Cooper Details 1/72 Resin Accessories

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

One of the oldest names in resin aftermarket sets, Cooper Details continues to put out some of the best detail sets available today.  Three of their most recent releases cover the undercarriages of one WWI and two WW2 planes.  Both set 7221 and 7222 are wheel sets, the first providing replacement wheels for Bf 109B-G kits and the second for Albatros D.V/Va kits.  The Bf 109 wheels are designed for the Tamiya 109E-3 and E-4 kits, but should work for other 1/72 Bf 109 kits.  The Albatros wheels are designed for the Eduard kits and corrects the undersized examples in those kits.  They could also be used for other Albatros kits as well as Pfalz D.III/IIIa kits.

The third set is more extensive and provides a complete replacement for the undercarriage in the Hasegawa Fw 190A/F/D kits, with a note saying that it may fit the Revell and Academy kits.  The simplest part is the tailwheel, which is molded as one piece and provides a much better representation than the kit part.  The main gear is much more complicated, but the end result will be very impressive.  The replacement struts are very nicely done, and as the scale strut is thin, Cooper Details have reinforced them with metal rod.  To help in alignment, a jig is included.  This is something that I think every resin detail set should include, as it greatly enhances the usefulness of the set.  The gear doors are thin, and the wheels nicely done.  This is an excellent set for an already excellent kit and should go a long way toward building a showstopper.

Cooper Details sets are well worth the price, and if you have a kit that could use any one of these three, don’t hesitate to pick them up.