Trumpeter has issued two versions of their 1/32 A-6 Intruder which was on many peoples most wanted list. While the kit is expensive, it is well done, well detailed and builds into a great replica. Of course that doesn’t mean there is not some room for improvement. While the aftermarket has been slow coming, Eduard has issued sets for the A-6E TRAM version to spice up several areas of the kit. This set upgrades the under carriage and wheel wells and contains one large fret of photoetch parts for the kit.

All three wheels wells are addressed and we can take a look at the nose gear well first. This is fairly well appointed in the kit but sidewall detail is lacking on the aft bulkhead. Eduard includes a very nicely done fix for the bulkhead and also half a dozen enhancements for the nose gear well which will add to the detail.

The nose gear strut (thoughtfully done in white metal by Trumpeter) gets the addition of some missing bolt heads and the main wheels get a new brake pad and backing. All little touches, but an added improvement.

The left and right main gear get an additional 16 pieces, each with better detail on the retraction strut and all the bolt heads for each moving part. Also includes are brake lines for each strut. Be careful, as these are specific to the right and left landing gear. The oleos also get four added parts with two blocking in the oleos and two representing the end bolts at the flex point. The parts fit well and there is some removal and sanding required for the bolts but it is minimal and takes a few minutes with a knife and sanding stick.

The nose gear doors all get added detail. The two sideways opening doors get complete new interior skins which require a little surgery to remove parts. The instructions are good and I used sprue nippers to remove most of them. Follow with a little sandpaper and it take 10 minutes to get it prepared. The front gear door (which contains lights) has four added photoetch parts added.

The main wheel wells get completely new back and front bulkheads, the kit parts are bare plastic. These fit well but should be added after the wings are added as they overlap from the fuselage to the wheel wells located in the wings. The aft bulkhead also has a small part that needs some careful folding. With a little care, it fit perfectly and added detail nicely. There is also a replacement cover for the part in the wheel well covering the engine. Some of the detail is incorrect and Eduard includes a piece to replace it. To install it, I pre-bent the piece around a small jar until it test fit well and then glued in place. It definitely adds to the look of the wheel well.

The last thing detailed by this set are the two boarding ladders located just aft of the intakes. The kit includes some basic photoetch parts- Eduard’s are better with relief and finer detail. Parts are included for both ladders and include new sides and treads. The extension arms are also included. Inside the plane, new bulkheads are included for the front and back on both sides, as the kit has no detail here.

These parts are fantastic and fix several areas of the plane that don’t have detail. They also replace the kit photoetch and Eduard is the master of photoetch as their quality is also an improvement over the kit parts. Lastly, the added detail to the gear legs will also shine when painted and washed.

Highly recommended. My thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this great set. As a side note, Eduard also makes set for the exterior, interior and a masking set- get them all.