1:32 FuG 218 Radar

The FuG 218 radar in 1:32 scale from Metallic Details

The set contains a resin rendering of the FuG 218 airborne radar for models of German night fighters in 1:32 scale. The thin antenna booms belong among the parts that cannot be made fine enough in injection-molded plastic, and that is exactly where the accessory pays off most. It is not an airplane kit but a detail for a model you already own.

The real subject

The FuG 218 Neptun was a German airborne radar from the end of the Second World War, used on night fighter aircraft. It operated at metric wavelengths, so it needed large dipole antennas carried ahead of the nose of the aircraft on booms. The characteristic array of antennas picked up a nickname among modelers from its shape, which resembles antlers. The equipment appeared on types such as the Messerschmitt Bf 110, the Junkers Ju 88 and the Heinkel He 219.

Building and painting tips

First wash the resin parts in lukewarm water with detergent - residue of mold release agent tends to be on the surface and without washing neither primer nor paint will hold on it. Cut the casting blocks off with a fine saw or a cutter and never snap them, because the thin antennas break. Sand wet and with breathing protection, because resin dust is not to be breathed in. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue, because cement for plastic does not work on resin. Apply a primer before painting and fit the antennas at the very end of the build, so that they do not get broken during handling.

Who the set is for

• Builders of German night fighters in the large 1:32 scale.
• Modelers who object to the coarse plastic antennas from the box.
• More experienced builders used to working with resin.

This is an accessory set, not a stand-alone model. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted; glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package.