Introduction
FC Model Trend has begun to spread their wings far and wide in regards to the items they offer in a number of scales. One of their fastest growing lines of items are 3D printed upgrade sets and figures and it is one of these we are looking at today in the form of 1/35th scale Chieftain tank exhausts.
Review
This release is provided in a reasonably sturdy plastic blister type packaging with a backing card informing you what the item is. The parts themselves are secured to the moulding plate that again lists what the item is and provides further robust protection.
The parts are on the raised pins that are common to 3D printed items and there are two pluses to this; firstly it means the parts are easy removed from the moulding plate without the risk of damage to the moulding when if like me you use a razor saw, secondly the pins being a small size are easily cleaned up even though there are a number of connection points. You will not that due to the finesse of the smallest pipe I caused a split during clean up, but a dab of CA sorted that all out.
Attaching the parts to the model are a little tricky due to the connector on the Meng Chieftain having small square connectors which do not relate to the moulded kit part, as such I had to use a little bit of guess work on the angle of the dangle, but using the kit part as a guide I got a result I was happy with. I then attached the filter assembly to the model and noted some minor clean up is required inside the tubes which I will tackle when happy everything is secure.
Conclusion
The parts are not huge but are significant parts of the Chieftain. The kit parts are good but have hard to clean seam lines after mating and the 3D resin parts are better. The wall thicknesses are way thinner and so visually better and they provide details absent from kit pieces such as the nipples on the exterior of the large pipes. Lastly the price is low and so not a drain on the wallet. In closing I feel a nice product for adding the little touches so many modellers look to add.
