1/72nd New Airfix Mosquito converted using Freightdog Models parts,...... Part 2 (PR.34 & PR.XVI),.. **FINISHED**

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

                 Having got a bit of a Mosquito bug with the previous builds,...... I have decided to built two more of the new Airfix Mosquito`s,.... this time as a PR.XVI and a PR.34,..... the latter using a prototype conversion set provided by Freightdog Models!

 

Here is the kit;

 

Here are the Freightdog Models conversions that I shall be using;

 

For the PR.34,.... Colin sent me these prototype parts,..... due out soon, maybe with the late version clear nose?

 

 

And I also bought a B.XVI (H2S) set, as also used during the last build,....to use the flat bomb bay doors ad tail wheel for a PR.XVI;

 

I ordered two kits from Airfix which arrived today,..... so I got on with painting the interiors,..... I intend to sand the canopies down to remove the rear frames as per my previous B.35 and so the black paint was applied to the frames to hopefully help while doing this. I`ll be adding internal framework using painted stretched sprue,.... but I`m jumping well ahead;

 

However,..... upon opening the 2nd box and getting on with the interior painting,...... there was a problem with the left fuselage half,...... a big problem,....... I have never seen short shot shot plastic like this and I am amazed how it got past quality control!

 

And here is how it should look, compared to a correct part;

 

I was gobsmacked!!! Especially as I had moulding issues with the canopy on one of my first two kits,...... and had to request a replacement part,...... which following a series of e mails requesting a photo to prove the problem and also to provide a series of reference number from the box, bag etc,...... I did finally receive. So aother e mail with photographic proof has gone off to Humbrol and I await the results! 

 

For anybody interested in the previous build, here it is;

 

Cheers for now,

                      Tony

Edited November 25, 2021 by tonyot

[bigbadbadge]

More excellent Mossie modelling a la Tonyot,  brilliant stuff and looking forward to this.   You're a machine Tony !!!

Crikey that is very short shot, and unbelievable really, like you said,  how did that get through QC???

Hope you get the replacement soon Tony.

Chris

[Beard]

Blimey, that gives a whole new meaning to short-shot.

 

Looking forward to your progress on this as I've got the H2S and the XVI improvement set waiting for a XVI and some stickers to arrive.

[Pete in Lincs]

Short shot? More like short range from an 88mm!

[Cheshiretaurus]

Shortest shot in the whole short history shots that are short shot on a camera with a short lens.

 

4 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

how did that get through QC???

 

It probably didn't go any where near the QA dept and took a short cut. 

[k5054nz]

That short shot fuselage half is truly awful!!! I'm excited to follow along with your build but man, that is baaaad.

[tonyot]

Cheers Folks,.... well I`ve sent three e mails to Airfix now using various e mail addresses from their web page and also provided via their FB Page ('[email protected]' x2 &  '[email protected]'),.... but all pinged back as unsent! Seems another that I sent to `'[email protected]'' has got through,..... so we`ll see how I get on,..... wish me luck and fingers crossed! 

 

Edit,.... received an e mail back stating that they cannot process my request because I have not provided some minute number from the bottom of the box,...... had to get my magnifying glass out to read it,...... so sent it off,.... good job I didn`t throw the box out like I sometimes do. So we`ll await a further response now! 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by tonyot

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,.... I`m cracking on with the builds pending a replacement fuselage,...... after receiving the e mail from Airfix that they could not process my request,..... I managed to find the correct (very small) number and thanks to a magnifying glass,..... passed it on to them and apparently a fuselage section will be on the way soon. 

 

So,..... here are the cockpit sections together;

 

And here are the fuselage halves together,....... of course one is only held together using tape for now,..... pending a replacement!;

 

Then on to the wings and nacelles........... Although the instructions tell you to attach the exhausts from the inside,.... I have found that these can be left off until the end of painting and added from the outside if the ends of the exhaust parts are slightly trimmed. With that, the blanks were fitted from the inside,.... using plenty of glue and a section of  sprue was used to provide a wedge to hopefully ensure that these are not pushed inside later on.   

