The PZL TS-11 Iskra (English: Spark) is a Polish jet trainer aircraft, used by the air forces of Poland and India. It is notable as the main training aircraft of the Polish Air Force, and as the oldest jet aircraft still in service in Poland.
Eduard continues to amaze with the release of its Bf-109G series of models. They’ve taken the kit and provided you with some impressive detail right out of the box. However, they also have their photo etch line and the Brassin line of resin. It was a natural to add this detail to their kits. The problem was that as you add more stuff the aftermarket stuff would become cost prohibitive. Eduard has an answer for that. They offer options in the BigSin series that bundles some of their sets into a lower cost offering. Same great aftermarket but at a lower cost.
This BigSin set offers the new Brassin multi-media cockpit set, fabric seatbelts, and a photo etch set. There is no part of the model that is not addressed. Let me look at each set separately.
Eduard has four levels of models that they release. The first is normally the Profi-pack with all the plastic, instructions, photo etch, masks, and decals. This is normally followed up by adding Brassin parts that the modeler can choose to add to the kit. The third one is the Weekend Edition which includes the plastic, instructions, and decals. Just a basic kit. The final version, which is normally released just as the Profi-pack is, is the Overtree kits. This is just the plastic parts. It is the least expensive. It does not include instructions, photo etch, masks or decals. The instructions can be downloaded from the Eduard website. So that is taken care of. Now some would think why would they do that? Let’s admit we all have extra decals and may not like what decals come in the kit. Normally when this kit is released there is a small LEPT pre-painted photo etch kit for those that like them.
When Eduard releases their Weekend Edition or their Overtree issues they release a small ‘essential’ fret of pre-painted photo etch. Such is the case with the latest release from Eduard.
This one fret of photo etch provides the modeler with a pre-painted instrument panel, seatbelts and interior parts. They also provide radiators, exhaust deflectors, antennas and an access panel. Really, can you paint as well as Eduard prints on their instrument panels? I know I can’t. I love the pre-painted instrument panel and the seatbelts.
Typically, these sets don’t come with instructions but the downloadable kit instructions show where they go.
The key to these LEPT frets is that they are only available for a limited time, normally about a month after the release of the overtree kits.
If you have never used photo etch these are great little sets to practice with while adding detail that I think is superior to the plastic.
PJ Production has jumped in to help 1/48 Mirage III series model builders. This new release provides one Matra AS 37 Martel along with the pylon as featured on the Dassault fighter. This set is probably focused on the new Kinetic 1/48 Mirage III kits, but it should also work well on the Academy, Eduard, Fonderie Miniatures, Heller, and Hobby Boss kits; along with the older ESCI kit that has also been re-boxed by Revell and Italeri.
Notable is the re-sealable packaging that PJ Production uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. You will want to be careful handling the rear resin fins as their small size makes them an easy sacrifice to the carpet monster. Painting instructions are included with the small instruction sheet. I found several air-bubbles in the resin parts, on the missile body. Gap filling super glue with baking soda quickly solved the issue.
Vallejo makes several different types of paints- some for hand brushing, some for detailing and some pre-thinned for air brushing. Model Air is a range of liquid acrylic colors developed especially for airbrushing and has very finely ground pigments and an acrylic resin which has been designed for durability.
The set reviewed here is for modern US Navy Colors and contains eight 17ml squeeze bottles of:
Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Aires Messerschmitt Bf 109G Correct Undercarriage Bay for the 1/48 Eduard 109G series of kits. One of the first things to notice with this product is the excellent presentation of the packaging with the sealed flap on the back of package to allow for easy access to parts.
Upon removal of the resin undercarriage parts you will notice the great detail that we have come to expect from Aires QB products. Once you have removed the undercarriage parts from the resin base you will need to do a little clean-up of the flash with your tool of choice on the openings of the bays (I used the tip of my X-Acto knife). After the flash has been removed they are ready to be glued into the wheel wells of the Eduard Bf 109G.
The new Eduard Bf-109 is an exceptionally good kit and a lot of fun to build. What do you do if you have an Overtree boxing with no decals? Well you can get these decals to handle the stencils.
Eduard has started to print their own decals. One of the first ones they’ve done is the stencils for their Bf-109. Packaged in a self-sealing plastic wrapping with a thin cardboard backing, the decals are printed on a 2 ½ x 4 ¾ decal sheet. Also included is a sheet of instructions are included on a half of an A4 sheet. The finesse of the writing is legible in this scale. The colors are perfectly in register. The decals are very thin. So you will have to use plenty of water to move them around on the model once you add them, but they work flawlessly. Even if you don’t use setting solutions these decals will snuggle down beautifully.
Ok so what do you do when you screw the pooch on the initial release of a model kit and you’ve already invested lots of money on decals? Well if you are Eduard then you simply offer them as a separate item to use on your new kit.
I built three of the initial Bf-109Gs from the 2014 release. The decals were the best thing about the release, despite size issues with kit, the decal were perfect. They were designed properly and even scaled perfectly for 1/48th scale.
What do you do when your kit is too large but your decals aren’t? Well if you are Eduard you offer the decals for sale to go with you newly released Bf-109G. These decals were designed for the Royal Class release of the Eduard 2014 Bf-109G release.
Packaged in a resealable package with card stock support, this 8.5 x 13 inch sheet is printed by Cartograf. There is also a small stencil sheet printed by Eduard. That means that they are as perfect as decals can be. The colors are perfectly in register. The decals are very thin and quite colorful.
The sheet covers SIXTEEN aircraft covering every version from the G-2 to the G-14. It also covers German, Italian, Finnish, Hungarian, Rumanian, and Swiss and aces like Hartmann, Barkhorn, Baer, Trautloft, Schroer and Gabler. The colors range from Natural Metal finish to the standard 74/75/76 to Desert colors of 78/79 as well as the beautiful greens of JG-54.
