Aero 48's 1/48 scale
ADS-95 Ranger

by Thierry Reverdin

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The in-box Preview of Aero 48's ADS-95 Ranger may be found by following this link

I finally managed to find the time to build not one but two of the ADS-95 Ranger drone kits in 1/48 scale from Aero 48.

The 18 resin parts are very well molded, individually packaged and free of bubbles.

The landing skids and propeller are quite small and accurate. According to the pictures of the real ADS-95 Ranger found on the net, the model looks like the real thing. Actually it matches the one in the Swiss Air Force museum near Zürich.

I encountered no assembly problems at all. Only a little putty was needed between the wing and the fuselage, around the upper air intake, and between the tails booms and rudder. A clever assembly jig is provided for the two tail booms and rudder.

You can build the prototype or the operational version in the Swiss Air Force (two nose are provided and the right air intake or visible cylinders).

Photo-etched parts are for the heat spreaders (radiators), antennaes + base, launching hooks and tail bumpers (4 of those are provided, but you need only 2. Better safe than sorry).

 

Painting the model is not a walk in the park, not because it's complicated, but because it's small!

First I painted the entire model light grey (FS 27722), then I masked it all except for the day-glo orange panels( FS 38903).

Mask again over the day-glo and on with the camouflage, freehand: Light Brown (FS 20140) Light Sand 20266 and Dark Green 24097.

Propeller and turret are grey (FS 26373), antennaes gloss white, the heat diffusers were left natural photo-etched color (like aluminium). The Alps printed decals are good.

My ramp is scratchbuilt (only 1/3 of the total length is represented).

The grey model is painted like the one I saw at Lodrino air show in 2006.

Hope you enjoy. Best regards from Geneva, Switzerland

Thanks to Aero48 for sending me the kits for review. aero48-gva@hotmail.com
 

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Text and Images Copyright 2007 by Thierry Reverdin
Page Created 03 December, 2007
Last Updated 24 December, 2007

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