Eastern Express (Toko) 1/72 Hansa Brandenburg D.I

EASTERN EXPRESS (TOKO) 1:72 HANSA BRANDENBURG D.I
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: Carlos Giani (carlos_giani2002@yahoo.de)

Kit: Eastern Express 1/72^nd scale Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (Kit N° 72164 ). Produced in Russia

Aircraft: An Austrian biplane fighter, designed by Ernst Heinkel. The most notable feature of the D.I was the 'spider' arrangement of the wing struts; the four struts crossed at a point between the wings. The deep front fuselage inhibited the view of the pilot, and the D I was unstable; nevertheless, it was favoured by some Austro-Hungarian aces. About 200 were built. Engine: one 160hp Austro-Daimler; Speed: 187km/h; Ceiling: 5000m Range: 2h 30m; Armament: 1 MG

Parts: Well, again Eastern Express did their part to kill Toko´s reputation! In an EE-standard top-opening box there is one plastic bag containing two sprues in white plastic, one ugly looking decal sheet and the instructions. Total parts are 39, and both surface and detail resolution quality are poor; there are lots of disturbing flash / bubbles, and some engraved details are not well defined. All in all, it looks like bad short run. Curiously, there is a kind of „quality decay“ from one side of the sprues to the opposite one, which points to bad molding techniques. On the larger parts like the upper wing, traces of the plastic's flow can be seen, which points to inadequate injection parameters.

The fuselage is split vertically and shows some framing in the cockpit area, this one receiving a seat, pedals, control column and instrument panel. This time Toko's engine only consists of cylinder heads (of course with all the piping), which is enough since you wouldn't see more due to the narrow nose on the fuselage. The propeller's shaft is added to the former and trapped between the fuselage halves, so that it can rotate. Landing gear is conventional, with main gear and tail skid.

Lower wing is two-parts, been guided into the fuselage sides by means of small pins. The upper wing is one-piece, and the characteristic „star“-arrangement of the struts will certainly challenge the builder's patience. The upper wing becomes a big machine gun container „pickaback“, and the radiator is molded on the wing's surface, being connected to the motor with a pipe. At last, the tailplanes are two-piece and the rudder will be glued butt-joined.

Instructions: One A4 sheet folded to a 4-paged A5 booklet. Page one brings a very brief history in Russian and English, and symbols explanation. Pages two and three cover the construction in 8 steps, sometimes a bit imprecise, and showing some detail painting. Page four brings the painting / decaling scheme in 2-1/2 views and the painting code, given in Humbrol numbers.

Versions: One, stated „Flik 41J, Hptm. Godwin Brumowski, mid 1917“

Decals: Forget them!

Detail: Good intentions ruined by bad manufacturing process

Options: The propeller can turn, the rudder is but-jointed. Also the motor's head can be show open or „cowled“

Impressions: Those among you who have read other reviews of mine know that I'm always trying to find something good in every kit, but what should I say now, what is my sincere impression after four Eastern Express reviews? I think „deep disappointment“ is the best expression. I can understand that re-re-reboxing a simple, very old Frog-form will show the age, but those newer companies like Toko really tried to please the modeller producing exotic birds with a high detail level, obviously having to switch to short-run due to budget limitations. The way Eastern Express is reboxing such kits is absolutely disrespectful (merely profit-oriented, no Quality Control at all). If you can find the original ones (Toko, Dako, Flashback, etc), then avoid Eastern Express!

Recommendations: Again a very interesting, eye-catching subject. Buy it only if you absolutely want it and can't find Toko´s original. Beginners will probably hate the hobby if they start with a kit like this!

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