 

 

You can see the plastic sprue wedge added here,.....after the nacelles have been joined and the wings have been cemented together too ;

 

 

The wings were then joined,.....  The canopy has been test fitted and mybe you can see where I have sanded the frame lines from the rear half of the canopy,..... I`ll be adding some internal framework instead. The Freightdog resin flat bomb bay doors are also ready to be fitted;

 

 

Here is the flat bomb bay  section attached,..... there is a bit of a gap around the front but it can be easily filled;

 

 

I`ll continue with the other kit as a PR.34 as soon as the replacement fuselage section arrives ad I will also carry on converting the other one to a PR.XIV,....

 

Cheers for now,

                         Tony

[bigbadbadge]

Blimey that short shot one looks like  a cutaway Model Tony!!!

Hopefully the replacement will arrive soon.  The other one is coming along very nicely. 

Great job.

Chris

[Planebuilder62]

Dear Tony

Does the kit canopy already come with the bubble in the roof?
 

regards Toby

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Dear Tony

Does the kit canopy already come with the bubble in the roof?
 

regards Toby

Hello Toby,..... yes mate,..... there are two canopies,.... one with the bubble and one without, plus there are alternative side bubbles too. 

 

2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Blimey that short shot one looks like  a cutaway Model Tony!!!

Hopefully the replacement will arrive soon.  The other one is coming along very nicely. 

Great job.

Chris

Thanks Chris,.... yeah that is what I thought too mate,..... cut away or fatal flak damage!!

[Learstang]

Great work on the Mossies as normal, Tony! I've got the Freightdog parts to correct my kit, with the one proviso that I actually have to order a kit at some point. You know if that short shot part had been any more short-shotted (yes, I just made that word up) it wouldn't have even been there! I'd say that was a 5:00 P.M. Friday kit.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited November 5, 2021 by Learstang
Minor change.

[heloman1]

Mozzie month then Tony? Shame about the 'short shot' fuselage and the palaver to get a replacement. Airfix system getting too convoluted, hey?

Looks as tough, I may have to invest in one when they land this side. Need an FAA example to fill my cabinet.

 

Colin

[tonyot]

13 hours ago, Learstang said:

Great work on the Mossies as normal, Tony! I've got the Freightdog parts to correct my kit, with the one proviso that I actually have to order a kit a some point. You know if that short shot part had been any more short-shotted (yes, I just made that word up) it wouldn't have even been there! I'd say that was a 5:00 P.M. Friday kit.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Cheers Jason,...   most definitely a Friday afternoon kit for sure....... I`ve bought four of them now,..... d two have had moulding faults requiring me to send off to  Airfix for replacements. 

 

7 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Mozzie month then Tony? Shame about the 'short shot' fuselage and the palaver to get a replacement. Airfix system getting too convoluted, hey?

Looks as tough, I may have to invest in one when they land this side. Need an FAA example to fill my cabinet.

 

Colin

Yeah quite a few Mossies mate,..... I also have a Tamiya B.IV on the go too! Airfix have got a bit `arsey' re replacement parts,..... I suppose it might help to know which shift/productio lie it came from to i/d who is allowing these faulty parts to go into kits,......  so if that is the case then far enough, but they could mellow their language somewhat! 

You will enjoy the kit mate, I fancy doing a couple of naval ones too..... a silver one with trainer bands and if I can get some 4 blade props a PRU Blue one with hook fitted,..... based at Ford but wearing GP (Gosport) codes!

 

Cheers

            Tony 

[Jimbo]

23 minutes ago, tonyot said:

 . . . and if I can get some 4 blade props a PRU Blue one with hook fitted,..... based at Ford but wearing GP (Gosport) codes!

 

 

Ooo, that sounds a great one! Being from 'dah sarf' Daedalus was my 'local' base (many a fond memory of climbing over Wesseses (Wessi?) at their Air Days, as well as working there just before it's closure. And Ford is just along the road from my other half. One of my (many!) projected themes is aircraft from either base, so hope you can get some 4 blader props - love to see it!

