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FuG
218 Neptun GR
Cutting Edge
Reviewed by Brett Green
Radar antennae are the blessing and the curse of German night fighter models. The blessing because of their characterisic bristling, antler-like appearance; and the curse due to the difficulty of accurately depicting the delicate dipoles. Injection-moulded styrene cannot be moulded finely enough, and brass-etched antennae usually look flat and two-dimensional. Cutting Edge have taken a new approach with a whole series of German radar arrays. In this review sample, the late-war FuG 218 "Neptun" radar is beautifully presented using a resin mount and cast brass dipoles. The brass is very fine, yet appropriately three-dimensional. The brass remains somewhat flexible but is rigid enough to maintain vertical alignment better than, say, white metal. Some minor manipulation will be necessary to regain vertical alignment on my review sample. This should take about ten seconds! The resin mounting bracket includes the centre pole that attaches to the nose. The casting block is attached along the lengths of each bracket arm. A cautious razor saw is probably the best tool for this delicate job. I recommend that epoxy cement be used to establish a strong bond between the brass dipoles and the resin mounting bracket. It may even be worth making a jig to maintain correct alignment while the adhesive is setting.
This is the best method I have seen to represent delicate German radar arrays. A wide range is available from Cutting Edge, including FuG 202, 212 and 220 Lichtenstein; and 227 Flensburg. Highly Recommended to any experienced modeller building a German Night Fighter.
Thanks to Meteor Productions for the review sample Cutting Edge Modelworks Resin accessories are available at Meteor Productions Website Review and Image Copyright © 2000 by Brett
Green
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