Pete's 1/32 Revell Mosquito

[minitnkr]

Excellent silkpursery.

 

[stillp]

Excellent silkpursery.

More like canvassackery, but thanks anyway.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Haven't done much recently, partly because it's been too hot , and also I've been busy in the 1:1 world: my TR4A passed its MOT test (of course) but the windscreen wipers tuck in the middle of the screen after the test. I'd hoped it was something electrical, but no, the mechanism was jammed. Turned out to be the rack binding in one of the wheelboxes and chewing itself up:
So, a new rack, and two new wheelboxes. The wheelboxes are of course hidden behind the dashboard, so replacing them is not the simplest of tasks, especially when it's 32C in the garage, and that's the coolest part of the house. Anyway, that took most of last week. Then went for a test drive, and the instrument voltage stabiliser failed, so I had no fuel gauge or temperature gauge. Not to worry, I have a spare... which failed after a few seconds! Oh, and the screen washers didn't work, but that just needed the non-return valves cleaned. New wiper arms and blades as well, and I'm ready for the rain.

Now, back to modelling!
The fuselage join is still giving me trouble. Withe repeated bouts of filling and sanding the step between the fuse halves, I'd lost the join between the bomb doors. I don't usually have much success with scribing, so here's my setup:

Dymo tape to give a straight edge to scribe against, and Tamiya tape to hols the Dymo tape in place - I didn't trust the Dymo tape to not lift any paint - as well as a piece of 6mm Tamiya tape to control the inevitable slip of the scribing tool. Went at it very gently with my scribing tool from the Bare Metal Foil Company, and after about 20 or 30 passes thought I had a deep enough scribe to match the other trenches around the bomb doors.

Cleaned that up a bit with a triangular needle file, and I'm rather pleased with the result.
What I'm less pleased about is the roughness of the seam. I used Humbrol filler for the biggest steps, then Mr Dissolved Putty for the smaller blemished, but I think I need something that sands more easily. Maybe just multiple coats of primer?
Pete

 

[Mini Me]

Either way Pete, that is a very impressive result. Just had a ketchup on this and am pleased to report that I am in complete agreement with the other folks following this build. I understand completely 'bout the weather.....been hot here the past coupla days. Let things cool down then hit 'er hard!

 

[JR]

Ah the joys of motoring eh Pete.
Rather like that build in many ways , but you've beaten it well .

 

[colin m]

I feel your pain. I've been at the mercy of an old Revell kit as well. That was some serious sanding you threatened it with. I might have a go at that next time.

 

[stillp]

Well, I'm fed up with the fill/sand/prime/repeat process, so I decided to stick a few more bits on. The wings don't seem to be too bad a fit, but the tail... I've abandoned my hopes of making a decent model, I'm just trying to make something that looks a bit like a Mosquito, from a distance, in poor light.

Filled with PPP, so I can smooth it out with a wet cotton bud.
Just one wing on, and it's already too big for my workstation!

I guess that means the 1/24 Spitfire in the stash will have to go!
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looks OK to me Peter. Guess the spit is about the same wingspan in 1/24?

 

[adt70hk]

Sorry to hear about the problems Pete. At 1/24, they're not a small kit are they?

 

[JR]

Peter.
Think your facing up to the challenge well, you'll look back later and think " that looks ok "
Keep it going .

 

[stillp]

Looks OK to me Peter. Guess the spit is about the same wingspan in 1/24?

I haven't even opened the box Tim, but a Spit has a span of 11 metres, the Mossie 16.5 m, so a 1/24 Spit = 460mm, a 1/32 Mossie = 525 mm.
Pete

 

[scottie3158]

Peter.
Your turning out a great build mate.

 

[Jim R]

Well Pete, I'm rather pleased but surprised that you've stuck with this. Whatever this rubbish kit throws at you you have stuck with it. Really well done and I'm sure you'll have a decent model in the end.

 

[stillp]

Thanks for the positive remarks folks.
Both wings now on after a lot of filing/sanding/scraping, now to get some filler in the joins.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Wing joins are now filled and sanded. As I should have expected, the two halves of each engine nacelle don't match. Also all 4 parts of the nacelles have so much flash it's hard to tell what's flash and what's supposed to be there.

Only one has an engine included:

the other just has the exhausts, so you can see daylight through it!

I'll block that off with some plasticard painted black.
You can just see a bit of framing in the nacelle with the engine fitted; the engine can be left visible if you want. Revell supply a cowling to cover the engine, but like most of the rest of this kit, it doesn't fit!
Oh well, more sanding and filling...
I haven't decided yet whether to fit the covers over the exhausts. Apparently they were often removed in service and wouldn't really be necessary for a day fighter or bomber. I can decide later though, they're not in the way of anything else.
I was hoping that I could fit the nacelles before the undercarriage, both for easier masking and less chance of breaking the u/c legs, but that doesn't seem possible so I'll have to follow the instructions and fit the u/c first.
Pete

 

[stillp]

But do the nacelles fit the wings? Silly question, of course they don't!


I'll have to sort them out before I add the undercarriage.
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looks like a job for a slice of plastic card Pete. Surprisingly even gap all the way along…

 

[Mark1]

Well at least the props shouldn't need any filler.....hopefully!

 

[scottie3158]

I agree with Tim, a bit of plastic card and hey presto.

 

[Mini Me]

Looks like the match up fairly well at the trailing edge, so just a tad bit of filling there....hopefully.