1/72 De Havilland Mosquito by Airfix - released

[The wooksta V2.0]

Having read the Airfix magazine article, I'm decidedly underwhelmed with the build. He fixes the bomb doors yet doesn't do anything about the cutouts. He mentions the bomb door error but omits the tailwheel snafu.  

The weathering is totally overdone, with metal showing through chipped paint on the leading edges - on a wooden airframe covered with fabric? Hmmmn.  This is compounded by a photo of a similar machine with the same unit a few pages later with very little weathering. And yes, his canopy painting is decidedly odd and it just looks wrong.

 

Overall, the kit looks good with some caveats but it will need some resin fixes, which bumps up the cost unless you do your own. Thankfully, I can.

[The wooksta V2.0]

On 03/07/2021 at 18:24, Graham Boak said:

Well, I'm hoping for an NF.30, so perhaps SH will do one first?

Surely a Tamiya NFXIII/XVII with a set of Brengun two stage Merlins could scratch that itch?

[Graham Boak]

I'm not willing to modify another Tamiya Mosquito to put the tail right and I'm still wondering about the wing.  The Tamiya wing and radiator shapes are different to every other Mosquito kit and, IIRC, drawings.  Also, the Mk.XIII didn't have the bullnose, and although I suspect the Mk.XVII did, that isn't the mark I need for the markings I want to put it in.

 

I don't know the Brengun conversion but do have an earlier one, from Paragon, which will do nicely for a B/PR 16 and an spare Airfix Mosquito.  However the NF.30 had distinctive exhausts not seen on the earlier variants nor on the conversions I have seen.

 

 

[rossm]

9 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

However the NF.30 had distinctive exhausts not seen on the earlier variants nor on the conversions I have seen.

Would some from the old C.Scale Sea Hornet conversion work?

[Graham Boak]

Perhaps.  Or even from the Skybirds NF.21 in my stash, although that is unstealable for obvious reasons.  I shall have to go dig through my Halifax bits  as I will  need a set of eight of these - or something very similar - for an SOE Halifax, and after trying to carve a set from solid I'm sure I obtained a set from somewhere...  However better to wait for the exact version to land on my modelling desk than scrabble around wasting precious modelling time.

 

I suspect Airfix may produce an NF anyway, one day.  If not people would only complain that sticking an NF nose and exhausts on didn't alter the interior boxes and instrumentation.  All of which will surely be provided by Special Hobby, who are probably at least as good as Airfix nowadays anyway.  A bit too fond of tiny pieces of brass for my taste, but less inclined to do something silly for the sake of being different.

[The wooksta V2.0]

PM me with your address and I'll send off some resin copies of the exhausts.  I knew I needed them for Mosquitoes so moulded them. 

[treker_ed]

On 7/2/2021 at 12:38 PM, Graham Boak said:

  However, producing a review model for Airfix (i.e. Hornby) without using Humbrol (i.e. Hornby) seems a bit like biting the hand that feeds you. 

I think this is being rather disingenuous to the modeller who built the test shot.  

 

I've gone through the last two years of AMW, and out of the 24 "exclusive" builds in the magazine (ie either Airfix test shots, or Airfix main re-releases), only 2 have used Humbrol paints as their only paints; a couple have used a mix of Humbrol and others, but the majority have used other brands, Vallejo, Gunze, Tamiya, MRP etc. The two that used only Humbrol used the relaunched dropper bottle acrylics, and stated in the builds that they didn't normally use Humbrol acrylics due to the inconsistent nature of the product, but had used the relaunched dropper bottles and found them to be pretty good.

 

So I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Airfix stipulate what paints are to be used, I do remember on kit (I think it was one of the JU-87s) they stipulated that no swastikas were to be used though and this was mentioned in the text of the article.

[Homebee]

Fresh news: https://uk.airfix.com/community/blog-and-news/workbench/new-merlin-powered-marvels

 

 

 

 

 

V.P.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Homebee

[lasermonkey]

As a Cambridgeshire lad, I heartily approve!

[Rabbit Leader]

Yet another kit where I’ll be happy to use the kits supplied decals, not something I would have said a few years back!  Looking forward to an Airfix new tool kit actually hitting the shelves inside 12 months from its original announcement. 
Cheers.. Dave 

[k5054nz]

I may not have been paying attention: is this the first time they've used a different piece of art for the ends/sides than the boxtop?

[IanC]

The problem with ML963 is that to the uninitiated it's going to look like I didn't put the fuselage decals on straight!

[Tbolt]

10 hours ago, IanC said:

The problem with ML963 is that to the uninitiated it's going to look like I didn't put the fuselage decals on straight!

 

Just stick a picture of the real thing with the model. 

 

Some people probably think I painted the fin band at the wrong angle on this P-47, but that would who ever painted the real thing!

 

 

[ABeck]

Ladies and Gentlemen !

Now we will repeat this performance. In the 1/48 theatre, subito, PLEASE.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2021 by ABeck

[The wooksta V2.0]

The paint instructions appear to have the same TT35 bomb doors and cut outs as the kit, rather than standard B16.

[Tbolt]

 

Workbench build.

 

You can clearly see the extra detail on the bomb bay doors, which look easy enough to sand off. The carb intakes are disappointingly shallow. Would have been nice if they had separate seamless front sections, as deepening them will be easy but getting rid of the seem not so much.

 

 

https://uk.airfix.com/community/blog-and-news/workbench/new-mosquito-build-exclusive?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=de+Havilland+delights!&utm_campaign=Airfix+-+Workbench+-+Week+19+2021%2F2022

 

[alt-92]

5 hours ago, Tbolt said:

but getting rid of the seem not so much.

Depends... If you're used to KP/AZ spits that's pretty much standard work to be done

 

[Tbolt]

37 minutes ago, alt-92 said:

Depends... If you're used to KP/AZ spits that's pretty much standard work to be done

 

Probably most kits are and it’s not difficult to fix, but Airfix seem to be focusing on stuff that makes their kits easier to build, but then seem to do things like this which are no better than older kits.

[Bedders]

Proportions look OK. Bomb doors a bit thick? Could do with aftermarket plumbing on the gear legs, and an astrodome canopy?

 

Justin

[Tbolt]

1 hour ago, Bedders said:

Proportions look OK. Bomb doors a bit thick? Could do with aftermarket plumbing on the gear legs, and an astrodome canopy?

 

Justin

 

Yes the framing on the legs wants replacing with some thick wire. What's wrong with the canopy?

 

The bomb bay doors are maybe a little thick, but I don't think they are  too bad if you take into account the frame on the forward edge of the real thing. Just run a Dremel down the edge to give the impression of the skin should improve their appearance.

 

 

[Bedders]

7 hours ago, Tbolt said:

What's wrong with the canopy?

I just like the big bubble on the top. Would also give us a few more decoration options e.g. in the PR XVI dept.

 

Justin

[Tbolt]

2 hours ago, Bedders said:

I just like the big bubble on the top. Would also give us a few more decoration options e.g. in the PR XVI dept.

 

Justin

 

The way you worded it I thought you meant it would need an AM canopy, but we know we are getting a PR.XVI as they have already shown the kit with the PR canopy config.

[Tbolt]

38 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

 

The way you worded it I thought you meant it would need an AM canopy, but we know we should getting a PR.XVI as they have already shown the kit with the PR canopy config.

 

[FatFlyHalf]

I'm just grateful that there will be a decent Airfix Mossie.

[franky boy]

Now showing as in stock on the Airfix website🙂