Typhoon Mk.Ib PE Detail Set

Brengun, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

Sword's 1/72 scale Ki 44 Shoki is available online from Squadron.com

I reviewed Brengun’s new Typhoon kit here on HyperScale in February 2013, and at the time, I wrote, “This is the best injected kit in 1/72-scale of the Typhoon so far”. I have yet to see the new tool Airfix kit in the plastic, so for me at least this assessment still stands. I did however criticize the need to cut the tail off the fuselage and for the late Tempest-tailed version, and the absence of any fishplate detail. I noted that the fishplates were included with a separately available PE detail set, and it is this set that I shall now comment on.

The PE Fret comes in Brengun’s standard card header with cellophane bag and instructions attached by staples. The instructions are well-drawn and easy enough to understand.

The cockpit parts mainly consist of the multi-faceted instrument panel with its instrument film, and various side panels that mount on the kits tubular framing. Some very small levers complete this assembly (the Typhoon kit already includes PE seat belts). The PE offers some nice detail and will justify an open cockpit when finished.

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The flaps are nicely done, but will prove fiddly as most PE flaps in this scale do. The same applies to the rocket fins, although the scale refinement that these will bring will make the time (and probably cursing) to fit them worthwhile.

That just leaved the fishplates. These are provided as kind of chain with thin links between each plate. These links will of course leave a line, but looking at photos of the real thing I think this will be acceptable as there is extensive riveting in this area forming a line of sorts between the fishplates.

The PE fishplates will be a little over-prominent to be true to scale, and no doubt quite tricky to fit. I think that after heat tempering it could be worthwhile to wrap them around the fuselage and hold in place with small pieces of tape. I would then brush ultra-thin fast-evaporating styrene cement over the PE to soften the fuselage plastic around the fishplates and to bed them in. Once dry I would anchor with very thin CA glue. I would also finish off with a coat of Mr. Surfacer.

Regardless of how fitting the PE fishplates is tackled, Brengun would have been better to have included them as moulded detail on the kit’s fuselage in the first place (and avoided the need to chop the tail off for the late version).

This is a worthwhile detail set to enhance Brengun’s Typhoon kits. The production quality is good, and all that is needed is patience and skill with CA glue. However, the fishplates are a fiddly fix to a problem of Brengun’s own making, and one that should have been avoided in the first place. Despite this, the Typhoon was only Brengun’s third injected kit, and generally a fine effort.

I am happy to recommend this detail set.

Thanks to Brengun for the review sample.

Review Text & Blue Background Images Copyright © 2013 by Mark Davies
Page Created 28 May, 2013
Last updated 28 May, 2013

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