Category: Aftermarket Product Reviews

To LooK or not to LooK; or maybe you just need some Space; Product Reviews – Eduard Photo Etch, LooK, and Space Instrument Panels.

On By acarothersvlrmIn 3D Printed Decals, Aftermarket Product Reviews, Photo Etch, Resin Upgrade SetsLeave a comment

The thought of using a paint brush to hand paint the details on a 1/48th scale instrument panel has just never appealed to me. I am assuming I could do a decent job, but maybe I just lack the patience for that work. Kit supplied decals for the instrument panels, at least for me, have never quite looked the part.

So, thank goodness for Eduard, and other companies, that continue to provide innovative products to help modelers increase the level of detail and realism of model cockpits. This will be a quick comparison of Eduard’s photoetch, LooK, and Space instrument panels for Eduard’s 1/48 P-51D Mustang.

Eduard’s Pre-Painted Photo Etch Instrument Panel: My first experience with a photo etch instrument panel came from Eduard’s photo etch set for Academy’s 1/72 Consolidated PBY-5A “Black Cat” Catalina kit. It was an unpainted brass instrument panel front and a clear piece of acetate with the dial faces painted on. I painted the brass front black and sealed it with clear coat, and then sandwiched the clear acetate between the painted instrument panel front and a white piece of plastic card stock cut to the shape of the instrument panel. It was finished with a small drop of Microscale Industries Micro Kristal Klear in each dial to simulate the glass. It was definitely a step up in appearance from just slapping the kit supplied decal on the instrument panel kit piece.

Now we have exquisitely pre-painted photo etch frets that come with all of the pieces to make a highly detailed instrument panel. The main portion of Eduard’s photo etch instrument panel in their P-51D Mustang kit comes in three pieces that are sandwiched together. Eduard has developed the technology to simulate the glass covering the dials on the middle piece so that you no longer need to use Micro Kristal Klear to simulate the glass. Very nice touch. Eduard’s photo etch frets that come in the Profipack boxings also come with seat belts, other cockpit pieces, and some exterior pieces.

Eduard 1/48 Photo Etch Parts from the “Very Long Range: Tales of Iwo Jima” Kit

The downside to using these pre-painted photo etch sets is that there are numerous small pieces that are difficult to handle and to get in place. Although I enjoy using photo-etch update sets, the smaller pieces can really test one’s patience.

Eduard’s LooK Instrument Panel: Eduard’s “LooK” instrument panels are cast in black resin with colour printed dials, bezels, switches, knobs and more. The benefit of these products is that they take very little time to separate from their casting block, clean-up and assemble. No painting, no little photo etch parts to attach, and they are drop fit replacement parts for whatever kit they are made for. The standard LooK package also come with Eduard’s pre-painted steel seatbelts. Eduard also produces a LooK Plus version that comes with resin pieces such as exhaust stacks, tires, etc. . .

Eduard 1/48 P-51D-15+ LooK Instrument Panel
Photo Etch Seat Belts that are included with LooK Instrument Panel

Eduard’s Space Instrument Panel: The Eduard Space product line are 3D instrument panels on decal sheets. These are decals that show actual relief of the instrument dial bezels, switches, toggles, etc . . . The sets not only come with the instrument panels, but also other cockpit details, and a fret of photo etch seat belt parts and levers.

Eduard

Do not soak or submerse the decals in water for very long as this will cause the decals to swell and distort. Eduard has provided a short article on how to apply the 3-D decals in their March 2021 edition of Info Eduard. The article can be found here: https://www.eduard.com/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2021/info-eduard-2021-03eng-2.pdf.

Photo Etch Fret that is included with Space 3D Instrument Panel

Below are the finished instrument panels with the photo etch instrument panel on the left, the LooK instrument panel in the middle, and Space instrument panel on the right. All three look very nice.

My preference is the photo etch instrument panel due to the quality of the bezels around the instrument dials. To me, they just make the photo etch instrument panel more realistic, but I would have no problem using either the LooK or Space instrument panels. The Space instrument panel took about the same amount of time to create as the photo etch instrument panel did. If you are looking for a great looking instrument panel with the least amount of work, then the LooK instrument panel is your choice.

Comments regarding what your preferences are, and your likes and dislikes about these products are welcome!

Kudos to Eduard for continuing all three product lines, and giving modelers choices. I highly recommend all three products.

