1:72 Lewis MKI Early Aviation (2 Items)

The Lewis Mk I machine gun in the early aviation form, 1:72 scale

This is neither an aircraft kit nor a finished model — it is an accessory that is added to your own kit. The package holds two resin Lewis Mk I machine guns in the early aviation form in 1:72 scale. You use them to replace the simplified plastic part from the kit, which in this scale usually lacks the fine division of the barrel, the cooling jacket and the magazine.

The real subject

The Lewis was a light air-cooled machine gun with a characteristic drum magazine on the upper side and a cylindrical jacket around the barrel. In aviation service it served as a movable weapon worked by a crew member, typically on a ring mount in the rear position. The early aviation form corresponded to a shape close to the ground version, that is with a full jacket around the barrel; only later was the equipment simplified because of weight and airflow.

Working with resin in a small scale

First wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent so that no release agent is left on the surface. Cut with a new blade and leave the casting block a little longer until you have the part safely held in tweezers — in 1:72 scale a small weapon breaks off very easily and is lost even more easily. Sand wet with respiratory protection. They are glued with cyanoacrylate glue. Painting: a dark metallic base, then once it has dried a light wash into the recesses and a dry brush on the edges of the cooling jacket and the magazine, which brings the divisions out into the light in a small scale.

Who the set is for

• Builders of First World War aircraft in 1:72 scale
• Modelers for whom the simplified plastic part from the kit is not enough
• More experienced builders used to very small resin parts
• Competition and cabinet builds with an emphasis on the detail of the armament

The accessory is supplied unpainted, as separate resin parts. The kit, the glue and the paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.