Eduard

1/32 F8F Bearcat Detail Sets For the Trumpeter kit

Reviewed By  Rick Bellanger, IPMS# 35220

Eduard 32-220 F8F Exterior, MSRP: $30.00 Eduard 32-630 F8F Interior Self-Adhesive, MSRP: $33.00 Website: www.eduard.cz Other Aftermarket Used: Scale Aircraft Conversions Landing Gear MSRP: $19.95, Website: www.scaleaircraftconversions.com Red Pegasus Decals MSRP: $13.00, Web Site: www.redpegasusdecals.com This review will include a couple of other things that go along with the Trumpeter F8F-2 Bearcat kit. I used the metal landing gear from Scale Aircraft Conversions and decals from Red Pegasus. More on these later in the story. Eduard provides a couple of very nice photo etch sets to dress up the already well detailed Trumpeter Bearcat kit. These sets are of very high quality, giving you the choice to use them as a direct replacement for the kit parts or used as an added detail part omitted from the kit. The first set, 32-220 Exterior, provides two photo etch sheets. The first sheet gives you parts to detail the engine, some exterior details, wheel wells and landing gear. The second sheet provides details for the weapons.

The engine details are ignition wires and covers for the cylinders. The wires really dress up the front of the engine. I normally use a fine solder wire for these but found the Eduard set a whole lot easier and better looking. As for the cylinder covers unless you want to display your engine with the clear cowling or make it removable these details you will never see. The landing gear details are very nice. I used Scale Aircraft Conversions replacement set instead of the kit supplied parts. I would highly recommend these because the kit parts are not right. With the kit parts the Oleo sits on top of the wheels, the replacement set corrects this problem. Another area that the kit parts lack in is the tail wheel. Trumpeter provides a very nice looking tail wheel assembly but all you have to do is look at it the wrong way and it will break on you. Way too fragile and weak for my handling. I also found this same problem on their P-47 and Hellcat kits. Scale Aircraft Conversions provides a nice white metal replacement set that provide plenty of strength and with the added Eduard parts makes into a very nicely detailed assembly. Wheel well bulkheads are provided in the set with extra details for the gear doors. These really dress up an area that already abounds with a lot of detail making it an area one wants to really look at.

Details are also provided to enhance some exterior areas such as the elevators and wing fold locks. The other sheets (unfortunately, I didn't use because I built a racer) provides plenty of details for the missiles, bombs and fuel tanks. You get some very nice replacement fins for the rockets with a jig to align them (very thoughtful), mounting brackets and firing wires. The bombs get new fins, fuses and mounting brackets. The fuel tank gets a new filler cap and external bracing. These parts I would have definitely used if I built a fighter bomber version. The second Eduard set 32-630, Interior Self Adhesive, is very well done. It provides two sheets, one in color and self adhesive the other plain photo etch. Also included are details for the engine and cockpit glass.

The color sheet provides a very nice instrument panel with gauges and dials and switches already painted and ready to add. You also get new side panels for all the instrumentation and handles, wheel and levers for these areas. New seat belts are also provided replacing the kit parts. I really like working with these self adhesive parts. They are a lot easier to place them on the model because they stay where you want them and all it takes is a minuscule drop of CA to hold them, especially in the seat belt area. You just follow the instructions (which are very good) bend them add the buckles, place them on the seat, rearrange them as you see fit, then tack them in with a little CA and you're done. The second sheet provides some sidewall details for the cockpit giving you bracing, wires, handles and levers. You also get some canopy details, rear view mirrors for the front and some really nice bracing details for the headrest and rollover bar. I really like the little placards that are provided for the engine front.

As I said I built this airplane as a Racer, not the average fighter. The details that Eduard gives you really enhance an already well detailed model. I had to fill in the gun ports and take the bulges out of the wing. Got rid of the tail hook and gun sight.. All these directions are given in the excellent decal set from Red Pegasus Decals. I used Keith's set for the F8F-2 Bearcat 1964-65 #80 Smirnoff. These are an Alps printed set, which take a little extra care to use. I used Micro-sol Liquid Decal Film as instructed to protect them and make them easier to handle. They must be trimmed individually from the sheet and they go down well with Micro-sol setting solutions.

The Bearcat was first primed with Tamiya primer, then painted with a rattle can of Tamiya White, shot in a couple of spray sessions, using light coats each time. I love this paint especially their white, it goes on well, kind of self levels and dries in a glossy finish, ready for decals. I decaled the model per instructions. I waited a day then sealed the model with Alclad's clear finish. This is a very nice finishing product, I don't know of too many who use it but it works great for a glossy finish. I weathered the plane using oil washes. Well that's it. Eduard you provided a couple of photo etch sets that really enhance an already detailed model airplane. Scale Aircraft Conversions provided the metal landing gear for a correct stance that will take my abuse in handling and Red Pegasus for providing a nice decal set for the Bearcat to add to my Racer Collection. Well done to all. I would highly recommend the Eduard sets but would warn you about small parts and handling CA glue, they can be tricky if you never used photo etch before. I would also highly recommend the Scale Aircraft Conversion Landing Gear and Red Pegasus Decals. Photo etch sets provided by Eduard. All others purchased by myself. Thank you Eduard for giving me the opportunity to build and review your sets for the IPMS Review Corps.