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In-Box Review
172
Mitsubishi G3M Etched Details
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by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

Set M-72X-06 continues the collaboration between Platz and Eduard, taking the latter’s market-leading etching technology and presenting it specifically for Platz’s domestic market in Japan.

The set is designed for Hasegawa’s G3M “Nell”, focusing on the interior, and contains a single etched fret with 44 new parts, some of which are pre-painted.

The obvious highlights are the main instrument panel, radio and engineering consoles, and the seat harnesses. The pre-painting on these items has to be seen to be believed. Eduard’s way of doing this has always been impressive, but the quality actually seems even higher than previously: I don’t know if Eduard have updated the process, but the colours seem more solid and vibrant (particularly the yellow, which was sometimes a bit “washed out” on earlier sets). The result is spectacular to say the least, easily eclipsing the best that most of us could ever hope to paint by hand.

The rest of the interior parts include a neat pair of perforated seats to fold to shape, rudder pedals, tiny gun- and torpedo-sights, grab handles and minuscule throttle levers. A nice touch is the provision of a pair of anti-glare blinds to fit inside the canopy. These are pre-painted, but obviously only on one side, so you’ll need to colour the reverse.

Rounding the set off are delicate aileron actuators for the wings.

Overall, the set doesn’t look complicated to use. While there are a few parts to fold to shape, it’s really only the small size of some of the items that may present a challenge, so the set should be suitable for most modellers with a little experience, even if they’re new to using etched parts.

The instructions are typical Eduard-style, the only real difference being the substitution of Japanese text. Even with this, the diagrams are self-explanatory, so non-Japanese speakers will have no problem following them. As usual, Platz print their version of the instructions in colour (only available online with Eduard’s own sets) and, even in a simple set like this, the highlighting does add to the clarity.

Conclusion
Platz’s G3M upgrade will totally transform the cockpit of the Hasegawa “Nell”. Until recently, Platz have very much concentrated on modern Japanese subjects for their aftermarket etched sets, so it’s very exciting to see them turn their attention to WW2 in what is, hopefully, just one of many such releases. Highly recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.
SUMMARY
Highs: Beautifully detailed and pre-painted etched parts. Clear instructions.
Lows:
Verdict: Platz's detail set will totally transform the cockpit of Hasegawa's "Nell".
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:72
  Mfg. ID: M-72X-06
  Suggested Retail: 1,470 JPY
  PUBLISHED: Nov 29, 2010
  NATIONALITY: Japan / 日本
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 88.47%

Our Thanks to Platz!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



   
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