1:48 Seatbelts RAF early STEEL

Photo-etched RAF belts in the early form, 1:48 scale

A set of photo-etched seat belts for models of Royal Air Force aircraft in the early form, 1:48 scale. The word STEEL in the name denotes steel sheet. This is an accessory to the seat, not a kit.

What the set solves

Belts molded straight into the shell of a seat are essentially just relief: they have no thickness, cannot be thrown over an edge and never look as though someone had just unbuckled them. A photo-etched part behaves differently. It can be bent, folded over an edge and hung so that the ends dangle freely, which gives the cockpit scale and depth. In 1:48 scale an open cockpit is already big enough that a viewer notices the seat first.

Building and painting tips

• Cut the items from the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not by breaking them out.
• Steel sheet holds its shape better than soft metal, so make the bend deliberately and across the full width of the part.
• You get a natural sag by curving the part slightly over a rounded tool.
• Degrease the metal before gluing and painting, otherwise the paint will not hold on the smooth surface.
• It is glued with super glue applied in a minimal amount on the tip of a toothpick.

Who the set is for

For builders of early-period British aircraft who want the cockpit carried through even without a whole interior set. Belts are the quickest way to lift the impression of a cockpit. The extent of the set and the assignment of the individual parts are given by the manufacturer in the enclosed instructions, so dry-fit the parts against the seat before gluing.

The package contains photo-etched parts only. The model, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.