1:32 P-40F landing flaps

P-40F landing flaps in 1:32 scale, an Eduard photo-etched set

A photo-etched detail set from the Czech manufacturer Eduard for models of the P-40F fighter aircraft in 1:32 scale. It is not an aircraft kit but an accessory: a fret of thin stainless sheet with etched parts with which you replace the plastic landing flaps. The real flaps of this type had a perforated ribbed structure that a plastic molding cannot capture faithfully because of the thickness of the material. Etched sheet is thinner by an order of magnitude, so once assembled both the structure of the flap and the view into the recess in the wing look considerably more convincing.

Use

The parts are separated with a scalpel on a hard surface, not by tearing. Do the bends in an etching bender or between two blades and keep to the order given in the instructions, as a part bent wrongly once is hard to straighten again. The original plastic flaps have to be cut out of the model and the recess in the wing modified; count on this being an intervention into the part, not merely a matter of gluing something on. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue, or with tin solder on the larger joints. Before painting, degrease the sheet and use a primer intended for metal, otherwise the paint will not hold on the smooth surface. The flaps can be placed in the lowered position, which is the main reason the set is bought.

Who the set is for

• Experienced builders of aircraft in 1:32 scale
• Modelers who want a model with the landing flaps lowered
• Those interested in maximum fidelity of surface detail
• Those who already have experience of bending and gluing photo-etched parts

The set contains only photo-etched parts. The aircraft model, paints and glue are not included in the package. Installation calls for an intervention into the plastic parts of the model.