 

Best wishes

 

Jim

[Learstang]

Hopefully, Tony, you've bought up the Mossies with the short shots, so my (eventual) kit will be perfect. I appear to be lucky in that regard - I seem to have avoided such QC problems on the Airfix kits I've bought. I have 5 Airfix Shacks (4 MR.2s and an AEW.2) with nary a short shot amongst them, even with all those propeller blades just begging to be short shot.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited November 5, 2021 by Learstang
Additional comment added.

[tonyot]

2 hours ago, Learstang said:

Hopefully, Tony, you've bought up the Mossies with the short shots, so my (eventual) kit will be perfect. I appear to be lucky in that regard - I seem to have avoided such QC problems on the Airfix kits I've bought. I have 5 Airfix Shacks (4 MR.2s and an AEW.2) with nary a short shot amongst them, even with all those propeller blades just begging to be short shot.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

I`ve got two Shack`s lined up d have not checked them,...... I`d better dig them out and check them!  I might even keep oe out and convert it into a MR.Mk.1? 

Cheers

          Tony

6 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Ooo, that sounds a great one! Being from 'dah sarf' Daedalus was my 'local' base (many a fond memory of climbing over Wesseses (Wessi?) at their Air Days, as well as working there just before it's closure. And Ford is just along the road from my other half. One of my (many!) projected themes is aircraft from either base, so hope you can get some 4 blader props - love to see it!

 

Best wishes

 

Jim

There i a photo of this Mosquito in Mosquito the Illustrated History Part 2,...... it is PRU Blue with red/blue roundels and yellow codes.

 

 

[Learstang]

Tony, that's what I have my Airfix AEW.2 slated for - conversion into an MR.1 (I already have the AEW.2 from Revell - I'm using the radome from my Airfix kit for this kit, as it's much more accurate - the rest of the Revell kit is actually very nice). I have the MR.1 conversion set from AlleyCat - it's quite nice, and even comes with decals. However, this conversion shall have to await my finally finishing my Revell MR.3 (nearly ready for painting), my Airfix MR.2 (Suez version(?) and nearly ready for painting), and another Airfix MR.2 with work being done on the fuselage (the wings are largely done). It's like Woodford, Manchester in my work room right now! At any rate, I would love to see you do the MR.1 conversion - I'll be in the front row with a big tub of popcorn!

 

Regards,

 

Jason 

Edited November 5, 2021 by Learstang

[tonyot]

10 minutes ago, Learstang said:

Tony, that's what I have my Airfix AEW.2 slated for - conversion into an MR.1 (I already have the AEW.2 from Revell - I'm using the radome from my Airfix kit for this kit, as it's much more accurate - the rest of the Revell kit is actually very nice). I have the MR.1 conversion set from AlleyCat - it's quite nice, and even comes with decals. However, this conversion shall have to await my finally finishing my Revell MR.3 (nearly ready for painting), my Airfix MR.2 (Suez version(?) and nearly ready for painting), and another Airfix MR.2 with work being done on the fuselage (the wings are largely done). It's like Woodford, Manchester in my work room right now! At any rate, I would love to see you do the MR.1 conversion - I'll be in the front row with a big tub of popcorn!

 

Regards,

 

Jason 

Crikey,... it sure does sound like Woodford!! I started building the Revell MR.2 but put it back in the box,....... the fuselage was badly warped and I struggled attaching the forward fuselage sections,.... I was quite shocked as everybody else was saying how nice it was too. It has put me off buying an MR.3.   

[Learstang]

16 minutes ago, tonyot said:

Crikey,... it sure does sound like Woodford!! I started building the Revell MR.2 but put it back in the box,....... the fuselage was badly warped and I struggled attaching the forward fuselage sections,.... I was quite shocked as everybody else was saying how nice it was too. It has put me off buying an MR.3.   

 

See, I am lucky! The Revell Shackletons (new-mould) I've bought have been fine, except for a couple of short-shot propeller blades on the first MR.3 kit I bought, and no warping on any of the kits. My second MR.3 kit was fine - no warping or short-shots, although there was a long low depression above where the flap line is (although better than on the my first MR.3 and nothing a reasonably-experienced modeller such as yourself can't handle). Overall the MR.3 is a very nice kit, light-years ahead of the brave, old Frog effort, so I would urge you to buy one. I really didn't have anything more than minor problems in building mine, and I'm hardly the modeller you are. As mentioned, I have two (do you notice a certain Shack-iness to my modelling/buying habits?). In my defence, I was writing a book on the Shackleton at the time I bought all these kits, so I basically chalk it all up to research (the kits are well-covered in the book, which will hopefully be out some time next year - sure to become a treasured classic!). Too bad I can't write the cost of them all off as a business expense!

