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Airfix 1/72 Mosquito B.Mk.XVI


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Here’s my just completed model built from the newly released Airfix kit. It’s like the curate’s egg: good, in parts. 
 

I fixed the incorrect aft bomb bay fairing with some styrene rod, and I appreciated the mask parts provided for the wheel wells. The cockpit and bomb bay are well detailed for the scale too.

 

But … the kit is let down by the transparencies. The nose cheek windows would be a foot thick in real life and the main canopy framing lacks finesse. I’ve been building a Tamiya B.Mk.IV alongside this one and the clear parts are far superior.

 

Still, it’s a big improvement on the Matchbox kit and I’m mostly happy with the finished model.

 

Granitecon 2021 Granitecon 2021 Granitecon 2021

 

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On 10/19/2021 at 2:54 AM, VMA131Marine said:

 

I fixed the incorrect aft bomb bay fairing with some styrene rod,

 

But … the kit is let down by the transparencies. The nose cheek windows would be a foot thick in real life and the main canopy framing lacks finesse. I’ve been building a Tamiya B.Mk.IV alongside this one and the clear parts are far superior.

 

Still, it’s a big improvement on the Matchbox kit and I’m mostly happy with the finished model.

 

Granitecon 2021 Granitecon 2021 Granitecon 2021

 

Isn't that the problem? A totally unforced and frankly basic error from an inexperienced designer. Yes an easy fix for the  bomb bay but really? I'm no rivet  counter but that's ridiculous to miss something so obvious.

 

Transparencies, a consistent issue with  Airfix. Their flagship 1/24 Typhoon issue is well  known. I have three canopies, all of them are poor.

 

Yes it's a  big improvement on the Matchbox kit. After 39 years you  might expect that. You might  also expect the designer to do his job  properly. 

 

None of that takes away from your rendition of the kit. Which is great.

 

 

 

 

Edited by noelh
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59 minutes ago, noelh said:

You might  also expect the designer to do his job  properly. 

As I understand it, Airfix have a researcher whose job it is to provide detailed information on the aircraft to be kitted to the designers, who are not subject matter experts. The researcher is supposed to figure out what features on the real thing should carry over to the model. 

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Well done. Really nice work. 
 

It’s a shame about the glazing. I’m sure the frame work on the rear section of the mosquitos canopy should be in the interior too. 
 

Never mind we’ll all get round it😀
 

James 

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4 hours ago, Hairtrigger said:

Great result.   Is it me or are the props a little too wide?

I didn’t measure the props for accuracy but they should be wider than those on a Mosquito with the single stage Merlin to accommodate the extra power. They don’t look out of place to me.

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Thanks for this build. A friend of mine in the UK sent me a kit and it's on the short list of builds.

Since I have dragged around an old Mattell vac-form machine since the 70's and vac forming my own canopies for decades, the glazing is not an issue for me.

Can you post your Tamiya build for us?

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