The Eduard Spitfires have set a new standard in 1/48th scale Spitfires. Eduard’s approach is threefold. One is aimed at the ‘basic’ modeler with their Weekend Edition kits. Then there is the step up with their Profipack kits, a personal favorite. And finally they have all the Brassin items to upgrade along with some separate photoetch pieces.

This set is carefully boxed in a sturdy cardboard box with Styrofoam packing material and parts in a couple of ziplock type baggies so there is no breakage. This set comes with 30 resin parts in light grey resin. All the parts are precisely cast and perfectly formed. There is a fret of photo etch with most of the parts pre-painted. Then there is a small clear acetate or film included of the gunsight reflector. The instructions are included on two sheets with proper diagrams that are easy to understand. Color callouts are on the instructions and reference Gunze colors.

Construction of the interior is quite easy actually. The hardest part is to remove the parts from the pour blocks, which isn’t difficult and can be done relatively easy. Fit of the parts is straightforward. Don’t forget to open up the holes in the resin seat in the front and back. I did elect to open up the lightening holes in the bulkheads and seat mounts. This was easy enough to do with a couple of drill bits. The parts can be fragile afterwards but patience and a light touch is all that is required to do this.

Having built the Brassin cockpit for the Mk.IX, this set is even easier to use. The only part of the model that must be removed is the electrical box on the left fuselage side.

Also be careful when you remove part R21 from the sprue because it has a small mount along the bottom. I removed mine by accident and had to add a strip of sprue to mount the cylinder. That was definitely my fault and not Eduard’s.

Before I knew it I was ready for paint. I pre-shaded the assembly with Tamiya NATO Black. I elected to use some Polly-S British Interior Green with some Lifecolor Satin Black for the detail painting. Any other detail painting was done with Apple Barrel acrylic paints.

A quick wash with some Mig Production Brown wash brought out the detail. The only reason I used that for my wash is because I was lazy.

All the parts were brought together for some test fitting. I had to shorten some of the locating stubs on the sidewalls to make sure they fit properly. Once done, everything fit perfectly and caused no problems. I elected to thin the sides of the sidewalls but that was more for my peace of mind than a requirement. They fit just fine without the sanding.

Offering the completed assembly to the fuselage showed that it fit perfectly. It looked perfect in the fuselage and was significantly better than the kit cockpit.

Everything about this set screams professionalism. The set is everything it is touted to be. If you were going to add one piece of aftermarket to your model this would be that part. I thoroughly enjoyed this build and it was quick and easy to do.

Highly Recommended

Thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the review item. You can obtain your cockpit by contacting Eduard directly at https://www.eduard.com, at the local hobby shop, or online retailer.