Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

This is the Overtrees edition of the excellent new SE.5a kit from Edward, who continue to set the standard for the finest in model kits. An Overtrees edition is the ‘bare-bones’ of the SE.5a kit, including just the plastic sprues, nothing else. No instructions, no decals, no photoetch, masks, etc. The box doesn’t even include any artwork!

This kit includes two gray plastic sprues and a clear plastic sprue. Instructions are not included with the Overtrees edition but can be downloaded from the Eduard website at this link.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$29.95

This is a photoetch waist section set to for the Hong Kong Models B-17 E/F Kit number 01E04a. This set with two photoetch sheets one of which is colored. These sheets add a lot of detail to the waist gunner’s area of the fuselage in the B-17. These parts really add some great additional details to a great kit.

In the packet is:

  • 1 colored photoetch sheet
  • 1 photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is another wonderful set for a kit that is great to begin with; these parts are an great details.

I did find one minor issue with the set - the parts 40, 8a, 8b, 11 and 66 show them being a symmetrical assembly but in fact there is only one location.

Please note that the gun barrels shown are from another aftermarket set I had.

Book Author(s)
Mark Lax, Mike O'Connor, Ray Vann
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Cross & Cockade International
MSRP
$31.99

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Lawrence of Arabia book I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.95

Packaged in the typical Brassin blister pack are seven pieces of perfect light grey resin and a single fret of photo etch.Instructions are included that show all the parts and how they are to be added.

The rudder, elevators, and ailerons with their mass weights are the resin pieces. The flight controls feature some stitching detail that is nicely done.

The modeler has to add the photo etch trim tabs to the control surfaces. Interestingly, the rudder and elevators have the trim tabs molded on so if you decide not to use the molded on trim tabs you have to remove them. The instructions are pretty straight-forward. The control surfaces are direct replacements for the kit parts.

If you want to articulate the surfaces, like I wanted to do, you will have to remove the molded on tabs and flush mount the control surfaces.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.95

The Overtree versions of the Eduard kits is the release with no frills. No instructions, no decals, no masks, no photo etch, no nothin. That doesn’t mean that it is a bad thing. You get a kit for a very reasonable price and it can be built out of the box quite nicely.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
MSRP
$22.95

The sit of the Bf-109 places a lot of stress on the landing gear legs on the real airplane.

Eduard has released a set of brass landing gear in their Brassin range of aftermarket items. This simple set is packaged in a blister pack with foam protecting the four parts inside. There are two brass landing gear legs and two resin gear covers.

The brass legs are perfectly formed with just a little pour nub on the top of the strut that will need to be sanded down ever so slightly. The rest is beautiful detail. The purist of 109 freaks will say that this is only the earliest style of 109 landing gear strut, used on the F and Gs, or the Gustav up to the early versions of the G-6. If you are that much of a stickler for landing gear struts more power to you. You can use this set on any of the models that Eduard has released so far.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$9.95

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-2 kit. They should fit the G-5/6 as well. The thing about these masks that is different from other masks is that the aft canopy has the 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 from a manufacturer who produces both the kit and the masks. Apply the masks, then paint the interior color, in this case, Tamiya German Grey, and then the exterior camouflage color. Simple easy and efficient.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$29.95

This is a photoetch radio compartment set to for the Hong Kong Models B-17 E/F Kit number 01E04a. This set with two photoetch sheets one of which is colored. These sheets add a lot of detail to the radio compartment of the B-17. These parts really add some great additional details to a great kit.

In the packet is:

  • 1 colored photoetch sheet
  • 1 photoetch Sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is a fantastic set for a kit that is great to begin with; these parts are an awesome addition.

I did find a few minor issues with the set.

The part 32 handle needs something behind it to make it sit correctly on the door. There is some additional detail removal needed from kit part Aa17 on the top left corner to allow the PE to fit properly. You will also need to remove some details form the top sides of the fuselage to allow the installation of parts 38 and 43.

Review Author
Timothy Gidcumb
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$14.95

Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Eduard’s canopy masks for the new 1/32 Revell Me262B-1 kit. One of the first things to notice with this product is the excellent presentation of the packaging with the easy to open flap. Package includes a single sheet of kabuki paper masks for the canopy panels and also the wheel hubs.

Upon removal of the masks from the package I was able to easily remove the masks from the paper and apply to appropriate section of the canopy. The instructions included with the masks gives you a good feel for which panel you are working with compared to how canopy is actually sectioned off. The masks lay down well and no trimming had to be done to center up the masks with the canopy framing.

Review Author
Charles Landrum
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) continues to be the prolific leader in producing replacement landing gear in white metal. These products are convenient for many multiple reasons:

  • Replace inherently weak landing gear (Pro-Modeler F-84G)
  • Add strength to a model that has a lot of resin aftermarket
  • Replace lost or damaged landing gear

While often their parts are just metal copies of the kit parts, SAC has also made alterations to improve the accuracy of their parts without compromising fit.