Bristol F.2B Fighter
"The Crocodile"

Eduard Limited Edition, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

Eduard's 1/48 scale Bristol F.2B Fighter The Crocodile is available online from Squadron.com
 

Eduard is renowned for the specialist packaging of their subjects. This release sees the Bristol fighter take on a new persona, and an interesting one it is too.

Eduard’s 1/48 scale F.2B received worldwide acclaim when launched a few years ago. Despite the complicated design of the original aircraft, the kit was remarkably easy to assemble.

It was accurate in outline and compared favourably with recognised drawings.

The plastic pieces are unchanged and one still gets the four sprues containing a total of 164 parts. This is not as daunting as it sounds. Not all are used for the subject portrayed and 47 items can be relegated to the “spares box”.

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The mouldings are as crisp as ever with no distortion on any of the parts.

Being a “Special Edition”, there are markings for a single aircraft as well as a few extra items. These take the form of a specifically made etched-metal fret and a large sheet of masking material. 

The former includes coloured seatbelts and instruments, wicker seat, wing fittings, and rear gun details. There are over sixty items which will go a long way to enhancing the already prolific detail.

A small acetate sheet provides 2 different styles of windscreen and a suitable covering for the lower fuselage “window”.

The wings are both one-piece affairs, thus eliminating the need for the modeller to introduce the correct dihedral. They are superb pieces of engineering with subtle rib detail and sharp trailing edges.

The ailerons are separate to help those that wish to animate these items.

A lot of the interior can be seen thanks to the two-seat arrangement. Thoughtfully Eduard provides plenty of detail in this vicinity. The cockpit is well appointed as is the rear gunner’s position and this leaves very little for the detailer to add.

One of the potential trouble areas of a subject such as this is the attachment of the lower wing. This proves to be remarkably easy, providing the struts are carefully aligned before hand.

The addition of the undercarriage will help the stability of the structure before gluing the remaining struts and finally the upper wing.

The rigging on a model such as this can be a complicated affair. There are diagrams contained in the instructions to help alleviate this task and further guidance can be obtained from the box top.

Markings

In line with this series of releases, only one scheme is catered for. The spectacular subject is F.2B serial C4879 which was photographed at No.33 TDS Witney.

Images exist of this aircraft with the chequered pattern also being applied to the lower surfaces of the upper wing. The option presented shows it in its earlier guise.

“The Crocodile” is believed to have been flown by the Wing Examining Officer and although it was known to have crashed, its eventual fate remains a mystery.

The decals are printed on a single sheet and each item was printed in perfect register. This is helped by having the roundel’s red centre being printed as a separate item, something other manufacturers should adopt.

There are details on the aircraft’s nose which will call for the careful application of the crocodile’s mouth. The thin carrier film will help the decal to conform and delicate use of your favourite setting solution is recommended.

Sensibly Eduard has resisted the temptation to provide the modeller with a decal to replicate the red and white chequer pattern. The solution comes in the form of a mask. The modeller sprays the appropriate area white, uses the individual masking squares and applies the coat of red.

The surface of the aircraft and its shape make it problematical to have the animal’s head as a decal. This means some deft brush work is required to reproduce the original crocodile’s “skin” effect. Again, the box art will point the modeller in the right direction.

Eduard continues their “aquatic” theme of special releases with this very ambitious scheme.

Their original kit provides an excellent basis and the addition of the coloured etched fret adds more life to the subject. The unique colour scheme will challenge those that attempt it but will certainly be a show stopper when completed.

This is a worthy re-boxing of the famous Bristol Fighter and is highly recommended to all those that like a challenge.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Eduard for the sample

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2008 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 11 February, 2008
Last updated 11 February, 2008

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