Eduard

1/48 F-22 Raptor Detail Sets For theAcademy Kit

Reviewed By  Dave Morrissette, IPMS# 33653

Canopy Mask Set Part: Ex269 MSRP: $6.95 Website: Mask Link:

F-22 Bomb Bay Color Detail Set Part: 49433 MSRP: $34.95 Web Site:Detail Set Link

F-22 Exterior Detail Set Part: 48622 MSRP: $29.95 Web Site:Exterior Detail Set Link

F-22 Interior Detail Set SA Part: 49422 MSRP: $22.95 Website: SA Interior Detail Set Link

F-22 Boarding Ladder Part: 48619 MSRP: $12.95 Website: Boarding Ladder Link So you have Academy's nice new shiny kit of the F-22 (which the real thing was cut short this very day by Congress) and while its nice, you want to throw details on it to perk it up… what can you do? Eduard has a perfect set of answers that move from slight detail upgrades to addressing almost every square inch of the airframe. Eduard has issued 5 sets to address each part of the kit so let's take a look at them. First, all of the sets are in great frets of relief-etched material except of course the masking set which is the tape type that we have come to love. The bomb bay and the interior set also included the now famous color photoetch. The sets address the bomb bay (49433), the exterior (48622), the interior (49422), canopy mask (EX269) and a boarding ladder (48619). Let's take a quick look at each. Canopy Mask and Boarding Ladder These are quick and easy. The canopy mask is just what is needed for crisp lines and includes masks for the canopy and wheels. The boarding ladder is a single fret and several parts that build into the ladder specifically used on the F-22. Perfect for a diorama and it does require bends to get the ladder built. Exterior Part The exterior parts are on one large fret and address several areas of the fuselage that are raised, the textured parts of the exhausts (which really help) and wiring runs for the wheel bays and landing gear. Landing gear door details are included as well as FOD covers for the intakes. This set will go along way to adding exterior detail but will require that the parts be preshaped by forming them to the necessary parts of the fuselage prior to installing them. Interior Parts This set consists of one standard photoetch, one small-colorized photoetch and one acetate for the HUD. This addresses the cockpit itself with colorized materials making up the instrument panels and photoetch adding to the canopy, the HUD, the seat and seat belts. There is also detail for behind the seat. This will easily perk up the color in the cockpit. Bomb Bay Details This set really shines with one very large fret, a medium fret and a small-colorized fret. This includes new doors and all sorts of brackets and the like for the entire bomb bay. There are some control boxes and some of these are colorized. This set will add tons of detail but does require some scratch building skills and Evergreen stock. Conclusion These are a great set of additions to juice up your Raptor. By having the sets separate, you can pick whether you want some or a lot of detail and that is a great advantage to the modeler. Buy to the level you need and enjoy these great sets from Eduard. Highly recommended.