Intro

Eduard's D-9 kit was first produced in 2010, but this is the first time it has been released as a Overtrees kit. Also available is the photo etch set you got with the Profipack version.
Reviews of the Profipack version and the Weekend boxing's can be found here and here.

In the box

Packed in a white box with just a small label on one of the ends the overtrees box which gives you the item no and kit name, contains just the plastic sprues from the earlier D-9 Profipack release.
Instructions for the build of the D-9 can be found on the Eduard website.
Five grey plastic sprues and one clear sprue make up the contents.
No decals, instructions or photo etch is supplied, although you can buy the P.E separate.

The build

Cockpit
As with most builds the first step is the construction of the cockpit.
The side consoles and instrument panels come with a choice of P.E details, which are pre-coloured, (in this case with the P.E overtrees set) or the use of the kits decals, which are not supplied in the overtrees sets. They parts alternatively can be painted if you so wish.
The P.E sets are made up of several parts each, with the throttle control on the side console needing a small rod (which is not supplied) attached too the lever.
The main instrument panel is made up of three parts, one plastic part which needs some of the moulded on detail removed. A two part P.E panel is attached, and the several handles need attaching to the main instrument panel, along with a lever.
The seat has a multi piece harness, with each belt made up of two or three parts.
A choice of plastic or P.E rudder pedals complete the build of the cockpit.

Forward fuselage bays
The forward fuselage bays, come with internal guns for the top of the cowling, along with the ammo boxes and mounts. Also present is the back part of the engine.
The fuselage guns, ammo boxes, etc are only installed if you have the MG hood open. These parts are omitted if the hood is closed up.
Detail is adequate, but Eduard do sell a Brassin detail set if you want to go all out on the detail of this part.
The build is pretty straight forward although I did struggle with placing the guns on top of the mounts as the instructions aren't crystal clear to the exact orientation and placing.
The rear part of the engine is a multipart affair and is pretty detailed with a lot of parts squeezed into a small area. The detail once painted up would look very good, although how much you will be able too see with the MG hood open and through the wheel wells is debatable, but at least you know it will be there.
Finally a couple of very small P.E items and installed in the fuselage halves for the cockpit sidewalls.

Closing up the fuselage
Other then the cockpit and forward fuselage bays, the fuselage halves need a tailwheel and the exhausts fitted.
The exhausts are a two part affair each with the exhaust stack sitting inside a box which glues into the inside of each fuselage.
Due to two rods which sit in-between the first two and the last exhaust stack, and are moulded onto the fuselage halves, these have to be placed before painting the main fuselage body, as it would be very difficult to insert these after the fuselage is painted.
A choice of a one piece tail wheel or a three piece tail wheel is supplied. The three piece is easier to paint with the Masks for the wheel you would get in the Profipack version of the kit.
The fit of the fuselage halves is pretty good, if a bit snug and tight with the interior parts in, with only the rear canopy shelf needing any attention with a touch of filler.

Wings, rudder and tailplanes
With the top half of the wings you get a choice of closed or open machine gun bays. For open bays you need to add the machine gun breach and a cylinder into an insert in both wings by the wing roots.
If you decide to have them closed up, two inserts are still needed but none of the other parts. Alignment is very tight once the top halves of the wings are joined to the lower wing as the inserts sit very snugly against the rear undercarriage bay wall.
The lower wing has the rear undercarriage bay wall and a few spars to attach across the wheel wells. The machine gun barrels are also fitted.
Once all the parts are fitted to the upper and lower wings, they are then joined together. Once done the wing assembly can be attached to the fuselage.
The wings fit onto the fuselage very nicely, with a bit of coaxing, and very little filler will be needed for the underneath joints and wing roots.
The ailerons are fitted to the wings and are set in the neutral position, with a bit of fiddling they could be positioned offset.
The two tailplanes and the rudder are all one piece each, with the control surfaces in the neutral position. The fit seems a little loose for the tail planes, but no filler is needed once they are in position and dry.

Undercarriage
The undercarriage is made up of four parts each. The main leg, an oleo, the gear door and a choice of two wheels.
The two different wheels are pretty much identical but one type has tread where the other is smooth.
Fitting is pretty straightforward by you do have to make sure the correct angle for the gear legs is set.

Cowling and prop
The prop and cowling assembly is pretty straightforward.
The engine has just a face to fit inside the one piece cowling ring, with the one piece propeller and separate prop hub slotted into the locating hole. The cowling has a choice of open or closed cooling flaps to attach to the rear of the cowling ring. Once all this is assembled its slotted onto the front of the fuselage.
The engine bay cover, with moulded on gun trough then fits over the top of the fuselage, a small intake needs to be glued to the right side of the cover, which I promptly lost to the Carpet Monster. A large air intake fits onto the side of the fuselage.

Canopy
Two styles of canopies are supplied, with there use decided on which marking option you are modelling. For each style two canopies are supplied for open or closed positions. Inserts for the main canopy hoods are also different for each marking option.
Before the front windscreen is glued into position another instrument panel, along with the gun sight and IP hood, needs to be fitted. A choice of instrument panels in either a four piece photo etch parts or a plastic part with moulded on raised dials for painting or decals.

Dangly and other bits
A few parts need to be attached to the underside of the aircraft, such as two ariels, one of which is photo etch, the pilot step, the wing pitot tube, and the choice of a centerline bomb or fuel tank.
The round ariel is not used on marking option "E".
The bomb is made up of three parts with a further four P.E strips for the bomb fins.
The last steps is the MG hood and wing gun bay covers. The parts are the same whether you have modelled then bays open or closed.
The MG hood, does need a bit of surgery in the form of sanding off one or two bulges or adding a couple of panel lines depending on which marking option you are doing.

Conclusion

The original kit was a very good and detailed model and even the Weekend Edition had a fair bit of detail as standard, and 8 years later this kit has stood the test of time. The build is pretty straightforward with very little filler needed, and only a mediocre of modelling skills is needed to really show of this kit to its full potential.

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