EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

The Czech firm’s new-tool 1/48 F4F-3 Wildcat has won many plaudits. If you want to make it even better, though, Eduard now has a bunch of accessories.

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

A modern tooling of the F4F Wildcat was conspicuous by its absence until Eduard released its superb F4F-3 kit earlier this year. It’s packed with detail and will make a fine replica out of the box. However, if you’re an advanced modeller who likes to get the most out of every project, Eduard’s bespoke aftermarket items will make a difference. They are:

644172 F4F-3 late (£8.72, top)
This small but useful set provides a pre-coloured, 3D-printed resin instrument panel, and its lower support frame in plain resin, along with pre-coloured photo-etched (PE) metal seat harnesses.

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

648767 F4F-3 wheels early (£4.29, above)
Eduard’s styrene kit wheels are good, but here are even better ‘rollers’ crisply cast in plain resin. The hub detail is stunning and they are accompanied by three alternative tailwheel units, 3D-printed in white resin. Also provided is a sheet of self-adhesive tape masks for the hubs.

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

648768 F4F-3 wheels late (£4.29, above and below)
Featuring the same tailwheels as the abovementioned package, Eduard’s ‘late’ wheel set has resin mainwheels with different hubs, plus corresponding hub frames in 3D-printed resin. You can also opt to fit plain hub covers in photo-etched brass. Again, masks are supplied for the hubs.

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

648769 F4F gun barrels (£2.36, above)
It’s features such as this where 3D printing really comes into its own. Here, Eduard offers six exquisitely detailed wing gun barrels, and using them couldn’t be easier. Simply slice from the printing plinths and use them to replace the kit parts. Use two barrels for the F4F-3 and three for the F4F-4.

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

3DL48076 F4F-3 late SPACE (£6.65, above)
If you’re a fan of the recent advances in 3D-printed decals, you’ll love this set of instrument panel décor, which also offers items to place on the plinth between the rudder pedals and on the sidewalls. A full set of PE seatbelts completes a handy set of upgrades.

EDUARD WILDCAT: AFTERMARKET ROUND-UP

EX878 F4F-3 TFace (£6.65)
Paint masks can be a boon for any project. Here, the entire cockpit glazing is treated to coverage inside and out, so the frames can be painted/sprayed with super-neat results. There are masks for the wheels too.

FE1290 F4F seatbelts STEEL (£4.29)
If you don’t want to go the whole hog in terms of detailing, but just want to add a hint, the obvious route is through seatbelts, especially if posing the canopy open. This set provides the belts present in the TFace package already mentioned.

All these items are available from Eduard direct, but also from Hannants in the UK.