IPMS/USA Reviews

Robert Peczkowski is part of the Wydawnictwo Stratus publishing group as a co-owner, publisher, and author. Robert attended Politechnika Rzeszowska from 1983 to 1988. Robert has written a number of books including the major work in English on the Polish air Force of WW2. He is married with two children. His books include: Me 163 Komet (1997), PZL P.11c (1998), Messerschmitt Bf-109G (2000), White Eagles (2001), British WW1 Aircraft in the Polish Air Force (2001), Messerschmitt Bf 109E (2001), Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe (2002), Lockheed P-38 J-L Lightning (2003), Messerschmitt Bf-109G Gustav (2004), P-47 Thunderbolt 'Bubbletop' (2005), Douglas SBD Dauntless (2007), Henschel Hs 126 (2008), North American P-51D Mustang (2009), Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet (2010), Bell P-39 Airacobra (2011), Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 'Bubbletop' (2011), Messerschmitt Me 410 (2013), Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (2013), Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (2014) Republic P-47B-D Razorback (2016), Messerchmitt Bf 109E (2017), North American P-51D (2017).

Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world.

Overall Summary

The polished brass photo-etch fret arrived in a standard cellophane envelope with the colorful Eduard label and cardboard backing. A color assembly guide was neatly folded inside, with bilingual labels. The fret is about 5.65 x 4 inches, hosting 8 major pieces and numerous hinges, pins, and ribs, with the larger parts crisply relief-etched. Kit areas to be modified are indicated in the instructions.

Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what Eduard's new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world.

The photoetch frets arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. One cockpit fret is 2.75 x 1.6 inches on polished metal with color-etched laminated details, and the other fret is 3.1 x 2.75 inches on polished brass. Side consoles and instrument panel parts are provided for either a F2H-2 or F2H-2P. Internal and external details for one model are on these two frets. I particularly appreciate having three clear HUD pieces included on the film part. Only one is required, but I need two of them to complete the set. You can speculate why! I worked up the fighter version for this review.

Extreme appreciation from IPMS USA goes to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the Triple Ejector Rack, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it!

This set contains 50 parts for five TER's; the resin bodies, Sway braces with ejector pins, TER hanging lugs to put them on the aircraft carrying beams, and PE Switch plates to put in the hollow end of the TER itself. To finish, you are also provided with a small decal sheet.

Detail on this set is, as usual, almost incomprehensible. Every rivet, joint, screw and bolt is on the set.

This is not a time consuming addition to your kit; remove the end pour plug from the tail of the mer, gently sand the flash "bubble busters" and attachment point, then drill a 5/64" hole about 1/16 inch into the end of the rack. Remove the PE switch panel from the fret, use any method you can to transfer to part to the interior wall of the hole, previously having placed a drop of CA or white acrylic glue in the switch well which you just drilled. The drawings have you put two switches oriented to the top, one on bottom.

Continuing our appreciation from IPMS USA goes to Eduard for their having once again provided a sample copy of a long-awaited product, the SNIPER Targeting Pod, and the usual wave of thanks to the IPMS USA leadership for ensuring I received it!

This set contains 7 parts for one SNIPER pod: the resin main body, the forward seeker head, three clear windows for the seeker, a mount with sway braces for the pod, the aft mounting brace and interface for later pods, a PE fret with details such as seeker eye vents, and aft plates, and small decal sheet.

Detail on this set is stunning; you can show the pod head stowed or in operation, and every rivet, joint, screw and bolt is on the pod.

This is not a time consuming addition to your kit. Remove the end pour plug from the tail of the pod and Seeeker head, and gently sand the attachment cone flat a