• #32 708 HE 111 Seat harnesses, $22.95
• #32 709 HE 111 Interior SA, $34.95
• #32 293 HE 111 Bomb bay, $54.95

First, exceptional thanks to our friends at Eduard and Jan Zdiarsky for providing IPMS/USA the bomb bay and interior to review! (I had already purchased the seat harness.)

The really nice thing about Eduard PE is that their sets address minor appearance issues inherent in plastic kits. Resin is frequently an expensive option, and in 1/32nd scale, can be extremely heavy. Photoetch provides options for scale fidelity without compromising appearance and tends to be lightweight. That, then, is where these sets come in. A resin cockpit would be easier, as would a bomb bay…but Eduard’s option is, in this case, a better idea.

First, 32-708, the seat harnesses. Properly assembled, draped, and installed, PE seatbelts, particularly pre-painted ones as shown in this set, provide unparalleled accuracy and appearance. In this scale, the fabric stitching is restrained but visible, and there is no other available medium that addresses harnesses in this manner. Buckles and latches are impressive when you finally install them; I did not find a reference for shoulder harnesses on the navigator/bombardier seat, so I only installed the lap belts. The upper gun seat is given a full treatment, adding the web seat harness and seat belt, adding a “step up” appearance to this extremely visible part of the aircraft. All in all, VERY nice.

Next: 32-709, interior details and instrument panels. You can seriously read these things; next will be micro-electronics to make them articulate. Hands down, these are much better than decals or drybrushing and using a small brush to pick out details, and to my mind ABSOLUTELY the best option. I added fine solder and wire to the back instrument housings, and am impressed with the final result. Side panels with throttle, mixture, and propeller pitch levers are provided. The rudder pedals add the usual finesse, and the chain controls for the bomb doors, etc. are provided for the forward lower fuselage. Small indicators and gauges are also provided, along with control wheels, etc. for the bombsight. Gun magazine holders are folded up to add detail. This is where you find out just how bad you are at folding sheet metal. I stink at it! Overhead gauges and structural metal are all added with great effect.

Finally: 32-293, the bomb bay replacements. These are extremely well detailed and provide thin, accurate bomb bay housing for the kit’s 250kg bombs. There is even provision for the carriage of smaller bombs, based on where or if you install the enclosed smaller boxes. (You will have to source smaller weapons from somewhere else – maybe your Ju-87 project). The racks include nose mount rings for hanging the bombs; I opted not to do this based on the difficulty factor. Externally, the hinges and doors are built up from flat stock and (provided by the builder) plastic rod. Airflow diffuser grids are added to the front of the bomb bay in the airstream location; this detail is frequently overlooked, but is important, as a bomb sometimes will “fly” right under an aircraft and will bang around unless you break up the clean air around the aircraft, allowing it to get away. A good thing on timed “bang” weapons…

A bomb bay catwalk is also provided, adding an otherwise overlooked detail to the overall kit. There are also radio details in the aft section around the interior; they add “busy-ness” to the area, which can be seen through the side windows and upper gun tub.

Thanks to Eduard for the bomb bay and interior upgrades; again, I purchased the seat belt and harness upgrades myself, as I knew they would be needed. I liked these sets, even though it added extra time to the assembly process. I understand there is also a main gear bay set to be released as well… too late now for this build, but maybe on the next one! Must-have items for the kit, say I – 10 of 10 to Eduard! Thanks to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review them.