Martin Baker Mk.4
BS Ejection Seat

1/48 scale for McDonnell F3H Demon

Aires

4233 from Aires Hobby Models Master Series is a 1/48 scale resin Martin-Baker Mk 4 BS ejection seat for the Mc Donnell F3H Demon.  The recommended kit is the 1/48 scale Grand Phoenix F3H-2. 

The kit is mixed-media endeavor.  The seat itself is cast in light buff coloured resin whilst the belts and buckles and overhead pull rings are photo-etched. 

As with all Aires products that I have seen and used, the casting is superbly done and all details are crisp and sharp.  The squab and seat have been cast with texture and creases that will be enhanced with a wash and dry brush.  The seat has been cast with rails in place which means that you will have to remove the cast-in-place rails of the Grand Phoenix Demon (which comes with the original Mc Donnell seat) if you want to use it. 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

There are no miscasts, flash or pinholes in my sample, it is absolutely perfect. The only thing you will need to do is remove the pouring block.  Aires help you out here as there is a smaller and clearly distinct pedestal that the seat sits on so you know when to stop sanding. 

A small instruction sheet is included.  It shows black and white illustrations of how to put the seat harness together.  Unfortunately, there are no painting instructions so you will have to look elsewhere for reference – a quick 'Google' should see you right here. 

The packaging is excellent!  The seat itself sits in a vacformed tray which in turn sits on top of the cardboard header on which the photoetch fret and instructions are also placed.  A vacformed clear plactic cover is then slid over both the tray and the header and it both traps and displays the seat and photoetch parts.  Staples are then punched through the header card and the plastic cover to fasten them together.   This manner of packaging is a real boon as, in these days of mail order hobby shops; your seat has a far better chance of arriving at your mail box intact. 

A quality product from Aires. 

Recommended.

Footnotes 

What seats were in what Demon? 

The Ginter book advises that the Martin Baker Mk 4 was fitted to the F3H-2 from Bureau No 146709t onwards but I understand that they were also retrofitted to earlier build Demons.  The best way is to make sure is by using the old modellers adage of finding a photo of the machine you intend to build. 

I understand that the seat is just one of a series of updates and enhancements coming from Aires for the Grand Phoenix kit.  Also in the wings is and open electronics bay (in the nose) as well as a short beaver tail.  AeroMaster/Eaglestrike has also announced that they will be producing at least four decal sheets.