Brengun Model Accessories 1/48 & 1/32 Roundup

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

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These seven releases from Brengun reflect the wide range of accessories the company is now producing – four are diorama enhancements, two are generic detailing sets, and one is kit-specific.  All include assembly instructions except for the Perforated Steel Plate sets, where these are not required.

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1/48 Air Intake Mesh for Hasegawa Typhoon

This set consists of three parts on a single fret of what appears to be photo-etched steel.  It is intended for Hasegawa’s 1/48 Hawker Typhoon family, and depicts the mesh screens fitted to many Typhoons to protect against debris thrown up from rough strips.  An optional part is supplied to represent the ‘cuckoo door’ carburetor air intake filters installed from December 1944.  These details will add a highly visible touch of finesse to your Typhoon model, but check your references to ensure they are applicable to the aircraft you are modeling.

1/32 RAF Intake Guards

Etched from brass rather than steel, these intake guards should be easier to remove from their fret than the Typhoon intake parts.  Otherwise, they are very similar in purpose and design.  Different styles are provided for Hercules and Merlin-engined aircraft, and in several different sizes; check your references for applicability.

1/48 Vickers K (GO) Gun

The Vickers K/Vickers Gas Operated machine gun was fitted to a number of British aircraft before and during World War 2.  This set contains parts for two guns; each is made up from two resin parts to which is added the top-mounted pan magazine (also in resin) and a number of photo-etched detailing parts.  Some of the latter are very small, and successful assembly will require care and patience.  The end result, however, will be two highly detailed mini-models that will look excellent fitted to your 1/48 RAF or Fleet Air Arm model, or used in an appropriate diorama setting.

1/48 and 1/32 Tools

The next four sets are all diorama-specific.  The generic 1/48 and 1/32 tool sets are identical except in scale, and will add a sense of realistic clutter to workshop or field maintenance scenes. 

Amongst the tools included are spanners, wrenches, and several types of saw.  Two open-top toolboxes are also provided; these are supplied as single pieces that need to be carefully bent into shape.  You’ll have to find some styrene rod to replicate handles for the toolboxes and one of the saws.

1/48 and 1/32 Perforated Steel Plate

Marsden Matting, or Perforated Steel Plate (PSP), was used extensively by US forces in World War 2, Korea and Vietnam for ground stabilization in forward operating areas, particularly in the construction of airfields.  When these wars were over, locals used relic PSP for a wide variety of purposes – for example during visits to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea villages in the 1980s and 1990s, I saw many fences and walkways made from PSP matting.

These 1/48 and 1/32 PSP sets therefore have a potentially wide range of diorama uses.  The style of PSP depicted is the almost ubiquitous M8 mat with its characteristic ‘3 across, 29 long’ hole pattern.  The 1/48 set contains five mats and the 1/32 set four mats, so you’ll need to purchase several sets if you intend to construct a base for a model aircraft.  However, the advantage of using individual mats as opposed to a cast resin PSP base is that the photo-etched parts give you the flexibility (literally) to represent uneven ground or damaged mats.

All of these sets have been produced to the high standards I am used to seeing in Brengun products.  They are also all reasonably priced (including the 1/32 PSP, which while comparatively expensive is superbly detailed), and therefore highly recommended.

References

• Richard A. Franks, The Hawker Typhoon including the Hawker Tornado – A Complete Guide to the RAF’s Classic Ground-Attack Fighter (Valiant Wings, 2011)

• www.wikipedia.com (for information on the Vickers K machine gun and perforated steel plate)

Thanks to Brengun Models for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2014 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 1 September, 2014
Last updated 1 September, 2014

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