As a young modeler (28) i really value the information and experience of all you modelers that grew up with the hobby have. Please keep sharing your experience, and your nostalgia.
I don't agree with most of your criticism of Eduard. Yes, they should have told modelers that their decals had changed and require a different application technique to make the best of them. Having discovered that the carrier film is on top and can be peeled away, leaving a painted on look is far superior than having to spray and sand multiple coats of varnish in order to hide the decal film edges of your garden variety decals. Worse so with the ridiculously thick Tamiya decals. Far more work and risk to the model in my honest opinion. Also I prefer the way Eduard have done their part attachment points, as it is easier to clean up the mating surface than a gate which runs on external detail, and needs to be sanded away, risking potential damage to fine exterior detail. I think Eduard have surpassed Tamiya as far as selection, quality and detail years ago.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I was not aware they have been reboxing Russian kits, but they have been reboxing other companies kits for quite some time now. Hobby 2000, and Revell do the same. I could be wrong, but I've never seen any kit company that reboxes another manufacturer's kit state that anywhere within the kit. Even Atlantis, which reboxes just about all of their catalog from ancient Revell or Monogram tooling don't state it on their kits. They do, however, usually let people know by something on their social media. Does it make it right? No, but even Tamiya has done this, and only recently put the other manufacturer's label (Italeri) alongside theirs on the box.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab well, Eduard always give full information about reboxed kits...look at their web page...it is clearly stated on generał overview of a kit, info newsletters and manuals. In case of HRABE kit, zvezda is mentioned as manufacturer.
YOU ARE JOKING . OLD TAMIYA DECALS ARE POOR . but the rest of their kits . Are best quality . Packaging ; fit of parts and general engineering designed to fit the kit together . Take the P38 Lightning or Hien ; they are second to none . Their instructions are good ; only bettered perhaps by Airfix . Eduard instructions are all over the place ; not clear where parts go and easy to miss a sequence . The Eduard Weekend kits are good value so it's not all bad .
Agreed, canopy mask sets are a must please manufacturers. And Eduard! What are you thinking with these completely crazy decals?? Fingers crossed my Eduard stash is pre 2021. I do like the instructions, masks, individual bags and paint call outs.
The other thing you mention is the print quality of the new decals. From what I can see, they’ve been printed digitally and not the traditional silk screen method. Digital printing makes colours from basic cmyk inks (plus a handful of ‘specials’ if the printing machine can facilitate them). This means that colours often have a ‘grainy’ appearance when you look at them closely. Screen printed decals on the other hand use ‘pure’ ink colours which eliminates the grain and invariably have crisper edges and richer colours (which aren’t always what modellers want, especially if they’re replicating machines which have been exposed to the weather for prolonged periods).
All these things about Eduard are the grumblings we all hear at the local club or model show. And surely Eduard hears them too, they have some truely remarkable well thought out kits that just stand out… then they have these odd manufacturing choices that leave you scratching your head wondering if you got a rebox or accidentally grabbed a different manufacturers kit by mistake. What I’ll be interested in hearing is a “ Let’s Talk about Dragon “( I foresee a rant almost loud enough to challenge Revell’s chapter 😂) Keep up the excellent work Peter, you’ve been saying what a lot of us have been thinking and your insight and examples shown really is engaging to Watch.
I think the sole advantage (if you want to call it that) of the new Eduard decals is for doing a metal finish where the carrier film is going to show up like a bug on a wedding cake no matter what you do, so it's nice to have the option of removing it but other than that, definitely a pain on normal paint jobs. Thanks for the thoughts on Eduard, I hope they do course-correct as I like their subjects and (most) of their kits in terms of detail and fit with the sprue gate exceptions you mentioned. Hobby 2000 in my opinion is doing great work. No, they are not a manufacturer but they have put out some great packages of other makers' plastic. I just did their rebox of CyberHobby/Dragon's 1/32 Bf-109E7 and it was a fantastic build. Masks included and the Cartograf decals were absolutely fantastic to work with, all at a reasonable price. Later Tamiya kits are just beautiful and I build one once in a while when I need a break from fiddling. Working on their Do-335 now and it's just incredible how well-engineered it is. I enjoy painting more than building, so it's a real treat for me, now only if their decals weren't awful...
I love Eduard but it is a shame what they have done with their decals. I can live with the sprue attachment point issue but not the decals. I've heard nothing positive about them apart from the fact that if you do manage to get it right, they look good. It's just a shame they have not listened like that did when they released that dogs breakfast of the 109G. Everyone screamed so the pulled it and completely remade it. That was an entire kit! Come on Eduard. You are better than that. Revert to the old system NOW!
Got to say I've only had very good experiences with Eduard kits, admittedly only 190s and Fishbeds. But coming from airfix kits the details are stunning and masks and photo etch are great additions.
I'm building the Tempest Mk V myself as we speak :) However, the Bf110E has a dreadful fit on the engine nacelles. and I've had it half-built for nearly a year.
I have long experience with Eduard kits. In fact this is my favorite brand nowdays. I am not talking about reboxed kits, cos usually they are good kits with plenty pe, masks and resin goods. You will be satisfied if you get one. BUT, the true Eduard kits are awesome, and best in terms of details, precision, quality. Eduard's MIG-21 is the best kit ever. I have build already 3 of them and I am not going to stop. If you look for building a plane, check if there is a Eduard kit on market. About decals...You can master them, just some practise is needed and the result is much better from thick decals from for example Tamiya etc. Or buy a decal set of your wish I you want to work the old way. There are many tutorials how to put properly Eduard decals on yt.
Good for you, but my experience with them is not so good. I think many people are blinded by Eduard's excellent surface detail. All three kits I built disappointed me. I am currently building the Zero and again, despite being a recent kit the poor fit of the parts and vague instructions are disappointing compared to other manufacturers...more on this soon.
My first Eduard kit was the 1/48 Bf-108B in the black box and have since built several Eduard (32, 48 and 72 scale) kits over the years, with lots of enjoyment. I've had one real issue with an Eduard product. One of their masking sets was the wrong scale. It was for the 1/48 Tamiya P-47M, but it was too small to be 1/48 but too big for 1/72, turned out to be about 1/60, strange that. I personally prefer the sprue attachment point that goes round to the inside of the part. Generally, the sprue point is smaller on the outside where all the detail is, and thicker on the inside which makes it easier to clip the part and then sand the mating surfaces. Rather than having a larger point on the outside of a leading edge for instance and then having to sand and lose all that lovely detail in the process. As for the transfers, I agree they should have shown people the new style transfers and then put them in the box with an instruction on how to use them. I’ll probably test some of mine on a test kit and see how that goes. So interesting times ahead…
Should put both options in. So all the super experts who have never had one of these decals go wrong on them can feel all good about themselfs, while the other 99 percent of us can finish what are fine models on the whole
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Actually. I don't peel them off and they work fine Thats the point I have been trying to make. Eduard did Not intend for the decal film to be peeled off.
having done the other 1/48 Zero, as a printer of 26 years I noticed straight away how poor the colours looked on the decals. Not realising the top coating! to the point I left it on! But I'm building the 190 F8 watching this and its an excellent kit ('21). Also did the Tempest V and I found it a great kit to build which prompted me to get further ones (bad batch perhaps?). The canopy mask has been a long time coming so grats to Eduard for that trying doing a revell canopy without them. great video
I agree with the Mirage III, My fist Eduard kit. Poor fitting for sure. Nearly gave up but decided to build the 1/72 Mig-21 Profi edition and by god possibly one if the best fitting kits I have ever come across in 50 years of Modelling.
That proves that one never should draw conclusions from one or two bad experiences. The kits are often designed by different individuals, and in general newer kits are better, as tooling technology gets better.
Your manufacturer reviews are great Peter and more importantly will get modellers' views right in front of them. And acted upon...hopefully. I agree with your points about Eduard's strengths and weaknesses. They have some history of acting to remedy their mistakes. Eg the excellent 190A-4 on your bench was a complete retool of an earlier 190A/F series which had a reputation for fine detail, but were almost completely impossible to build without divine intervention. Likewise when their Bf109G-6 was found to be dimensionally inaccurate, they scrapped the tools and started over for their current generation of 109 kits. I like their willingness to try and innovate, provided as they have done so far, they suck it up when they fail and fix things. Personally, I really appreciate their excellent subject research, finely detailed surfaces, their Profipacks - everything in the box for a fair price, the weekend concept for a super low price point, overtrees for those who want to build up a spare parts stash economically, resin and brass after market upgrades for those that want it and their robust boxes (yes I'm looking angrily at you Revell!). I also think they can take a lot of the credit for redefining a new standard for 1/72 kits before Arma Hobby also spotted the opportunity and really ran with it. My main grumbles with Eduard are the shrinkage dimples on some parts and overcomplex design which demand a lot of dry fits and adjustments. Tamiya always give the builder confidence. Eduard kits need to be approached with a whole different mind and skillset IMHO.
I have some Eduard kits on the pile, and am keen to try out their "different" decals, having narrowly avoided making a mess of the cartograf decals that have come with the airfix kits I've done.
I agree with you that CAD designers are employed who do not make models. This is OK as long ss new models are trialed by model makers to review and recommend improvements prior to production
The academy Zero is garbage accuracy wise. The upper cowl gun decking is poorly shaped, the propellor is way off. It’s at a great price point but overall shape is worse than the Hasegawa Zeros from the mid 90s.
That A-4 kit is very hard to find ,as it's discontinued . I love it and have bought a load for future building. The African paint job and decals are easy as 1 2 3
Hey peter, I think I have found a solution for the eduard decal film, this has worked for me twice in a row. After applying the varnish, decal, then settling solution, I waited 2 days. Instead of trying the enamel thinner trick, I applied masking tape over the decal, pressed firmly, waited a few minutes, then the film comes off perfectly.
I agree with you Peter. The fit of some Eduard sets is very bad. I tried to build the FW-190-D but there are so much parts that don't fit properly (Wings on the fuselage, machine gun hub on fuselage and wings). I stopped building the Eduard Focke Wulf and bought the (old) Tamiya one. I'am going to build that in the A or B-sceme from the Eduard's. Never tried to use their new decals, so fingers cross. I build already some nice Eduard models with old decals like Mig 21 and the F6-3. I hope Eduard will learn from your comments and make their models better fit. Indeed, mask sets should be in the box. Tamiya decals are very thick, I always use Tamaya's decals setter strong or super strong for their decals. When I use cartograph decals I use Micro Set and Fix. Thanks a lot for you informative video's
The Eduard kits are brilliant. I have built 16 of them so far Spits, mig-21, Fw-190 and bf-109. Never face a problem other than the decals in more recent ones. Even the peel off decals have improved over time. However, I agree with you and I still don’t like them.
The new sprue attachments on the wing edges as an example, are an attempt to prevent the surface blooch that results from trimming, this way the work is done on the mating surfaces and not on the aircraft skin.
I've not come across any issues with Eduard kits as yet. I've found them very good quality. Have to say, I've not come across those strange decals yet. Going off the track a it. I your opinion, what it the best 1/72 Eurofighter kit?
Hi Peter, in regards to the sprue attachment points, I believe some Tamiya kits (panther d, perhaps the sea harrier too) also do the ‘over the top’ connection points where you have 2 places to snip off from the gate.. just an observation I guess. I’m not sure if I like the design or not, just adds a little bit extra to the cutting & sanding phase
That Mirage kit is the only plastic model that I have ever abandoned out of utter frustration. It is a pile of rubbish. I probably could have finished it, but eventually I messed up the painting too through my own fault, which made me throw in the towel. I stilll have it hoping that I can get their overtree but it dented my enthusiasm for Eduard. I have used their Brassin sets and photo etch sets and they were superb!
