Let Let Let - Warplanes » parts

Pick and place

Srecko — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:12:46 +0000

Milestone in the plastic kit development was the moment when the Verlinden has released on market various upgrade sets based on the etched brass and casted urethane resin. Today this method of plastic kit enhancement become widely used and absolute superior in the field is Eduard from Czech Republic. Many of you have for sure chance to use any of their set for kit upgrade and no doubt that they contain a number of so fine and small details. So- how to control this small parts? Tweezers? Which one- standard, sharp point, reverse action…

Shesto Pick & Place tool

Forget about the tweezers, there is much better tool, so simple and with outstanding hold and positioning capabilities. Tool I talk about is the Shesto’s Pick & Place tool. This tool is small plastic handle of pearl color, with metal thin rod and with bubble head made of sticky acrylic resin with very good tackling properties. This tool coming in three sizes but any of them could be used without problem with even the finest etched part.

Handling is very easy, you simply put the tool head on the selected part (previously removed from frame and cleaned up) and put it where you want it to be. Hold it some time and with easy adjust position and wait until the cement fix it. Put away tool and part stay right where you wanted to be. Fast, easy, precise!!! Head is covered with cap and when you remove cap to work with tool, you simply place it on the tool body back side. This will secure this cap of possible loose. Manufacturer recommend that tool head have to be roll over self adhesive tape and this remove various dirt which reduce adhesion properties of head.

The Pick & Place tool is published in the Shesto news release for the 2010 and there is following sizes available:

PTW131 Small (Red head)
PTW132 Medium (Blue head)
PTW133 Large (Green head)

No matter that this product is reviewed here on the aviation enthusiast web site, this product is welcome to widely use and in every need where you have to pick up anything small so you can use it for jewelry, fishing tools… your imagination is your only limit!

I am wonder how could I live without this tools all of this years!!!

Bradic Srecko

Sample products is provided by Dan Delic, Commercial Director of Shesto Ltd.

Eduard Lightning F Mk. 1A

Srecko — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:57:19 +0000

When the Airfix has released in 1998 the kit of the Lightning F Mk. 1 in 1/48 scale, this was good news to the market but no matter that kit was very new tooling, its suffer from many small shortcomings. In general the same model was good base but it need many panels to be re scribed, open small intake for primary heat exchanger, make better holes for cannon in nose, add few details on windscreen… This kit is re-boxed by Eduard in October 2009 as Limited Edition and it come to market under item number 1134. As we expect, kit is fully equipped with pre painted photo etched parts, protective mask as well few parts in the resin.

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.

[Show as slideshow]

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.

Grumman Wildcat big edition from Eduard

Srecko — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:30:08 +0000

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter that began service with both the United States Navy and the Fleet Air Arm in 1940. Although first used in combat by the British in Europe, the Wildcat would become the primary carrier fighter for the first year and a half of the United States Navy’s involvement in World War II in the Pacific Theater. The FM Wildcat, built by General Motors, remained in service throughout the remainder of the war on escort carriers, where larger and heavier fighters could not be used.

Eduard Big Edition BIG4902 for Grumman Wildcat

Big thing come in November 2008 from Eduard and this is the super detail pack for Grumman Wildcat in 1/48 scale manufactured by Hobby Boss. This big pack are completed with previous pack made by Eduard and inside of the cardboard envelope you will find one mask set as well four etched parts details.

First at all I would like to mention the mask inside the package. This mask have item number EX 246 and have cover all necessary areas on the kit which have to be protected during the painting job. Cockpit canopy is covered as we expect but also there is cover for the wheels as well for the windows at the belly of the fuselage.

Set 48589 inside the pack include full range of photo etched parts for the Grumman Wildcat landing flaps. Main parts are the same flap tabs and over it have to be cemented great number of ribs and the other structure elements. Parts are very precise made and there should be take care with assembly. Not only the flaps are given but also flaps box inside the wings with similar number of the very precise parts and final result is definitely super detailed flaps section of the kit.

Mask from Grumman Wildcat

Next big area where could be made improvements on the basic kit is the engine and undercarriage area. There coming the Eduard set 48590 with bulk of parts in etched metal. Two instruction leaflets are provided and one is for the engine installation, wires lines, and the other one is engine and landing gear instruction leaflets. For the engine wire should be take a note during the assembly as well this parts have to be included during the assembly of the basic kit plastic parts. Also engine has to be complete painted before this step. Work on the detailing of the engine compartment will have as result that entire area will be truly transformed as well not only small parts are included as details but whole area like the walls from inside and engine firewall. The same engine firewall is story for it self as well it have to be completed with a number of the etched parts from set and this will create very authentic structure of the section. Landing gear include new wheel covers, new landing gear door but also number of small additional etched parts.

If all of this is not enough you have one new set and this one is 48594 for the armament bay in the wings. Some surgery has to be made and first step in the instruction state that cover panel has to be open from the top surface of the wing. Interior is made basically from the armament bay box with the great number of parts fixed on it. This include all possible structure details for the same housing but also details like the ammunition belts. Best at all is that complete new access panel are provided for the final assembly and they are discard original plastic from kit and off course give much realistic appearance of the section.