Thanks once again to Aires for providing IPMS/USA the opportunity to review yet one more of their excellent cockpit sets.

Included are 10 resin parts for the cockpit tub, seat, instrument panel, and a control stick; there are also a couple smaller resin parts to represent the whiskey compass on the forward canopy framing. A photoetch fret is included to provide realistic seat harness components, including buckles, etc.

This is a simple and effective way to upgrade your standard Trumpeter 1/32^nd scale Lighting F6 cockpit. While the kit item is ok, this upgrade provides icing on the cake. Having previously reviewed a Quickboost Lightning seat with the seat and belts already cast on the seat, this one took a bit longer as I had to fabricate the belts. I used both the photoetch belts and buckles, and then used some masking tape for other belts that refused to behave. I am not a photoetch wizard, but in the end the seat looked fine; even the back of the seat is fully detailed

Next up was the cockpit tub. This is a one-piece affair, and everything was already molded in place. Cool! Primer, paint, detail, apply washes, and drybrush the highlights for a great “pit”. There are no rudder pedals because they would be invisible behind the instrument panel; they go that far back.

The instrument panel comes as a black film with clear instruments, on which you paint the back white, let dry, and sandwich between the photoetch and the resin instrument panel/coaming. It all fit perfectly, with the exception of my allowing the panel assembly to float a bit before the glue grabbed. It’s not noticeable to me at my standoff distance.

This is then placed in the previously painted cockpit tub.

Add the control stick, the upper sidewalls, (which are perfectly detailed and also fit well) and insert the seat. I offered up the ejection handles after painting, using superglue to provide the final touch. The gunsight glass is simulated with a clear acetate rectangle, which I opted to leave off for now until the model is almost complete.

All in all about four hours expended on this build; well worth it in my estimation, 9 of 10 because I don’t like PE seatbelts that require me to use surgical skills to thread buckles… (10 for presentation and subject)