Eduard have released a comprehensive set of etched details to accompany their recent Bf 110G-2. Of course the standard kit already comes complete with etched parts, so the obvious question is what extras Eduard have added.

Opening the slim plastic packet soon answers that - there are 3 etched frets with a total of 261 new parts, and to make sense of all that, there are no less than 7 pages of A-5 instructions. So, it's fair to say at the outset, this isn't a set for beginners!

Fret #1 is partly pre-painted. The quality is really excellent, as usual, but there's a small dilemma because the RLM 66 has a slightly speckled appearance, plus the obvious risk that the brand of model paint you're using won't quite match Eduard's colour. But, with a little care taken to blend in the parts (and, of course, the full-sized components were painted as sub-assemblies, so some colour variations were quite possible) the pre-painting offers a degree of detail far beyond the finest brush work or decals.

Starting with the cockpit, the new parts provide replacement side consoles and throttles, radio faces, plus a number of other small boxes, panels and data plates. There's a delicate cage to fold to shape for the 37 mm gun option (but, obviously, still no breach) - something that was missed in the standard kit.

Staying with the armament, there are plenty of details for the nose guns and their ammo feeds and priming bottles, plus new perforated barrels for the gunner's MG81Z. Rounding off the cockpit area for the moment, there are external armour plate panels for the pilot.

The interior of the nacelles is treated to a major makeover. There are faces for the radiator cores (strangely missed in the kit) along with new separate doors to pose open or shut. Moving to the wheel-wells, the kit's sidewalls are scrapped in favour of individual ribs and the undercarriage mounts are replaced for good measure.

There are more data plates, brake cables and door links to add. I'd previously been doubtful of the suitability of flat etched items to depict cables etc., but the results after building them up with PVA adhesive or paint have been surprisingly good (but I think 1:48 is probably approaching the limit for a convincing effect). Moving outside the nacelles, the standard kit already had etched main radiator cores, but these are replaced with new 2-part versions that have more depth.

The instructions then switch to the canopy, with more wiring and handles to add, plus a delicate de-icing array for the windscreen. Obviously great care (and using PVA adhesive or just plain varnish) is recommended to avoid damaging the clear parts.

Finally, the set details the kit's exterior stores. There are new mounts and facing plates for the 21cm underwing mortars, a perforated muzzle for the 37mm belly cannon, straps and other details for the drop tanks and, last but not least, new fins for the bombs to replace the over-scale plastic items. All of these will certainly improve the appearance of the model's weaponry and what you don't need can go into the spares box to be useful for another Luftwaffe project.

The instructions are well illustrated and clearly laid out in B&W (colour versions are available online at Eduard's website). Everything is broken down into manageable stages and nothing looks especially complicated (the wheel-well / undercarriage section is probably the fiddliest), but the cumulative effect of so many quite small and often delicate parts (added to an already fairly complex kit) means a fair amount of experience working with etched details is definitely recommended.

Conclusion

Obviously adding an extra $40 on top of the price of the standard kit isn't to be taken lightly, so you'll want to be sure you're capable of using the set to its fullest advantage before investing in it. But those that can make the most of it can look forward to hours of satisfying modelling and the results should be more than worth the effort, adding some intricate detail to an already excellent kit. Recommended.

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