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Eduard Brassin 1/32 F-4B/J/N/S Ejection Seats

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Eduard labels their Brassin sets as the best resin around, and after seeing this set I would have to agree with their assessment. This set provides two seats for a 1/32 US Navy F-4, which would cover the F-4J and F-4S, buildable out of the box from Tamiya, and the F-4B and F-4N, which would require a conversion set or a bit of ambitious kit-bashing between an F-4C and F-4J kit. Whatever your choice for a Navy Phantom, these seats will make a huge improvement in the cockpit.

Let's start with basic construction. These seats come in two major resin pieces: the main seat assembly and the parachute pack. There are several smaller resin details that are then added to the main assembly. The rest of the assembly comes from the two pre-painted photoetch frets. Not all of the photoetch is for permanent attachment, as this set includes a PE painting mask for the markings found on the seat cushion.

In looking at the set more closely, we can see that this is, indeed, some of the best resin casting out there. The level of detail and the crispness of the casting is simply superb. The oxygen bottle found buried in the back of the seat, for example, is present and nicely cast, even though it is buried deep in a notch. The rivet and wiring detail on the seat sides is petite and uniform across the entire assembly. There is no flash on the parts, so this will really be an exercise in painting.

Moving on to the photoetch, these frets provide all of the various details that are either too delicate for resin casting (like the pull handles) or benefits from the pre-painting capabilities of Eduard (such as the placards found on several parts). There are a few places where the modeler will have to add some 0.3mm wire for some additional plumbing, but the rest is all photoetch, including the complex seat belt system.

The quality casting, high level of detail, and thorough research has resulted in a pair of seats that would almost be criminal to hide away inside a cockpit. In fact, these seats would look great built up as a stand-alone seat on a base. Whether inside your Tamiya F-4 or on a base, this set is well worth having. My thanks to Eduard for the review sample.