1:444 DH Mosquito B.VII/XX/F-8

The real subject

The de Havilland Mosquito was a British twin-engine aircraft whose airframe was largely wooden. The light structure and the pair of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, that is, V12 units, gave it a speed that the enemy fighters long had no answer for. The bomber versions therefore carried no defensive armament.

The versions in the name

The B Mk VII and B Mk XX are bombers of Canadian manufacture. The designation F-8 was carried by aircraft from the same production series handed over to the US Army Air Forces, which used them for photo-reconnaissance. All three variants stand on the same airframe basis and differ mainly in equipment and service.

What the set contains

This is a plastic kit in 1:144 scale, supplied unassembled and unpainted. The span of the finished model works out at roughly 11.5 cm, so it will find room even in a smaller display case.

Building and painting tips

The parts are tiny at this scale. Separate them with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the cut so that the mating surfaces fit. Apply the glue sparingly, as excess is hard to remove at a small scale. Wash and degrease the surface before painting and spray the paint in thin coats, because a heavy coat floods the fine surface detail.

• 1:144 scale, the span of the finished model around 11.5 cm
• the B Mk VII, B Mk XX and F-8 variants in one package
• a twin-engine aircraft with a wooden airframe and Merlin engines
• supplied unassembled and unpainted
• best completed with paints and glue of your own choice

Who it is for

The set will please modelers of the small scale and collectors who want to have Second World War aircraft lined up side by side in a uniform size. Experience with tiny parts comes in handy, but the build does not call for any special tools.

The package contains the kit. Paints, glue and filler are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.