1:32 TIALD pod

1:32 TIALD pod — a resin external pod by Eduard

A detail set in cast resin in 1:32 scale from the Czech maker Eduard. The subject is the TIALD pod, that is a targeting pod with a thermal imager and a laser target designator, of the kind carried under the fuselage or the wing of a combat aircraft. Resin castings have crisper edges and finer surface detail than injection-molded plastic, which shows most on a pod with a number of covers, lenses and access panels. The set is an accessory for a plastic kit and does not contain the aircraft itself.

The real subject

TIALD is a British targeting pod that combines a thermal imaging camera for following a target by day and by night with a laser designator for guiding laser-guided bombs. It was used from the 1990s on British combat aircraft and let them attack targets without the help of another designating machine. In design terms it is a cylindrical body with a rotating head at the front, carried on a standard pylon.

Building and painting tips

First wash the resin parts in lukewarm water with detergent — there is usually mold release agent left on the surface, under which paint would not hold. Cut the casting blocks off with a fine-toothed saw or a cutting disc, never break them off. Protect your airways when sanding; resin dust must not be inhaled. It is glued exclusively with cyanoacrylate, as ordinary plastic cement does not work on resin. Apply a primer before painting; bring out the optics of the head with a gloss varnish or a drop of clear resin.

Who the set is for

• builders of modern combat aircraft in the large 1:32 scale
• modelers who want faithful stores and pods instead of the simplified parts from the box
• more experienced builders used to working with resin
• builds focused on a particular combat deployment and its stores configuration

The set is an accessory for a plastic kit, not a model or a substitute for one. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.