1:72 Mosquito PR Mk.XVI (For Special Hobby Kits)

Photo-etched parts for the Mosquito PR Mk.XVI, 1:72 scale

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

The real subject

The Mosquito was created as a fast bomber with no defensive armament and its airframe was largely wooden, glued from plywood shells with a balsa core. It could be built even where there was no aluminum and no experienced aircraft workers, and it was light and fast at the same time. The PR Mk.XVI reconnaissance version made the most of that advantage: instead of bombs it carried photographic equipment, flew high and relied on nobody being able to catch it. The crew was two men, a pilot and a navigator, sitting side by side.

What photo-etched parts add

Add-on photo-etched parts replace places where the plastic is thicker from the factory than it should be. Typically these are the inside of the cockpit, belts, consoles, covers, grilles and small sheet metal elements on the surface of the airframe. In 1:72 scale the difference shows mainly on the edges and in the fact that a part casts a shadow.

Building tips

• Cut the parts off the carrier sheet with a sharp blade; on a soft surface the metal bends.
• Make the bends in a bending tool or between two blades, not with your fingers.
• Degrease the metal with alcohol and only then glue and paint it.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue or with two-part resin; cement for plastic has no effect on metal.
• Lay the small parts out on a piece of adhesive tape, so they do not fly away.
• Lay a thin primer coat on the metal, otherwise the paint comes off during handling.

Who it is for

For builders in small scales who want to take the cockpit and the sheet metal details a level higher. The extent of the package and the number of parts are given by the manufacturer in the instructions.

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