Falcon Canopies - webpage?

[Bruce]

Hi guys,
I have been trying to get on to the web page for Falcon Models www.falconmodels.co.nz but the address doesnt work. Does anyone know if the Falcon webpage is still going, or whether there is a different address etc?
I'm looking for a couple of 1/72 PBY Catalina Canopy sets.
I now have two Revell PBY's which I want to build as RNZAF machines, one to replace my incorrectly coloured wartime NZ4017, the other as a postwar Boeing Cat NZ4055 (I want to do the Boeing Cat first). The quality of the transparent mouldings on the Revell kits is however very poor, hence the search for Falcon Canopies. I understand the Falcon set still has the early nose turret, so I'll probably have to vacform my own. I'm also thinking of purchasing a couple of Eduard Photoetch interior detail sets as there is quite a bit visible throughthe blisters. I have never used photoetch before, does anyone have any tips or comments about this type of aftermarket set?

[alanw]

Hi Bruce

Try this

www.falconmodels.co.nz/

RE photo etch make sure you wash them well.

What I usually do is dip them in vinager for a few seconds then rinse well in soapy water then clear and let air dry.

The vinager helps to score the photo etch so the paint will stay on it

Hope that helps

Alan

[kiwi]

I always pass photo etch over a heat souce it makes them easier to bend to shape .

[Craig Sargent]

There was a time when passing etch over a heat source to make it workable was a good idea. Now you have to be very wary. The new Eduard stuff (the metallic grey coated etch, not the original gold colour) is so fine that passing it through a heat source will actually melt the etch (even worse if it is the precoloured stuff because you'll take the fine printing off)

Eduard sets are a bit of pick and mix item. They tend to do lots of really useful stuff (harnesses, instrument panels and the like), but also lots of useless stuff like trying to pass of round section items with a thin 2D part.

If you go to www.eduard.cz, they have downloadable PDFs of all of their instructions (both for their photoetch and kits) so you can see what you get in each sety and how it is intended to be used. I have their PBY set and it is one of the better ones giving a better representation of the cockpit and some useful bits for the wheel wells (if doing a -5A) and gunners area/observation blisters. If you are going as far as photoetch, you might also want to check out the Quickboost engines, prop and corrected cowlings for the PBY in 1/72.