1:32 British Fighter Seatbelts (late WWII, post-war) (with metal buckles) (All kits)

Seatbelts for British fighters, 1:32 scale

Belts are the small thing that decides the credibility of an open cockpit more than anything else. This set joins straps with printed texture of the fabric and finished color with separate metal buckles. Metal keeps its own gloss even after being varnished over, so the buckles do not disappear into a uniform area the way they do with a printed substitute.

How to seat the belts naturally

The key is to let the straps fall under their own weight, that is slightly bent over the edge of the seat, not straightened like a ruler. The shape can still be adjusted with a pointed toothpick while damp and left to dry in the position you want to keep. Fix one end before the other, otherwise the bend will straighten out.

The designation of the late and postwar period

British fighters of the end of the Second World War and of the first postwar years used a four-point strap harness which kept the pilot on his seat under a high g-load and during a hard touchdown alike. Compared with the early period they differ in the width of the straps and in the design of the lock, so mixing up the period types shows on a model. The designation for all kits means that the set is not tied to a single type of aircraft or to one manufacturer.

Where it fits

• in display-case models with the canopy raised
• as a replacement for the flat belts from a kit
• where photo-etched metal looks too thin
• on machines of the late and postwar equipment

The set contains the belts with buckles only; the seat is not included.