Next up: A review of new decals for 457th Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group Mustangs from UpRise Decals.

Aftermarket Product Review: Brengun’s 1/72nd 110 Gallon Drop Tanks – BRL 72270

On By acarothersvlrmIn Aftermarket Product Reviews, Resin Upgrade SetsLeave a comment

The good folks at Brengun recently released a set of 1/72nd resin 110 gallon drop tanks with photo etched detail parts and decals. Brengun is a Czech model manufacturer known for its extensive line of photo etch and resin update sets for airplane models. Brengun also produces airplane kits in 1/144th, 1/72nd and 1/48th scales.

I was very excited to learn of Brengun’s release and purchased a set off of eBay for this review. To my knowledge, no kit or aftermarket manufacturer has produced an accurate set of 1/72nd scale 110 gallon drop tanks previously.

Brengun

The drop tanks are beautifully cast with the correct details. The photo etch fret include the sway braces, the flat metal pieces that sit across the tanks and hold the sway braces in place, and the fuel filler caps. For those small pieces, extras are provided in case of loss to the carpet monster. Nice touch on Brengun’s part. The decals are accurate for the markings on the tank, and again, extras are provided.

The set comes with a small instruction sheet that shows the correct placement of the decals and photo etch parts. More importantly, the instruction sheet shows the placement of the photo etch parts to achieve a correct installation of the sway braces. Test fit everything before installing the sway braces to determine the best placement for the model you are building.

Brengun

Below are two USAAF photos showing the correct placement of the sway braces and the front metal piece that holds the sway braces in place.

USAAF/National Archives via Fold3
USAAF/National Archives via Fold3

Brengun has some CAD drawings of the tanks with the sway braces on their website, but do not rely on these drawings as they fail to show the correct placement of the sway braces. Rely on the instruction sheet for the correct placement of the sway braces.

It did not take long to remove the casting blocks and clean up the area where the pour stubs are located. There are a few pin holes that will need to to filled around the area of the pour stubs as can be seen in the photos below, but nothing cannot be filled easily and sanded quickly.

As can be seen in the photos above, the detail that represents the rim that goes around the entire tank was missing at the front on one of the tanks where the pour stubs were located. The other tank was fine. This is a quick fix with stretched sprue, and to be truthful, it is hard not to damage that detail when removing the pour stubs and cleaning up the front end of the tank.

Below is a photo of one of the tanks with the pin holes filled and sanded, and the missing/damaged detail repaired with stretched sprue.

These tanks are accurate in shape and detail. With the addition of the photo etch sway braces, they look every bit the part. If you have an Academy, Airfix, Hasegawa, Hobby Boss, Revell, or Tamiya 1/72nd scale P-51D Mustang and want to build a Iwo Jima VLR Mustang, you no longer have to settle for a kit’s 75 gallon drop tanks which were not used by the Iwo Jima VLR Mustang Groups. Highly recommended. Kudos to Brengun!

A superb follow-up on Brengun’s part would be an accurate set of 165 gallon drop tanks with sway braces in 1/72nd scale.

Next up: Squadron markings for the 47th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group.

Decal Review: DKdecals P-51D/K Mustang over the Pacific and Australia (48028)

On By acarothersvlrmIn Aftermarket Product Reviews, Decal Reviews, DK DecalsLeave a comment

DKdecals recently released a new 1/48 decal sheet for Pacific based P-51D/K Mustangs. It contains decals for five Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs; one from the 15th FG, one from the 21st FG, and three from the 506th FG. This sheet is unique in that it provides decals for lesser known planes that have never been produced before. We tend to see the same decals for planes with great nose art ( i.e. 528 “The Enchantress”), or planes the aces flew (i.e. Major Todd W. Moore’s 67 “Stinger VII”, Major James B. Tapp’s 101 “Margaret IV”, and Major Harry C. Crim’s 300 “My Achin” Ass), so it is nice to have a variety of lesser known planes. Kudos to DKdecals.

The painting and decal placement guide is nicely done. The five decals for the Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs are as follows:

114 “Dear Edna”; 78th FS, 15th FG; P-51D-20-NA, 44-63967; flown by 1st Lt. Frederick A. Bauman. Lt. Bauman was credited with one aerial victory on the June 10, 1945 mission to Atsugi Airdrome near Tokyo.

