On my desk is few boxes of various bronze Brassin landing gear for Spitfire and I decide to use the one with stock code 672135 and reason is that my kit demand this set. Kit I built is in 1/72 scale, so set is in same scale and it is bronze leg with five spoke wheels and smooth tire. If you have take a look on Spitfire Mk. IX images, you will realize that they have different type of tire as well wheels. Eduard do took great attention and make sets with all of this variations. On you is just to take a look what type you need.

Inside- two resin parts, two bronze legs, sheet of protective mask for tire and instruction leaflet. All of this packed in plastic transparent box. Work is absolute easy, you need no machine workshop to work with bronze, they are cast perfectly, no mold base. They have tiny line on mold join line and to smooth it, just slide razor edge over it few times. And you get smooth area and line. Similar simplicity with resin parts, remove it and this is it. Just smooth line where it was connected to mold base.

Paint is easy, metal leg are in silver color with high polished oleo area, landing gear door goes into external colors and wheels are silver center and rubber in rubber color. Fix into position is more then easy, I was feel uncomfortable with bronze parts, how they will fit into holes and the fit perfectly and easy, absolute no adjusting work and handling.

I mention that this is not only one bronze set, here is what else you have:

672134 Spitfire Mk. IX undercarriage legs (no wheels inside)
672136 Spitfire Mk. IX legs BRONZE w/5 spoke wheels, pattern
672137 Spitfire Mk. IX legs BRONZE w/4 spoke wheels, smooth tire
672138 Spitfire Mk. IX legs BRONZE w/4 spoke wheels, pattern

They are all in 1/72 scale and dedicated to Eduard Spitfire in 1/72 scale. But not to forget some more basic products, they are not with bronze but also worth to use:

672106 Spitfire Mk. IX wheels – 5 spoke, smooth tire
672107 Spitfire Mk. IX wheels – 5 spoke, w/pattern
672108 Spitfire Mk. IX wheels – 4 spoke, smooth tire
672109 Spitfire Mk. IX wheels – 4 spoke, w/pattern

Product used in this build is excellent, details are top and so easy to use, can do even less experienced modeler. Big thanks to Eduard for sample product and get your sample here!

Srecko Bradic

It’s a short run kit, but I’m particularly impressed by the quality of that product.  There are 63 very fine parts ; there is no flash and the first impression is that it would not be any problem for the building of that kit.

The instruction sheet is clear, the different phases of building are well explained and the decal sheet is very nice.

My only remark is that the yellow color of Belgian cockades would have to be a little bit more “orange”, but they can be used anyway without any problem. Italian ones are perfect.

I just hope to have the possibility to build that kit very soon… Because that kind of product is a must for 1/72 scale builders. Direct link to product!

Daniel Clamot

Great thanks to Jan Hora from HR model for sample kit

Arrive of this kit make nice chance to make some in detail analyze with the images of the real subject so whole of this build was made with close up following of the available archive material. First thing what is was on work order is the cockpit. Main elements of the cockpit were floor, seat, rear bulkhead, two side consoles, instrument panel, pilot stick and directional controls. First thing I noted is the flat floor and it have some like duct mid section. In order to make it more realistic I have cut off this mid section and cement on bottom plastic sheet. In the gap I have add all known wires and pipes I was able to see. Similar problem I have noted with consoles as well on port side it was only top panel while the bottom is open with much of pipelines and  cables visible. This was adopted with removing much of plastic from part D7 and converting into proper look. Off course, all of this was refer to F6F-3 model.

All interior was in the Interior Green color but as well early model have grey rear section, I have spray this in grey. Consoles have black instruments and when all of this is painted parts need to be enhanced with excellent etched parts. Etched parts cover instruments panel, pilot seat belts and many of the control sticks inside. As well many parts are so small, you need much care in handling.

Merging of fuselage sides with interior is absolutely smooth with no gap or any fit issues. Simply perfect! One thing I do not like and think that Eduard did not solve this in proper way is the fuselage top, just behind the cockpit. First to note that Eduard kit cover all major production samples except the first one, which have some details different. One of features which make difference among the major series of F6F-3 and F6F-5 is the small windows on fuselage side just behind canopy. F6F-3 did have it but F6F-5 in general did not. Eduard solve this with placing two sets of parts, both sets are mold in clear plastic so choice is the with windows or not. Problem is the possible fit as well it is not sure that many modelers would be able to make stepped join of this section and therefore much of the originality could be lost. My opinion is that there could be better if they could make full plastic fuselage with just open places for windows, which could be with easy filed and sanded if modelers work later version. Solution is only to make absolute care in work on this part and use some very liquid cement to fix it in place, otherwise, the use of standard glue could result in glue leak on join line and this could require additional work to solve this.

