Paragon Designs
| Catalogue No.: | Unknown |
| Scale: | 1/32 |
| Media: | Resin |
| Review Type: | In-box |
| Rating: | Recommended |
S u m m a r y |
| Price: | Seats Around US$15 Flaps/Slats Around US$21 |
| Advantages: | Comprehensive additions to a good kit |
| Disadvantages: | No wing bulkheads in Flap/Slat set |
| Recommendation: | The seats are a must for any modeler building the new 1/32 Tornado. The flaps will also add interest to the otherwise barren expanse of wing. |
F i r s t L o o k |
Neil Burkill has kindly forwarded a set of his newly released resin 1/32 Tornado Mk 10
seats and also the flaps/vanes/slats assembly for the recent, new-tool Revell/Monogram
kit.
Since the RM seats are OK but not great, the Paragon Mk 10s add a very desirable
'busyness' quotient to the large Tornado cockpits. In my opinion, these detailed seats are
a 'must' if one wants to enter this model in competition.
The seats are exceptionally well detailed and sharply molded, especially the forest of
belts and harnesses with 'center point' connector - hey, just like the Vark! - which are
raised off the seat cushions just far enough for maximum 3D realism.
The main parachute extraction area (one of the most noticeable features since it's on
top) is finely detailed, too, as is the crowded (all that drogue chute stuff, timers,
piping and oxygen cylinder) left side of the seat. The Mk 10 seat has two very noticeable
pipes which emanate from each side of the headrest and connect to corrugated hoses which
flow rearward, down and out to the side area of each cockpit. Paragon has cast these hoses
separately, with corrugations. They are a nice touch.
Although it's been noted that the Tornado is rarely seen parked with flaps/slats deployed
- Varks always deployed 'em when parked - depicting the flaps/slats in the deployed
position lends interesting detail to an otherwise large, slick expanse of wing in 1/32
scale. The Paragon resin flaps/slats set is extensive: new leading edges w/separate slats;
large flap assemblies with cast-in guides and separate flap vanes and screw jacks. New
wing seals are also included. The only missing details that might be added are wing
bulkheads to block off the view into the underneath wing interior when the flaps are
extended. Maybe I'll jury rig my old flightpath Tornado PE parts here. Installation is the
same drill as for Paragon's 1/48 Tornado and Vark sets: cut out the leading and trailing
wing edges as a start; then glue in the new stuff.
C o n c l u s i o n |
Two thumbs up. Paragon has created desirable embellishments to an already-laudable new
kit. Also available are Hindenburger tanks; JP233 pods (which must be gigantic); Skyshadow
ECM pod and a crew ladder.
My thanks again to Neil Burkill for furnishing the review samples.
M o r e R e f e r e n c e s - T o r n a d o W e b p a g e s |
There are a number of good Tornado sites on the Internet. Here are two of them:
Dave Stock's Tornado Page has plenty of photos of British Tornados, links and data
Richard J. Longchamp also has a nice Tornado page with history, specifications and eight Tornado images
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