BLUF - Bottom Line Up Front

It has been a while since I built a helicopter. The last time was an aborted attempt in 2014 give or take. That did not end well. I feel that going outside your lane (mine is aircraft) improves your skills a bit. And that certainly happened with building the Cobra. The kit itself builds up to a very nice replica of a Vietnam era Cobra. The build is straightforward. The only thing I would do differently is attach the landing skids after the kit is built, painted, decals applied, and any weathering is done. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging the skids as you handle, or mishandle, the kit as you accomplish those tasks. I must have broken the skids about 5 times. The last step, of course, is to attach the rotor blades.When the kit arrived, I inspected the box and its contents, and immediately noticed that a sprue bag had been ripped and noticed a number of loose parts floating around.

Hauler/Brengun was founded in 1999 and produces scale plastic kits, resin kits, resin accessories, and photo-etched detail sets. This detail set of the M26 Flare is offered in 1/48 and 1/72 scales. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HaulerBrengun/

Background: Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the German navy (Kriegsmarine)became fascinated with the notion of aircraft carrier use. The Germans started the construction of Graf Zeppelin carrier for the navy. They decided to use Messerschmitt Bf 109T fighters and Ju 87dive bombers with the carriers. The suffix 'T' standsfor ‘Träger’(a carrier) in German. An order for building 70 T-1 fighters (with added tail-hook, catapult fittings, and increased wingspan) was placed with the manufacturers, but after 7 T-1s were built, the carrier project was canceled and the remaining 63 of the 70 T-1s were built asT-2s without the carrier equipment. The performance of the T-2 was closely comparable to the E-4/N which had shorter takeoff and landing capabilities. The T-2 fighters were deployed in Norway. Bf 109T-2s remained in operation until 1944 with some fighter planes used in training units in Germany.

For those of us who model aircraft in the one true scale of 1/144, it is no secret that some details, particularly when it comes to cockpits, can be nonexistent at this scale. Most are often just a space with the occasional seat and maybe a control column included with the kit. Often that cockpit area isn't even there and is 'blank over' by the manufacturer. Just part and parcel for this scale.

Brengun has and continues to produce some lovely small-scale(144th) aircraft kits. They have also been in the habit of producing some after-market photo-etched/resin detail kits to address the lack of detail in those kits. Such is the case with the model accessories set (#144167) for their Me-309 aircraft kit(s).

The model kits are the Me-309V1/V4 (#144015) and the Me-309V4 (#144014), both in resin. These are neat, well-molded kits for an aircraft that has been largely overlooked by other mainstream manufacturers.

I have a Hasegawa TBF in the stash and it’s near the top of my build list and I thought this wonderful panel replacement from Yahu Models would fit the bill. The panel replacement set comes with photo etch replacement for the pilot’s instrument panel and side controls (Right).

Assembly is straightforward. Carefully remove the photo etch parts with a sharp hobby blade on a firm hard surface so as to avoid bending the metal parts. Only the front panel requires gluing, as the lower center and side photo etch parts need only to be folded.

Sadly, I don’t have the Sword Avenger but I do have access to photos of the kit contents. Sword doesn’t provide decals for the instrument panel, but the panel has raised detail. The Hasegawa kit provides decals for the instrument panel, but nothing like the detail of the Yahu instrument panel. For a very little investment you can add an amazing amount of detail to the drab cockpits of the Sword & Hasegawa kits.