The larger resin items are cast separately with the smaller elements being contained in a “wafer” of flash. This doesn’t present any problems and cleanup is a breeze.

The fuselage halves are moulded with some representative interior structure which modellers may wish to augment with plastic card. Both pilot and observer occupied a large opening in this aircraft so enhancement of the cockpit area is mandatory.

As only a couple of seats and a control column are provided, there is plenty of scope for the detailer. Modellers may consider inserting the partition separating the two “offices”, adding fuel tanks, a writing board, map pocket, air pump, compass, and fuel gauge…just to name a few improvements.

A nice set of general arrangement drawings come with the kit and these generally match the contents of the box. Additional help can be gleaned from a set of plans done by Colin Owers. They appeared in 2005 and were published in the Albatros Productions “Datafile” on the subject.

The main wings consist of four pieces and pinning is recommended for a secure bond to the fuselage. All trailing edges were sharp with no evidence of distortion. Careful inspection did reveal a few small air bubbles and these were located on the leading edge adjacent to the casting blocks. Some filling will be necessary but shouldn’t present any problems.

The upper wings match HR’s own supplied drawings very well. Comparison of the lower wings is a different affair however. Here we find that the rib tapes don’t match the kit’s included plans at all, although they do match those in the “Datafile” quite closely.

Rib detail on these flying surfaces is quite subtle with strips being used on both top and bottom surfaces to depict their location. Thus modification of these items to suite your preferred set of diagrams will not prove too hard.

Regarding the lower wings, the trailing edges will need their scallops added. This is unusual considering that these have been accommodated for with the upper wings. Again, this is not complicated surgery but will require care.

One other point to note is that the location holes for the lower wing outer struts need moving slightly. This will maintain their correct angle, which was such a prominent feature of this design.

According to HR’s included plans, the fuselage is a little short. This is not a major problem in the overall scheme of things and only the fastidious would be concerned with it. The paperwork also shows that the nose could do with a swipe with wet-dry paper to flatten the profile.

As expected, the struts and undercarriage are all in resin. Despite the material used, they are very strong and very useable. Some of the smaller items cast in this medium could be a little tricky to clean up and it may be easier to scratch build them using the supplied parts as templates.

A photo etched metal fret is supplied and this contains 15 parts. Among the items included are the observer’s gun ring, propeller boss, foot steps, radiator grills and an instrument panel. This latter piece attaches to a printed acetate sheet which represents the dial faces. Thoughtfully, the same material is used for the windscreen which is easily attached using epoxy or wood glue.

The decals are superb. They were in perfect register and the carrier film is commendably thin. Three subjects are catered for and offer a wide variety of schemes so all skill levels are accommodated for.

The Hansa Brandenburg CI series is a complex one so choose your subject aircraft carefully. There were many changes made along the way which meant a myriad of detail variations.

HR has chosen to do the 369 series and gives the modeller a good starting point. As the manufacturer themselves state, this is a product aimed at advanced modellers. There are many enhancements that can be made along the way and even a few refinements.

That not withstanding, a fine model can be built from the box and patience will reward.

Recommended for experienced builders.

Thanks to hobbyshop.cz for this review sample.

HR Model kits are available online from the hobbyshop.cz website

Review and Images Copyright © 2006 by Rob Baumgartner
Page Created 09 October, 2006
Last updated 21 February, 2007

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