Wings are also nice mold and very simply, you need to assemble two top and two bottom parts and work is complete. I would like to suggest to avoid use of parts D11 and D10. This part carry machine guns tube but problem is that they will make problem in access section between them on leading edge and sand of the exceed glue. I did not use this parts and machine gun tube was later made from Albion Alloys tubes.

Wings and horizontal tail are mounted on fuselage slots and must say that this is smart solution to get very rigid connection with this parts in correct angle. Placing of the landing gear is the next step and it going so easy. Maybe better not to completely finish landing gear, let the tires wait to be mounted in last step of build, this will make much easy painting. One important point- part D27 present tail wheel and it must have panel line on the middle. Please note this, do not sand this. Problem is that this part come on the place where mold is separating so maybe some modelers could think it is mold release flush.

It is on you are you going to use some of the external stores or not. Eduard give nice elements to make war loaded machine as well there is various rockets, fuel tanks as well bombs. Please note that among the parts which are not allowed for use in this pack, is the parts 28 and 29 and it look like the cannons mounted later on Hellcats in French service. This promise that we will have in future some very nice releases from Eduard, like French machines.

Engine assembly goes easy and it is welcome that Eduard provide some etched parts like electric wires for engine, it is easy to place and give extra good look! My suggestion is to take attention which version you will built as well you have three different models of engine cowling. Please note that you can place cowling on fuselage an complete paint it and later take it of, place engine and turn engine cowling back. This make protection work minimum and complete work much easy.

For painting you have provided five samples to be completed. First at all is the machine flown by VF-16 on USS Lexington, white 32 on fuselage. Note that available image of this machine show it in very worn out look. Next one is machine flown by Lt. C. K. Hilderbrandt from VF-33. Under C were provided Hellcat flown by Lt. William C. Moeseley from USS Yorktown. It is well known machine with hand painted ferry number 890 on cowling and this number was later painted over. To regret, Eduard miss to provide correct number under the wing which need to be much larger. Also this machine were much worn out in service. Nice to see that next machine is the one flown by Alexander Vraciu, famous one with number 19 and which is subject of this build. Last one is the Sample from VF-27, USS Princetown, flown by Lt. Richard E. Stambook.

Kit have some issues with panels but this is minor problem. In general kit is nice detailed, very easy to assemble and with nice decals. Very recommended!!!

Srecko Bradic

Sample kit is provided by Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard

AZ model AZCZ39 kit comes packed in well illustrated soft box. Marking and Painting instructions are printed on the back of the box . Box contains one sprue with 16 parts, two vacuformed canopies, one photo etched fret with 11 parts and Decal options for four gliders. Plastic parts are well molded in grey plastic that appear to be a bit heavy, but the level of details are high enough. Panel lines are crisp and clean, and the details ae well reproduced comparing the kit with available photos and drawings. Cockpit interior details are high enough and photo etched parts make this kit cockpit looks really outstanding. Parts provided on PE fret are seatbelts, instrument panels and pitot tube. Decals are outstanding and AZ provided options for Czechoslovakian, Polish, German Luftwaffe and Yugoslavian sample. My choice was to build a kit of Utva Zdral.

As usually I started this build with painting cockpit interior, I painted it in Grey color, added PE parts and it was time to assemble the fuselage. The fit is rather well and some little sanding and filling did the job. Next step was to attach wings and horizontal tail, just few dry fit tests and small corrections with sanding stick did the job. Acetate canopy has great transparency and AZ provided two of these…just in case something went wrong. It took some time to cut these to fit the kit and to mask the canopy but it wasn’t a fuss. Kit was than primed with Gunze Mr Base White and it was time to paint the model. My choice was the Testors-Model Master 2709 Light Ivory color, I find that color to be a close match. AZ decals went well on the kit using just a small amount of  Gunze Mr. Mark Softer. Final coat of Semi Gloss Model master acryl coat was sprayed just to seal the decals and the kit was finished.

Building this kit was truly relaxing, built in just a few days, and I can recommend this model to all modelers.

Darko Mladenovic

Sample product is provided by Filip Tomci from AZ Models

Eduard SS357 Self adhesive zoom set contains one photo etched fret with 43 parts with most of them pre-painted, a small clear foil with three parts on it and two page instruction sheet packed inside Eduard’s plastic bag. Instruction sheet is clear and it should be carefully followed step by step. Parts provided in SS357 set are mostly for cockpit including highly detailed instrument panel, seat belts with buckles, control panels, different switches and handles, cabin structure as well as few exterior parts for undercarriage… Seat belts are pre-painted and highly detailed with buckles. Hasegawa seat is pretty simple but with photo etched parts from this set it is guaranteed to look much better and realistic. Side control panels are full of details including gauges and switches, off course all of these parts are pre-painted and highly detailed. This set also contains structure parts so if you leave your canopy in opened position, nice details will pop-up and add realistic look to Draken kit. Eduard also provided mirrors for the canopy and they should look great once attached to the kit. Small clear foil contains three clear parts that you need to cut and glue to the HUD. Undercarriage parts really boost this section of the kit.

