1:20 Sauber C31 - Upgrade Parts (for Fujimi Kits)

Sauber C31 1:20 — a Studio27 photo-etched set (for Fujimi kits)

You are not buying a model — you are buying its improvement. This set from the Japanese maker Studio27 holds detail parts that are built into the Fujimi kit of the Sauber C31 in 1:20 scale. Without that kit the set is pointless: it is not a model and not a kit, it is an addition. And because the photo-etched parts are cut exactly to the shape of one particular Fujimi kit, they will not fit a model from another maker — please check which kit you have at home before ordering.

The real subject

The Sauber C31 was the car of the Swiss Sauber team for the 2012 season. It was driven by Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez, and in 2012 the team reached the podium repeatedly with it — an extraordinary result for a small independent team without works backing. Sauber is one of the few genuinely independent teams in Formula 1, so cars like the C31 are exactly the kind of story in which David regularly needles Goliath. That is precisely why the C31 has a following of its own among modelers.

What photo-etched parts do for a Formula 1 model

• A real grille instead of a suggested engraving. Injection-molded plastic simply cannot produce a truly thin edge — radiator grilles on a kit are therefore usually only engraved. Photo-etched brass sheet is as thin in scale as real sheet metal.
• A Formula 1 car is completely exposed. There is no bodywork to hide simplifications under: you see the seat belts, the buckles, the wires and the trim.
• The C31 is a modern Formula 1 car — nothing but aerodynamic flaps, slots and vanes. In plastic those elements are always too thick; photo-etched parts bring them to a realistic thickness. That is the main reason the set is bought.

On the build — without embellishment

• Photo-etched parts have to be bent, so an etch bender comes in handy; at a pinch you will manage a bend with a razor blade and tweezers.
• They are joined with cyanoacrylate glue — plastic cement will not bond brass.
• A number of the etched parts can only be seated once the original plastic detail has been sanded away. This step is irreversible, so do it with consideration.
• Reckon with tweezers, a magnifier and patience — the set is for more experienced modelers.

Who the set is for

For the modeler who builds the Sauber C31 from Fujimi and wants the model to stand up to close inspection — in the cabinet and at a competition.

The package holds additional parts only, not a model. The kit, the glue, the paints and the tools are sold separately.