Airscale cockpit enhancement sets
First Look Review by James Fahey
This review covers three 1/32 sets:
PE32 DET Cockpit Details £11.95
PE32 BEZ Cockpit Instrument Bezels £11.95
AS32 WW1 Instrument Dial Decals £6.25
Airscale are a UK business specialising in model aircraft enhancements, specifically photo-etched details and decals for instrument gauges
http://www.airscale.co.uk/Cockpit Details 274 etched brass pieces representing cockpit components for WWII aircraft from US, UK and Germany (but suitable for any country). The set includes switches, dial knobs, levers, circuit breakers and electrical components, radio faces and equipment including German FuG 10 and RAF R1155 transmitters & receivers.
The etching is very fine and has a modest three dimensional effect which would need very careful dry brushing to bring out. The modeller would need to have photographic references to hand to ensure correct assembly.
This set doesn’t have anything specifically for WWI cockpits and therefore isn’t really worthwhile for WWI modellers
A 1:24 scale set is also available for £17.95 and a 1:48 set is 'coming soon'.
Cockpit Instrument Bezels238 etched-brass instrument surrounds covering German, RAF, US instrument bezels for most eras from WW1 to jets. Only 36 bezels are noted as being specifically for WWI instruments (voltmeters, altimeters and airspeed gauges). The other bezels are mostly not representative of WWI instruments but if you model in other periods then the set will have more utility.
Again the etching is extremely fine, including 3D relief for mounting studs, knobs and switches.
A variety of different diameters for each design are included, as well as single, dual and triple mounted instrument bezels.
Also available in 1:24 for £17.95. 1:48 scale version is coming soon
WWI Instrument Dial DecalsPrinted by Fantasy Printshop in the UK. Covers instrumentation found on fighter aircraft from the Great War; including the Camel, SPAD, Nieuport, SE5a, DR1, DVII, Albatros, Pfalz and common to many other WW1 types. Each instrument is separate on the decal sheet and carrier film is minimal. A sheet of ‘optically clear replacement simulated instrument glass’ is included and all the instruments are clearly identified in the fully illustrated instructions.
The small sheet manages to cram in 99 decals, 3 each of 33 different instruments:
Altimeter (German) 5 types
Altimeter (Allied) 2 types
RPM (Allied) 3 types
Airspeed (German)
Airspeed (Allied)
Air Pressure (Allied) 2 types
Clock (Allied)
Oil Pressure (German) 4 types
Oil Pressure (Allied)
Tachometer (German)
Tachometer (Allied) 4 types
Bank lndicator (Allied)
Rate of Climb (Allied) 2 types
Compass (German)
Fuel Cock (German) 4 types
The same decal set is available in 1/48 scale for £6.25 (AS48)
Can be used either behind kit instrument panel parts; mounted on a backplate and covered with glazing (provided); or applied on top of a kit panel (decal setting solution may be required)
ConclusionLikes: The decals are nicely detailed and will liven up the cockpit of any kit that comes without instrument decals (Roden comes to mind). The sheet is comprised of individual decals, not a single decal sheet, so the gauges will be easier to cut out. The clear plastic sheet is a nice touch
Didn’t like so much: the PE parts seem a bit too thin to my eye, not really chunky enough for WWI instruments. The detail is extremely fine and will require a steady hand on the brush to make it stand out.
Overall: The instrument decals are excellent and will prove valuable additions to many WWI kits (with the exception of Wingnut Wings kits which already have excellent instrument decals). Use of the instrument bezels would be useful for replacing soft detail on kit parts or for modellers who have difficulty painting neatly around the kit parts, and for scratchbuilders.
The decals were purchased by the reviewer. Thanks to Airscale for providing the photo etched sets for reviewing here at WWIaircraftmodels.com