1st Lt. Frederick A. Bauman in front of 114 “Dear Edna” (via Mark W. Stevens/7th Fighter Command Association)

235 “Slow Roll”; 46th FS, 21st FG; P-51D-20-NA, 44-63891; flown by 2nd Lt. John W. Brock. Lt. Brock was credited with three aerial victories, his first on April 12, 1945, and the second and third on July 9, 1945. Below is the only photo I can find for “Slow Roll”. It does not appear that the nose art has been applied when the photo was taken.

235 “Slow Roll” (USAAF/National Archives via Fold3)

522 “Buzz Buddy”; 457th FS, 506th FG; P-51D-25-NA, 44-72876. It is unknown who was assigned to fly “Buzz Buddy”. However, it is known that 1st Lt. Chauncey A. Newcomb scored two aerial victories while flying “Buzz Buddy”. 1st Lt. Newcomb was actually assigned to 514 “Erma Lou” along with 1st Lt. Francis “Frank” Albrecht. It was not uncommon for pilots to fly VLR missions in planes they were not assigned to. Because there only black and white photos of “Buzz Buddy”, and it is difficult to tell what the color of the name on of the nose is, DKdecals provided the name in both red and black. Nice touch.

522 “BuzzBuddy” (via Robert Newcomb/Dr. John Benbow)

575 “My Madge/Julia’ll Fool Yer”; 458th FS, 506th FG; P-51D-20-NA, 44-72602; flown by Captain G. Marcott.

575 “My Madge/Julia’ll Fool Yer” (via Dr. John Benbow)

643 “Providence Permitting”; 462nd FS, 506th FG; P-51D-25-NA, 44-72855; flown by 1st Lt. Allen F. Colley and 1st Lt. Leonard A. Dietz.

1st Lts. Allen F. Colley and Leonard A. Dietz and ground crew in front of 643 “Providence Permitting” (via Bill Ebersole/Dr. John Benbow)

The decals are in register, and the artwork is exceptional. If you are interested in building a lesser known Iwo Jima VLR or Pacific Mustang with some really nice markings, this decal sheet is highly recommended.

As a condition of the use of materials from the 7th Fighter Command Association website, the following disclaimer is included: Permission to use, copy and distribute documents delivered from this Worldwide Web server and related graphics is hereby granted, provided 1) That the use of the data will not be used for obtaining a profit of any kind, and 2) That the above disclaimer notice appear in all copies and that both that disclaimer notice and this permission notice appear. All other rights reserved. The name of “7th Fighter Command Association” may not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of this information without specific, written prior permission. Mark Stevens and the 7th Fighter Command Association makes no representations about the suitability of this information for any purpose. It is provided “as is” without express or implied warranty. Mark Stevens and the 7th Fighter Command Association disclaim all warranties with regard to this information, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall Mark Stevens or the 7th Fighter Command Association be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information.

Aftermarket Product Review: Eduard Brassin 1/48 110 Gallon Drop Tanks – 648531

On By acarothersvlrmIn Aftermarket Product ReviewsLeave a comment

Eduard has released resin drop tanks for both the 110 gallon and 165 gallon drop tanks used by the Iwo Jima VLR Mustang groups as part of their Brassin line. They are intended for modelers who want to step up the level of detail on their VLR Mustang builds.

Eduard

In addition to the drop tanks, the package contains resin sway braces, photo etch parts, and decals.

As you can see from the picture below, the pour stubs do not run down the bottom center of the tank, but slightly off center. However, the detail on the bottom of the tank is right up next to two of the pour stubs, and it is very difficult not to damage the detail when sanding down the pour stubs. It appears that Eduard anticipated this, and the photo-etch pieces are the replacements. Nice touch on Eduard’s part.

It did not take long to eliminate the pour stubs, and clean-up was easy with only a few pin holes to fill.

The photo-etch pieces are very small, and Eduard provides an extra of both pieces should you lose one to the carpet monster. Again, nice touch on Eduard’s part.

Comparison Between Kit and Resin Drop Tanks – While the resin drop tanks are beautifully cast, are they that much better that the kit drop tanks to justify spending the extra money to acquire them? I purchased this set from Sprue Brothers for $13.50. Let’s see what they look like with paint and decals.