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Learstang said:

 

See, I am lucky! The Revell Shackletons (new-mould) I've bought have been fine, except for a couple of short-shot propeller blades on the first MR.3 kit I bought, and no warping on any of the kits. My second MR.3 kit was fine - no warping or short-shots, although there was a long low depression above where the flap line is (although better than on the my first MR.3 and nothing a reasonably-experienced modeller such as yourself can't handle). Overall the MR.3 is a very nice kit, light-years ahead of the brave, old Frog effort, so I would urge you to buy one. I really didn't have anything more than minor problems in building mine, and I'm hardly the modeller you are. As mentioned, I have two (do you notice a certain Shack-iness to my modelling/buying habits?). In my defence, I was writing a book on the Shackleton at the time I bought all these kits, so I basically chalk it all up to research (the kits are well-covered in the book, which will hopefully be out some time next year - sure to become a treasured classic!). Too bad I can't write the cost of them all off as a business expense!

 

Regards,

 

Jason

I`ll look forward to the book mate,....... yeah wouldn`t it be nice to get the money back on the books/articles we`ve written,........ most of the time the articles etc I wrote just covered the cost of the model but with others the fee was even less than the kit! It was a way of financing my hobby anyway. Who is your publisher?

[Ruskin Air Services]

When my new valiant turned up a month ago with warped wings I sent Airfix plenty of images from all angles. From sending them the email to receiving the parts took 4 days ! As they say "a picture is worth a thousand words". 

[tonyot]

35 minutes ago, Ruskin Air Services said:

When my new valiant turned up a month ago with warped wings I sent Airfix plenty of images from all angles. From sending them the email to receiving the parts took 4 days ! As they say "a picture is worth a thousand words". 

Lucky you! I sent them pics and every number that I could see on the box,...and on the bag that the parts were in.... but they refused to deal until I found a tiny number underneath,..... I had to find a magnifying glass to read it! I dare say I`ll hopefully receive the part next week,....... bought 4 kits,..... mould problem in 2 of them! Looks like I`ve been unlucky this time.  

[Learstang]

59 minutes ago, tonyot said:

I`ll look forward to the book mate,....... yeah wouldn`t it be nice to get the money back on the books/articles we`ve written,........ most of the time the articles etc I wrote just covered the cost of the model but with others the fee was even less than the kit! It was a way of financing my hobby anyway. Who is your publisher?

 

Thank you, Tony! On two of the three modelling articles I wrote (one on the Hobby Boss 1/32nd scale single-seater Il-2, one on the KP La-5FN, and one on the Hobby Boss Tu-2), I was supplied the kits gratis, but it's different with my books, as I pick and choose which kits I want to cover. I don't even want to think how much I've spent on those! The modelling sections are really just an appendix to the historical story I write about the aircraft. My publisher is Fonthill Media (fonthillmedia.com). Check them out! I currently have six books published by them. The Shackleton book will be the seventh, but as I just recently sent them the manuscript, it will be some time before the finished book sees the light of day.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited November 6, 2021 by Learstang

[tonyot]

4 minutes ago, Learstang said:

 

Thank you, Tony! On two of the three modelling articles I wrote (one on the Hobby Boss 1/32nd scale single-seater Il-2, one on the KP La-5FN, and one on the Hobby Boss Tu-2), I was supplied the kits gratis, but it's different with my books, as I pick and choose which kits I want to cover. I don't even want to think how much I've spent on those! The modelling sections are really just an appendix to the historical story I write about the aircraft. My publisher is Fonthill Media (fonthillmedia.com). Check them out! I currently have six books published by them. The Shackleton book will be the seventh, but as I just recently sent them the manuscript, it will be some time before the finished book sees the light of day.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

I`ll look out for it mate,..... I`ve seen your Russian books,...... but only the covers.