The release of Tamiya's lovely 1/48 scale Fieseler Storch has been accompanied by a raft of aftermarket sets. Eduard have been as busy as ever and produced a series of accessories, both etched set and painting masks, so this is a good chance to look at a selection of what's available and give some idea of the extra detail they allow in an already excellent kit.

Set # 49-408 Fi 156C-5 Storch Interior - $ 22.95

This set arrives on two etched frets, with a combined total of 239 parts. One fret is partly pre-painted and self adhesive and this contains replacements for Tamiya's decal seat harnesses, plus an excellent new instrument panel and rudder pedals. Beyond that, the detail extends into a plethora of additions, from seat frames that replace the kit's solid-moulded items, ammunition drums, wiring and boxes, plus new throttles and control mounts. With so much glazing in the kit and the option to open the cockpit doors, all of this extra detail will be on display and the set goes one stage further by including an etched framework, compass and window-locks to attach to the inside of the canopy.

Set #48-581- Fi 156C Storch Exterior - $ 19.95

If adding over 200 parts to the cockpit only serves to whet your appetite, fear not, Eduard have another 172 waiting for you to detail the exterior with! Starting with the engine, the set adds wiring and other details, plus open cowling hatches with detail behind them. Moving down the fuselage, there's new lacing and ecterior panel detail and new control linkages and trim tab for the tail.

The wing slat and flap mechanisms get a thorough make-over and there are more details for the struts, wing surfaces, undercarriage and oil coolers and exhausts. Last, but not lease, there's a set of embossed end-plates for the fuel drums included with the kit.

Set # EX240 - Fi 156C Storch Painting Masks - $ 7.95

Arguably is something of a luxury, it might seem odd to produce a set of painting masks for a kit that already includes some(!), but Eduard do go one better than Tamiya by die-cutting theirs, which does make life a little easier and they also include masks for the wheels. Where the set opens an intriguing possibility is that, used in conjunction with the kit items, it means you can mask both the inside and outside of the glazing - and, with the doors open, painting the inner surfaces (as against letting the interior colour show through as an undercoat from the outside) could well be worth it, especially if you're going to use the framework details included in Set # 49-408.

Conclusion

Tamiya's Storch quite rightly caused a stir with the excellent detail provided straight from the box. Adding the level of detail included in Eduard's sets should produce a quite phenomenal model - but it should go without saying that a lot of these parts are extremely small and delicate and will require a fair degree of experience to use effectively, as there will be some surgery needed on the kit parts to fit them. Usefully, the pre-painted fret is available individually as Zoom FE408 ($ 7.95) for those that just want to add Eduard's seat harness etc. to upgrade the Tamiya cockpit. Recommended to experienced modellers.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.