IPMS/USA Reviews

One of the greatest things to ever hit the modeling community was the invention of the canopy mask! These unassuming sets have to be the Holy Grail of saving untold hours masking simple and complex canopies!

Eduard has supplied canopy masks for many years, and recently they introduced a new line of TFace masks. These include the standard masks for the outside of the canopy and also a set for the inside. The beauty of these is that the canopy frames can be painted their respective color on the inside. This results in a more realistic look and no tedious masking to remove glossy frames.

I used the TFace masks on Eduard's new Tempest Mk V. The inside of the canopy was masked off and painted black, while the outside received the camouflage colors. My canopy is quite small, but the inside painted areas can still be seen. The masks for the sliding canopy fit perfectly, but I thought the inside masks for the windscreen side glass were a little large.

Where these TFace masks will really shine is when used on a model with larger windows that are easily seen. Examples would be side opening canopies, or models in 1/32 and

The "LooK" instrument panels sets are a welcome addition to the ever expanding offerings from Eduard. They provide the modeler with a ready to use panel. To compliment these, they are accompanied by a set of steel pre-painted seat belts. These two items will really set a cockpit apart and take it to the next level from the standard kit parts.

When the IPMS offered Eduard's latest releases for review, I requested the Tempest Mk V along with this set. My intention was to use the LooK instrument panel and seat belts.

The Tempest kit was the ProfiPACK that included a color photo etch (PE) instrument panel.

Eduard's new PE instrument panels come complete with clear gloss over the instruments. No more having to carefully add tiny clear gloss drops to simulate glass instrument lenses. The LooK instrument panel likewise includes clear "glass" over the instruments.

The recently released Eduard Hawker Tempest Mk V really sets a high standard for all other 1/48 scale Tempest's. While building this kit, I included the Eduard gun bay which took it to an even higher standard!

Gun bays are provided for both wings, but I decided to only use the right wing parts. Now I have a spare set for another build.

The set includes resin and photo etch (PE) parts. They are very nicely packaged in zip-lock bags, within a cardboard box and protected by soft foam.

All resin parts are attached to pour stubs or resin supportive framework. They were easily removed with careful use of a razor saw and gentle sanding. I managed to break a delicate cross member part beyond repair and replaced it with sheet plastic.

I first removed the right wing gun bay covers using a razor saw. Extreme care is needed not to damage the lovely surrounding wing details so I used Dymo Tape to outline the bay edges. Any slips went over the tape and not the wing. Sanding any rough cut areas completed this stage, and ensured a perfect fit of the resin gun bay walls.

These Hawker Tempest resin wheels replace the already nice kit plastic wheels. The stand out features are the extra detail on the rims and tire side walls, flat spots and they are single pieces.

The kit wheels are supplied in two halves to be glued together and the seam dealt with.  The resin wheels just have to be removed from the resin pour block with a razor saw. This is located under the flat spot. If you are careful cutting it off, you only need a few swipes with a sanding stick to smooth out the cut, and the wheel is ready for paint.

Paint masks are supplied and fit nicely, resulting in great looking wheels that really compliment Eduard's superb Tempest Mk V model. These are a direct fit replacement, although I found the axel holes needed to be opened a little for a good fit.

My thanks to Eduard and the IPMS for the opportunity to review this fantastic product.

This a simple resin set that replaces the exhaust stacks on Eduard's new Tempest Mk V kit.

The plastic parts supplied in the kit feature solid exhaust pipes that will need to have the ends either painted black or, as I typically do, hollowed out to show depth.

The resin exhausts feature nice weld seam detail and are hollowed out. They are a drop in replacement for the plastic parts. A razor saw is best used to remove the resin pour block, painting and a quick sanding readies the exhaust to be slotted into the nose cowl.

Thank you to Eduard and the IPMS for the chance to review another fantastic release from Eduard.