Search the Community

Revells repop of the MPM Lockheed Hudson has now arrived in the shops at £14.99 in Modelzone. It is safe to say that you can now consign the ancient Airfix offering to the bin as this surpasses it in every respect. Boxed as a Mk. I and II, you can indeed build either version straight from the box. However, the kit itself does have a bit of an identity crisis. The two marking options are for P5120 of 206 Sqn and T9277 of 224 Sqn. but a quick check against the serial blocks allocated to the Hudson confirms that both options are Mk.Is. For the record 206 Sqn operated Mk. I, II and IIIs and 224 operated Mk. I and Vs. The other sheet by the way is a 1980's vintage example from Airfix. There really is no comparison. Further inspection of the sprues shows that although not mentioned anywhere in the instructions, you could also build a Mk. III (LR) as well, by merely substituting the short louvered exhausts behind the engine with the longer shrouded ones, which although included are greyed out on the sprue diagram in the instructions. Also required is the later loop-type DF aerial which is also included. There is more too. Also included and greyed out on the sprue diagram is an optional dorsal drop in fuselage part for the USAAF A-29 gunnery trainer, which had one 0.50 Browning on a pintle instead of a turret. It looks though that you would need to scratch build the deflection screen in front. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Lockheed_A-29_Hudson_USAAF_in_flight_c1941.jpg If that was not enough, there is also a solid nose in there too as a hangover from the civil Lockheed 14 boxing. This can be used to turn your A-29 into the later unarmed general transport version. By just changing the markings option, you can turn your Mk. III into the USN PBO-1. You can even keep the Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky scheme too, (and no, this is a Du Pont Sky or Sky Gray free thread). http://www.microworks.net/pacific/aviation/PBO_Hudson.htm Finally(!) the sprues also have the Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasps too, although the cowlings are absent. So all that is before I even remove the parts off the sprues and decide what markings I will apply. I have an old Almark sheet for PR types and includes a selection of Sidney Cottons Camotint experiments and I am sorely tempted. Time will tell. Next off, I will discuss the markings options in more detail and then who knows, I may even start the build thread. Stay tuned. Trevor