An interesting video Peter and one that is valuable to a relative newcomer to scale modelling like me - it is helpful to get your opinion on all these manufacturers. Look forward to the next one, whenever that may be. Chris
Regarding the infamous decals this is what Eduard says about them (they should know, I think) "Lately, the justification for rejecting our decals has been centered around the alleged need to remove the carrier from them when applied. It is surprising how many modelers mention this feature as a negative, even though we ourselves do not state or recommend such a thing. On the contrary, we actually present them as traditional decals, and the carrier does not need to be removed from them. Just treat them like any other decal, apply them to a glossy surface and paint them with clear varnish after drying. The carrier then becomes invisible on the surface. By the way, the fact that the varnish has irregular edges and has a relatively wide overlap around the color motif of the decal has a significant effect on the fact that after varnishing, the edge of the varnish on the surface of the model is practically unrecognizable. And it doesn't even need a thick coating of clear. So please, people: you don't actually need to remove the carrier after applying the decals, and the wider offset doesn't matter; it can't be seen on the finished model!" (Eduard newsletter December 2023) I don't take one side or the other; everyone is entitled to like or dislike a product, but it should be done based on facts. Eduard never intended for its decals to be used by removing the carrier film. It is a byproduct of its new manufacturing process. It can be done and works, but it is unnecessary. Applied traditionally works as intended so I don't understand the controversy.
Thank you for this interesting communication, however this is very ironic, as Eduard seem to be having some memory problems: It was EDUARD themselves who recommended to everyone how to remove their top-film on these new decals in their previous monthly newsletter (May '21 I believe) so this just shows that clearly THEY DON'T KNOW & seemingly cannot even make their own mind up...another example of the poor levels of communication and lack of clear instruction to customers yet again. (Ooops!) Also this does not resolve the poor (Digital) printing quality many of us have also experienced on these newer decal design. I have a good piece of advice for Eduard: Stop trying to force your customers to use something that is not popular & DROP these absurd decals ASAP if you want to regain your reputation for being one of the best manufacturers of kits...otherwise, many of us will just not consider their products.
I have a handful of Eduard kits in my stash. 3 spitfires in 48 scale, and a Mustang in 48 scale. Based on the comments in the video, it seems like we can almost say Eduard lets their kit designers work on what they love, and it seems obvious what they love. Spits, mustangs, and 109s. My only "real" criticism of the spitfire i just finished, is that unlike tamiya or other brands, there's nothing really in place to hold the spinner. A polycap, or a one way flanged pin would help. I felt it necessary to glue my spinner in place. One of the biggest plusses (imho) is on the profipacks, you can opt to use the provided PE parts, or you can build without.
I am building the Zero as we type…it’s pretty good but I really hate the twin-axis sprue attachment points, they need loads of extra clean up and great care not to damage the parts. 🙄
I totally agree. I stopped buying Eduard as using the decals is quite painful. After spending a great deal of time building and painting a kit, I am not going to take a chance ruining it by using Eduard's decals. I cannot understand what they are thinking about making such a truly awful decision. They do bring out some very interesting kits, but its not worth taking a chance with their decals.
Eduards latest Wildcat ends up as a beautiful rendition of the F4F but if it was your first model you could hit trouble as I don’t like the way the engine attaches to the fuselage. The kit is quite fiddly too . As for the decals I tend to discard them and hope Montex do a nice set of masks 😅
Hi Peter, a good honest and factual review. Me…whilst I’ll go and get additional photo etch or resin bits….decals are not something I would generally tend to buy in addition to the kit. Got to be honest since the arrival of the new decals and the challenging feed back got to be honest I’ve subconsciously stopped buying their kits. Your point on Arma Hobbies is so true in my opinion and they seem to be stealing ground on Eduard and others. Ref: Ratner you are soooo right….as I recall…..and I may be wrong….It was an after dinner speech. Best Regards Gary
I have to agree. I have built the Spitfire, Me 109 Hellcat the only one that went together well was a 1/72 La 7 . A few others . They are difficult to build and look ok in the end but they are as you say. Problematic. The plastic is too hard so can come apart
Damn, I've got one Eduard kit, the 1/48th Spitfire Mk Vc ProfiPack. It looks like a beautiful kit, but sadly it is a 2022 boxing and has the dreaded new style decals, and the weird sprue gates (although they only look bad on the fuselage as far as I can see. I was keen on getting some more of their kits as they are reasonably priced here in New Zealand, and they have some very nice kits of aircraft that I really like. I might still get some, but I will see how I get on with the decals. Hopefully by the time I buy another one they will have reverted to the old style, otherwise if it's a disaster I will have to get aftermarket decals, which gets very expensive down here. The only aftermarket decals I have bought are for a 1/32nd Stuka from Eagle Cal. They are superb, but the cost of postage from the US to here was more than the decals cost.
@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Peter, received an MI2 Helicopter from Aeroplast this morning in 1/48. The kit looks stunning and has 14, yes 14, decal/colour options. One of the ugliest choppers ever but looks like a fabulous build. Less than £20 too. I have ordered a 3d dash for it from Poland today, that was only £4 Cheers, Mike
Brexit would be a large reason not to attend the UK Shows from outside the UK. Too much hassle with customs if you are bringing in stuff to sell. I know of one trader from the UK that was coming to a Model Railway show in Dublin who was refused entry as they had no docs, Turned back to the UK. Would not blame a company for not attending given the customs issues plus trading at shows in Europe for EU based companies now is much more attractive.
I actually think you went a bit easy on Eduard Peter. Some years ago I built their 1/72 Spitfire, it was a total joy the best 1/72 kit aircraft kit I ever built, BUT... I Fully agree with you on the decal debacle I have not purchased an Eduard kit since and not likely to in the future until they sort out the decals. But also I have had more build issues with Eduard kits than any other brand, I have had more issues with out of register old style decals than any other brand. Eduard often re-box other brands kits and don't tell you, the Lysander for example. Then there is the photo etch, that is often ill fitting, that comes with instructions but no paint instructions, if you're adding additional parts what colour should they be??? then the pre painted photo etch with its horrid lumpy texture that you then have to colour match too in your cockpit often a nightmare in its own right. I love eduard resin, I really like some of their etch, I think they have some great ideas, but as you say the application is not where it needs to be. Also 2 years ago they massively hiked their delivery cost to the UK which more than cancelled out my 20% bunny club discount. taking all of that into account, I don't buy thier kits anymore and I by there aftermarket only if I cannot find an alternative. There are people who are Dogmatic about how good Eduard are in the same way some people are dogmatic about how bad Airfix is but you have to challenge your prejudice to see the truth. Like Rome, Eduard have fallen and it is now just a place to visit to pick up an occasional expensive item while looking on at the the ruins of a once great empire. Top video Peter.
Thanks Jason, & interesting to hear…but steady with your Airfix love this week, after their stupid Vulcan ‘Black Buck’ error they are currently also on the naughty step! 🫣🤣
But the Ferret has hatches in 1:35 that are nearly as thick as the real thing, the exhaust mesh cover looks more like armour plate and the radiator outlet is just childish in its representation.
I had the same bad expérience with a dora wings kit, the promising Caudron Simoun. Nothing matches, engine does not fit into the fuselage, poor joints, impossible to just glue parts on the fuselage joint... Because you just can't access... Etc. Happy you hear your caveats..
I've a couple of their 1/72 kits, but haven't built any. I think you have to be mentally prepared that it's gonna be a struggle, although the parts look good, they are full-blooded short run kits. Dora Wings is a one man company.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I think those elevated sales levels might have had something to do with covid and the lockdowns, not the new style decals. Personally I hope more model companies follow their lead as these decals are the closest thing to painted markings. Just my option of course.
@@56Gumball No Bill, I meant 2020 and previous, nothing to do with Covid. Eduard have lost sales over this, make no mistake. I am on a regular live web forum where most people seemed to have mostly dropped Eduard after many experienced problems with the decals.
Hi Peter, I enjoyed your video on Eduard and here is my opinion, for what it’s worth. Yes, I think they are hit and miss kits and I started building their Fw190 D-9 kit around 10 years ago and got a bit bogged down with it and stick it on the shelf of doom. Fast forward to this year when I decided to give them another go and bought their 1/48 scale Spitfire Mkviii and what a beautiful kit it is too. It has the best wing to fuselage joint I have ever come across, perfect. However the kit was let down by a few things, the top engine cover is moulded it two haves which needs replacing with a resin one piece. And the exhausts were more complicated than it should have been. But I rate the kit and I’m now building another with their Brassin engine, gunbays etc. But the decals are a disaster, I did get them down reasonably well but were not a great experience. The gain is not worth the time and chew. So I hope Eduard change them to normal decals. I applaud them for trying to move the game on but I think it is a failure. Last point on the sprue attachments. I don’t have the Zero yet so I can’t compare in the flesh but the spitfire seems to have the same style of attachments. Now for me there are a success because on the spitfire they are only attached on the mating surface of the parts and not the external surface of the kit. Meaning, all you have to do is trim the attachment flush with the mating surface and a near flawless joint can be achieved. I will be buying the Zero kit shortly but I would be interested if you could check again to confirm the attachment point is only on the mating surface. A Sorry for the long message but I did enjoy the video and wished to chip in my view. I look forward to you next video. Cheers Neil
How do you remove that carrier film, I tried but did not know how.. Eduard (or any company whatsoever) should also improve some matters 1) The drawings in the instructions are small and do not always show the positions well enough. 2 The landing gear attachment to the fuselage, what they do not make sturdier and longer plugs and deeper holes to allow the, to more snugly and properly attached. 3) the canopy attachments always piss me off, in any models they have not invented how to properly attach them and alignment is always the problem.
I think using the Mirage to judge Eduard is a bit harsh, it would be like using Tamiya's Sea Harrier to form an opinion on them! That being said, that is the risk a manufacturer takes if they release a bad kit - if that's someone's first experience of your products then you've lost a potential customer, if that person is a TH-camr who loves a good rant then you may have lost even more! I agree that the decal situation is ridiculous though, whether you're supposed to peel them or not, the fact that so many people have had issues show's they have messed up. You also made a great point about the rough texture on the plastic, what a shame when there is all that lovely detail 😞 Anyway, thanks for an entertaining and informative video 👍
Of course, compared to the crude WWI planes they started with... And Tamiya cannot do everything, although I wish they could! The good news is that my Arma Hobby Hurricane arrives tomorrow.
I think that Eduard make two types of kit: mainstream releases and niche/enthusiast projects. The mainstream kits, like the 109s and Zero, are terrific kits - they put a lot of effort into getting the history and accuracy right, and do a lot of valuable research, which they publish freely. The less mainstream kits, possibly including the Tempest, have a finite amount of design work on them because they don't expect to sell as many, so they take a little bit more building, but they still build well enough. Not a massive fan of the new decals though, and the game has been upped by the Mengs and Vespids of this world, but Eduard are a good company.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Definitely! Think that Arma used Eduard as the benchmark to beat and succeeded. Will be interesting to see if they upscale their P-51 to 1/48, which would put them right in Eduard territory
Hi Peter, I do agree with your views on Eduard. I have watched a few of your reviews and Rants, I do enjoy them but why do we never see you build anything?
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab hi Peter! I am indeed very pleased! I discovered your channel a few weeks ago and I am loving going through the videos. Awesome, relaxing atmosphere ^^
You really need to branch out on the Eduard line. I have built the mirage and it was a bit more challenging, but it is an old kit that came out in 2004. The tempest although newer, I I have not built this one, 2018. This kits I built turned out wonderful. Not only were they pleasurable to build, but they also give you different versions of the same model, at different price points. If you like extra detail and can justify the extra cost, get a profipak. If your on a budget, they offer a weekend for substantially less.
Peter, the Modelling Weekly channel of 2nd September gives a tutorial on these decals. It is hard to deny, that if they do work, the result is quite impressive.
