Eduard has fired up another set of seatbelts to fit in with their PE Interior set for the 1/32 F/A-18E. Aside from their beautiful and accurate seatbelts, Eduard has also included lots of stuff for the enhancement of the seat for this kit. It has colored “padding” which fits to the seat bottom and back. There are also other small items that can be added to the seat for detail that will make this seat really something to look at. The belts and all the other items are painted beautifully with details that can’t otherwise be matched by dry brushing. The instructions are clear and concise and, importantly, not intimidating. Of course, the use of CA glue will be necessary, but using it sparingly and carefully along with a little weathering or a wash should produce great looking results. I definitely recommend this package for this kit, which plainly shows that a little can go a long way. Also, the price is right, which makes it a complete value.

Eduard has come out with a smaller version of their interior set for the F/A-18E. It’s a full self-adhesive set, with one fret containing the same items as in the larger interior set (#32688) for the same aircraft. This set is designed for those who are only interested in just covering the instrument panel and side consoles. There are two other items included on the fret, one of which is for the top of the fuselage and the other for the canopy. These were already included on the fret in the larger set. In fact, it’s the same fret. So it seems we get a bonus, as it wouldn’t make sense for Eduard not to include those parts. All of the colors and details are perfect, even when compared to photos of the cockpit.

Quickboost just keeps adding to their great line of quality resin aircraft accessories. The latest addition is for the Eduard F6F Hellcat. It is up to their usual standards: molded in grayish colored resin, smooth, seamless and bubble free. One thing of note is that they are really easy to remove from the mold block with just a few passes from a hobby saw.

The tail planes that come in the Eduard kit are okay and are molded as one piece but the Quickboost parts are molded separately so that they can be modeled in the down position with the rudder shifted. The Quickboost parts are superior and add just that much more realism to the finished kit. The resin parts are very easy to install and fit in place perfectly.

Quickboost has added a set of cowl flaps for the Eduard 1/72 F6F Hellcat to their line of aircraft accessories. They are molded in grayish resin, smooth, seamless and bubble free.

The Eduard kit includes 3 different cowlings, depending on which version of the Hellcat that is needed. A nice instruction sheet is included showing where the Quickboost parts should go. This set isn’t for the rookie modeler because there is some delicate cutting involved to remove the molded-in flaps. Once the cutting is completed, the cowling will look more realistic.

I recommend this product to the more experienced modeler because of the amount of cutting involved. Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the chance to do this review.

History

The FE.2b "FEE" (Royal Aircraft Factory / Farman Experimental 2b) was produced as a two-seat fighter/reconnaissance aircraft. The FE.2b arrived on the Western Front late 1915/early 1916, when 20 Squadron took possession of the FE.2b. The "FEE" was liked by its pilots and contributed in the RFC's battle to counter the Fokker scourge. The FE.2b continued to fly daylight operations until early 1917 before being relegated to night bombing and home defense roles. When I first received confirmation that I would have the opportunity to review the FE.2b kit by Wingnut Wings, I dropped a note to a couple of my RC Soaring buddies who are both fanatical about aviation related to "The Great War." Even now, two months later, I still chuckle at Ken's one sentence reply: “The FE.2b was the ugly stepsister to the DH-2.” Admittedly, the "FEE" isn't as graceful looking as the De Havilland pusher, but it still, however, has a great appeal to me and I'm sure many other builders.