1:48 Lockheed U-2S

A Zoom set for the U-2S model

A photo-etched accessory for building a 1:48 model of the Lockheed U-2S high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The code belongs to the Zoom range, that is to the narrower selection of metal parts that Eduard runs alongside the more extensive fret of the same name. The scale does not change, the scope does.

The real subject

The U-2 is a single-seat reconnaissance aircraft built for flight at altitudes above twenty kilometers. Its landing gear is arranged in tandem along the fuselage centerline and during the takeoff run is supplemented by jettisonable outriggers under the wings, the pilot works in a pressure suit and the landing is guided for him from a car by a second pilot, because the machine behaves more like a glider. The designation U-2S belongs to a later form of the type.

When to reach for the Zoom

A span of over thirty meters works out in 1:48 scale to more than sixty centimeters, so the model is large and the work on it takes its share of time. The narrower set is therefore a good choice when you want to refine only the most conspicuous places, or when the model is already part-built and most of a full fret would go unused. Exactly what it holds is given in the manufacturer's instructions. Glue the parts with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue), make the bends in a photo-etch bender and before painting wash the metal, degrease it and apply a primer.

• a narrower photo-etched set of the Zoom range, 1:48 scale
• a targeted refinement without the full fret
• cyanoacrylate glue, tweezers and a sharp blade as basic equipment
• an accessory for a kit, it does not contain the model itself

Who it is for

For builders of Cold War hardware who want the result sooner. The more extensive fret of the same name carries the manufacturer's part number 491469, so go by the code. The kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.