In October 2019, Tamiya released their awesome 1:48 scale P-38F/G Lightning kit.  It won the Detail & Scale Reader’s Choice 2019 Kit of the Year Award (and see our review HERE).  Not long after, Eduard started to release a range of detail sets for the Tamiya Lightning.  Here, we take a look at three of the photoetched metal sets they’ve produced for this kit.     

FE 1041 – P-38F ZOOM:  this set contains 61 photoeteched metal parts, and nearly all of them are pre-painted.  You get a complete replacement for the instrument panel with highly detailed pre-painted instrument dial faces.  Each dial has also been treated with Eduard’s “raised glass” effect.  There are also detail parts to enhance the side consoles and cockpit sidewalls, the throttles, trim wheel, details for the control column, other various knobs and handles, and detail parts for the radios.  There are also some data placards used in various locations.  If you are looking to do a “basic” job of superdetailing the Tamiya kit cockpit, this is your ticket.  The quality of PE parts manufacturing here is excellent and the pre-painting work is downright impressive.

FE 1043 – P-38F/G Seatbelts STEEL:  this is another set in Eduard’s STEEL line and it contains seven pre-painted PE parts.  You get the pilot’s shoulder harnesses and lap belts in this set, and it even includes tiny little harness clasp parts.  The highlight here is the remarkable pre-painting effects that can be seen on the belts.  These include stitching and shading effects.  They are gorgeous.          

491041 – P-38F:  in this expanded detail set, you’ll find the same fret with the cockpit detail parts as found in FE 1041, but it also contains a second, unpainted photoetched metal fret containing an additional 34 parts for the P-38F.  The extra PE fret has parts mostly for the various air intake and radiator grills and screens on the Lightning’s exterior airframe.  The rudder pedals, main landing gear scissors, and a few other detail parts are included as well.  The air intake and radiator grill parts are especially important.  The kit surely features these details… but as decals.  I think most builders will want these ultra-finely detailed PE parts instead.

Overall, these are great detail sets for a great kit, and they have much to recommend to them.  

We extend our sincere thanks to Eduard for the review sample. You can visit them on the web at http://www.eduard.com  and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EduardCompany/