1:32 osquito Mk.IV bomb bay

The real subject

The de Havilland Mosquito was a British twin-engine aircraft of the Second World War with a wooden structure and a pair of Merlin engines, that is V12s. The Mk.IV version was the bomber form without defensive armament: it relied on speed and altitude and carried its bombs in a bay in the fuselage. The unusual combination of wood and performance made it one of the fastest machines of its day, and the machine saw dozens of further versions.

What the set solves

The inside of the bomb bay is visible in its entirety on a model in 1:32 scale as soon as the doors are left open. On the real thing the bay is put together from thin sheet, stiffeners and ribs, which a plastic part from the kit cannot imitate other than as a solid wall. A photo-etched part has a thickness of tenths of a millimeter, so an edge stays an edge. Which parts the fret carries and where each one belongs is shown in the manufacturer's instructions.

How photo-etch is worked

Cut the parts off the fret with sharp scissors or sever them with a blade on a hard base; only thin tabs hold them. Then level the remnant of the tab with a fine-cut file. Make the bends in a bender or between two blades, always along the scored line and in one go; bending back and forth repeatedly breaks the material. It is glued with super glue applied with a pin, and on larger surfaces slow-setting epoxy holds better. Before painting, wash and degrease the fret and start with a primer, or the coat will not hold on the smooth metal.

Who it is for

For modelers who build the Mosquito in 1:32 scale with an open bomb bay and want its interior drawn out. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.