Eduard

1/32 "Big Ed" Set For the Trumpeter F-100D

Stock Number: BIG3264

Reviewed By  Floyd S. Werner, Jr., IPMS# 26266

MSRP: $135.00 Web Site: www.eduard.cz The Trumpeter F-100D is a beautiful kit of a beautiful airplane. It is certainly big and looks the part. When we decided to do the new Master Class Model Building DVD on photo etch, resin and vacuform canopies we thought that this would be a great kit. We thought that the addition of Eduard photo etch would be a natural choice. While I wanted to use all of the items time constraints precluded me from doing so. I was able to use some of the parts and they added to the model. The final look was very convincing. This Big Ed set includes EIGHT separate sets. I'll look at each set and tell you about each one of them. The sets included are: 32 181 Exterior 32 184 Weapons Bay 32 185 Wheel Wells and Undercarriage 32 186 Slats 32 193 Air Brake 32 599 Self Adhesive Placards 32 607 Interior 32 612 Ejection Seat JX 069 Canopy Mask F-100 Super Sabre Exterior Kit # 32 181 MSRP $22.95 Eduard seems to have fallen in love with the Trumpeter F-100. This set, one of seven, designed for the kit provides access panels, armament upgrades and various upgrades to the kit parts. It was interesting to me that the access panels are thin but will stand proud of the surface when applied. They are a lot nicer looking than the kit access panels. Much of this set is for the rear area of the exhaust. This will add a nice dimension to the area. The armament upgrades will add panels and fuel filler ports for the drop tanks. One nice thing is that many of the access panels are on the center line so this will help you hide the seam. It doesn't get much easier than that.

F-100 Super Sabre Weapon Bay Kit # 32 184 MSRP $19.95 This set is what Eduard excels at and can do for you. Three frets of beautiful photo etch will highlight ever detail of the weapons bay. The best part of this whole set is the ammo trays. The trays are very realistic and contain some shells. The doors are replaced on the ammo bay and the weapons bay. These components are much nicer looking than the ones provided by the kit and best yet, they are made out of metal so you know they will look realistic. There are components for the gun too.

F-100 Super Sabre Wheel Wells and Undercarriage Kit # 32 185 MSRP $22.95 The Trumpeter wheel wells and landing gear legs are a little simplified and lack detail. Eduard's set contains internal stiffeners, detailed doors, locks and other simple additions that will add to the overall look of your kit. This set will require a little more experience than the others as some of the folds are pretty complex. The most complex are the main wheel well doors. The look of the hollowed out doors are very realistic looking. The additional detail will be some of the most recognizable of the sets.

F-100 Super Sabre Slats Kit # 32 186 MSRP $22.95 The slats are a prominent feature on the F-100. The kit gives you a nice looking set of slats but they are a little oversimplified. The Eduard set gives you three frets to add the new detail to the area. The instructions are a bit confusing and I think there is an error on them. On the instructions the lower wing halves are mislabeled. The instructions call out for C1 and B8 but it should be C8 and B1. I also was confused about what to remove on the wing tips for the slats. With that said the detail on the outside and inside of the slats is beautifully done and will add to the look of the wings.

F-100 Super Sabre Air Brake Kit # 32 193 MSRP $22.95 A prominent feature of the F-100 is the extended air brake. This is okay in the Trumpeter kit but Eduard provides you with a far superior part. Not only do you get the air brake but you get the well inside the fuselage. These parts are provided on two frets of photo etch. The level of detail is quite impressive. The hydraulic and electrical lines are included.

You get both style of air brake. What a better way to produce a metal air brake than to have a metal air brake? This set is challenging but there are no extremely complicated bends so almost anyone can work this set. F-100 Super Sabre Color Placards- Self Adhesive Kit # 32 599 MSRP $19.95 This was my first dealing with the self adhesive sets from Eduard. The fret is pre-painted as has become the norm for Eduard. The backside has an adhesive that is reminiscent of dual sided tape which is protected by a wax type paper sheet that won't allow the placards to stick to. The instructions are very informative as to location and, more importantly, how to deal with the self adhesive feature. What do you get? You get plenty of placards for the F-100 and any other aircraft. The placards are in the wheel well, cockpit, on the ejection seat, and various other positions on the aircraft. Can you read what is written? Yes and no. Yes you can read the larger letters such as those on the wheel well electrical boxes. No you can't read the smaller writing on the minor placards. I have to say that I liked what was provided and thought that they added to the look of the model, especially the wheel well and cockpit. You get only one set of the larger placards but you get lots of smaller ones that could easily be used on other aircraft. The placards are covered by the wax paper and you need this to form some placards such as around the landing gear strut and to clean up the stubs. Basically you leave the paper on and then just bend it as normal. Remove the backing paper and press into position. I had no problem with the landing gear struts. The bottom line, does this set add to the kit? Is it worth the money? I have to say yes on both accounts. I enjoyed using them because they were easy to apply. I think the placards added to the whole look of the model. F-100 Super Sabre Interior-Self Adhesive Kit # 32 607 MSRP $29.95 The cockpit of the Trumpeter kit is nice, however, the kit cockpit could use some help. Eduard has provided three frets of photo etch in this set. The self adhesive feature of this set is actually just on one fret of the set. The other frets contain the cockpit sill and back side of the cockpit, as well as, various parts such as the HUD. What is really nice are the screws and fasteners that are on the parts. This set replaces much of the kit cockpit. The cockpit sill is beautiful and will add to the look of your open cockpit. The smaller parts are a welcome addition to the cockpit. The best part of the set is the self adhesive fret. The instrument panel with its printed on detail is gorgeous. The radios and side consoles are very nice, but they will need some plastic to bring it all out. The side consoles are very prominent in the cockpit so they will dramatically add to the look. The colors will have to be coordinated with your paint for the plastic parts but the look is beautiful.

F-100 Super Sabre Seat Kit # 32 612 MSRP $24.95 The Eduard photo etch set for the F-100 ejection seat consists of two frets that will produce a very fine seat. One of the frets is pre-painted and the other is just a normal fret. Utilizing the kit parts, the photo etch add to the kit seat and add a level of realism that would be difficult with any other medium. The set allows you to build the seat with and without the pack. The seat without the pack is really interesting with all the rivet detail featured. The seatbelts are part of the pre-painted fret and look fabulous. The pull handles are painted in the appropriate black and yellow.

This set, combined with the self adhesive placard set, will produce an excellent seat and the option of with and without the pack is a bonus. F-100 Super Sabre Canopy Mask Kit # JX 069 MSRP 7.95 Printed on Kabuki tape these masks will make the job of canopy masking very easy. The kabuki tape will conform to compound curves and are easy enough to apply and remove. Eduard provides you with mask for the front and rear canopy. For the rear canopy you will need either liquid masking fluid or use some Tamiya tape. These really are the best on the market and worth every penny to me. Conclusions OK this is a lot of detail and costs the same amount as the real kit, however, these sets really do add to the finished model considerably. I wanted to use all the sets on the new Master Class Model Building DVD but I didn't have the time to add them all, plus I wanted to use the Avionix resin cockpit. This required me to make some concessions with the photo etch. I did add parts here and there on my F-100, but just couldn't add them all. Where I did add them they fit beautifully and added to the look of the model. The complete sets will set your model apart from the rest. The sets will require experience with photo etch. If you are up for it and you want the best looking Hun on the block these sets are just what you'll need Highly recommended to experienced builders Thanks to Eduard for the review item. You can obtain them directly from Eduard at www.eduard.cz or from your local hobby shop or mail order supplier.

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