F
Fenlander
Guest
Been a bit of a mixed bag this build. The kit is very nice but it has some weird anomalies. Forgetting the stumpy spinners and the short undercarriage legs which are well documented (and to me matter not a jot) there are some odd things about it.
One is that you get two Merlin engines but have to take a knife to it to show them. All the doors and hatches that need to be in two parts for open are in one piece so, again, you have to resort to the knife. Then it has such a beautifully represented bomb bay that I was almost reluctant to put the bombs in as it covers the detail, assuming you are going to cut the doors open that is.
Then there is the way that you should build it. If you follow the instructions to the letter, not only will you have a nightmare painting it as the undercarriage all has to be fitted before the nacelles are completed, but your exhausts will be upside down....
The flame damper covers for the exhausts will not fit over the exhausts so you either leave the pipes off or cut them short as I did to fit the dampers on the enclosed port engine. Those and a few other quirks have made this an interesting build but not an unpleasant one. Decals are OK but I have suffered some silvering even with loads of Microset, Microsol and swearing (the latter is optional as, in truth, it does not help).
It has been my first multi engine WWII and my first with a black and camo scheme so it does stand out from the rest on my shelves.
All in all, a great kit for the money and possibly the most detailed 1:48 Mossie you will find, I have seen shots of the more expensive Tamiya and, OK, it is more accurate but no better detailed and I am not sure if they do it in the bomber version, they must do but I have not seen it. The clear parts are very well represented with various side windows for the canopy as required by the different versions that you can make it up as. There is no solid nose should you want it as a fighter bomber though.
Anyway, here are the finished shots. Not too happy with it, a few silly mistakes and a few lazy touches show themselves.
One is that you get two Merlin engines but have to take a knife to it to show them. All the doors and hatches that need to be in two parts for open are in one piece so, again, you have to resort to the knife. Then it has such a beautifully represented bomb bay that I was almost reluctant to put the bombs in as it covers the detail, assuming you are going to cut the doors open that is.
Then there is the way that you should build it. If you follow the instructions to the letter, not only will you have a nightmare painting it as the undercarriage all has to be fitted before the nacelles are completed, but your exhausts will be upside down....
The flame damper covers for the exhausts will not fit over the exhausts so you either leave the pipes off or cut them short as I did to fit the dampers on the enclosed port engine. Those and a few other quirks have made this an interesting build but not an unpleasant one. Decals are OK but I have suffered some silvering even with loads of Microset, Microsol and swearing (the latter is optional as, in truth, it does not help).
It has been my first multi engine WWII and my first with a black and camo scheme so it does stand out from the rest on my shelves.
All in all, a great kit for the money and possibly the most detailed 1:48 Mossie you will find, I have seen shots of the more expensive Tamiya and, OK, it is more accurate but no better detailed and I am not sure if they do it in the bomber version, they must do but I have not seen it. The clear parts are very well represented with various side windows for the canopy as required by the different versions that you can make it up as. There is no solid nose should you want it as a fighter bomber though.
Anyway, here are the finished shots. Not too happy with it, a few silly mistakes and a few lazy touches show themselves.
