Aires Cockpit Sets

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
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Opinions, experiences, etc…

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I like them a lot. The level of detail is very good. Some of the sets can be troublesome to fit but when you get ‘em in… they really look great. The instruction sheets are well done and clearly illustrate what steps need to be taken as far as what needs to be removed form the kit and how to assemble the parts. But let me reiterate… there are fit issues with some of them. I like their Master series. The gray resin is softer and less brittle than the yellow stuff and carves much easier.

Except for the prop & spinner, everything forward of the canopy and wing leading edge is an Aires set. Engine, mounts, cowls… the works. Took some fiddling but not too bad.

This is a cockpit in a P-51 form the master series and is dropped right in. The wheel wells I was going to use… I could get them to fit no matter what I did.

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They are a mixed bag. Some very good, some not so good. Their newer releases seem better than most of their older ones. Some require major surgery to fit in, some only minor. Few are drop in replacements. The PE instrument panels are OK, but not as nice as Eduard’s newer frets. Some come with good instructions, some don’t. Pays your $ & hope for the best.

Regards, Rick

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wingnut, what is the scale of the bf in your picture? i’d like to know because i’m working on one in 1/72 scale.

BTW your comment sound exactly as my experience with the detail kit i’m working on…

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1/72… all are 1/48.

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that’s a relieve! Mine looks horrible compared to yours but it is in 1/72 so i’ll atleast sort of a excuse !

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they’re a pain to fit, but looks veyr nice once fitted.

engine cockpity and gunbays are all aires on this one:

This one is in 1/72 scale.

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Here’s a couple of pics of my first try using an Aires cockpit…1/48 F-14B in a Hasegawa kit. (BTW, on the Tomcats, Hasegawa’s cockpits are NOT up to their usual standards, in my opinion.)

They just take time and patience…and time and patience…and some more time, and some more patience.

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Thanks for all the replies and great pics. I agree that the Hasegawa F-14 cockpit leaves a lot to be desired. I have an Aires set for the Su-27 and I’m about to purchase their F-14 set.

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My experieces with Aires are mixed. They all have very nice detail. The Mig-21MF(Academy MiG-21MF) and Avia CS199 (Hobbycraft CS-199) resin cockpits were beautifully detailed and fit like a glove, however the one for the 1/48 Hasegawa F-8 did not. It was simply impossible to get it to fit inside the fuselage. I have this complaint from others regarding the Aires F-8 cockpit set. It almost looks like they used the Monogram F-8 which has a much wider cockpit to create the masters. $20 down the toilet.