1:72 Mosquito NF Mk.XXX (For Special Hobby Kits)

Photo-etched parts for the Mosquito NF Mk.XXX, scale 1:72

A set of photo-etched metal parts for a model of the de Havilland Mosquito in the NF Mk.XXX version in 1:72 scale. According to the name it is intended for the Special Hobby kit.

The real subject

NF is the abbreviation for night fighter, and the Mosquito was one of the most successful aircraft of the war in this role. The Mk.XXX version is among its late forms: in the nose it carries a radar under a cover, because of which the armament had to give way to the lower part of the fuselage, where cannon of 20 mm caliber are. The crew consists of a pilot and a radar operator sitting side by side, which was an advantage for night work, because they understood one another without words. The airframe stayed predominantly wooden, light and fast.

What the photo-etch adds

Supplementary photo-etched parts take the place of those spots where an injection molding cannot be thin enough. That shows most in the cabin, with the belts, the consoles and the instrument panel, and further with grilles, covers and small sheet-metal elements on the surface. At a small scale what mainly decides is a sharp edge and the shadow a part casts.

Building tips

• Cut the parts off the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface.
• Make the folds in a bending tool or between two blades, not with your fingers.
• Degrease the metal with spirit, and only then glue and paint it.
• Glue with super glue or two-part epoxy, as cement for plastic will not join metal.
• Sand the area under a new part down first, so that the photo-etch seats without a gap.
• Build a night fighter with its dark finish in mind, as only sharp edges and a fine wash stand out on it.

Who it is for

For builders who want real detail in the cabin even at 1:72 scale. The extent of the package and the number of parts are given by the manufacturer in the instructions.

The kit of the aircraft, the paints and the glue are not part of the set, unless stated otherwise.