Eduard Mosquito B Mk.IV Updates (for Tamiya) 1:48

[Mike]

Mosquito B Mk.IV Updates (for Tamiya)

1:48 Eduard

 

 

The Tamiya Mosquito is an iconic kit in 1:48, and although it was initially released in 1998 and this version was tooled the following year, it’s still a great build and accurate apart from the height of the tail fin if you believe the purists.  It’s readily available again, and although the price has inevitably crept up, it’s still a fabulous kit of a superb aircraft.  Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner, including some of the newer technologies they’ve taken to using.  Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point.  As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between.

 

 

SPACE 3D Printed Cockpit Decals (3DL48097)

The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet.  They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin, and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print.  In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals.

 

 

The instrument panel is completely replaced after removing the moulded-in details with a two-part decal plus a trio of levers, then the send/receive radio boxes have their fronts removed to be replaced by colourful new decals.  The compass in front of the throttle quadrant is replaced by a new decal, then another six equipment boxes are replaced or added on both sidewalls.  The rest of the PE parts are seatbelts for both crew members, requiring a small raised lump to be removed from the pilot’s headrest and a hole drilled in its location so that the shoulder belts can pass through.  The navigator has an identical set of belts that drape over his smaller, more cramped seat slightly behind the pilot.

 

 

 

Stencils (D48108 for Tamiya/Revell)

Eduard’s stencil range has been growing steadily of late, providing sharp, detailed stencilling for numerous types, some of which are lacking from the originating manufacturer’s box.  The latter can come in handy for your average modeller, as sometimes the kit doesn’t include a complete set of stencils for expediency or whatever reason.  Some folks, myself included, think that the inclusion of a full suite of stencils adds extra realism to a model, although there is of course the time element and the extra carrier film edges to hide.  Eduard have been busy of late and have released this comprehensive set we have to review.  It arrives in a clear foil re-sealable envelope with a card stiffener, a cover page with instructions, plus the decals with wax paper protecting the delicate printed surface.

 

 

This set arrives on one sheet, and is patterned for almost any 1:48 Mosquito kit due to the generic nature and placement of the stencils.  Over the course of four profiles from overhead, underneath, and the sides, plus a diagram of the engine nacelles from the side, the locations of all the stencils are shown clearly on greyscale line drawings that use coloured arrows and numbers to differentiate from the background.  Link to PDF of instructions.

 

 

The decals are printed in-house by Eduard and have good register, sharpness and colour density, with a glossy carrier film printed close to the edges of the printed areas.

 

Don’t forget that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film.  It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and those large red boxes with crosses running over them will be substantially improved once the carrier film has been removed, with no chance of silvering.

 

 

 

Masks (EX028)

Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape.  In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for all the wheels (including the out-riggers), allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

 

 

Masks Tface (EX913)

Supplied on a larger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. 

 

 

 

If you missed the review of the Löök set for this kit that we did a few weeks ago, you can find it here.

 

Review sample courtesy of