Scale Plastic & Rail

1:32 Hansa Brandenburg W.29 detail sets from HGW

1:32 Hansa Brandenburg W.29 detail sets
HGW
Catalogue #'s See review inventory and price Available from HGW

For those modellers yet unacquainted with HGW, they are a Czech company who produce some excellent photo etch, resin, decals and various detail sets, such as micro-fibre seat belts. They are becoming very well known for their detail sets for the 1:32 Wingnut Wings WW1 model kits, and produce individual sets as well as comprehensive sets which contain various sets already released. It's almost like Eduard's 'BIG ED', in comparison.

This month we have three separate sets designed for the Wingnut Wings Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 float plane. The sets we have received are:

• 132038, W.29 Surface Panels, 169Kč
• 132039, W.29 Seatbelts, 169Kč
• 132069, W.29 Interior, 169Kč

132038, W.29 Surface Panels
You need to understand that this set doesn't actually add any extra surface detail to the W.29, but sets out to refine the plastic moulded detail by replacing it with a whole series of photo etch replacements.

Packed into a slim, re-sealable wallet with a very stiff card interior, this set comes on a single photo etch fret containing over forty individual parts. These parts are the various access plates and surface panels which adorn the exterior of the aircraft. Other detail includes rigging point stiffening plates, foot-hole rims, pane jointing plates and even the scoop which forms the aircraft's pitot. This latter part requires curling into shape before being attached to a baseplate.

The quality of photo etch is excellent, with beautifully rendered hinges and fasteners.

The instructions are printed onto an A4 piece of paper inserted within the back of the wallet. The instructions are concise and very explicit in showing that you must physically remove the plastic detail before applying any parts on this set. You'll need to gauge whether it is justifiable replacing all of the moulded detail or to be selective.

132039, W.29 Seatbelts
We recently reviewed the Albatros D.V detail set, complete with a set of micro-fibre belts included. This set, specifically for the W.29, is packaged into the same style of slim wallet that the previously set is packaged into. This set though, unusually, is designed for TWO model kits, so perhaps you can adapt the unused set for a different model, or live in the knowledge that if you lose a part, all is not lost.

Contained within is a single piece of microfibre material with all of the various belt and strap pats cleanly printed in full colour. A total of thirty-six parts are printed here, and the colour looks excellent. The various stitched seams are also cleanly printed. When these parts are removed with a sharp blade, you need to scrunch them up tightly several times and keep opening them up. This breaks down the rigidity of the main material, making them easy to manipulate into the shape you need.

Two identical photo etch frets are included which contain the buckles and fastening loops for attaching the belts to the aircraft. Each fret contains thirteen pats of cleanly etched material, produced by Eduard.

The assembly instructions are printed in colour on the reverse of the stiff card insert. These clearly show belt assembly, and again, should prove no problem to the average modeller.

132069, W.29 Interior
Despite the name for this set, all it contains is the pilots instrument panel. I don't mean that to sound negative, as what is included is excellent. A single photo etch fret contains. Replacement instrument panel with the various holes cleanly etched, and instrument places cleanly depicted. The remainder of the fret contains the various instrument bezels, switches B data plates.

A small decal sheet is also included onto which is printed two wooden fascias for the panel, giving you a choice if light or dark wood. These decals are pre-shaped and contain the instrument cut outs.

With the panel primed and glossed, you need to affix the wooden finish decal, and then use the kit instrument decals in their respective locations. You then add the photo etch bezels, painted before application, and then the switches etc.

The finish should look very good. The wood grain instrument panel decals are superbly printed, and look very realistic.

So what do we think?
Again, HGW have released three excellent detail sets for the very popular W.29 kit from Wingnut Wings. I would question using all of the external surface panels, but otherwise, I really think these should be on your list of purchases if you have the W.29.

Very highly recommended

Our sincere thanks to HGW for the review samples used here. To purchase this directly, click the links within the article

James H.

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