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I am considering building a 1/350 Tamiya "Prince of Wales" or "George V" using either Pontos PE or the Eduard Big ED PE kit. I am wondering which PE kits are the easiest to use. I have read that the kit is a bit ordinary without PE. Is there any reason the "Prince of Wales" seems to be more popular than "George V". I have a limited experience with fine PE work building 1/32 Tamiya planes such as the mosquito etc. My next question is that in the past I have always improvised with the bending of PE and I now intend to purchase a proper tool. I have been looking at the RP Toolz 13cm Photoetch Bending Tool or the Trumpeter 59MM Photo Etched Parts Bender (Medium). I do realise that this will not be a 5 minute build. My Mosquito took me 4 months and had 104 steps.
I am considering building a 1/350 Tamiya "Prince of Wales" or "George V" using either Pontos PE or the Eduard Big ED PE kit. I am wondering which PE kits are the easiest to use. I have read that the kit is a bit ordinary without PE. Is there any reason the "Prince of Wales" seems to be more popular than "George V". I have a limited experience with fine PE work building 1/32 Tamiya planes such as the mosquito etc. My next question is that in the past I have always improvised with the bending of PE and I now intend to purchase a proper tool. I have been looking at the RP Toolz 13cm Photoetch Bending Tool or the Trumpeter 59MM Photo Etched Parts Bender (Medium). I do realise that this will not be a 5 minute build. My Mosquito took me 4 months and had 104 steps.
My next question is I have been looking at the RP Toolz range of PE benders. There are very similar. The Piranha can also bend curves. Has anyone had experience with these two. The ordinary one: http://www.rptoolz.com/?p=191 The Piranha: http://www.rptoolz.com/?p=905 Thank you for all your help.
I had a look at you George V. It came up great. I have spent the last couple of days tracking down instruction sheets so I know what I am up against. There is not as much in the Tamiya "George V" kit as there was in my Mossie. There were 104 steps in the Mossie. I really like the Tamiya kits they are very well put together. Lots of fine detail to paint. At the moment I am ploughing through the Pontos instructions. The Eduard instructions are pretty good.
...I recommend a quality bender made of metal. Not the cheap plastic ones.
Thank you for your input. I have decided to go with the Pontos. The only upgrade available here at the moment is the "Duke of York" 1943. which after some reading was an interesting ship in its own right. I find that it is interesting that all the Pontos upgrade kits are to be used on the "Prince of Wales" not the "George V". Will a 13cm bender be large enough for working the PE.
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