1:72 M61 A1 Vulcan - Six-barrelled rotary 20mm cannon - turned barrels with etched barrel clamps

A turned barrel cluster of the M61 A1 Vulcan with photo-etched clamps in 1:72 scale

This set from the Polish brand Master replaces the plastic imitation of the six-barreled M61 A1 Vulcan rotary cannon in 1:72 scale. It contains turned barrels and photo-etched clamps that bind the cluster together. It is a metal accessory for a build, not a kit. It is precisely with a multi-barrel weapon that the benefit of metal is greatest: a photo-etched clamp holds six barrels at an exact and even spacing, which nobody can achieve by hand in plastic.

The real subject

The M61 Vulcan is an American 20 mm rotary cannon with a cluster of six barrels that rotates around a common axis. The design allows a very high rate of fire, because each barrel has time to cool while the others are firing. The M61 A1 version became the standard gun armament of American combat aircraft and is carried either built into the fuselage or in external pods. On a model the barrel cluster is one of the few places where a well built example can be recognized at a glance.

Fitting and painting tips

First assemble the cluster dry into the clamps and check that all six barrels have the same projection and that the muzzles lie in one plane. Bend the photo-etched part over a sharp edge, best of all in a bending tool or between two razor blades. To glue metal to metal, use thin super glue applied with a wire, not from the bottle, because excess runs between the barrels and glues them into a shapeless mass. Degrease the finished cluster with spirit and apply a primer for metal. The Vulcan tends to be colored a dark steel, which can also be done without paint using a blackening solution followed by polishing the barrel muzzles.

Who the set is for

• Builders of modern combat aircraft in 1:72 scale
• Modelers who want six barrels at an exact spacing
• Those who already have experience of photo-etched parts
• Builders bothered by a blind plastic casting of a barrel cluster

This is an accessory for building a model, not a kit in its own right. The base model, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.