1:72 A_20G Havoc

An attack machine with a solid nose

The Douglas A-20G was the most numerously built version of the twin-engine aircraft the British called the Boston and the Americans the Havoc. The older variants carried a glazed nose for the bombardier, but the G version replaced it with a solid front holding four cannon and six machine guns. The machine thereby moved from conventional bomb dropping to low-level attacks on columns, airfields and shipping. A large part of the production went by the Lend-Lease route to the Soviet Union, where these aircraft also served for torpedo attacks over the Baltic and the Barents Sea. The crews valued how readily the machine took damage and a hard landing on a field airstrip.

What you will find in the box

The set holds shapes matching the division of the glazing of the cockpit and of the rear defensive position. The cut outlines follow the frames, so nothing has to be traced or tried blind. The target model given leads to the brand MPM and 1:72 scale; on a model of another origin the frame spacings differ and the shapes would not fit. The covering concerns the outer surface, and the modeler closes the inner side according to his own habit, usually with a piece of paper tissue or with putty.

How to achieve a sharp edge

It works well to apply from the smallest parts to the largest and to run a wooden stick along every edge. The paint is applied in two passes: the first thin, so that the edge is sealed, the second for coverage. Once dry, the shapes are peeled off at an acute angle so that the layer of finish is not lifted. The model itself, brushes and paints are not in the package, as the set serves as an accessory.