I put down a primer coat of Alclad II Grey Primer/Microfiller (ALC 302), and then painted the tanks with Alclad II White Aluminum (ALC 106). After painting the filler caps with Vallejo Model Color Flat Red (70.957), the decals were applied. Eduard molded the flat metal pieces that kept the sway braces in place into the resin drop tanks. Nice touch on Eduard’s part. The picture below shows the actual front metal piece and how everything was held together. I painted this detail with Vallejo Model Color Natural Steel (70.864)

USAAF/National Archives via Fold3

Both the kit and resin drop tanks look really nice once painted and finished. It is nice to have the two metal pieces that run across the tops of the tanks molded into the resin tanks, but those can be replicated using styrene strip and rod on the kit tanks. The other nice feature of the resin tanks is that they have slots for the placement of the sway braces, which should make the sway braces easier to install.

Kit 110 Gallon Drop Tank
Brassin Resin 110 Gallon Drop Tank

Eduard sells the their P-51D VLR drop tanks sprue as a separate Overtrees (82109X) for $9.95. So for a little more money, you can get Brassin resin tanks. Well worth it in my opinion. But as you can see from above, you really cannot go wrong whether you upgrade to the resin tanks or stay with the kit’s tanks.

Decal Review – DK decals Pacific Fighters Part One (48017)

On By acarothersvlrmIn Aftermarket Product Reviews, Decal Reviews, DK DecalsLeave a comment

If you are following this blog or check in occasionally, it is my hope and prayer that you remain healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now living under very different circumstances that most of us could not have imagined, and we are all wondering whether our lives will return to what we once knew as normal. If you are under a stay-at-home order to prevent or slow the virus, I hope that my blog fills some of that time.

My good friend, and one of the 506th Fighter Group historians, Brian Walter, recently brought to my attention the Czech decal manufacturer, DK decals. Even though it appears that DK decals has been in business since 2014, they have escaped my notice because their decals are not widely distributed in the United States.

DK decals produces decals for World War II aircraft in 1/144, 172, 1/48 and 1/32 scales, and to this point, it appears that some of their focus has been on aircraft used in the Pacific and China/India/Burma theaters. Any company that produces decals of aircraft used in either of those theaters of operation is very welcome. Their Pacific Fighters Part One (48017) includes decals for Major Harry C. Crim’s 300 “My Achin!” Ass (21st FG, 531st FS), so I purchased that decal sheet to review. More on Major Crim in an upcoming post.

As can be seen below, their aircraft profiles on their decal placement and painting guide are very nicely done, their decals are in register, and they look excellent.

The decals for Major Crim’s Mustang are very accurate when compared to the photo below. From what I have seen of their decal sheets, they are very well researched. Kudos to DK decals.

Mark W. Stevens/7th Fighter Command Association

I real test is how the decals actually perform. I took a scrap piece of plastic sheet, scribed two vertical lines on it, sprayed on a primer coat of Alclad II Grey Primer & Microfiller (ALC 302), and then sprayed on Alclad II Aluminum (ALC 101). The result was smooth surface upon which a decal could be tested without having to put down a gloss coat.

I no longer use a decal setting solution or a decal solvent when applying decals. I have just had inconsistent results using decal solvents. Instead, I wet the area with water where the decal is to be placed, place the decal and move it to its proper position, and then roll out the water underneath the decal with a cotton swab. With a brush, I apply a thin coat of Future acrylic floor polish over the decal and let it dry. Because Future is self-leveling, when it dries, it pulls the decal down over minor raised details and into recessed panel lines. This method has been basically fool proof for me.

As you can see above, the decal performed wonderfully using this method. The decal snuggled down into the scribed panel lines and the decal film basically disappears. I would highly recommend DK decals. Great products.

DK decals products are widely distributed in Europe, but it is difficult to find a hobby store in the United States that carries their products. I purchased this decal sheet with two others from Hannants in Great Britain. I did find an on-line model web store in the Chicago area, but their prices were so high, I could not justify buying from them. I have also been finding them on eBay occasionally.

The good news is that DK decals has recently released a 1/48 decal sheet for P-51D/K Mustangs over the Pacific & Australia (48028) that contains decals for five Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs. I have this decal sheet on order and will review it once received. In addition, they have announced the release of a 1/72 decal sheet dedicated solely to Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs (P-51D Mustang – Very Long Range P-51 Units Iwo Jima 1945; 72087). Again, kudos to DK decals!