Platz have once again teamed up with Eduard to produce an etched detail set aimed primarily at the domestic Japanese market. This time the subject is the J.A.S.D.F.'s intermediate jet trainer, the Kawasaki T-4.

The set arrives in a plastic wallet, with the single etched fret further protected on a card backing in its own zip-lock bag. The set adds plenty of detail to the cockpits of Hasegawa's kit with 60 new parts, many of them pre-painted.

The kit's ejector seats receive harnesses and firing handles, plus headrest details, while the main instrument panel and side consoles are replaced with new metal fasciae. The main panel is in two layers to give depth to the bezels, which should look great with a drop of varnish to glaze them. The pre-printing is excellent, with some very fine detail that would be almost impossible to reproduce by other means.

Rounding off the cockpit tub are new rudder pedals, document holders and throttles, plus a delicate HUD to fold to shape. Lastly there are a pair of mirrors for the inside of the canopy.

The instructions are clearly drawn in familiar Eduard-style on both sides of an A-5 sheet. Colour coding is used to show where parts fit and modifications are necessary. Although the header text is in Japanese, construction notes are in English.

Conclusion

This isn't a complex set so it would be suitable for newcomers to using etched upgrades. Nevertheless, it will still make a very worthwhile improvement to the Hasegawa kit's cockpit. Recommended.

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