When I first bought this kit my intention was to turn it into a red-tailed PR.XVI as used by the Americans but during the time it lingered in the stash Airfix beat me to it and released that version so back to the bomber version it is. I bought the Peewit mask set to help construction and am using various references including the Signal one shown.
Construction is over 112 stages some of which show using parts as jigs and others as masks, well thought out Airfix. Construction starts with the bombay roof which is also the cockpit floor and progresses from there. Detail is also moulded on the fuselage sides and benefitted from highlighting. For all the cockpit detail strangely there are no seatbelts so some were sourced from decal spares and the pilot figure seems to have been on starvation rations. Care has to be taken when fitting the completed cockpit to the fuselage side and then joining the two halves together or gaps can appear. Ask me how I know!! This also meant a gap around the crew access door so both were filled with PPP. In real life the Mosquito was built in two halves to help with fitting the internals, the two halves were then joined and the fuselage was covered with fabric and dope. Close inspection of photos shows that the join is still faintly visible so no need for excessive sanding to remove the join on the model, just a rub down until it's faintly visible. The tail unit is such a good fit, due to it interlocking, that it could have got by without glue.
Who's been a busy boy!
Looks like you have made a good start on the Mossie,watching your progress with interest.
Kevin
You've made a good start there Chris.
Finished soon - well done
good start Chris.
Bob c
The biggest fault with the kit is that Airfix scanned a Target Tug version, the TT35, so the bombay doors have external and internal detail which has to be removed and the rear of the bomb bay requires contouring to the correct shapewhich was done with Milliput. After masking, using the Peewit set, Halfords grey primer was applied followed by Vallejo Light Aircraft Grey on the undersides, which is a good match for the Satin Medium Sea Grey stated in the painting guide. This was also applied to the panel at the rear of the port engine nacelle. The undersides were then masked and RAF Ocean Grey applied to the upper surfaces and once dry this was masked for the Dark Green. Overspray was touched up once the masking was removed.06.jpg07.jpg08.jpg
Guess who's learning how to insert photos!!!!!
You and the rest of us, no downsizing automatically either.
Looking good Chris. You certainly pick 'em.
Care has to taken when removing the plastic masks for the wheel wells or you can break off one of the locating lugs, I know because......... The bomb bay goes together fairly eaasily, the hardest part is finding the correct position for the bomb stripes. Photos show various positions so.. The decals went on easily with the longest part, as usual, being the stencils. Exhaust staining is Flory Dark Dirt.
All in all this is a good kit once you rectify the bomb bay area and the wing landing light. The one major gripe I have is with the clear parts for the wing tips which I couldn't get to sit as I'd have liked.
Finished as BK-K of 571 Squadron, No.8 (Pathfinder) Group, RAF Oakington, September 1944. Additional instruction notes say that when photographed in September 44 the aircraft had just returned from repairs at Hatfield hence the replacement light grey panel on the port wing and the the two grey radiator panels. The Aeroplane Icons magazine I have on the Mosquito shows ML963 with a blown hood above the pilot and says it's a B.IV not XVI, going on to state that it was abandoned on an operation to Berlin on April 10th 1945, with both the crew evading capture.
Great job.
An excellent build and equally good result.
Nice work.
Kevin
Very nice Chris - well done.
Looks great Chris.
Bob c
Looks the job
Thanks everyone.