Hi. I have some Eduard but haven't built them yet so I'll have to reserve my judgement until then. Tempest V.................Widcats, Hellcat, P51 D-5, Spitfire VIII, P400 and Bf108 and have a Rufe on order. Quite the spread of their production time so we shall see. On the injection gate subject, if you model armour , you will see it on Tamiya's Notek lights. It lets you remove the gate without damaging the curve of the rear edge or the light. On a wing edge it leaves a thin rectangle of plastic on the edge of the actual wing surface but allows a sufficient opening to inject the necessary amount of molten plastic into the mould. The previous method, that you see on older kits, results in a large, semicircle of plastic that is on the wing leading or trailing edge and can be more difficult to clean up. And often this circular gate would bulge out onto the joining surfaces of the wing as well. Anyway, looking forward to more rants. Dragon? I had a Panzer 1 of theirs that didn't make it. Almost binned it but then thought I could put it under a tarp in a diorama. Cheers 🦘🦘🦘
I have a couple of recent-ish Eduard kits in the stash, a 1/32 Me109 Special Edition AdlerGriff, from 2020, and the very extensive decal sheet looks pretty good, and a couple of 1/48 Mig-21pf kits from 2021 (they were v cheap) which are odd in that the extensive stencil sheet - (almost as many as a phantom) seem to be normal older type decals, presumably from the original release, but the main marking sheet look like the thicker top carrier type - not so bad that they can't be used, but I am confused by them. No mention in instructions of course. You didn't mention the initial word from Eduard was that the Newer decals were supposed to be used the same as older types. Only later did they release videos showing how to peel them, but still saying it was unnecessary. Not necessarily related to Eduard, but I am in total agreement about your comments about the amount of research that sometimes seems to go only as far as taking a scan of some museum exhibit, and cursory examination of a couple of photos, (dare we say Black Buck Vulcan). Another example from Airfix, on another otherwise excellent kit. They scanned a civilian Chipmunk that was not representative of the type in-service. The cowling/Exhaust combinations do not match.The exhaust is the original thin sloping design that comes out of a large hole in the bottom cowling, but the nose cowling is the later type used in the fatter horizontal exhaust that exits at the rear & has a heating pipe Something 5 minutes of research would have found out. At very little cost or research, they could have provided both options. (I won't go into the tiny WWII spitfire pilot blobs that are meant to be the crew figures).
They seem to have trouble with exhausts and intakes. My FW-190 Royal Class edition had no intake pipe parts or instructions. Yet they were shown in the pictures later in the build. Luckily I had some excess material from other kits.
When you ask ‘What were Edward thinking?’ The answer very probably is ‘They weren’t’. Or rather they were, but were thinking of their own situation not that of their customers. Decisions such as this are usually driven by a new management team which has looked purely at the bottom line. I’m reminded of Mercedes when they did a similar thing a few years ago…they cheapened the quality of the steel in their cars which led to huge corrosion problems. Their reputation took a massive hit and they spent a fortune repairing the damage.
This is all conjecture unless you know what happened. If Peter had actually used the decals and then had the same opinion I would hold that opinion with more weight. But it seems like he has just listened to all the othe rants without using them and is not telling the full story. I have used them as normal decals and INMHO they work better than some Cartograph decals.
It was Chrysler's input into Mercedes to make Merc build cars to a price (the American way) that saw quality plummet. Mercedes had to get rid of Chrysler to get back to building cars to their high design standards, and slowly re-build their quality reputation, one that an American company trashed in just a few years to milk short-term profits and executive bonuses.
I will say Eduard has been fantastic with me customer service wise, had some minor damage to one or two pieces on the photoetch and clear sprue and they sent me a new set of each no questions asked no receipt or anything. I enjoyed building my Maltese spitfires
It would seem that Eduard have shot themselves in both feet with the new decals and sprue attachment points. Having said that, my experience with their kits has been pretty good. My maternal grandfather was killed in action along with his pilot back in 1917 while they were fling in a 20 Squadron Bristol Fighter, so my main interest in aircraft kits is the First World War. Eduard are my main provider of kits of such aircraft in 1/48 scale. So far I have built 18 Eduard models from that period. I only had problems with one (number 19 - the SPAD XIII). This was due IMHO poor design of the kit. In the Eduard SPAD XIII the lower wings are connected to eachother by two flimsy plastic rods that you glue to the fuselage before covering them up with a piece that fits below them and forms part of the fuselage underside. Needless to say, both rods broke off as I attempted to do this and I have not been able to get them to line up properly or strongly enough since then. The Dragon kit was better in having the lower wing and fuselage below it as one piece, so I discarded the Eduard SPAD, for the time being at least, and built the Dragon one instead! All the other models went together well: Eduard’s DH-2, Nieuport 17, Sopwith’s Pup, Triplane, and Camel, the SE5A and (of course) the Bristol Fighter. For the Germans I have built their Fokker Triplane and DVII, various Albatros types, the Roland C11, the Pfalz DIII. I have yet to build some more Eduard from both sides. I had to turn to Roden for the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter and the DH-4, and the now defunct Aeroclub for a FE2b and RE-8. I know of Wingnut Wings but they are too big for my flat and too expensive for me. Although I dabble with WW2 and even jets they have all been from other manufacturers. I have never built Eduard kits of post WW1 aircraft as they were not making the kits I wanted at the time I wanted them. So to summarise, Eduard are to be praised for their WW1 models. I don’t know about the rest, but have yesterday ordered one of their Sopwith Camels with the Clerget engine. I hope I don’t encounter the same problems you have described regarding the decals and sprue attachment points! My apologies for the length of this, it took almost as long to write and edit as your very useful video took to watch. Your ones on Airfix and Revell were also good, and could you now move on to Roden and Copper State Models? And how about a “how to deal with PE” video, since I always find that difficult. Keep them coming.
I dont know if its right or wrong but the North Vietnam option on their Mig -21 PFM (kit nmbr7454) looks wrong to me as the main colour is sand with brown and green patches....strange for a country that is a jungle envoirnment....it looks like a desert scheme you would see on an Egyptian or Syrian Mig-21.
The HGW Wet Transfer decals are a similar concept to the newer Eduard sets, and I found them truly awful and a complete waste of money. The A-4 is a lovely kit and build and the decals went down with no problems at all, even that black flash over the fuselage sides around the nose. I've built a few Eduard kits, including the Tempest which I don't recall being especially challenging, even with the addition of the resin Sabre engine. Probably also worth mentioning that they do re-box other manufacturers kits and add their own detail sets to complete the package (Hawker Typhoon - Hasegawa, Westland Lysander - Gavia), which I think is a good move on their part.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I'm pretty sure they are printed in-house by Eduard, the whole reason why they changed their decals is to cut costs. The peeling is not intended, it's just a by-product, probably they were not even aware of this in the beginning. I build a lot short run kits, so from my perspective all the issues that Eduard kits or decals might have, are minor in comparison. Eduard kits are a luxury product compared to most short run kits, and I will definitely buy every new 1/72 kit they will release.
@@thekinksfan5102 The Lysander is definetely a short run kit - little or no locating pins or holes, poor fit of some parts etc. Did Eduard do these in the old days?
@@pstrutt1 according to scalemates in 2001. Early Eduard kits are at least partially short run style, but they improved quite fast. And they are basically WWI, P-39 was the first WWII plane. I've got A 1/72 Lysander from Dora Wings, it's going to be a challenging build. Big part of the issues are caused by errors in the instructions.
I do like the Eduard range and the idea or simpler weekend and profipak etc having the photoetch and masks and generous decal options. If they had to save money and not go belly up maybe thats the motive. Arma hobby who equally provide astounding detail as Eduard do had to jettison photoetch in there expert range which was a real shame. Having said that they offered resin parts,same good quality decals but from a much smaller range of course. On Peters point Arma hobby had excellent communication with their fans,emails etc asking what we thought. Eduard offer amazing detail,excellent instructions which wipe the floor with ICM,try building a Merlin engine in any of their many Spitfire kits! You have the simple and experienced choice which Arma have copied. So ok decals are an issue although ive not tried them. To be honest the points Peter made are all relevant but i do think we are a bit spoilt these days. We are modellers not puzzle makers. File,sanding paper,attention and skill oh and scalpel nurse! Think what the old kits were like and our hobby grew from that and is here today with all the millions of bottles of splodge we enjoy buying ( dry paints??!!) My advice. Build a Mistercraft kit and checkout old Heller and any Mistercraft decals and everything will smell of roses!!! The things nightmares are made of. Keep going Peter. Treat yourself to a Sky kit or clear Prop or Dora Wings. Itll cheer you up. Older companies are bigger,have large overheads and lots of old molds and lets be honest,new people coming in wont mind a pre 2012 Airfix or a revell tank etc. A lot of us are the middle aged experienced back to the hobby enthusiasts, but there are 1000s of build,paint,enjoy modellers to. How about discussing a lesser known brand and have a stiff Brandy. We love you Peter even if the new Eduard decals dont! :-)
Lol! 🤣 A funny and well observed comment. ☺️ I recently reviewed the excellent Clear Prop Mig-23 (see channel) but think you are a tiny bit harsh on ICM, their new stuff is amazing. 👍🏻
Peter, I was hoping you’d address some technical issues of the fit and construction. Im currently working on a Eduard 1/48 scale Mustang from The Chattanooga Choo Choo kit. I am so disappointed with several, and counting, of how the kit is constructed. First, the canopy doesn’t fit over the guide rail. Not even close! Second is the hole for the gear main mounts to be inserted into. VERY flimsy and doesn’t fit well. The tail wheel is very difficult to insert into the wheel well and flimsy! The wing tank attachment to the parent rack is virtually non existent. The will require a good amount of glue to hold the tank to the parent. I came close to chucking the whole thing in the trash can on two different occasions; something that I rarely do. Ill be much more cautious of buying Eduard kits in the future. Thanks for making this “rant”. I was feeling alone in my protestations until I saw your video.
Sorry to hear that Paul, I am hoping the Zero will be ok, but it’s baffling that some folks really think Eduard are the best kit makers: They still have much to learn from Tamiya…
This may be irrelevant to this thread, but my complaint about Eduard concerns my 1/16th scale Eduard Schwimmwagen. Virtually no positive location points for parts, and very vague instruction leaflet. for my first experience of Eduard , I am not impressed, but it is probably one of their early productions.
....and while watching your excellent video, rant and all (😉), I picked up Eduard's reboxing (#1165) of Accurate Miniature's SBD-5 Dauntless in 1/48! Oh dear! 😳😲😅😆😂
Just finishing a clear pro 1/72 which looked to be amazing but flipping heck it fought me every step. Nothing fitted, the instructions were frustratingly vague photo etch that would never ever fit and I think my frustration with it made me make a lot of silly mistakes. It looks sort of OK in the end but not for the faint hearted. Give me an Airfix starter set any day.
Another great review. On the strength of the one Eduard kit I've built I would have happily bought any of their other offerings. Now I'm not so sure. However, you see this so often in the wider world when a manufacturer with a great reputation lets themselves down. Hopefully, they'll make some changes.
Oh no, I got a few eduard kits and they look scary and complex. I was hoping for a good rant. I just looked at my Mystere and vampire kits and to my horror, they are really complex. I really want to build a good Mystere and this one looks like it's going to be a struggle.
Eduard makes fantastic plastic kits, the photo etch and paint maska fits wery well. Decals, well where else do you get 14 diferent choises? If you only seen a few of these and built even fewer you no good judge.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Sounds like you are still closed minded Peter. Don't listen to all the detractors and just try them for yourself. I promise that they are not as bad as you make them out to be. It really erks me that you are misleading people on your video.
@@michaelgrey7854 In what way am I misleading people? I shared my own (bad) experiences of Eduard kits and stated facts backed with evidence for all to see. If you had a good experience that's fine and I do not dispute it but it does not negate the many issues the rest of us have had. I made this clear at the start of the video. I also stated how much I like many of Eduard's products like aftermarket items and showed a good (slightly older) example of their kits range. My comments are objective and I can name 5 well known UK top Modellers who have the same views. It sounds like you have also not watched the whole video and taken comments out of context.
@@Georgeconna32 He is not telling the truth about the decals. They were not intended to have the carrier film removed. And he actually has no experience using them at all but would rather trust Phil Flory and Spencer Pollard. I have used the decals and they are great!
IDK, I built both the Mig 21 SMT and the Spitfire Mk XIV or something and they were beautiful kits - the Mig's considered the best in the business. However, these were pre-stupid decal saga so I don't know. Are they Tamiya? No, but they are not Revell or Kittyhawk!
went to your current clip to see why the title..i think if you are to continue with this tack you must show ..your work and the kit itself as you explaine..look forward to those post ..regards nikki
I think part of the problem with the new decals is modelers want to get to finish line and don't wait for the decals to dry up after applying. I've used them and they were pretty good. The key is to wait a few hours after applying the decal then putting Tamiya tape over the decal to lift the carrier film. Once its lifted partially you can take tweezers to remove the film. don't apply too much pressure with the tape and be gentle with tweezers. But you're right not informing their customers of the decal change was a cock up on their part.
