Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Eduard's 1/32 scale Heinkel He 219 Wheels are available online from Squadron.com

These five 1/48 Brassin sets are aimed at Luftwaffe modelers who want to add further refinements beyond those provided in the kit they are building.  Three of the sets are intended for use with Eduard’s own 1/48 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-7/8/9 and Fw 190 D-9 kits, while the other two are generic guns that are applicable to a range of Luftwaffe subjects.

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Fw 190 guns and mounts

Eduard’s Fw 190 A-7/8/9 and D-9 kits have been designed with the option of having the fuselage gun cover tilted back towards the cockpit, displaying the twin MG 131s and their mounts.  The relevant kit parts are crisply moulded and well detailed, and with careful assembly and painting look good straight out of the box.  However, resin and photo-etched parts will almost always trump injection-moulded equivalents, and Eduard’s Brassin MG 131 mounts are exquisite. 

The mount sets are designed to integrate with existing kit parts, and include replacement ammunition boxes, gun decks, and MG 131s.  A small photo-etched fret provides a wiring loom and individual cowl fasteners, should you wish to represent these.  The 190 A and 190 D parts are not identical, reflecting differences between the real aircraft.  The level of detail is excellent throughout, with the MG 131s and cabling on the gun decks particularly impressive.  The only potential negatives are the substantial casting blocks attached to the 190 A and 190 D gun decks, which will need to be removed carefully given the delicate nature of the resin parts.

The small instruction sheets for these sets are clearly reproduced and logically written, leaving little room for doubt as to what parts go where.  No colour call outs are supplied, but these are covered in the Eduard kit instructions.

For modelers who don’t want to replace the entire gun mount on their Fw 190 kit but do want a little more detail, Eduard has produced a simpler set of two MG 131s, which should be drop fit replacements for the original kit parts.

MG 15 and MG FF guns

The MG 15 was almost ubiquitous in Luftwaffe aircraft that required defensive armament, while the drum-fed MG FF cannon was also used widely in both fighters and bombers.  As such, in model form both weapons are prime candidates for aftermarket upgrade.

Eduard’s 1/48 MG 15 set comprises two resin guns with magazines and alternative mounts (depending on the aircraft to which the guns will be fitted).  Photo-etched parts provide gunsights and additional detail to the magazines.

The MG FF set consists of the following resin parts:  two gun bodies (handed, for installation in port and starboard wings), four ammunition drums (two spare), and four barrels – two each of different configurations, depending on the aircraft you are modelling.

The resin parts in both sets are perfectly cast, but the long MG 15 barrels are slightly warped – a not uncommon problem with resin gun barrels, and one that can usually be rectified with warm water and careful straightening.

The instruction sheets for the MG 15 and MG FF sets are well done, and in contrast to the Fw 190 sets include colour call outs to assist with painting.

These sets are a perfect way to add impressive but low-fuss detail to models – highly recommended.

Thanks to Eduard for the samples.

Review Text Copyright © 2013 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 5 December, 2013
Last updated 5 December, 2013

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