The companion set to Eduard 32-027 is 32-028, and is designed for the exterior areas of the model. This set contains 83 pieces on one sheet of photo-etched brass. It primarily addresses the interior of the speed brakes, the main gear wheel wells, the nose wheel doors and the numerous small access panels and hatches on the exterior of the airframe.

As nice as the Hasegawa speed brakes are, the inclusion of the Eduard parts is a 100% improvement in appearance. This dramatic affect is created with just two parts per side and gives a more realistic depth to the interior of the speed brakes

Hasegawa's main gear wheel wells are virtually devoid of detail aside from some small ribs, which must be removed prior to the insertion of the photo-etched parts. With the new parts installed, the wheel wells display a wealth of detail that comes to life with washes and subtle dry brushing. A total of 22 parts are added to this area and it is sure to be appreciated by the detailer.

Thirty-eight various access panels and hatches are provided for the fuselage and wings. I am of the opinion that you could dispense with these parts as they appear slightly out of scale with the rest of the model. I do not mean by their area, but more by the thickness once installed. I opted only to use a few select panels, but you may decide differently.

A nice touch to the set was the inclusion of the parts to detail the intake and exhaust outlet covers. As moulded by Hasegawa, each cover is one piece with acceptable detail. However, the Eduard set provides the handles and surface detailing for each cover. Most modellers will not use the covers, but for the few that will, it is nice to have the extra details.

How do I rate these sets from Eduard? I give them two thumbs up!

Reviewed by Randy Lutz