To conclude this article all I can say about this set is that it worth every penny ‘cause the result you get when you install this set in your kit are excellent. Set SS357 is really easy to work with, modeler should not have any trouble. Working with these part’s will save your time and add much needed realistic look to your Draken kit.

You can purchase this set directly here!

Darko Mladenovic

Samples provided by Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard

When you open CMR Weihe box you may be surprised with the simplicity of this kit, but don’t worry, the kit is just adorable. Quality of the moldings is just great as we used to from CMR, casted in cream resin, with nice level of details crisp and smooth. This kit contains 10 parts and it is really easy to build. Cockpit is small and only parts that CMR provided for it are pilot’s stick and seat, I added some seatbelts made of tape and that’s it. All parts fit great so no filler was needed. Acetate canopy has great transparency and CMR provided two of these…just in case something went wrong. Nice addition to this kit is small “in Action” photo reference CMR printed on two A4 sized pages and scale plans of this glider. Although there is not assembling instructions inside the kit, assembling shouldn’t represent a problem even for the beginners.

Decal options include:

• DFS Weihe – D-11-184  – Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK), Wasserkuppe, Hessen Rohn, Germany
• DFS Weihe – SP-029  – Zur Mountain, Poland 1948
• DFS Weihe – OK-8011  – CNA (Czecholsovak National Aeroclub)
• Se 104 Weihe  – ‘5’, ‘7’ & ’16’, Sweden
• VT-3 Vázka – OK-3059  – Stranik Mountain, Czechoslovakia
• VT-3 Vázka – OK-8162  – Czechoslovakia
• VT-3 Vázka – OK-8303  – Brno, Medlánky, Czechoslovakia
• VT-3 Vázka – OK-8606  – Vrchlabi, Czechoslovakia

My choice was NSFK sample, so after assembling the kit I first primed it with mr Surfacer 1200 and then the difficult part came, to find a match for FAS1 color… My choice was the Testors-Model Master 2709 Light Ivory color, I find that color to be a close match. After a coat of  Klear it was time to apply markings. CMR decals are very good, in perfect register and thin, so I didn’t use any decal solutions. After another coat of  Klear I applied final semi-gloss coat of MM II varnish.

Building this kit was truly relaxing, and I can recommend this model to all modelers. If you are looking for your first all resin kit to build this might be a choice for you. Gliders are very interesting subject and CMR has established as the company that offers a vide range of these kits.

Darko Mladenovic

Sample kit provided by Petr Buchar owner of CMR models

See also DFS Weihe

AZ Model kit

AZ model Spitfire mk Va kit comes packed in an end opening box with beautifully designed box art. Kit is beautifully molded in dark grey plastic. The box contains 39 plastic parts, one resin part and one clear part for canopy that is injection molded. There is some flesh present as well as some sink marks but they are easy to clean. Level of details is just enough and panel lines are crisp, clean and just as they should be for this scale. Fuselage halves are separate parts and when I tested the fitting they fit well. I tested the wings fitting with fuselage and they also fit well but some adjustment is needed to make a perfect fit. Cockpit is just great on this kit, maybe some sink marks and ejector pin marks can make some problems, but nothing an average modeler couldn’t solve. Anyway this is a short-run model so bare it in mind when you start building this kit.

Canopy is nice clear with good transparency. Instruction sheet is printed in two pages A5 format and it is easy to follow. Decals are well printed and there should be no problem working with them. Four decal options are present and for me, by far most interesting is option for W3185 D-B flown by Douglas Bader. Painting and marking instructions are printed on the back of the box, and stencils placements are printed on the instruction sheet.

This is nice kit, and I warmly recommend it to all modelers interested in a subject no matter how experienced they are. Kit is simple, would look great on a shelf and perhaps with a little effort it can be made to be a competition winner model.

Darko Mladenovic

Sample kit is provided by Jaroslav Osten from AZ Models

The kit come packed in hard top box with all major parts packed in separate bags in order to avoid possible damage during the shipping. CMR kit features over 50 resin parts molded in recognizable excellent quality resin.  This multimedia kit comes with Eduard photo etched parts and masks for quick and precise painting of canopy. Resin parts produced by CMR are as usually outstanding quality with minimal molding blocks parts that need to be cleaned. Cockpit is highly detailed and once assembled and painted it looks wonderful and realistic. CMR provided two Canopies as usual for them just in case that you need to practice on one; these parts are vacuformed and with excellent transparency. Level of details on fuselage wings and tail is excellent with opportunity to leave flaps and airbrakes in opened or closed position at your choice.

