Regiane 2002 cockpit

After attaching main parts of this set to the kit cockpit, my first step was to prime cockpit and then to paint it in cockpit basic color. In the next step  I have glued small  mostly prepainted details on the kit and the rest of the work was rather same for all, some wash chipping and drybrush. Once completed cockpit of the Ariete looks much better than the Italeri provided.

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This set is easy to work with, so it can be used by all modelers no matter of experience. Italeri Regiane 2002 in 1/48 scale was a kit that most of the Reggia Aeronautica fans were waiting, in combination with this Eduard set it really looks nice.

This product is highly recommended!

Darko Mladenovic

Sample set is provided by Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard

You can purchase this set directly here

Read also this:

1. Eduard Brassin F-16 seat and wheels
2. Dora by Eduard
3. Focke Wulf 190A 1/48 Eduard kit 8173

F-16 Brassin 1/48 set for Tamya kit

The samples I received for review include sets:

648 001 F-16 early seat 1/48 – link

648 005 F-16 early wheels 1/48 – link

Beside these two sets Eduard also released two more sets:

648 007 F-16 late wheels 1/48 – link

648 006 F-16 wheels A/B 1/48 – link

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New Eduard Brassin line comes packed in beautiful blister plastic package with clear assembly instructions, painting guide is not included so you should look for further references about that. Quality of these sets is absolutely amazing, resin parts are beautifully molded with highest level of details, and the photo etched parts are provided for the details not molded in resin like all sort of placards and things. I must state that resin quality is excellent and that it is easy to work with, you can even use regular hobby knife to cut the Eduard resin which came as a true surprise to me.

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Since I like to test the product during the review, I kind a looked in my stash for F-16 kit in 1/48 scale but unfortunately I haven’t had a Tamiya kit which is recommended to be used with Eduard Brassin sets, so an Italeri kit had to be used in order to compare parts that need to be replaced. It was obvious that Brassin looks much more realistic than Italeri original parts, and the seat easily slip into the cockpit.

I started building the Brassin seat by removing it from mold blocks and cleaning the parts. Next step was to assemble the seat and prime it . After primer I sprayed my seat with Model Master FS 36231 as a base color for the early ACES II seat used on F-16. After that it was easy to add photo-etched parts on it and to paint some details like seat cushion. I mixed some artistic paints to do a wash in order to emphesise some details, and the work was completely done.

However, I must mention wheels set that includes resin wheels, small PE fret and masks for painting, they can’t be compared with the Italeri wheels since Eduard’s  wheels are much more detailed, but they will fit on the kit.

As Eduard announced F-16 engine I am looking forward to test that set too. I believe judging on these two Brassin set I tested that that engine will be best detailed F-16 engine available on the market.

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Eduard Brassin is a great new line from Eduard, details and combination of resin and photo etched parts are simply amazing. I hope that Eduard Brassin line will grow and that more sets will be available very soon for different subjects. These sets really add realistic note to F-16 kit so I can highly recommend this set.

Darko Mladenovic

Sample product is provided by Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard

Read also this:

1. Eduard set FE 453 for Re 2002 1/48
2. F-104G Starfighter CQ-7 seat detail set 1/48
3. Fokker D.VII detail set Eduard FE402

In the January 2010 Eduard has launch brand new kit of the Focke Wulf Fw190D and this is continue of the very good series of the previous kit of Fw190A. This kit is in the 1/48 scale and kit number is 8184. As usual for the new Eduard products, this one coming as the Profi Pack and inside is decal sheet for the few versions of the model, protective masks and pre painted photo etched parts. Interesting to note is that kit is done in simplest possible way but simplification was not absolute possible.

Focke Wulf Fw190D by Eduard

The rest of the build are more easy and whole kit could be completed in several days, I have build this kit in five days. What is the most important is to start building from the back pages and choose which final version you are going to build. This will make later easy to follow all steps from instruction as well there is given variation of the used parts, depend of the final model. I have noted just few issues with kit, but nothing critical. First is the missing details of the locks of the engine access door at the nose bottom and the second thing is that tip shape of the sliding canopy is a little bit longer and this need little sanding. But as I said, this is nothing bad.

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I did not take any measurement of the finished kit but it look very correct in shape and appearance and very pretty on desk. All camouflage schemes from instruction kit is interesting and Eduard is give top reference available in bookshop as source of the info. Focke Wulf Fw190D kit No. 8184 is excellent kit and I warmly recommend to all who like 1/48 scale as well Luftwaffe airplanes. You can buy kit direct here!

Srecko Bradic

Sample kit is provided by Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard.

