1:48 Lewis Gun Belgian Version (Pair)

The real subject

The Lewis went down in history as a light machine gun with a pan magazine that lies flat above the weapon and turns with it. In the armament of aircraft of the First World War it was among the most ordinary weapons of all: an observer fired with it from a rotating mount in the rear cockpit, and on single-seat machines it was used on a fixed mounting above the upper wing, from where the rounds went clear of the arc of the propeller. The weapon served ground units too and a number of armies took it into their armament, Belgium not excepted. It is exactly the Belgian form that the name of this set gives.

What is in the box

Two machine guns in 1:48 scale. In this scale the weapon measures only around two centimeters, so the main benefit lies in the fineness of the shape: the pan magazine, the ribbing of the barrel and the grip look different from the same part in plastic from a kit.

• Two Lewis machine guns in 1:48 scale
• The form designated as Belgian
• A replacement for the weapon from a kit on models of aircraft
• The parts are not of polystyrene, they are glued with cyanoacrylate glue
• The model, paints and glue are not included in the package

Building and painting tips

Work over a mat with a raised edge, parts of this size are hard to find on the floor. Cut the excess material away with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder finely, then wash and degrease the surface. Apply the color in a thin coat, so that the structure is not clogged; a dark metallic shade with a dry brush along the edges does more than detailed drawing, which nobody can tell apart at this scale anyway.

Who it is for

For modelers of aircraft in 1:48 scale who are bothered by coarse armament from a kit, and for building display pieces where the model is looked at up close. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.