On my first Eduard kit I had no problem getting the decal film peeled off. I would scratch with my fingernails than the tweezers. The results were great, they looked painted on. My second one today has been a disaster. They have lifted off the entire decals and now the model is a mess. I suspect it is not technique but almost a curing and surface issue. The first one almost baked in the garage for the day ( during the DC summer) also I think I may not have gloss coated it before putting the decals down. Todays one I had put a gloss coat down and it was cooler more humid weather, so I left it for two days but on half the decals I had tears and lifting. Have another one I have yet to gloss so I am going to put them straight down and see what happens....
Hello, I dont usually comment on Vids as I watch them on TV, but I enjoyed this and I also enjoyed the Airfix and Revell talk's. I decided to comment as I only have 1 Eduard kit and after seeing this, I wont be buying any more. They are quite pricey and yes the detail is stunning but as you pointed out, the sprue gates are wrong and the transfer's (decals) are also wrong. Keep this kind of thing up, looking forward to the Tamiya one, ever tried there sea harrier, I think it is, not for the faint hearted
Thanks! Ref: Eduard, most of the 2015-2021 kits seem pretty good, it seems only recently they went bad. As for Tamiya Sea Harrier, I bought in 2009 and quickly sold it on...😉
Of course every modeler looks at things from their own perspective and has their own priorities. But Tamiya (or Zoukei Mura et al.) better than Eduard? Maybe in some bizarro alternate universe, but not in this one. I can cut and dress a multitude of thick sprue gates and fiddle about with minor (or even relatitively serious) fit issues with much less drudgery than I'll spend trying to bring the surface detail of a Tamiya kit up to what is now, thanks in large part to Eduard, industry standard. I do agree with the point about the somewhat "dot matrixy" look of some of the newer decals, but to me the peelable carrier film is a major plus, not a minus, and well worth the effort for the result.
I've seen the grainy surface on areas of some Eduard kits (IIRC, the Tempest for example), but that doesn't change the fact that *all* Tamiya kits with the exception of the high-dollar 1/32 stuff are, compared to Eduard, missing tons of detail. And on the subject of bad in-house decals, Tamiya's plywood-thickness examples make any issues with Eduard's inconsequential in comparison.@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab
@@grimfist79 I don't consider Tamiya kits "bad", and in most cases their engineering is beyond reproach. But by the criteria I look at in comparing kits, they're in a tier below Eduard. I believe, however, that market pressures will eventually prompt Tamiya to step up their game on detail. The inevitable price increase will be a downside though.
@@relic2860 Hmmm...most commenters seem to disagree with you. The point I think you are missing is that part of the appeal of Eduard is the variety of schemes and 'everything in one box' which they have now ruined.
Bit of a reach, to be fair. It's not the Berlin wall no matter what the remain echo chamber is telling you. It's become a convenient excuse for a lot of poor service and poor manufacture. I've used the Brexit excuse with specific customers who have lapped it up; I don't need to work for people like that 😂 🐑
Peter due to the petty measures imposed on the divorce agreement, it causes all EU companies a headache attending UK shows due to VAT. Perhaps they organisers of Telford should consider a venue that is a better proposition than the current location, berhaps Belfast. That way European manufacturers can attend without the VAT problems, since Northern Ireland appears to be a Land grab by the EU but without the bloodshed of Ukraine.
Very interesting review and l am really enjoying this series, a bit of an eye opener 😳 l would like to get the TORA TORA kit and l most probably have the skills now to get over the problems but the decals no l don't think so and anyway they are other Zeros out there but will try to get the 190 thanks to think l could have got that Zero and would not have had a clue what was going on also watched half the live feed last night enjoy what people were saying 👍
IDK, I've been very disappointed with Airfix considering all of the hoopla over their new toolings. Recently built thier Hurricane Mk I in 1/72 and ran into fit issues on the second part I glued up! Still, compared to virtually all kits made more than 30 years ago, Revell, Airfix and Eduard are light years ahead. In the past one just assumed that some fit adjustment would always be necessary (unless it was a Tamiya shake and bake kit.) Of course, you spent two or three times as much on the Tamiya kit to get that fit.
The Eduard P-51 D and BF-109 F-4 profiPACKs and the Limited Edition Spitfire Mk V were amazing!!! The older P-39 I’m doing right now is very meh. The 109 had old decals and they were awesome. Those new declas are absolute garbage. Now I just leave the “removable” layer on and clear right over it.
I have seen a few sink holes and surprisingly a small amount of flashing on their 1/48 Spitfire Mk V kits! I think their quality control has dropped. I totally agree, not to tell customers by a small note in the box about their new decals was terrible! It caught me out! But I do love their decals when you know how to apply them.
Just a thought, I have built 3 kits now with the new style of decals and not once have I had a single issue with them. Eduard do state you don’t need to peel anything away from the decal they are not designed that way, I simply used micro sol and set and they look amazing, as good as there old style decals for sure, so people stating the pain to peel them off is rather self imposed as eduard have stated numerous times this isn’t necessarily, after a clear coat and a flat coat the look amazing believe me. Maybe try the decals before forming your opinions on others peoples findings.
You sound like you're describing Revell aircraft kits of the 1970s, not Eduard! Or better still, Mach 2 but everyone picking up one of those kits usually knows they're in for an "extended project" or a "skill builder" type kit. I'd expect better of Eduard, shames.
The Eduard Mirage is a very, very old kit for them now (15 plus years)... The FW-190A-4 is 2017 and the Zero is 2022, so only 5 years apart, not 7... Since the Spitfire Mk IX of 2013 (a new still unbeaten worldwide standard imho: The best of Tamiya can barely even share the same shelf, especially with a deeply weathered wash: Also, Tamiya's 1/32 Spit IX is far less accurate, having a huge transition angle between the cowling and spinner). Eduard are simply on another level, but accuracy is still a bit iffy on small details like the P-51 MG openings, Tempest V windscreen, or the lack of P-51 cowling fasteners (which Airfix overstated, but still better than fictional dots). Tamiya accuracy in 1/48 has only really improved since their Me-109G-6/ Ki-61 (I absolutely detest their 2003 P-47), but both the Eduard 190s and the P-38J have cowling shape issues... The new Eduard decals are outstanding, revolutionary for metal finishes in how easy they are to peel, and work fine without peeling, although the long film edges do want to curl a bit. There is not much wrong with the new Eduard decals, and I will occasionally buy Eduard kits just for the decals alone. The Zero's red markings did look grainy, but this has not been repeated in other colours, and may not even show up that much once washed and weathered.
Tamiya have far older kits from the 90's that go together much better so that is not much of an excuse. But I will be building the newer Zero soon, so we will see. I will do an after-build review too so we will have a factual and frank summing up.
What a horrible thumbnail for the video. Almost as bad as Eduard decals seem to be. I like the 3 Eduard kits I build, but I didn't buy any since the stories about those decals appeared on youtube.
You're way off on your assessment of Eduard's new decals. They are a DETAIL company, and eliminating carrier film is a huge advantage. If anyone can't handle using a simple pair of tweezers they can go back to the childrens' companies (Revell, Airfix, Italeri). Actually Eduard's are EASIER, but you completely ignored the alternative, and instead over-focused on assumed defects. Would you rather: 1) apply decals, remove film or 2) gloss coat, apply decals, sand carrier film edge off (if you even can) of perfect new paint/decals work, and clear coat. Saying they are anti-builder and refusing to admit gross mistakes is illogical. Their mistake was, as you rightly say, not preparing the customers, which they could have made into an opportunity by hyping the benefits and ease of use.
Premium modern decals like Cartograph have almost zero carrier film visible beyond the printed decal. I think Eduard introduced this too soon and have a decal system that looks like an prototype experiment...lets see if they persist with it.
Having seen this id never ever buy an Eduard kit and if the fanboys want to shill for bad production and design fine. Thats their prerogative but dont attack reality when its obvious or decry a guys ability when bad production is responsible.
The point the Eduard fanboys miss is this: What is the point or attraction of a kit with 6 or 7 great marking schemes if they cannot offer a widely user-friendly decal quality? WHY don't they get it? This just reduces their appeal & potential market hugely. 😑
As a young modeler (28) i really value the information and experience of all you modelers that grew up with the hobby have. Please keep sharing your experience, and your nostalgia.
I don't agree with most of your criticism of Eduard. Yes, they should have told modelers that their decals had changed and require a different application technique to make the best of them. Having discovered that the carrier film is on top and can be peeled away, leaving a painted on look is far superior than having to spray and sand multiple coats of varnish in order to hide the decal film edges of your garden variety decals. Worse so with the ridiculously thick Tamiya decals. Far more work and risk to the model in my honest opinion. Also I prefer the way Eduard have done their part attachment points, as it is easier to clean up the mating surface than a gate which runs on external detail, and needs to be sanded away, risking potential damage to fine exterior detail. I think Eduard have surpassed Tamiya as far as selection, quality and detail years ago.
But Ken...do you also agree with Eduard reboxing Russian kits and not telling customers? That is their latest business plan...Su-25k is a Zvezda kit.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I was not aware they have been reboxing Russian kits, but they have been reboxing other companies kits for quite some time now. Hobby 2000, and Revell do the same. I could be wrong, but I've never seen any kit company that reboxes another manufacturer's kit state that anywhere within the kit. Even Atlantis, which reboxes just about all of their catalog from ancient Revell or Monogram tooling don't state it on their kits. They do, however, usually let people know by something on their social media. Does it make it right? No, but even Tamiya has done this, and only recently put the other manufacturer's label (Italeri) alongside theirs on the box.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab well, Eduard always give full information about reboxed kits...look at their web page...it is clearly stated on generał overview of a kit, info newsletters and manuals. In case of HRABE kit, zvezda is mentioned as manufacturer.
YOU ARE JOKING . OLD TAMIYA DECALS ARE POOR . but the rest of their kits . Are best quality . Packaging ; fit of parts and general engineering designed to fit the kit together . Take the P38 Lightning or Hien ; they are second to none . Their instructions are good ; only bettered perhaps by Airfix . Eduard instructions are all over the place ; not clear where parts go and easy to miss a sequence . The Eduard Weekend kits are good value so it's not all bad .
@@AnthonyBrown12324but the decals…
Agreed, canopy mask sets are a must please manufacturers.
And Eduard! What are you thinking with these completely crazy decals?? Fingers crossed my Eduard stash is pre 2021.
I do like the instructions, masks, individual bags and paint call outs.
The other thing you mention is the print quality of the new decals. From what I can see, they’ve been printed digitally and not the traditional silk screen method. Digital printing makes colours from basic cmyk inks (plus a handful of ‘specials’ if the printing machine can facilitate them). This means that colours often have a ‘grainy’ appearance when you look at them closely. Screen printed decals on the other hand use ‘pure’ ink colours which eliminates the grain and invariably have crisper edges and richer colours (which aren’t always what modellers want, especially if they’re replicating machines which have been exposed to the weather for prolonged periods).
Excellent & informative comment there, thanks Tim. 👍🏻
All these things about Eduard are the grumblings we all hear at the local club or model show. And surely Eduard hears them too, they have some truely remarkable well thought out kits that just stand out… then they have these odd manufacturing choices that leave you scratching your head wondering if you got a rebox or accidentally grabbed a different manufacturers kit by mistake.
What I’ll be interested in hearing is a “ Let’s Talk about Dragon “( I foresee a rant almost loud enough to challenge Revell’s chapter 😂)
Keep up the excellent work Peter, you’ve been saying what a lot of us have been thinking and your insight and examples shown really is engaging to Watch.
