Verlinden | 1518 : Corsair Cockpit Update set for the Revell kit
Reviewed by Unknown
You can see how big this kit is.
Have you ever started a sport? Let's say canvas jumping. I recently took up this sport, and when I consider a huge success to be able to do one flip at a time and come down feet first, someone came after me who did a triple flip and and rotated two full circles in the proces. I was only able to utter a silent: Show-off!! in his general direction and the debate ended. I think the same response came from other cottage resin accessories manufacturers in this scale, when they saw the latest from Verlinden-the set in question.
65 parts, yep 65 parts, not 6.5 parts but 65 (sixty-five) parts. The set is designed in the familiar Verlinden way. You make up the tub of the cockpit from the resin (or PE as with the Bf 109 cockpit) walls provided in the kit, you fill this with provided details and insert the compete tub in the fuselage. Yes, that is it. But let's get to those 65 cockpit parts.
The construction of the cockpit starts of with the lower part of the cockpit. On the curved floor which has nicely done ribs you must fit the partial bulkhead which has all the details needed casted on it. Clean up is simple and requires little effort due to exellent-Warbirds quality casting. You must fit some fiddly bits on the floor and then follows the control stick mechanism that is simply made, but still looks like a chalange. Think carefully about the paining and installing process of the mhanism. the stick itslef is nicely done and correct shape. When finished with the cockpit floor you must attach the forward bulkhead which is very thick, but clean up requires seconds. The instructions mention you should then install the foot rest assembly, but I wouldn't do that since it will obstruct painting later. Also the profiles that hold the footrest require a lot of cleanup.
The main walls and bulkheads
Then I would again deviate from the instructions and start doing the back assembly with the radios seat and so on. The back part of the cockpit is made from a curved ribbed part that is overlapped by the radio plate. This is then fitted to the rear of the bulkhead that is actually the rear wall of the cockpit. Then to the radio plate the armour plate is fitted. and the whole seat assembly is fitted to that. Careful here! The supporting construction for the seat also requires some clean up. The safety harness is partially cast on the seat and is the most decent representation ever. Still I prefer the lead strip, and Verlinden provided me the pleasure since you have to make the top of the harness with lead foil provided. For the stitches on the straps take a brush or a technical pen or use some dry transfers from Archers.
All the small bits that fit on the walls and the consoles
Moving on to the cockpit sides with the enormous side consoles and the other stuff. Here I also suggest painting the walls before attaching any other items. The side consoles have a nice touch that enables the consoles to fit nicely to the walls-you see they have a negative of the ribs over which they fit cast on the other side of the consoles, another Verlinden set...
Then follow the fiddly bits-too many to mention. But let's just say that the casting is masterclass with no bubbles, with no residue, with undercuts-the whole show. I would mention that the knobs that fit in the prop and throttle regulator are cast on a plate with ball knobs and strips to support them. Shave off the little balls and leave the strips and make them from plastic-less work.
Now comes the sprint on the finish lane-the instrument plate. The plate itself is cast in resin and we (I) am very sorry for that, but you just can't have it all. Verlinden provided a piece of card on which the instruments are printed. The bad thing is that you have to have a cut and die set to stamp them out and the good side is that they are coloured and not just black and white as with the instrument film. Fit the anti-glare panel over the instrument panel and add the gun sight. Remember to add some gloss lacquer as the lens of the gun sight.
The instrument backing card
The only problem I see, is that you have to heat up and shape some hoses in the cockpit. These are now just relief hoses, and then you have to put it in building water and shape it to fit. Now if you have a lot of experience with resin, this should not present a problem, but if you don't have them, then you will gain it here. You will probably destroy the pieces in the process, but that is not a real problem if you do the following: take a brass rod and bend it to shape. Then just wrap the rod with a smaller diameter solder (solder bends and wraps easily) then just paint it, and you will have a nice profile hose.
Again I must mention-65 parts for 1 cockpit. See the photos read the text and give it a two 'thumbs up', go to the hobby shop and buy it-no thinking necessary...
My opinion is that this cockpit is a matter of honor. Black box and Lone Star, your sets are both excellent, but here you are beat.
Now let's see another competition this time on the Bf 109 family.
The instrument panel, consoles, radio plate, and seat assembly
I would again like to thank Wim Verlinden from Verlinden Productions for providing this and the Hellcat up-date set for reviewing on this page.
This review was published on Saturday, July 02 2011; Last modified on Wednesday, May 18 2016