Read also this:

1. Focke Wulf 190A 1/48 Eduard kit 8173
2. Bf108 Taifun Eduard kit 8054
3. Eduard Grumman Hellcat 8433

PZL.24

As a conclusion I would say “way to go Ace Publication” , this is precisely the monograph I would like to have, so I can recommend this publication to all fellow modellers and all the people that have interest in this plane.

This publication is highly recommended!

Sample provided by Przemyslaw Skulski from Ace Publication

Darko Mladenovic

Read also this:

1. Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet Ace Publication – Serie Pod Lupa number 14
2. PZL.11c in museum
3. Luftwaffe 1946

Me 163 Pod Lupa No. 14

Beside historical background monograph provides marking and painting guide for Komet’s served in Luftwaffe, VVS, RAF, USAAF, French L’arme de l’ air and Japanese air force.

Special part of this monograph is dedicated to us, modelers, with the list of available models and accessories in all scales. Nice drawings are given just in 1/72 scale unlike their monograph number 15 – PZL P.24 which contains drawings in 1/48 scale as well, but no fuss it is important that the drawings are good quality. Some nice photos and drawings of cockpit interior are also provided, and by my humble opinion, they will be useful once I start building my kits.

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This monograph is just enough documentation that every modeller needs, not to big but not to small, so I believe that Ace Publication has done a great job with this publication.

This publication is highly recommended!

Sample provided by Przemyslaw Skulski from Ace Publication

Darko Mladenovic

Read also this:

1. PZL P.24 Ace Publication – Serie “Pod Lupa” number 15
2. Luftwaffe 1946
3. Unknown 5

After the end of WW1 there was a number of available German airplanes and Finland had an interest to obtain this machine for their air force. The whole process was plagued by France which had primary interest to sell their own airplanes. Finally in 1919 three OAW built machines arrived in Utti. These machines encountered propeller troubles but no matter of that, they were put in active service and French pilots were to fly them in Finland. Interesting to note that this Fokker D.VII performed first aerobatics in Finland. Two machines was lost in 1920, one was lost in January and the another in February. Remained Fokker D.VII serial 1C 352 was some later recoded into 1C 357 and finally to 1.D.357 This machine was damaged in July 1922 due to a pilot error. The airplane was repaired and it received new experimental splinter camouflage of four colors. It was assigned to the Flying Unit 1 at Utti and was used for fighter training. The aircraft was lost due to a very bad weather on the 30th of January 1924.

Fokker D.VII in Finland experimental camouflage

Most interesting part of this model building project was the final camouflage painting. Camouflage colours are described as Vaalean sininen (Light Blue FS 35526), Vihreä (Kaki FS 24098), Mustan ruskea (Dark Brown FS 10032) and Tumman sininen (Dark Blue FS 35045). All of these paints I have found in the range of the Humbrol and Vallejo acryl colours. I used Light Blue as base coat and then with intensive protection with tape, I have sprayed all of the other colours. As images of the original plane show some amount of dirt, I have taken wash all over the surface to get the desired look.

The national insignia caused real trouble. As I did not have any good decal in my spare box, I had to do them with template. First coat was white base and over it was painted blue swastika. On the fuselage was serial 1.D.357 and I had to make it with combination of the spare decals and brush retouch.

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The final result was a very nice looking model and this is one of the most favorite building work related to WW1 fighter types.

Srecko Bradic

This model build is sponsored by Eduard.

Special thanks to the Göran Bruun and Pentti Manninen for their great help!

Read also this:

1. Hermann Goring Fokker D.VII
2. Fokker D.VII detail set Eduard FE402
3. Fokker D.VII Limited Edition “Sieben Schwaben” Eduard 1139

Albatros D.V kit from Eduard

Although not a top-class fighter because of structural problems, D.Va had no true alternative because of problems with other fighter-types (namely Fokker Dr.I and Pfalz D.III) until the summer of 1918, when Fokker D.VII entered service.

Production of Albatros D.V/D.Va continued until April 1918, and this type was in use until the end of the war.

The kit:

Eduard’s Albatros D.V Weekend Edition in 1/72 (kit No. 7402) comes from a long line of their previous issues, limiting a modeler to one painting option but giving a possibility for a quick (‘weekend’) build.

Box contents 32 plastic parts on one sprue, decal set for one option and b/w instruction sheet.

Plastic is nice, with no flash, and only ejector pin marks on the kit itself – on the inside of the fuselage are not a problem – once the kit is finished these can’t be seen.

The outside of the fuselage has fine recessed panel lines and raised access panels. The wings have a nice ribbed detail and with some weathering will look rather good.

