1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

[Second Air Force]

Finally it is time to start the review of this product from our friends at Eduard. This kit is stock #648191 and consists of four engines and cowlings for either the Revell B-17G or B-17F in 1/48:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Here is what comes in the sturdy Eduard shipping box:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

I'll concentrate on one engine only for our review purposes. First step was to remove the parts from the resin plugs and frets and clean up the sprue attachment points:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Next the propeller governor and oil sump were installed on the reduction gearbox, then the major parts were assembled for the first time. I've added a Revell kit engine and cowling on the left for comparison:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Next step was to try the new engine on the kit nacelle, and it fits quite nicely so far:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

All of this was done in the matter of an hour or so. Now the parts get a bath to remove any possible mold release and then the painting stage can begin!

[No.1]

Simple to work and with good details!!!

[draken35]

Waouw...

[Second Air Force]

This one is quite different since Eduard also includes the cooling baffles between each cylinder. These are usually not represented at all on models and are quite prominent on the 1820. I must also say, from personal experience, that the cooling baffles are sometimes the most aggravating thing about changing a cylinder on a radial engine!

[Second Air Force]

Here is a photo of two R-1820-97 engines at the mechanic's school at Amarillo Army Air Field being prepared by a trainee-mechanic. Amarillo was an extremely important school for B-17 mechanics until switching to the B-29 in 1944:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

And here is the Eduard project next installment.........first up was to prepare all of the pushrod tubes for installation. This entailed first painting them gloss black and then painting the two hose clamps where each tube meets the engine crankcase fittings. There are eighteen of these used on each engine:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Here is the primary assembly painted and with the oil sump return line installed (little brown line on bottom fitting). Also note the manufacturer's decal on the oil sump, included with the Eduard kit, as well as the extra Studebaker data plate that isn't installed here:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Now all of the pushrod tubes are installed. These took just a slight bit of shortening in a couple of cases in order to get a nice fit between the cylinder head and crankcase:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Now, after letting the pushrod tubes dry a while, it comes time to add the ignition harnesses from the PE fret. These went on quite well with only a little adjusting as each was mated to the spark plug:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

The next two steps were to add the cowling mount rubstrip (black circular ring on front of cylinders) and the cowl flap PE ring and cowl flaps. I simply tacked the cowl flaps on temporarily for the purpose of this review as I don't know if the finished airplane these go on will be O.D. or NMF. After these were attached the entire assembly was slid in place on the "test" wing to give an idea of how the finished engine will look in-place:

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

Final step was to re-fit the ring cowls and slide a propeller on, again for the purposes of seeing how it will look later. It is great to be able to slide the cowl on or off depending on how you wish to display the engine!

1/48 Eduard R-1820-97

In review, I have totally enjoyed building this first engine in the set of four, and I've found it one of Eduard's best efforts in the Brassin line that I've had the pleasure of working with. I highly recommend this one for anyone who will be superdetailing either a B-17 or any other machine that used the later model R-1820. Great thanks to our Eduard friends for sending this review kit, and I am now looking ahead to constructing a Fortress to install them on.

[No.1]

Great and fast build!

[Second Air Force]

Truly this is more an exercise in careful painting rather than the other parts of modeling! Everything went together so well.

If I were to offer criticism, and the criticism is very minor, it would be this: The resin pouring stubs that the engines are cast with will take quite a long time to saw off if using a razor saw. This is the nature of resin casting and is a very small issue that will not take away from the great end product. Also the cylinder fins could be a little deeper but when the cylinders are painted they look quite good.

So, having now worked on the 1/48 R-1820 and quite a few 1/1 scale ones, I can say I really had a good time building this one and my hands certainly stayed a lot cleaner! 

[No.1]

I know you will get great impression with this product, you know on real one so your points are more precise then any other can give. Do you plan to continue with this build, now your B-17 is extra enhanced, at least with this engines.

[Second Air Force]

Sure, I have to now decide which Fortress to build.......I have many photos of a wartime 447th B.G. airplane and I intend to build that one, but I also have a desire to build a model of 44-8543 (a test airplane during the war) that was the latest real B-17 we've worked on. So, I have not decided yet which one.......but I will!

[No.1]

Great!!!

[draken35]

[Second Air Force]

Thank you!

Also, No.1--another airplane I might build was from the 15th Air Force and the pilot was a neighbor of ours when we lived on the farm. His airplane was named Kwitcherbitchen and he didn't talk about the war at all. I'd like to build his machine as well.