I think the sole advantage (if you want to call it that) of the new Eduard decals is for doing a metal finish where the carrier film is going to show up like a bug on a wedding cake no matter what you do, so it's nice to have the option of removing it but other than that, definitely a pain on normal paint jobs. Thanks for the thoughts on Eduard, I hope they do course-correct as I like their subjects and (most) of their kits in terms of detail and fit with the sprue gate exceptions you mentioned. Hobby 2000 in my opinion is doing great work. No, they are not a manufacturer but they have put out some great packages of other makers' plastic. I just did their rebox of CyberHobby/Dragon's 1/32 Bf-109E7 and it was a fantastic build. Masks included and the Cartograf decals were absolutely fantastic to work with, all at a reasonable price. Later Tamiya kits are just beautiful and I build one once in a while when I need a break from fiddling. Working on their Do-335 now and it's just incredible how well-engineered it is. I enjoy painting more than building, so it's a real treat for me, now only if their decals weren't awful...
I love Eduard but it is a shame what they have done with their decals. I can live with the sprue attachment point issue but not the decals. I've heard nothing positive about them apart from the fact that if you do manage to get it right, they look good. It's just a shame they have not listened like that did when they released that dogs breakfast of the 109G. Everyone screamed so the pulled it and completely remade it. That was an entire kit! Come on Eduard. You are better than that. Revert to the old system NOW!
Loving this ' Lets talk about ' series 👍👍.
Got to say I've only had very good experiences with Eduard kits, admittedly only 190s and Fishbeds. But coming from airfix kits the details are stunning and masks and photo etch are great additions.
I will not dispute that at all...but they are not what they once were, as you can see from the older and newer examples I showed.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lablooking forward to this...have their 1/72 Mig-21 PFM in the stash (kit nmbr 7454) and it seems to be way overly engineered
I'm building the Tempest Mk V myself as we speak :) However, the Bf110E has a dreadful fit on the engine nacelles. and I've had it half-built for nearly a year.
I have long experience with Eduard kits. In fact this is my favorite brand nowdays. I am not talking about reboxed kits, cos usually they are good kits with plenty pe, masks and resin goods. You will be satisfied if you get one. BUT, the true Eduard kits are awesome, and best in terms of details, precision, quality. Eduard's MIG-21 is the best kit ever. I have build already 3 of them and I am not going to stop. If you look for building a plane, check if there is a Eduard kit on market. About decals...You can master them, just some practise is needed and the result is much better from thick decals from for example Tamiya etc. Or buy a decal set of your wish I you want to work the old way. There are many tutorials how to put properly Eduard decals on yt.
Good for you, but my experience with them is not so good. I think many people are blinded by Eduard's excellent surface detail. All three kits I built disappointed me. I am currently building the Zero and again, despite being a recent kit the poor fit of the parts and vague instructions are disappointing compared to other manufacturers...more on this soon.
My first Eduard kit was the 1/48 Bf-108B in the black box and have since built several Eduard (32, 48 and 72 scale) kits over the years, with lots of enjoyment. I've had one real issue with an Eduard product. One of their masking sets was the wrong scale. It was for the 1/48 Tamiya P-47M, but it was too small to be 1/48 but too big for 1/72, turned out to be about 1/60, strange that.
I personally prefer the sprue attachment point that goes round to the inside of the part. Generally, the sprue point is smaller on the outside where all the detail is, and thicker on the inside which makes it easier to clip the part and then sand the mating surfaces. Rather than having a larger point on the outside of a leading edge for instance and then having to sand and lose all that lovely detail in the process.
As for the transfers, I agree they should have shown people the new style transfers and then put them in the box with an instruction on how to use them. I’ll probably test some of mine on a test kit and see how that goes. So interesting times ahead…
Should put both options in. So all the super experts who have never had one of these decals go wrong on them can feel all good about themselfs, while the other 99 percent of us can finish what are fine models on the whole
Excellent idea Geoffrey 👍🏻...but will they listen?
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Actually. I don't peel them off and they work fine Thats the point I have been trying to make. Eduard did Not intend for the decal film to be peeled off.
having done the other 1/48 Zero, as a printer of 26 years I noticed straight away how poor the colours looked on the decals. Not realising the top coating! to the point I left it on! But I'm building the 190 F8 watching this and its an excellent kit ('21). Also did the Tempest V and I found it a great kit to build which prompted me to get further ones (bad batch perhaps?). The canopy mask has been a long time coming so grats to Eduard for that trying doing a revell canopy without them. great video
I agree with the Mirage III, My fist Eduard kit. Poor fitting for sure. Nearly gave up but decided to build the 1/72 Mig-21 Profi edition and by god possibly one if the best fitting kits I have ever come across in 50 years of Modelling.
That proves that one never should draw conclusions from one or two bad experiences. The kits are often designed by different individuals, and in general newer kits are better, as tooling technology gets better.
Your manufacturer reviews are great Peter and more importantly will get modellers' views right in front of them. And acted upon...hopefully. I agree with your points about Eduard's strengths and weaknesses. They have some history of acting to remedy their mistakes. Eg the excellent 190A-4 on your bench was a complete retool of an earlier 190A/F series which had a reputation for fine detail, but were almost completely impossible to build without divine intervention. Likewise when their Bf109G-6 was found to be dimensionally inaccurate, they scrapped the tools and started over for their current generation of 109 kits. I like their willingness to try and innovate, provided as they have done so far, they suck it up when they fail and fix things. Personally, I really appreciate their excellent subject research, finely detailed surfaces, their Profipacks - everything in the box for a fair price, the weekend concept for a super low price point, overtrees for those who want to build up a spare parts stash economically, resin and brass after market upgrades for those that want it and their robust boxes (yes I'm looking angrily at you Revell!). I also think they can take a lot of the credit for redefining a new standard for 1/72 kits before Arma Hobby also spotted the opportunity and really ran with it. My main grumbles with Eduard are the shrinkage dimples on some parts and overcomplex design which demand a lot of dry fits and adjustments. Tamiya always give the builder confidence. Eduard kits need to be approached with a whole different mind and skillset IMHO.
Great comment Neil, thanks. 👍🏻
I have some Eduard kits on the pile, and am keen to try out their "different" decals, having narrowly avoided making a mess of the cartograf decals that have come with the airfix kits I've done.
I agree with you that CAD designers are employed who do not make models. This is OK as long ss new models are trialed by model makers to review and recommend improvements prior to production
Academy is doing a great Zero right now, not a Swiss watch, but definitely 'quartz' reliability and spot-on build ability 😊
Having built both the Eduard still wins out in detail
The academy Zero is garbage accuracy wise. The upper cowl gun decking is poorly shaped, the propellor is way off. It’s at a great price point but overall shape is worse than the Hasegawa Zeros from the mid 90s.
That A-4 kit is very hard to find ,as it's discontinued . I love it and have bought a load for future building. The African paint job and decals are easy as 1 2 3
The mirage must be around 20 years old. As for the Tempest a most enjoyable build.
Hey peter, I think I have found a solution for the eduard decal film, this has worked for me twice in a row. After applying the varnish, decal, then settling solution, I waited 2 days. Instead of trying the enamel thinner trick, I applied masking tape over the decal, pressed firmly, waited a few minutes, then the film comes off perfectly.
I agree with you Peter. The fit of some Eduard sets is very bad. I tried to build the FW-190-D but there are so much parts that don't fit properly (Wings on the fuselage, machine gun hub on fuselage and wings). I stopped building the Eduard Focke Wulf and bought the (old) Tamiya one. I'am going to build that in the A or B-sceme from the Eduard's. Never tried to use their new decals, so fingers cross. I build already some nice Eduard models with old decals like Mig 21 and the F6-3. I hope Eduard will learn from your comments and make their models better fit. Indeed, mask sets should be in the box. Tamiya decals are very thick, I always use Tamaya's decals setter strong or super strong for their decals. When I use cartograph decals I use Micro Set and Fix. Thanks a lot for you informative video's
The Eduard kits are brilliant. I have built 16 of them so far Spits, mig-21, Fw-190 and bf-109. Never face a problem other than the decals in more recent ones. Even the peel off decals have improved over time. However, I agree with you and I still don’t like them.
The new sprue attachments on the wing edges as an example, are an attempt to prevent the surface blooch that results from trimming, this way the work is done on the mating surfaces and not on the aircraft skin.
I hate it. It's double the clean up
I've not come across any issues with Eduard kits as yet. I've found them very good quality. Have to say, I've not come across those strange decals yet. Going off the track a it. I your opinion, what it the best 1/72 Eurofighter kit?
Hasegawa. 👍🏻
Hi Peter, in regards to the sprue attachment points, I believe some Tamiya kits (panther d, perhaps the sea harrier too) also do the ‘over the top’ connection points where you have 2 places to snip off from the gate.. just an observation I guess. I’m not sure if I like the design or not, just adds a little bit extra to the cutting & sanding phase
That Mirage kit is the only plastic model that I have ever abandoned out of utter frustration. It is a pile of rubbish. I probably could have finished it, but eventually I messed up the painting too through my own fault, which made me throw in the towel. I stilll have it hoping that I can get their overtree but it dented my enthusiasm for Eduard. I have used their Brassin sets and photo etch sets and they were superb!
Thanks...glad it wasn't just me...I won through in the end, but was NOT impressed. 😖
An interesting video Peter and one that is valuable to a relative newcomer to scale modelling like me - it is helpful to get your opinion on all these manufacturers. Look forward to the next one, whenever that may be. Chris
Glad it was helpful! Hoping Eduard will take the feedback and change back to winning ways...👍🏻
Hopefully Eduard are listening!!
🤞🏻
Regarding the infamous decals this is what Eduard says about them (they should know, I think)
"Lately, the justification for rejecting our decals has been centered around the alleged need to remove the carrier from them when applied. It is surprising how many modelers mention this feature as a negative, even though we ourselves do not state or recommend such a thing. On the contrary, we actually present them as traditional decals, and the carrier does not need to be removed from them. Just treat them like any other decal, apply them to a glossy surface and paint them with clear varnish after drying. The carrier then becomes invisible on the surface. By the way, the fact that the varnish has irregular edges and has a relatively wide overlap around the color motif of the decal has a significant effect on the fact that after varnishing, the edge of the varnish on the surface of the model is practically unrecognizable. And it doesn't even need a thick coating of clear. So please, people: you don't actually need to remove the carrier after applying the decals, and the wider offset doesn't matter; it can't be seen on the finished model!"
(Eduard newsletter December 2023)
I don't take one side or the other; everyone is entitled to like or dislike a product, but it should be done based on facts. Eduard never intended for its decals to be used by removing the carrier film. It is a byproduct of its new manufacturing process. It can be done and works, but it is unnecessary. Applied traditionally works as intended so I don't understand the controversy.
Thank you for this interesting communication, however this is very ironic, as Eduard seem to be having some memory problems: It was EDUARD themselves who recommended to everyone how to remove their top-film on these new decals in their previous monthly newsletter (May '21 I believe) so this just shows that clearly THEY DON'T KNOW & seemingly cannot even make their own mind up...another example of the poor levels of communication and lack of clear instruction to customers yet again. (Ooops!) Also this does not resolve the poor (Digital) printing quality many of us have also experienced on these newer decal design. I have a good piece of advice for Eduard: Stop trying to force your customers to use something that is not popular & DROP these absurd decals ASAP if you want to regain your reputation for being one of the best manufacturers of kits...otherwise, many of us will just not consider their products.
I have a handful of Eduard kits in my stash. 3 spitfires in 48 scale, and a Mustang in 48 scale.
Based on the comments in the video, it seems like we can almost say Eduard lets their kit designers work on what they love, and it seems obvious what they love. Spits, mustangs, and 109s.
My only "real" criticism of the spitfire i just finished, is that unlike tamiya or other brands, there's nothing really in place to hold the spinner. A polycap, or a one way flanged pin would help. I felt it necessary to glue my spinner in place.
One of the biggest plusses (imho) is on the profipacks, you can opt to use the provided PE parts, or you can build without.
I am building the Zero as we type…it’s pretty good but I really hate the twin-axis sprue attachment points, they need loads of extra clean up and great care not to damage the parts. 🙄
I totally agree. I stopped buying Eduard as using the decals is quite painful. After spending a great deal of time building and painting a kit, I am not going to take a chance ruining it by using Eduard's decals. I cannot understand what they are thinking about making such a truly awful decision. They do bring out some very interesting kits, but its not worth taking a chance with their decals.
Have you tried using them as normal decals?
