New from S.B.S. Model comes a detail set for the popular Special Hobby and Classic Airframes 1:48 kits of the Fokker D.XXI. Arriving in a compact carton, and the set comprises:

11 x grey resin parts
1 x clear resin part
40 x etched brass parts, plus a printed film

The only suggestion I'd offer to give the contents even better protection in transit would be to pack the clear part in a separate bag - mine arrived perfectly safely, but that might not always be so.

The casting, as I've always found with S.B.S. Model, is flawless, with some superb detail evident. The parts are attached to quite major casting blocks so a little care is needed when removing them. This will be particularly the case with the seat, which is cast with a complex arrangement of "feeder" supports to allow it to be produced realistically thin.

Added to the resin parts comes a comprehensive set of etched accessories, so the seat is provided with a full harness, and the basic resin instrument panel serves as a foundation for a beautifully detailed 5-part fascia with a film backing, and completed with tiny etched levers and toggles. The new instrument panels are a vast improvement over the styrene version included in the Special Hobby kit reviewed HERE.

In fact, the set caters for Dutch, Finnish and Danish versions, so three different arrangements of instruments are offered, each with a matching control column.

New etched 2-part rudder pedals are included, along with a new side console (Dutch version only), and the cockpits are completed with a choice of Revi 3a reflector or Goertz tube gunsights.

To show off the upgraded interior, S.B.S. Model have provided a new section of the canopy to display folded open. This is a 4-part affair, with a crystal-clear resin casting attached to an etched cockpit sill that is complete with lock and hinge. Fitting the open canopy will entail some careful surgery to the kit part, but the work will definitely be worth it. The way the canopy section is folded right down neatly avoids any possible slight discrepancy in appearance between the kit's styrene canopy and new resin part.

Rounding the set off are a delicately cast new carburettor intake and exhaust outlet, along with an additional intake for the Finnish version.

Conclusion

This is another excellent addition S.B.S. Model's growing range of top-quality detail sets. It represents good value for money and offers a very worthwhile upgrade to an already good series of kits.

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