 Cutting
Edge 1/48 He 111D/E Conversion Set
The latest BIG conversion from Cutting Edge will involve quite a bit
of work, but boy will it be worth it. This conversion takes the Monogram
He 111 kit and turns it into an early pencil-nosed He 111. These guys
have really done their research, too, basing this conversion on original
German documents and careful analysis of photographs. This research definitely
pays off, as this conversion, while parts-intensive, really should not
be too difficult to do.
This specific set is for the He 111D/E, and Cutting Edge has released
other editions for other variants. If you have a specific early He 111
you want to do, look carefully at the photos (not the captions!) and choose
your conversion set accordingly. In doing background research for this
review, I have found captions of the same photo in different books identifying
the aircraft as different types, so really the only way to know is by
looking at the photo itself.
 Once
you have decided that this is the particular conversion you need, it is
time to see what you have to do. This conversion provides a complete interior,
a new nose, a new dustbin turret, new wing sections, and new engines.
This is a very brief overview, so let's look at things a bit more in detail.
Cockpit/Nose
 This
is all new over the Monogram kit, as it represents a very different cockpit
design. The resin set provides a rear bulkhead that has part of the wing
spar integrated. The forward bulkhead forms the front barrier of the cockpit,
and in between thereis an instrument panel, control yoke, detailed seat,
rudder pedals, and other details that will really look great once painted
up. This completed assembly fits into the new nose, which is in six pieces.
The two main pieces have sidewall detailing to round out the cockpit section,
and are cast in the usual gray resin. The remaining four pieces are cast
in clear resin and make up the forward nose and the cockpit canopy. These
clear parts are incredibly clear, and Cutting Edge are understandably
proud of their clear resin process. The clear nose section also incorporates
the bombardier position, with all the appropriate controls and such in
place.
 Fuselage
Modifications
After lopping off the nose of the Monogram kit, there are a few other
fuselage changes you need to make. The first, and largest, concern the
dustbin turret on the underside. To make this as easy as possible, Cutting
Edge has provided some very sturdy inserts that will add strength to the
chopped up fuselage around the dustbin turret location. In addition to
this, there is a replacement belly skin that will smooth out the fuselage
contours where the ventral gondola used to be. The dustbin turret itself
is beautifully done, although I am not sure how far down it can go when
the gear is down. Hopefully enough to show off some of the detail present
there.
With the dustbin done, and the nose penciled, the rest of the conversion
deals with the wings and engines.
 The
Wings
Next to the nose, the wings are the most noticeable difference between
early He 111s and late ones. The early He 111s had an elliptical wing
that was rather graceful in appearance. This was butchered in the later
variants, with a straight leading edge. To get the wings in the proper
shape, Cutting Edge has provided a completely new leading edge, which
will require the modeler to lop off a large chunk of the wing. The replacement
parts are in two main pieces, one for the inboard section and one for
the outboard section. The instructions also indicate a slight profile
change to the wingtip shape as well as some aileron modifications. These
will be very easy for the modeler to do. Once the wing is up to par, the
next step is the engines, and decision time.
The Engines
 The
engines of the early He 111s were probably the most-changed item, with
several different manufacturers and types being used. The He 111D/E set
comes with a full replacement engine for the He 111D and a modification
piece for the He 111E. Starting with the He 111D engine (and again, base
your choice on photos, not on captions: if the plane you want to do has
the engine that looks like the He 111D engine in this conversion, use
it), this comes with a nicely done deep radiator, a one-piece main cowling
(hollow), a new spinner, and a new wing insert to blend this nacelle into
the new wing.
For the He 111E, the conversion is much simpler. This engine is basically
the same as that found on the He 111H that Monogram has kitted. The only
difference is found on the starboard side, which is what Cutting Edge
has provided in this conversion set. This piece mates up with the port
side piece from the Monogram kit, resulting in the correct engine for
the He 111E. The kit radiator housing is used, although for a different
variant the modeler could also trim down that radiator housing. Again,
check your references.
Miscellaneous Bits
There are other details provided in this conversion, such as a radio
antenna and trim tabs. Also included is a large sheet of Black Magic masks,
which include masks for all the clear parts (both interior and exterior
masks are included for the nose, for example, as well as wheel masks.
This will greatly help painting this aircraft, as those windows would
be tough to mask without this assist. While there are no markings included
in this set, Cutting Edge have released several aftermarket sheets that
are designed for this very conversion set.
Conclusion
This is an outstanding conversion set that is well designed and planned
and while extensive, it should build up smoothly. This would make for
a great solo He 111 entry to your collection, or a wonderful comparison
to an OOB He 111H. My thanks to Cutting Edge and Meteor
Productions for releasing this conversion and providing the review
sample.
|
|
