Eduard 1/48 F-16I Sufa 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.

In this set, we have two frets of photo-etched details. The first set (imaged below) is color-printed with instrument details, panel switches, placards, etc., to make super-detailing the interior of this kit as simply as gluing these parts into the cockpit.

Designed for the Hasegawa release of the 1/48 F-16I Sufa, this set provides details for the front and rear Viper cockpits along with color details for both ACES II ejection seats. The second fret of details contains the sidewall reinforcement plates, rear bulkhead details, canopy sill details, canopy down-locks, mirrors, rudder pedals, and various other small parts for the cockpit.

The color printing is really nicely done and will save the modeler lots of time and hassle to recreate those stunning details that come right out of this set. This set will enhance the cockpit of Hasegawa kit and provide a level of detail that is difficult to achieve by hand-painting.

The only downside to these photo-etched sets is the prices. While I don't know if it is related to exchange rates or changes in the manufacturer's suggested retail prices, but this two-fret set is almost the cost of the kit. In contrast, a similar detail set for the A-10 Thunderbolt II was only $22.95 a few years ago.

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!