Aires continues to add to its line of resin detail sets for 1/32 aircraft kits. One of the latest is a resin and P/E detail set for detailing the cockpit of Trumpeter’s new Bf109F kits. Aires’ product name, Bf109GF-2/F-4 indicates that some of the parts also can be used to detail the cockpit of a Trumpeter Bf109G. The detail in the resin components is crisp, delicate and busy enough to make the cockpit quite convincing. No clean up is required and, as usual, with Aires resin there are no pinholes to worry about. The resin is not brittle, but reasonable care should be exercised when removing the small parts from the casting block. A #11 blade or razor saw can be used to remove most parts, and a swipe with a sanding stick will work to smooth the cut edges.

The set includes ten resin parts: A new floor (with back wall and seat cast in) left and right sidewalls, instrument panel, cannon housing, control column, gun site, fuselage fuel filler insert and small bits to detail sidewall/cockpit sills. The photo-etch fret includes 53 parts to finish detailing the instrument panel and rudder peddles, and to add sidewall trim wheels with chain, seat belts and buckles, brackets, rear cockpit slope sheet, Fuselage fuel filler hatch, canopy mirror and various handles and levers (and F-4 exterior fuselage reinforcing straps).

Aires also includes a small film printed with instrument faces to sandwich between the resin and P/E pieces that make up the well-detailed instrument panel. Everything is provided to add considerable detail.

With test fitting and some adjustments (to the floor and cutting small indentations in the top of the firewall), this set should also be adaptable to Hasegawa’s Bf109F kit.

This set is highly recommended to anyone interested in adding more detail to an already great kit.

My thanks to IPMS/USA and Aires Hobby Models for the opportunity to review this detail set.