes the Brassin Engine and guns, control surfaces and landing flaps. This set has all the highly visible things to add to your kit.

The engine contains a nearly complete engine. It does not have detail on the bottom side which is no big deal as the kit doesn’t allow it to be seen.… more