Cockpit area is almost empty, except for the floor with controls, some raised side details and (unfortunately erroneous) control column. This area is the only down side of the kit, considering the fact that there’s a lot of pictures showing interior details. Eduard could do a better job here (apart from PE parts that could be obtained separately). Now it’s up to the modeler to do some scratchbuilding of control panel, floor compass… Level of detailing is, of course, up to you…

Another missing part, and this stands for all kits in this line, is cockpit glass – it is even shown on painting guide…

From my previous experience with this model, I believe there’s not going to be fit problems, as this requires minimum or no putty at all. I’ll address this later, when start building.

Instructions:

Instructions are given on a folded A-4 paper, with b/w painting guide. My copy is poor, so one should take good care of painting and decal positioning. Luckily color profiles are given on the side of the box, so this might help… There is also possibility of downloading colour instruction sheet from Eduards’ web page.

Paint/Decal option:

On the better side, this kit contains decals for Oberleutnant Richard Flashar’s mount, D.2065/17, commanding Officer of Jasta 5 (and later commander of JG2). On this plane the entire fuselage was painted light grey, tail surfaces were bright green with red trim to it, and red dragon on both sides comes to further enhance the looks.

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The red trim around the tail surfaces are decals, and the decal film is very wide. This makes strips useful as they will not fold up. Dragon is given as three piece affair, so some careful positioning would be required.

Conclusion:

On the plus side is excellent plastic, with nice level of details, with interesting paint option.

On the minus side, I wish Eduard had given more effort to cockpit detail, including windshield… Anyway, I’m going to enjoy this build and shall recommend this product to all modelers with love to WWI period and little time to spare for their building… You can buy kit direct here!

Zoran Jakovljevic

Sample kit is provided by Jan Zdiarski from Eduard

Read also this:

1. Albatros D.II Eduard kit no. 8082
2. Fokker E.V 1/48 Eduard Weekend kit 8480
3. Albatros D.V 1/48 Hans von Hippel

Many areas in the basic kit was empty and there was good place to apply Eduard photo etched parts. Undercarriage bay was almost based on this etched details and not only airframe details are made there, inside is also most important wires on the undercarriage legs. Interior is consisted in couple of the independent sections which are made as sub assemblies and there is engines, nose wheel bay with nose cone, air intake duct, cockpit interior and the wheel bay in wings. One of the most important part is the ejection seat, which replace original seat from kit and it is resin made part.

Finished Lightning kit

During the assembly of the kit I have made several changes in step. First at all I have skip mounting of the intake cone, part 14, to the intake assembly, as well it is better to leave this for the very end of assembly. Cone is finished in green color and this will avoid any need for protection during spraying of the entire model, this is better to complete finish and just put it on its bearing. Inside is enough of space to put lead for weight. I will also recommend you to put fuselage extensions, parts 43- 39- 40- 42, before you place wings of fuselage as well if you put wings first (as the instruction recommend), you will later have problem to sand cement if it leak from the edge of extension. But most of the other steps from the assembly instruction, could be followed with easy.

Four attractive machines were provided to be finished and decal sheet is very large and excellent printed. Proposed machines are from 111 Sq., 56 Sq., 92 Sq. And 19 Sq. I decide to make Mk. 1A from No. 111 Squadron. It is attractive and here you are few info from the operational service of Mk. 1A machines in this unit.

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By the September 1961 No. 111 Sq become fully operational with the Lightning F Mk. 1A. In October 1962 units machines were converted to carry in flight refueling probes and one month later unit has take part in the high altitude interceptions and perform successful interception of the hight flying U-2 from USAF/CIA service. From the March 1963 some of unit machines was deployed to the Cyprus. In 1964 unit get well know Black-Yellow unit colors and that was result of the competition and the winning scheme was painted on Airfix plastic kit of Lightning in 1/72 scale (kit released in 1963)!! During the summer 1964 unit was participated on the annual exercise on Cyprus. Lightning F Mk. 1A end its service in 111 Sq. In November 1964, when the machine was replaced with Lightning F Mk. 3.

I would not like to say that it is easy kit to built, no it is not, much of care have to be take during the assembly and painting but the final results are more then satisfactory! Finished kit look really nice and if you decide to left cockpit canopy open, many of the excellent interior detail would be seen. You can buy this kit direct here.

Srecko Bradic

Sample kit is provided by Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard.

Read also this:

1. Eduard Bf109E 1/32 detail set
2. Dora by Eduard
3. Eduard set FE 453 for Re 2002 1/48