Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 Cockpit

CAD image courtesy of Eduard website. Reviewer's photos below.

Eduard BRASSIN, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Eduard BRASSIN Bombs are available online from Squadron.com

Eduard’s 1/72 Bf 110 kits are the best 110s in this scale, and amongst the finest 1/72 kits produced by any manufacturer in recent years.  In 2013 Brett Green described the Bf 110 G-4 Profipack as “beautifully detailed with class leading surface detail…[and] thoughtfully engineered for easy construction”.  I subsequently reviewed the Bf 110 G-4 Weekend Edition kit and found that even without photo-etched details, the cockpit was “particularly well appointed, made up from over 25 parts”.  This included an instrument panel that was one of the finest injection moulded examples I had seen.

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Thumbnail panels:

Eduard’s Brassin Bf 110 G-4 cockpit, however, surpasses both kit cockpits in nearly all respects.  Designed specifically for the company’s 1/72 kits, the bulk of the set consists of grey resin parts that directly replace their plastic equivalents.  The resin detail is noticeably crisper than that of the plastic, with the sidewalls and floor particular standouts.  The sidewalls aren’t drop fit replacements, though, with the removal of moulded detail from the fuselage halves required for a good fit. 

Casting quality is very good, with no air bubbles or other imperfections apparent.  Cleanup should be straightforward, with casting blocks engineered for easy removal.

One part that might have been done greater justice is the instrument panel.  Like the other resin parts it’s well produced and has finer detail than the kit panel (notwithstanding the quality of the latter).  However the instrument dials are blank, and to look their best will require either careful painting or the addition of dial decals, which aren’t included.  It’s also a little surprising that a pre-painted instrument panel isn’t on the set’s photo-etched fret, given how good Eduard’s etched panels are.

 The photo-etched parts that are provided will make a noticeable difference.  These include items such as gun sights, seat harnesses, and rudder pedals, as well as the sill running around the top of both cockpits.  This is a large part that will require care in both cutting from the fret and correct positioning on the model.

Assembly is called out on two double-sided 20 x 15 cm instruction pages.  The illustrations are presented in Eduard’s typically comprehensive style, with construction steps clearly indicated and colours called out in Gunze Sanyo and RLM paint codes.  The illustrations are quite small, however, and it will pay to study each step carefully before taking action.

A final point I noticed is that the set is well packaged, with the parts packed into three separate bags and held in place by a number of foam blocks.  This ensured nothing moved in transit and all parts arrived unbroken.

Eduard’s 1/72 Profipack and even Weekend Edition Bf 110 G-4 kits have well detailed cockpits out of the box.  However this Brassin cockpit provides additional layers of detail that with careful painting will look stunning.  As with all resin cockpits, the key to success will be careful cleanup and plenty of test fitting – but given that Eduard’s designed the cockpit for its own kits, fit should be good.  Highly recommended if you want a standout Bf 110 G-4 cockpit and are prepared to put in a little extra work to achieve it.

Thanks to Eduard for the samples and images.

Review Text Copyright © 2015 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 21 July, 2015
Last updated 22 July, 2015

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