Introduction

If aircraft modellers are cut from the same cloth as armour modellers, be it a different colour, then we all share something in common. That something is the desire to improve upon models via the addition of after market products. Many modellers adorn their models with photo etch and resin parts, and even purchase after market decals for their builds.

Master Reality in Miniature have a very good selection of brass barrels in five scales, 1/24th, 1/32nd, 1/35th, 1/48th and 1/72nd scale. In addition to metal barrels they also have a fair selection of pitot tubes and radar aerial assemblies. In this review I take a look at a set of radar aerial antenna used on German night fighters and titled FUG 218 Neptun.

Contents

The product is packaged in a Ziploc bag with a card sleeve and card hanger. Inside the Ziploc bag is a sealed compartmental plastic bag with the radar parts inside. In the back of this packaging there is also an instruction sheet. The support frames and two lengths of antennas are all packaged in their own areas for their protection.

Review

This latest product I am reviewing is designed for use on World War Two German night fighters that were equipped with the German Radar FUG 218 Neptun Antenna. This product supplies the support arms for the antenna and the four of both sizes of antenna. Assembly of each of the four arms only requires that the antennas be inserted into the predrilled holes in the antenna arms and secure them with CA glue. The arms on the base model will need to be removed and a 0.5mm hole drilled in the remaining plastic frame to take the metal parts. I would advise that the holes in the plastic parts be drilled and the model assembled before application of the metal parts that ensure the correct alignment of the antenna.

These antenna from Master Reality in Miniature are I believe a huge improvement of anything I have seen in plastic, the metal parts allow for a much higher degree of finesse and detail to this area of a model. Master Reality in Miniature suggest that this antenna array would have been used on night fighter versions of the Me 262, Ar 234 and Me 110 and others. For me a big plus is that it will make it easier for a modeller to make a model into a night fighter equipped with this radar system by reducing the scratch work required.

Conclusion

This product from Master Reality in Miniatureas can be seen from the pictures is a great improvement detail wise. The remaining portion of the of the models support arms will I believe be difficult to drill the 0.5mm holes into, but the result will I feel be worth the effort.

Related review

Darren Baker has reviewed Revell of Germanys 1/32nd Heinkel He 219 A-7 (A-5/A-2 late) UHU here, which carries this type of radar, and can be used for this kit.

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