Wednesday, March 1

Review: Quick Set 3D Acrylic Interior Detail Sets from Red Fox Studio in 48th scale

Ever since their adoption by modellers only recently, printed 3D decals have been quickly taken up as the next step in cockpit detailing. Red Fox has many new sets out in several scales, Gary Wickham has three in 48th scale for popular kits in today's review...

Review: Quick Set 3D Acrylic Interior Detail Sets
From Red Fox Studio
1:48th scale
Reviewed: Feb 2023
Red Fox Studio have continued a steady release schedule of new cockpit detailing sets in 1/48, 1/32, 1/35 and 1/24. The Red Fox "Quick Set" product is designed for upgrading model aircraft cockpits. It has an acrylic plastic, non-flat surface with a 3D effect.

It is best glued with cyanoacrylate, but PVA or other glues can also be used. The product can safely be washed with both oil-based and acrylic paints and moderately ester-based paints. It can also be minimally bent or sanded.

In my previous step-by-step review of the Red Fox 1:32 F-5E detail set, I found the whole thing super easy to work with and the results were excellent.

This time around I'll have a look at three of Red Fox's recent sets in 1:48, designed for some of the very latest kits and some for older kits.

F-22A Raptor 
Red Fox 1:48 
Product No# RFSQS-48057
Price: 15 €
Designed for the Hasegawa 1:48 F-22A Raptor kit, this Red Fox set provides detailed replacement parts for the cockpit main instrument panel and side consoles.
This is one of the few Red Fox sets that I have seen which offers options for both powered-on and powered-off MFD's. This is a welcome addition as it provides flexibility for the modeller. In common with all the 3D sets which are designed to replace the kit plastic detail, it is necessary to remove the kits raised detail first.
The fifth generation F-22 cockpit interior is mostly black, which works very well for a 3D printed replacement. Solid colours (like black) seem to be the easiest colour to accurately reproduce for the 3D printers used by the likes of Red Fox and Quinta. Blended colours seem to come out pixelated.
The raised detail on the Hasegawa kit parts will need to be sanded down prior to attaching the Red Fox parts. A file or sanding stick is best for this as you want to ensure the main parts are not damaged as well. To secure the Red Fox acrylic parts, I find its best to use either CA (Super) glue or a more forgiving option is the flexible MiG Ammo "Ultra Glue".


F/A-18C Hornet 
Red Fox 
1:48th scale
RFSQS-48085
Designed for the Kinetic 1:48 F/A-18C Hornet kit, this Red Fox set provides detailed replacement parts for the cockpit main instrument panel and side consoles.

The Red Fox F/A-18C set consists of ten parts, spread out across the main instrument panel and side consoles. Preparation is required for the kit parts by sanding the raised detail off prior to gluing.
Red Fox has logically broken the parts for the cockpit into several components, designed to best fit the different levels found on the main panel. The three MFD's and central UFC (Up Front Controller) directly below the HUD are separate. Each of the side consoles are a single piece making installation and alignment very easy.
The F/A-18C Hornet is a fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft. As such, the cockpit is a combination of new digital Multi Function Displays (MFD) alongside more traditional analogue backup instruments. The primary interior cockpit colour on the Hornet is FS36231 Dark Gull Grey, which Red Fox has colour matched to MIG-0205 FS 26231 (BS 638)
The raised detail on the Kinetic kit parts will need to be sanded down prior to attaching the Red Fox parts. A file or firm sanding stick is best for this as you want to ensure the main framework is not damaged as well. To secure the Red Fox acrylic parts, I find its best to use either CA (Super) glue or a more forgiving option is the flexible MiG Ammo "Ultra Glue"


Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 with WFR.GR.21 Rocket panel 
Red Fox 
1:48th scale
RFSQS-48029
Designed for the Tamiya 1:48 Bf 109G-6 kit, this Red Fox set provides detailed replacement parts for the cockpit main instrument panel and side consoles. This set is meant to represent a 109G-6 fitted with the underwing WFR.21.GR rockets. This modification included a new panel added to the cockpit, which allowed the pilot to arm and fire the rockets.
Unlike other kits of the Bf 109G-6, the Tamiya 109 has the main instrument panel broken into two parts with the slightly raised main center cluster provided as a separate part. Red Fox has therefore needed to design their Quick Set to accommodate this "feature" of the Tamiya build. Unlike the clean design of modern jet cockpits, WW2 cockpits tended to have many of the smaller parts scattered in and around the cockpit or the side walls and floor.
Late war Luftwaffe cockpits were typically painted in RLM 66, a very dark grey. In their attempt to match the colour, it seems the Red Fox process has ended up creating a quite grainy/pixelated result, which I personally find very distracting. The solid primary colours like blue, yellow and black do not suffer from this problem it seems.
The Tamiya kit provides nice raised detail onto which the provided decals are applied. Of course, all this detail will need to be removed prior to using the Red Fox parts.
A good study of a museum 109 cockpit shows the RLM 66 colour as well the general layout and colours of the cockpit.
Quick Set 3D Acrylic Interior Sets CONCLUSION - Red Fox 1:48 
Another welcome set of releases by Red Fox, this time in 1:48. They are earning a well deserved reputation for thoroughly researched upgrade sets. The main benefit I find with these new 3D sets is how easy they are to apply.

Red Fox is based in Hungary and have partnered with MiG Ammo by Mig Jiménez for worldwide marketing and distribution. Thanks to Ammo for sending these kits to Gary to review...