Eduards latest Wildcat ends up as a beautiful rendition of the F4F but if it was your first model you could hit trouble as I don’t like the way the engine attaches to the fuselage. The kit is quite fiddly too .
As for the decals I tend to discard them and hope Montex do a nice set of masks 😅
Hi Peter, a good honest and factual review.
Me…whilst I’ll go and get additional photo etch or resin bits….decals are not something I would generally tend to buy in addition to the kit.
Got to be honest since the arrival of the new decals and the challenging feed back got to be honest I’ve subconsciously stopped buying their kits.
Your point on Arma Hobbies is so true in my opinion and they seem to be stealing ground on Eduard and others.
Ref: Ratner you are soooo right….as I recall…..and I may be wrong….It was an after dinner speech.
Best Regards
Gary
I have to agree. I have built the Spitfire, Me 109 Hellcat the only one that went together well was a 1/72 La 7 . A few others . They are difficult to build and look ok in the end but they are as you say. Problematic. The plastic is too hard so can come apart
I allways buy aftermaket decals when building Eduard
Damn, I've got one Eduard kit, the 1/48th Spitfire Mk Vc ProfiPack. It looks like a beautiful kit, but sadly it is a 2022 boxing and has the dreaded new style decals, and the weird sprue gates (although they only look bad on the fuselage as far as I can see. I was keen on getting some more of their kits as they are reasonably priced here in New Zealand, and they have some very nice kits of aircraft that I really like. I might still get some, but I will see how I get on with the decals. Hopefully by the time I buy another one they will have reverted to the old style, otherwise if it's a disaster I will have to get aftermarket decals, which gets very expensive down here. The only aftermarket decals I have bought are for a 1/32nd Stuka from Eagle Cal. They are superb, but the cost of postage from the US to here was more than the decals cost.
Hobby 2000 are re-releasing Hasegawa kits with masks and Cartograph decals
And Dragonkits...
Yes Mike, See my F-111 Vid, and soon the Skyraider vid coming too!
@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Peter, received an MI2 Helicopter from Aeroplast this morning in 1/48. The kit looks stunning and has 14, yes 14, decal/colour options. One of the ugliest choppers ever but looks like a fabulous build. Less than £20 too. I have ordered a 3d dash for it from Poland today, that was only £4
Cheers, Mike
Brexit would be a large reason not to attend the UK Shows from outside the UK. Too much hassle with customs if you are bringing in stuff to sell. I know of one trader from the UK that was coming to a Model Railway show in Dublin who was refused entry as they had no docs, Turned back to the UK. Would not blame a company for not attending given the customs issues plus trading at shows in Europe for EU based companies now is much more attractive.
Yes definately in agreement for aircraft mask sets, and Tamiyas 1/24 cars!
I actually think you went a bit easy on Eduard Peter. Some years ago I built their 1/72 Spitfire, it was a total joy the best 1/72 kit aircraft kit I ever built, BUT... I Fully agree with you on the decal debacle I have not purchased an Eduard kit since and not likely to in the future until they sort out the decals. But also I have had more build issues with Eduard kits than any other brand, I have had more issues with out of register old style decals than any other brand. Eduard often re-box other brands kits and don't tell you, the Lysander for example. Then there is the photo etch, that is often ill fitting, that comes with instructions but no paint instructions, if you're adding additional parts what colour should they be??? then the pre painted photo etch with its horrid lumpy texture that you then have to colour match too in your cockpit often a nightmare in its own right. I love eduard resin, I really like some of their etch, I think they have some great ideas, but as you say the application is not where it needs to be. Also 2 years ago they massively hiked their delivery cost to the UK which more than cancelled out my 20% bunny club discount. taking all of that into account, I don't buy thier kits anymore and I by there aftermarket only if I cannot find an alternative. There are people who are Dogmatic about how good Eduard are in the same way some people are dogmatic about how bad Airfix is but you have to challenge your prejudice to see the truth. Like Rome, Eduard have fallen and it is now just a place to visit to pick up an occasional expensive item while looking on at the the ruins of a once great empire. Top video Peter.
Thanks Jason, & interesting to hear…but steady with your Airfix love this week, after their stupid Vulcan ‘Black Buck’ error they are currently also on the naughty step! 🫣🤣
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Yes that was somewhat embarrassing for them, but having just finished the new Ferret we can restore the balance
But the Ferret has hatches in 1:35 that are nearly as thick as the real thing, the exhaust mesh cover looks more like armour plate and the radiator outlet is just childish in its representation.
@@72twink no such thing as a perfect kit
I love Eduard kits, I find the decals a challene true but with patience they work fine.
Fair comment Richard...just avoid the Mirage, yeah? 🤣
I had the same bad expérience with a dora wings kit, the promising Caudron Simoun. Nothing matches, engine does not fit into the fuselage, poor joints, impossible to just glue parts on the fuselage joint... Because you just can't access... Etc. Happy you hear your caveats..
I've a couple of their 1/72 kits, but haven't built any. I think you have to be mentally prepared that it's gonna be a struggle, although the parts look good, they are full-blooded short run kits. Dora Wings is a one man company.
I applaud the new decals and have no problem at all with them. Eduard, please keep producing these decals and ignore the nay sayers! 👍🏼
Sorry Bill but if they do that, their sales will never recover to 2020 levels...
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab do you have figures to back up your claim that the sales are not as good as 2020?
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I think those elevated sales levels might have had something to do with covid and the lockdowns, not the new style decals. Personally I hope more model companies follow their lead as these decals are the closest thing to painted markings. Just my option of course.
@@56Gumball No Bill, I meant 2020 and previous, nothing to do with Covid. Eduard have lost sales over this, make no mistake. I am on a regular live web forum where most people seemed to have mostly dropped Eduard after many experienced problems with the decals.
Hi Peter, I enjoyed your video on Eduard and here is my opinion, for what it’s worth.
Yes, I think they are hit and miss kits and I started building their Fw190 D-9 kit around 10 years ago and got a bit bogged down with it and stick it on the shelf of doom. Fast forward to this year when I decided to give them another go and bought their 1/48 scale Spitfire Mkviii and what a beautiful kit it is too. It has the best wing to fuselage joint I have ever come across, perfect.
However the kit was let down by a few things, the top engine cover is moulded it two haves which needs replacing with a resin one piece. And the exhausts were more complicated than it should have been. But I rate the kit and I’m now building another with their Brassin engine, gunbays etc.
But the decals are a disaster, I did get them down reasonably well but were not a great experience. The gain is not worth the time and chew. So I hope Eduard change them to normal decals. I applaud them for trying to move the game on but I think it is a failure.
Last point on the sprue attachments. I don’t have the Zero yet so I can’t compare in the flesh but the spitfire seems to have the same style of attachments. Now for me there are a success because on the spitfire they are only attached on the mating surface of the parts and not the external surface of the kit. Meaning, all you have to do is trim the attachment flush with the mating surface and a near flawless joint can be achieved. I will be buying the Zero kit shortly but I would be interested if you could check again to confirm the attachment point is only on the mating surface.
A
Sorry for the long message but I did enjoy the video and wished to chip in my view.
I look forward to you next video.
Cheers
Neil
Thanks Neil. I think in future Eduard need to do much more testing before releasing items onto the market.
I only have 3 eduard kits. One is the Mig-23 Bedna (Trumpeter rebox) limited edition. Mig-19 Limited edition, and the FW-190D-9.
@@screwthisin I understand the FW190 is fine. 👍🏻
How do you remove that carrier film, I tried but did not know how.. Eduard (or any company whatsoever) should also improve some matters 1) The drawings in the instructions are small and do not always show the positions well enough. 2 The landing gear attachment to the fuselage, what they do not make sturdier and longer plugs and deeper holes to allow the, to more snugly and properly attached. 3) the canopy attachments always piss me off, in any models they have not invented how to properly attach them and alignment is always the problem.
I think using the Mirage to judge Eduard is a bit harsh, it would be like using Tamiya's Sea Harrier to form an opinion on them! That being said, that is the risk a manufacturer takes if they release a bad kit - if that's someone's first experience of your products then you've lost a potential customer, if that person is a TH-camr who loves a good rant then you may have lost even more!
I agree that the decal situation is ridiculous though, whether you're supposed to peel them or not, the fact that so many people have had issues show's they have messed up.
You also made a great point about the rough texture on the plastic, what a shame when there is all that lovely detail 😞
Anyway, thanks for an entertaining and informative video 👍
Of course, compared to the crude WWI planes they started with...
And Tamiya cannot do everything, although I wish they could!
The good news is that my Arma Hobby Hurricane arrives tomorrow.
I think that Eduard make two types of kit: mainstream releases and niche/enthusiast projects. The mainstream kits, like the 109s and Zero, are terrific kits - they put a lot of effort into getting the history and accuracy right, and do a lot of valuable research, which they publish freely. The less mainstream kits, possibly including the Tempest, have a finite amount of design work on them because they don't expect to sell as many, so they take a little bit more building, but they still build well enough. Not a massive fan of the new decals though, and the game has been upped by the Mengs and Vespids of this world, but Eduard are a good company.
Take a look at Arma hobby…Eduard are in danger of losing their crown to them.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Definitely! Think that Arma used Eduard as the benchmark to beat and succeeded. Will be interesting to see if they upscale their P-51 to 1/48, which would put them right in Eduard territory
Hi Peter, I do agree with your views on Eduard. I have watched a few of your reviews and Rants, I do enjoy them but why do we never see you build anything?
Look back on the channel, you will find plenty...link to the montage on the Mirage build is at the end of this vid. 👍🏻
Would love watch you make a ZOUKEI-MURA talk. I know, they are very niche but to me, they are high on the top together with Wingnut Wings :)
You will be pleased to know that it is coming...SOON! 👍🏻
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab hi Peter! I am indeed very pleased!
I discovered your channel a few weeks ago and I am loving going through the videos. Awesome, relaxing atmosphere ^^
@@tensaibr Thank you! (Arigatou!) I think you will enjoy my ZM & Tamiya Videos. 😉👍🏻
Did you see my Tamiya trailer? 🤣 th-cam.com/video/IWZvngQPJGw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=zGXMCd-ICHIYplnO
You really need to branch out on the Eduard line.
I have built the mirage and it was a bit more challenging, but it is an old kit that came out in 2004.
The tempest although newer, I I have not built this one, 2018.
This kits I built turned out wonderful. Not only were they pleasurable to build, but they also give you different versions of the same model, at different price points. If you like extra detail and can justify the extra cost, get a profipak. If your on a budget, they offer a weekend for substantially less.
My next build is the Eduard Pearl Harbor Zero A6M...but I will NOT be using their dire deals
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Labcmon Peter giv them a go, try a different method. Try underside decals first.
@@wasrio1403 See my other vids on the subject...
Peter, the Modelling Weekly channel of 2nd September gives a tutorial on these decals. It is hard to deny, that if they do work, the result is quite impressive.
You know something’s gone wrong with a modelling company when they employ porn stars for their promo videos…
they are from Czechia, its impossible to avoid it
Hi.
I have some Eduard but haven't built them yet so I'll have to reserve my judgement until then.
Tempest V.................Widcats, Hellcat, P51 D-5, Spitfire VIII, P400 and Bf108 and have a Rufe on order.
Quite the spread of their production time so we shall see.
On the injection gate subject, if you model armour , you will see it on Tamiya's Notek lights.
It lets you remove the gate without damaging the curve of the rear edge or the light.
On a wing edge it leaves a thin rectangle of plastic on the edge of the actual wing surface but allows a sufficient opening to inject the necessary amount of molten plastic into the mould.
The previous method, that you see on older kits, results in a large, semicircle of plastic that is on the wing leading or trailing edge and can be more difficult to clean up.
And often this circular gate would bulge out onto the joining surfaces of the wing as well.
Anyway, looking forward to more rants. Dragon? I had a Panzer 1 of theirs that didn't make it.
Almost binned it but then thought I could put it under a tarp in a diorama.
Cheers 🦘🦘🦘
I had two Dragon kits but sold both as didn't like the look of them...So I will mention them but no I have no building experience so won't be covered.
