Eduard 1/32 P-39D Airacobra Interior Detail Set First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Eduard from the Czech Republic is easily the most prolific producer of aftermarket details. Period. Their series of photo-etched detail sets have brought additional fidelity to otherwise bland subjects, and have taken even the best-produced models and kicked them up a notch or two with details that cannot be produced with injection-molded plastic.

When Eduard first introduced the acetate-printed instrument faces that go behind their photo-etched instrument panels, this raised the bar on model cockpit reality as you could almostread the time on the aircraft clock. How could they top that?

It took a number of years, but the answer is color photo-etch. Somehow Eduard has developed a process for printing color directly on their photo-etched parts such that now you not only can read the instrument faces. To top that off, they've also provided one of the two frets with a self-adhesive to make the installation of seat belts, shoulder harnesses, instrument panel faces, etc., easier to get into your cockpit.

This release dresses up the already beautiful Special Hobby 1/32 P-39D Airacobra kit. While the kit is nice, there are limits to what one can do with detailing in styrene. This detail set allows the AMS modeler to tackle some of those areas with pre-fitted details.

As with the other color photo-etched sets in this series, this set provides all of the instrument panel and control console surfaces with printed faces. The main instrument panel is three layers of photo-etch thick in a few spots, which provides some nice depth of detail. You can put a drop of Future or clear epoxy into each of the instrument face openings to simulate glass after the panel is assembled.

Next, the set provides new facades for the ends of the cowl machine guns that extend into the cockpit around the instrument panels. In addition, this set provides lots of small details that replicate details missing on the floor of the cockpit as well as around the sides of the cockpit around the car doors. For instance, not only do they replace the throttle quadrant, they provide the linkages that run between the quadrant and the floor. Very nice!

Of course the two car doors and fully 'tricked out' with new interior surface details, storage pouches, door handles, windowcranks, and support framework.

The windscreen gets an interesting modification with a special frame that surrounds a user-provided piece of 1mm thick clear plastic to replicate the bullet-proof glass applied to the inside of the windscreen along with a reinforcement plate for the outside.

Finally, this set provides a new pilot's seat and an intricate set of parts to replicate the seatbelts and shoulder harnesses, all in color of course.

This set will really set off the Special Hobby Airacobra kit though this detail set is not for the beginning modeler. You will need to be able to remove the photo-etch parts from their frets (simple once you know how) and then be able to apply these details using cyano adhesives without gluing yourself to the kit parts. It isn't difficult, or else these sets wouldn't be so popular.

You should be able to find this detail set at your local hobby retailer or one of the many online hobby shops. Trust me, this is worth looking for!

My sincere thanks to Eduard for this review sample!