REXx | Galvanically Grown Metal Exhausts - Spitfire Mk IX - Junkers D.1 - Mosquito Mk IV/VI

Reviewed by Brian Leitch

Here for review, we have four new metal "galvanically grown" exhaust sets in 1/32nd scale from REXx courtesy of H & B Hobbies.

Long since gone, we have all heard the name "Moskit" when referring to some of the coolest metal exhausts you could get for plastic models. They came pre-packaged and complete, with no need to paint since they came in a rusty/patina type metal. They were about as close to the real deal not only in looks, but in scale thickness as you could get. Moskit has long since disappeared from the modeling world, and a lot of us thought we would never see that same process being used for the scale aftermarket again.

These exhaust sets from REXx are produced the same way as the Moskit exhausts were, using electricity to produce a chemical reaction that effectively "grows" the metal on forms. This process produces a product that to me is second-to-none in the looks and scale thickness/fidelity departments.

In this review I will cover three brand new 1/32nd REXx sets courtesy of Bob at H & B Hobbies that will cover 3 aircraft; Spitfire Mk IX, Junkers D.1 and the Mosquito Mk IV/VI.

Packaging

REXx has done a nice job with these. All REXx exhaust sets come pre-packaged in a small clear plastic bag, surrounded by foam, and then packed in a small clear box with a cardboard surround.

I will go through each set individually so we can see exactly what you get in each.

Exhaust Sets

Tamiya Spitfire Mk VIII/IX/XVI

The 1/32nd Spitfire kits from Tamiya have an excellent reputation, and as kits go, are some of the best fitting and most accurate kits on the market. If you want a spitfire in LSP form, the Tamiya kit is the end all be all. The kit exhausts are pretty nice, but do not have the ultra fine fidelity of the REXx products.

The Spitfire fishtail exhausts in typical fashion, come in a single piece per side, along with the typically seen seam on each stack. These parts are in fact VERY delicate, but unlike some sets seem to be a bit thicker, but care and time is needed when dealing with them. However, if you take your time, and are gentle with them, their delicate nature should not really be an issue.

The Spitfire REXx exhausts are really neat looking in my opinion, and really will add a lot to any Spitfire Mk VIII/IX/XVI model. As you can see, they come with a very nice patina on them from the factory, (part of the galvanically grown process that is one of the biggest appealing features to me) and they look very realistic to my eye:

The Spitfire set from REXx has all the kit exhaust detail, but are much thinner in scale thickness. This is a trade off, as that same thinness that makes them so neat looking, is also what makes them so delicate. As referenced above, this can be overcome by simply treating them as you would with an small delicate scale modelling parts. These fishtail exhausts are true little works of art, and you really can get a sense of how thin the material is when you have them in hand. Really spectacular looking up close:

Wingnut Wings Junkers D.1

Next up is the Wingnut Wings Junkers D.1. With this set you get the single stack by itself, with no metal blocks to cut it off of. REXx even provides the seam down the center length of the stack just like the 1:1, and also made a very nice fluted/flared end on the stack providing a very nice looking finish, and a very realistic look. To be honest, the flared end was SO realistic looking, it almost looked too perfect to be metal. I took a small set of tweezers and tweaked the end a little bit, and it crushed just like most any of the other REXx products, so care must really be taken when handling the end. The individual runners are very nicely represented and extremely realistic looking.

Tamiya Mosquito Mk IV/VI

Lastly we have the star of the show, the REXx exhaust set for the Tamiya/Hong Kong Models Mosquitoes. This set contains a full 4 exhaust manifold sections for the two Merlins and they are real jewels. The Mosquito exhaust stacks in this set are extraordinarily realistic looking, and come on a base of metal similar to the kit stacks keeping them all relative to each other, and are listed by REXx as working for either the HK or Tamiya kits. REXx molded the ends of each stack exceptionally delicate and the curvature of each pipe relative to each other, as well as the characteristic sweep downward just look "right" to my eye. They will look terrific in place on any Mossie, and will as the other sets, save lots of time and weathering because they look SO cool right from the factory. The patina on these new REXx sets is really gorgeous:

Overall, this is probably one of, if not the nicest REXx sets I have come across:

Conclusions

In my humble opinion, these REXx sets are VERY much worth the asking price and are for the most part, priced about the same as similar other AM products that you would have to paint and weather. To me, part of the joy of the REXx sets is the patina and the lack of need for painting or weathering, and of course the splendid fidelity of the parts themselves.

The only down side I can see to these is their delicate nature. These sets are not toys, nor should they be treated as such.

In the case of these REXx exhaust sets, if you treat them as any normal delicate modeling part you should have no issues what so ever. These sets will make any kit just that much better in the looks and scale realism departments. I can't recommend them enough!

HIGHLY recommended.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Bob at H & B Hobbies for the review samples, which can be purchased at the following link:

REXx Galvanically Grown Exhaust sets at H & B Hobbies.