I have a couple of recent-ish Eduard kits in the stash, a 1/32 Me109 Special Edition AdlerGriff, from 2020, and the very extensive decal sheet looks pretty good, and a couple of 1/48 Mig-21pf kits from 2021 (they were v cheap) which are odd in that the extensive stencil sheet - (almost as many as a phantom) seem to be normal older type decals, presumably from the original release, but the main marking sheet look like the thicker top carrier type - not so bad that they can't be used, but I am confused by them. No mention in instructions of course. You didn't mention the initial word from Eduard was that the Newer decals were supposed to be used the same as older types. Only later did they release videos showing how to peel them, but still saying it was unnecessary.
Not necessarily related to Eduard, but I am in total agreement about your comments about the amount of research that sometimes seems to go only as far as taking a scan of some museum exhibit, and cursory examination of a couple of photos, (dare we say Black Buck Vulcan). Another example from Airfix, on another otherwise excellent kit. They scanned a civilian Chipmunk that was not representative of the type in-service. The cowling/Exhaust combinations do not match.The exhaust is the original thin sloping design that comes out of a large hole in the bottom cowling, but the nose cowling is the later type used in the fatter horizontal exhaust that exits at the rear & has a heating pipe Something 5 minutes of research would have found out. At very little cost or research, they could have provided both options. (I won't go into the tiny WWII spitfire pilot blobs that are meant to be the crew figures).
They seem to have trouble with exhausts and intakes. My FW-190 Royal Class edition had no intake pipe parts or instructions. Yet they were shown in the pictures later in the build. Luckily I had some excess material from other kits.
Doesn't Eduard re-box older plastic and just add photoetch and other enhancements?
Sometimes…like 'New' Zvezda Su-25
When you ask ‘What were Edward thinking?’ The answer very probably is ‘They weren’t’. Or rather they were, but were thinking of their own situation not that of their customers. Decisions such as this are usually driven by a new management team which has looked purely at the bottom line. I’m reminded of Mercedes when they did a similar thing a few years ago…they cheapened the quality of the steel in their cars which led to huge corrosion problems. Their reputation took a massive hit and they spent a fortune repairing the damage.
This is all conjecture unless you know what happened. If Peter had actually used the decals and then had the same opinion I would hold that opinion with more weight. But it seems like he has just listened to all the othe rants without using them and is not telling the full story. I have used them as normal decals and INMHO they work better than some Cartograph decals.
It was Chrysler's input into Mercedes to make Merc build cars to a price (the American way) that saw quality plummet. Mercedes had to get rid of Chrysler to get back to building cars to their high design standards, and slowly re-build their quality reputation, one that an American company trashed in just a few years to milk short-term profits and executive bonuses.
@@wetland3010 A similar thing has happened with Cadburys…
Anyone built the 1/48 hellcat?.... bought it from a model shop on a whim a couple of weeks ago, I’m a bit worried now!..
It's got the tricky decals. Try aftermarket. 👍🏻
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Oh bugger!.... thanks anyway Peter ☹️
I will say Eduard has been fantastic with me customer service wise, had some minor damage to one or two pieces on the photoetch and clear sprue and they sent me a new set of each no questions asked no receipt or anything. I enjoyed building my Maltese spitfires
That's good to hear. Lets hope they take on board the decal feedback, as I do like the company.👍🏻
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab yes they make some nice topics and I find the limited edition boxes to be nice subjects usually
It would seem that Eduard have shot themselves in both feet with the new decals and sprue attachment points. Having said that, my experience with their kits has been pretty good. My maternal grandfather was killed in action along with his pilot back in 1917 while they were fling in a 20 Squadron Bristol Fighter, so my main interest in aircraft kits is the First World War. Eduard are my main provider of kits of such aircraft in 1/48 scale. So far I have built 18 Eduard models from that period. I only had problems with one (number 19 - the SPAD XIII). This was due IMHO poor design of the kit. In the Eduard SPAD XIII the lower wings are connected to eachother by two flimsy plastic rods that you glue to the fuselage before covering them up with a piece that fits below them and forms part of the fuselage underside. Needless to say, both rods broke off as I attempted to do this and I have not been able to get them to line up properly or strongly enough since then. The Dragon kit was better in having the lower wing and fuselage below it as one piece, so I discarded the Eduard SPAD, for the time being at least, and built the Dragon one instead!
All the other models went together well: Eduard’s DH-2, Nieuport 17, Sopwith’s Pup, Triplane, and Camel, the SE5A and (of course) the Bristol Fighter. For the Germans I have built their Fokker Triplane and DVII, various Albatros types, the Roland C11, the Pfalz DIII. I have yet to build some more Eduard from both sides. I had to turn to Roden for the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter and the DH-4, and the now defunct Aeroclub for a FE2b and RE-8.
I know of Wingnut Wings but they are too big for my flat and too expensive for me. Although I dabble with WW2 and even jets they have all been from other manufacturers. I have never built Eduard kits of post WW1 aircraft as they were not making the kits I wanted at the time I wanted them.
So to summarise, Eduard are to be praised for their WW1 models. I don’t know about the rest, but have yesterday ordered one of their Sopwith Camels with the Clerget engine. I hope I don’t encounter the same problems you have described regarding the decals and sprue attachment points!
My apologies for the length of this, it took almost as long to write and edit as your very useful video took to watch. Your ones on Airfix and Revell were also good, and could you now move on to Roden and Copper State Models? And how about a “how to deal with PE” video, since I always find that difficult. Keep them coming.
Thanks! Very interesting reply indeed. I won't do all manufacturers, only the ones I have experience of. 👍🏻
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Fair enough re the other manufacturers. Thanks for replying.
I dont know if its right or wrong but the North Vietnam option on their Mig -21 PFM (kit nmbr7454) looks wrong to me as the main colour is sand with brown and green patches....strange for a country that is a jungle envoirnment....it looks like a desert scheme you would see on an Egyptian or Syrian Mig-21.
The HGW Wet Transfer decals are a similar concept to the newer Eduard sets, and I found them truly awful and a complete waste of money. The A-4 is a lovely kit and build and the decals went down with no problems at all, even that black flash over the fuselage sides around the nose. I've built a few Eduard kits, including the Tempest which I don't recall being especially challenging, even with the addition of the resin Sabre engine. Probably also worth mentioning that they do re-box other manufacturers kits and add their own detail sets to complete the package (Hawker Typhoon - Hasegawa, Westland Lysander - Gavia), which I think is a good move on their part.
I've read somewhere that the Lysander is actually tooled by them, for Gavia.
I think these new decals are either made by HGW or a direct copy of them.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I'm pretty sure they are printed in-house by Eduard, the whole reason why they changed their decals is to cut costs. The peeling is not intended, it's just a by-product, probably they were not even aware of this in the beginning. I build a lot short run kits, so from my perspective all the issues that Eduard kits or decals might have, are minor in comparison. Eduard kits are a luxury product compared to most short run kits, and I will definitely buy every new 1/72 kit they will release.
@@thekinksfan5102 The Lysander is definetely a short run kit - little or no locating pins or holes, poor fit of some parts etc. Did Eduard do these in the old days?
@@pstrutt1 according to scalemates in 2001. Early Eduard kits are at least partially short run style, but they improved quite fast. And they are basically WWI, P-39 was the first WWII plane. I've got A 1/72 Lysander from Dora Wings, it's going to be a challenging build. Big part of the issues are caused by errors in the instructions.
I do like the Eduard range and the idea or simpler weekend and profipak etc having the photoetch and masks and generous decal options. If they had to save money and not go belly up maybe thats the motive. Arma hobby who equally provide astounding detail as Eduard do had to jettison photoetch in there expert range which was a real shame. Having said that they offered resin parts,same good quality decals but from a much smaller range of course. On Peters point Arma hobby had excellent communication with their fans,emails etc asking what we thought. Eduard offer amazing detail,excellent instructions which wipe the floor with ICM,try building a Merlin engine in any of their many Spitfire kits! You have the simple and experienced choice which Arma have copied. So ok decals are an issue although ive not tried them. To be honest the points Peter made are all relevant but i do think we are a bit spoilt these days. We are modellers not puzzle makers. File,sanding paper,attention and skill oh and scalpel nurse! Think what the old kits were like and our hobby grew from that and is here today with all the millions of bottles of splodge we enjoy buying ( dry paints??!!) My advice. Build a Mistercraft kit and checkout old Heller and any Mistercraft decals and everything will smell of roses!!! The things nightmares are made of. Keep going Peter. Treat yourself to a Sky kit or clear Prop or Dora Wings. Itll cheer you up. Older companies are bigger,have large overheads and lots of old molds and lets be honest,new people coming in wont mind a pre 2012 Airfix or a revell tank etc. A lot of us are the middle aged experienced back to the hobby enthusiasts, but there are 1000s of build,paint,enjoy modellers to. How about discussing a lesser known brand and have a stiff Brandy. We love you Peter even if the new Eduard decals dont! :-)
Lol! 🤣 A funny and well observed comment. ☺️ I recently reviewed the excellent Clear Prop Mig-23 (see channel) but think you are a tiny bit harsh on ICM, their new stuff is amazing. 👍🏻
I'd like to see a video build of the Zero. Are up for it?
I don't have the time for all the editing required, but I will be doing a montage of photos showing the build...Work starts NEXT WEEK.
Peter,
I was hoping you’d address some technical issues of the fit and construction. Im currently working on a Eduard 1/48 scale Mustang from The Chattanooga Choo Choo kit. I am so disappointed with several, and counting, of how the kit is constructed. First, the canopy doesn’t fit over the guide rail. Not even close! Second is the hole for the gear main mounts to be inserted into. VERY flimsy and doesn’t fit well. The tail wheel is very difficult to insert into the wheel well and flimsy! The wing tank attachment to the parent rack is virtually non existent. The will require a good amount of glue to hold the tank to the parent. I came close to chucking the whole thing in the trash can on two different occasions; something that I rarely do. Ill be much more cautious of buying Eduard kits in the future. Thanks for making this “rant”. I was feeling alone in my protestations until I saw your video.
Sorry to hear that Paul, I am hoping the Zero will be ok, but it’s baffling that some folks really think Eduard are the best kit makers: They still have much to learn from Tamiya…
This may be irrelevant to this thread, but my complaint about Eduard concerns my 1/16th scale Eduard Schwimmwagen. Virtually no positive location points for parts, and very vague instruction leaflet. for my first experience of Eduard , I am not impressed, but it is probably one of their early productions.
Same problem I had with the Mirage...no location points for gear legs or rods...😖
Nearly bought that tempest last week and changed my mind always trust your gut instinct lol
Good choice! 😂
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Labeduard are now trying to fit a square peg into a round hole....just wont fit
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab after watching the whole video kindvof get the impression that the kits are aimed more at collectors than builders🤫
....and while watching your excellent video, rant and all (😉), I picked up Eduard's reboxing (#1165) of Accurate Miniature's SBD-5 Dauntless in 1/48!
Oh dear! 😳😲😅😆😂
Just finishing a clear pro 1/72 which looked to be amazing but flipping heck it fought me every step. Nothing fitted, the
instructions were frustratingly vague photo etch that would never ever fit and I think my frustration with it made me make a lot of silly mistakes. It looks sort of OK in the end but not for the faint hearted. Give me an Airfix starter set any day.
Which kit was it? Clear Prop kits are technically short run kits, although the parts do look first class.
Another great review. On the strength of the one Eduard kit I've built I would have happily bought any of their other offerings. Now I'm not so sure. However, you see this so often in the wider world when a manufacturer with a great reputation lets themselves down. Hopefully, they'll make some changes.
Oh no, I got a few eduard kits and they look scary and complex. I was hoping for a good rant. I just looked at my Mystere and vampire kits and to my horror, they are really complex. I really want to build a good Mystere and this one looks like it's going to be a struggle.
Eduard hasn't released those kits, aren't the from Special Hobby.
Cheers Peter, love a good rant.
Eduard makes fantastic plastic kits, the photo etch and paint maska fits wery well. Decals, well where else do you get 14 diferent choises? If you only seen a few of these and built even fewer you no good judge.