CMR provided two fuselages to accommodate the RCAF version with a clear panel just forward of the windscreen. Undercarriage is outstanding with wheel wells beautifully molded and highly detailed. Landing gear legs are molded in special CMR extra strong resin so they appear to be more than strong enough to hold the finished model. Six A4 pages walkarround is also packed in the kit so it will be handy once you start building this kit. Assembling instructions are well designed and printed on six A4 pages, and they are easy to follow. Decals are as usual for CMR beautifully printed, thin and in register and regarding the choice of color schemes, they are as follow:

• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – VT 864 – ‘H’, No. 54 Squadron, RAF, 1948
• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – VT 871 – No.601 ‘County of London’ Squadron, RAF
• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – VT 821 – ‘L’, No.601 ‘County of London’ Squadron, RAF, Malta, June 1952
• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – 17021 – ‘021/GO’, RCAF
• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – 17031 – ‘031/SL’, 402 and 442 Squadrons., RCAF, up to 1956
• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – 17062  -‘062/SL’, 442 “City of Vancouver” Sqn., RCAF, Sea Island, British Columbia, 1948-56
• De Havilland Vampire F.3 – 17074 – ‘074/SL’, 442 “City of Vancouver” Sqn., RCAF, Sea Island, British Columbia, 1948-56
• De Havilland Vampire F. Mk.III – P42459  – ‘B-AH’, 336 Sqn. RNoAF (Royal Norwegian Air Force), Norway, 1949
• De Havilland Vampire F. Mk.III – P42459  – ‘H-PX’, 336 Sqn. RNoAF (Royal Norwegian Air Force), Norway, January 1951

CMR Vampire kits family is truly remarkable and by any means this kit is great addition. I can highly recommend this kit to all modelers with some experience in working with this kind of kits. This is not a kit for a beginner but surely it is a kit that every early Jet fan should have in his collection.

Darko Mladenovic

Sample kit provided by Petr Buchar owner of CMR

Instructions are given in ten pages with many photo details. Kit is very straightforward to build and although photo-etched parts are provided for the interior it must be realized that there will be very little to see if  ‘canopy closed’ is chosen as an option. Kit also contains templates for canopy frames, but from photos it will be evident that at least it did not have external framing! I would advise to leave canopy as it is! Surfaces need to be mildly sanded before final painting to represent woven and doped fabric surface. Here I would advise not to use airbrush but normal medium-size hand brush. I think airbrushing will give a very unnatural smooth coating!

Box-art is for Dutch Ka-6 PH-239 owned by mr. Leen de Bruin. Plane was owned previously by several members of Dutch gliding club ZC FLEVO based at Biddinghuizen. It was originally a club-owned trainer from ZC FLEVO, but after a crash it was rebuilt by club members using parts from various other crashed or derelict Rhöns. That explains the German name ‘Misch Masch’ which literally translated means ‘Mixed Mass’. After rebuild it flew again in 1992 and as a former ZC FLEVO member I can at least say that I already flew this plane when the present owner Leen still was a young kid!

Except for PH-239, there are decals for several other Rhöns on the decal sheet.

This is an excellent and high-quality addition to the 1/72 range of CMR glider kits.

For more details, see CMR web site Price of this kit is around EURO 15 without P&P costs.

Nico Braas

With special thanks to Petr Buchar from CMR for providing the kit for review

AZ model kit is beautifully molded in dark grey plastic. The box contains 19 plastic parts and one clear part for canopy that is injection molded. Small photo etched fret containing parts to be used inside the cockpit contains instrument panels, seat belts and rudder pedals. There is some flesh present as well as some sink marks but they are easy to clean. Level of details is just enough and panel lines are crisp, clean and just as they should be for this scale. Fuselage halves are separate parts and when I tested the fitting they fit well. I tested the wings fitting with fuselage and they also fit well giving the proper angle present on Blanik. Comparing the parts with available drawings shows that this kit is spot on in terms of accuracy. Canopy is nice clear with good transparency. Instruction sheet is printed in two pages A5 format and it is easy to follow. Decals are well printed and there should be no problem working with them.

Four different marking options printed on box are provided as follows:

1. Czech aeroclub
2. RAF
3. DOSAAF USSR
4. Japanese

This is nice kit, and I warmly recommend it to all modelers interested in a subject no matter how experienced they are. Kit is simple, would look great on a shelf and perhaps with a little effort it can be made to be a competition winner model.

Darko Mladenovic

Sample kit is provided by Jaroslav Osten from AZ Models