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Eduard Big Ed 1/72 A-7A Set

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

Eduard produces some of the best photoetch out there, and the subjects they make sets for covers the gamut of modeling. Often times there are multiple sets for one model, and it can get confusing trying to track down all the individual sets separately. Enter the Big Ed series. By collecting all of the relevant sets and packaging them together, Eduard simplifies things for the modeler. What's more, they do it for a cheaper price than if you were to buy the sets separately. A quick check at Great Models shows this Big Ed set is $12 less than the four sets priced separately. So, simpler and cheaper, what's not to like?

The Sets

As noted above, this Big Ed set contains four individual sets, all aimed at the Hobby Boss A-7A kit (although only one is specific to the A-7A). These are 73-326, the A-7A Self Adhesive set; SS338, the A-7 Avionics Bay Set; CX207, the A-7 Mask Set; and 73008, a Remove Before Flight flag set. Combined, these will offer a great combination of basic and advanced detailing that will make for a very impressive model.

Starting with the A-7A set, this provides two photoetch frets that cover both cockpit and external detailing. One fret is pre-painted and self-adhesive, while the other is your standard photoetch. The majority of the pre-painted components are for the cockpit interior, where there are new sidewall consoles, instrument panel, and cockpit sills. The seat gets quite a few upgrades as well, including seat belts, handles, and levers. Moving to the exterior, the landing gear wells get a fair amount of upgrades as well, including door hinges and well sides. The struts get various plumbing details, while the main gear doors have some pre-painted placards. The canopy gets some interior framing as well.

Moving on to the avionics bay set, this is also pre-painted, although not self-adhesive. The Hobby Boss kit comes with the avionics bay open, and the detailing in the kit is not bad, but there is room for improvement. This set does just that, providing much better and finer detailing that what comes in the kit. In addition to the avionics, the set comes with door details. This is a fairly simple set to use, as there is not going to be much in the way of bending needed, but the detail will really set it apart.

The canopy mask set provides more than just canopy masks, as there are masks for the heads up display and targeting pod clear parts. Additionally, there are wheel masks, and pay attention to the instructions as Hobby Boss provides different wheels for different A-7s. While this Big Ed set is aimed at the US Navy's A-7A, the leftover masks can be set aside for a future build of an Air Force A-7D. Like many Eduard mask sets, this one will require the use of a liquid masking agent as well, to fill in the broad areas while the mask forms the precision edges. This is a good balance, as for many of the parts, the complex curves would make it very difficult to create a close-fitting mask that would guarantee coverage.

Finally, we come to the finishing set: the Remove Before Flight flags. These are not strictly an A-7 set, but they are a very common sight on parked aircraft and will go a great ways towards making your finished model that much more realistic. These are pre-painted (kind of pointless otherwise) and come in two main shapes: one rectangular and one with a tapered top end. There are several different options for the printed portion as well, including a handful in black on red. The majority are white on red, though, with varying locations and sizes of the REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT text. They will require the addition of very fine wire through the hole at the top, and they can be twisted up to look more natural.

Conclusion

This is one of the simpler Big Ed sets out there, but it will do a great job of detailing up the Hobby Boss A-7 and will create a very nice model when all is used. Stay tuned here to see all of these in action. My thanks to Eduard for the review sample.