14 schemes you cannot use? Did you watch the whole video? Sounds like you didn’t.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Sounds like you are still closed minded Peter. Don't listen to all the detractors and just try them for yourself. I promise that they are not as bad as you make them out to be. It really erks me that you are misleading people on your video.
@@michaelgrey7854 In what way am I misleading people? I shared my own (bad) experiences of Eduard kits and stated facts backed with evidence for all to see. If you had a good experience that's fine and I do not dispute it but it does not negate the many issues the rest of us have had. I made this clear at the start of the video. I also stated how much I like many of Eduard's products like aftermarket items and showed a good (slightly older) example of their kits range. My comments are objective and I can name 5 well known UK top Modellers who have the same views. It sounds like you have also not watched the whole video and taken comments out of context.
@@michaelgrey7854 He is spot on about the Mirage lad. Awful. 1/72 Mig 21 was lovely, Also the 1/48 P-400 Airacobra was a very nice build too.
@@Georgeconna32 He is not telling the truth about the decals. They were not intended to have the carrier film removed. And he actually has no experience using them at all but would rather trust Phil Flory and Spencer Pollard. I have used the decals and they are great!
Seems this applies to every company? Eduard has some brilliant kits out there.
@@billmayo1094 ...Like...?
The first time I saw sprue tabs like this was with a Takom tank kit with a million parts(seemed like a million). Not a fan.😂
IDK, I built both the Mig 21 SMT and the Spitfire Mk XIV or something and they were beautiful kits - the Mig's considered the best in the business. However, these were pre-stupid decal saga so I don't know. Are they Tamiya? No, but they are not Revell or Kittyhawk!
Yes, I agree until recently they were really excellent...
The Mirage III was a pig of a kit which I gave up on.....life's too short!
went to your current clip to see why the title..i think if you are to continue with this tack you must show ..your work and the kit itself as you explaine..look forward to those post ..regards nikki
"Must" I? Did you watch the vids linked at the end? Self-explanatory...🤣
I think part of the problem with the new decals is modelers want to get to finish line and don't wait for the decals to dry up after applying. I've used them and they were pretty good. The key is to wait a few hours after applying the decal then putting Tamiya tape over the decal to lift the carrier film. Once its lifted partially you can take tweezers to remove the film. don't apply too much pressure with the tape and be gentle with tweezers. But you're right not informing their customers of the decal change was a cock up on their part.
Ah sí? No me digas máquina… gracias por tus consejos 😂
On my first Eduard kit I had no problem getting the decal film peeled off. I would scratch with my fingernails than the tweezers. The results were great, they looked painted on. My second one today has been a disaster. They have lifted off the entire decals and now the model is a mess. I suspect it is not technique but almost a curing and surface issue. The first one almost baked in the garage for the day ( during the DC summer) also I think I may not have gloss coated it before putting the decals down. Todays one I had put a gloss coat down and it was cooler more humid weather, so I left it for two days but on half the decals I had tears and lifting. Have another one I have yet to gloss so I am going to put them straight down and see what happens....
Hello, I dont usually comment on Vids as I watch them on TV, but I enjoyed this and I also enjoyed the Airfix and Revell talk's. I decided to comment as I only have 1 Eduard kit and after seeing this, I wont be buying any more. They are quite pricey and yes the detail is stunning but as you pointed out, the sprue gates are wrong and the transfer's (decals) are also wrong. Keep this kind of thing up, looking forward to the Tamiya one, ever tried there sea harrier, I think it is, not for the faint hearted
Thanks! Ref: Eduard, most of the 2015-2021 kits seem pretty good, it seems only recently they went bad. As for Tamiya Sea Harrier, I bought in 2009 and quickly sold it on...😉
Of course every modeler looks at things from their own perspective and has their own priorities. But Tamiya (or Zoukei Mura et al.) better than Eduard? Maybe in some bizarro alternate universe, but not in this one. I can cut and dress a multitude of thick sprue gates and fiddle about with minor (or even relatitively serious) fit issues with much less drudgery than I'll spend trying to bring the surface detail of a Tamiya kit up to what is now, thanks in large part to Eduard, industry standard. I do agree with the point about the somewhat "dot matrixy" look of some of the newer decals, but to me the peelable carrier film is a major plus, not a minus, and well worth the effort for the result.
@Relic You are kidding right? Some of the recent eduard kits have plastic with a grainy, granular surface that diminishes the fine detail.
I've seen the grainy surface on areas of some Eduard kits (IIRC, the Tempest for example), but that doesn't change the fact that *all* Tamiya kits with the exception of the high-dollar 1/32 stuff are, compared to Eduard, missing tons of detail. And on the subject of bad in-house decals, Tamiya's plywood-thickness examples make any issues with Eduard's inconsequential in comparison.@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab
@@grimfist79 I don't consider Tamiya kits "bad", and in most cases their engineering is beyond reproach. But by the criteria I look at in comparing kits, they're in a tier below Eduard. I believe, however, that market pressures will eventually prompt Tamiya to step up their game on detail. The inevitable price increase will be a downside though.
@@relic2860 Hmmm...most commenters seem to disagree with you. The point I think you are missing is that part of the appeal of Eduard is the variety of schemes and 'everything in one box' which they have now ruined.
@@relic2860 I'll take Tamiya's latest decals over Eduard latest, poorly printed ones any day.
"They were just blaming Brexit". I don't think so - Brexit is a factor when it come to EU companies attending and trading at events in the UK.
Eduard know they have totally screwed up and are avoiding customers for obvious reasons.
Bit of a reach, to be fair. It's not the Berlin wall no matter what the remain echo chamber is telling you. It's become a convenient excuse for a lot of poor service and poor manufacture. I've used the Brexit excuse with specific customers who have lapped it up; I don't need to work for people like that 😂 🐑
Peter due to the petty measures imposed on the divorce agreement, it causes all EU companies a headache attending UK shows due to VAT. Perhaps they organisers of Telford should consider a venue that is a better proposition than the current location, berhaps Belfast. That way European manufacturers can attend without the VAT problems, since Northern Ireland appears to be a Land grab by the EU but without the bloodshed of Ukraine.
Very interesting review and l am really enjoying this series, a bit of an eye opener 😳 l would like to get the TORA TORA kit and l most probably have the skills now to get over the problems but the decals no l don't think so and anyway they are other Zeros out there but will try to get the 190 thanks to think l could have got that Zero and would not have had a clue what was going on also watched half the live feed last night enjoy what people were saying 👍
Thanks Barry. Let's hope Eduard take note of the feedback and quickly return to greatness. 👍🏻
IDK, I've been very disappointed with Airfix considering all of the hoopla over their new toolings. Recently built thier Hurricane Mk I in 1/72 and ran into fit issues on the second part I glued up! Still, compared to virtually all kits made more than 30 years ago, Revell, Airfix and Eduard are light years ahead. In the past one just assumed that some fit adjustment would always be necessary (unless it was a Tamiya shake and bake kit.) Of course, you spent two or three times as much on the Tamiya kit to get that fit.
The Eduard P-51 D and BF-109 F-4 profiPACKs and the Limited Edition Spitfire Mk V were amazing!!! The older P-39 I’m doing right now is very meh.
The 109 had old decals and they were awesome. Those new declas are absolute garbage. Now I just leave the “removable” layer on and clear right over it.
I have seen a few sink holes and surprisingly a small amount of flashing on their 1/48 Spitfire Mk V kits! I think their quality control has dropped. I totally agree, not to tell customers by a small note in the box about their new decals was terrible! It caught me out! But I do love their decals when you know how to apply them.
bought their 1/48 Mig-21. Never again.
I'll have that fw190 if u don't want it peter I love that particular kit lol
The 190 is fine and an example of a great Eduard kit...move along! Nothing to see here, Lol! 😜 😂 🤣
Make the most of it m8 your right it does have the cartograph decals
Just a thought, I have built 3 kits now with the new style of decals and not once have I had a single issue with them. Eduard do state you don’t need to peel anything away from the decal they are not designed that way, I simply used micro sol and set and they look amazing, as good as there old style decals for sure, so people stating the pain to peel them off is rather self imposed as eduard have stated numerous times this isn’t necessarily, after a clear coat and a flat coat the look amazing believe me. Maybe try the decals before forming your opinions on others peoples findings.
😂 I did do. Maybe check my recent vids before commenting on a vid from weeks ago? Keep up!
You sound like you're describing Revell aircraft kits of the 1970s, not Eduard! Or better still, Mach 2 but everyone picking up one of those kits usually knows they're in for an "extended project" or a "skill builder" type kit. I'd expect better of Eduard, shames.
They used to be brilliant until 2020 ...
No coffee cup or shirt from them either. Keep up👍👍👍👍👍🤔
I won't get anything from them now...and I didn't exactly go easy on those who did give a mug and a shirt!? 😜
I upvoted... for the hour long brand rant. We are not worthy of such sagacious criticism. 😬
The Eduard Mirage is a very, very old kit for them now (15 plus years)... The FW-190A-4 is 2017 and the Zero is 2022, so only 5 years apart, not 7... Since the Spitfire Mk IX of 2013 (a new still unbeaten worldwide standard imho: The best of Tamiya can barely even share the same shelf, especially with a deeply weathered wash: Also, Tamiya's 1/32 Spit IX is far less accurate, having a huge transition angle between the cowling and spinner). Eduard are simply on another level, but accuracy is still a bit iffy on small details like the P-51 MG openings, Tempest V windscreen, or the lack of P-51 cowling fasteners (which Airfix overstated, but still better than fictional dots). Tamiya accuracy in 1/48 has only really improved since their Me-109G-6/ Ki-61 (I absolutely detest their 2003 P-47), but both the Eduard 190s and the P-38J have cowling shape issues... The new Eduard decals are outstanding, revolutionary for metal finishes in how easy they are to peel, and work fine without peeling, although the long film edges do want to curl a bit. There is not much wrong with the new Eduard decals, and I will occasionally buy Eduard kits just for the decals alone. The Zero's red markings did look grainy, but this has not been repeated in other colours, and may not even show up that much once washed and weathered.
Tamiya have far older kits from the 90's that go together much better so that is not much of an excuse. But I will be building the newer Zero soon, so we will see. I will do an after-build review too so we will have a factual and frank summing up.
What a horrible thumbnail for the video. Almost as bad as Eduard decals seem to be. I like the 3 Eduard kits I build, but I didn't buy any since the stories about those decals appeared on youtube.
You're way off on your assessment of Eduard's new decals. They are a DETAIL company, and eliminating carrier film is a huge advantage. If anyone can't handle using a simple pair of tweezers they can go back to the childrens' companies (Revell, Airfix, Italeri). Actually Eduard's are EASIER, but you completely ignored the alternative, and instead over-focused on assumed defects. Would you rather: 1) apply decals, remove film or 2) gloss coat, apply decals, sand carrier film edge off (if you even can) of perfect new paint/decals work, and clear coat. Saying they are anti-builder and refusing to admit gross mistakes is illogical. Their mistake was, as you rightly say, not preparing the customers, which they could have made into an opportunity by hyping the benefits and ease of use.
Premium modern decals like Cartograph have almost zero carrier film visible beyond the printed decal. I think Eduard introduced this too soon and have a decal system that looks like an prototype experiment...lets see if they persist with it.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab Cartograph are too thick and glossy for my taste.
Having seen this id never ever buy an Eduard kit and if the fanboys want to shill for bad production and design fine. Thats their prerogative but dont attack reality when its obvious or decry a guys ability when bad production is responsible.
The point the Eduard fanboys miss is this: What is the point or attraction of a kit with 6 or 7 great marking schemes if they cannot offer a widely user-friendly decal quality? WHY don't they get it? This just reduces their appeal & potential market hugely. 😑
There will be blood.
Can we expect Shakespearean quotes?
@@Emdee5632 Maybe 15 minutes of no dialogue to begin! 🤣
Maybe some dramatic Star Wars quotes about turning to the Dark Side might be more appropriate? 🤔
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Labi will be able to do the decals as im irish.🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@jaws666 You will be fine as long as all the planets are aligned! 🇮🇪🍀😜
Well, I almost made it through one of Peter's videos. made it half way this time. Maybe next time.
Lol...😆 well there is a LOT to talk about there...😉