1:48 MH-60L Black Hawk

The real subject

The MH-60L Black Hawk is the variant of the American Black Hawk helicopter adapted for special forces duties. The machine has a four-blade main rotor, wheeled landing gear with a tailwheel at the rear and a canted tail rotor. The fuselage is low and wide, with large sliding doors on the sides of the cargo compartment; it is exactly through those that the inside of a model is clearly visible, so it does not pay to skimp on the detail.

What the set offers

A photo-etched metal fret in 1:48 scale from Eduard. Photo-etch gives shapes that always come out coarser in plastic: thin edges, grilles, loops, buckles and small panels. Which parts of the model the set completes and where the individual pieces belong is given in the manufacturer's instructions; those also name the kit the set is designed for. A number of the parts will be fitted inside the fuselage, so read the instructions through before you close the fuselage up.

Building and painting tips

Separate a part by cutting through the tab with a sharp blade against a hard surface, never break it off. Make the bends along the etched groove and pull them tight with a straight edge or in a bender, so that they come out even over their whole length. It is bonded with super glue applied in a tiny amount, or the excess will flood the fine relief. Degrease the metal before painting and spray it with a primer for metal, or the shade will rub off during further handling.

What is in the box

The package contains the photo-etched fret as listed by the manufacturer. The kit, the paints, the glue and decals are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.