Tamiya certainly does make some excellently engineered model aircraft, like this 1/48th Tamiya Mosquito NF Mk. XIII kit for example. Released in the late 90's it is still an awesome example of a kit built with model maker's ease in mind.
Notable Kit Features:
Nicely done raised detail cockpit
Decals for seatbelts
Crew door may be optionally positioned open with boarding ladder included
Two seated crew members provided
Kit includes wing spars for additional strength and wing fitting location ease
Well detailed landing gear
Radar receiver antennas on wing are very finely moulded (and I managed to fit them without breaking them )
Vinyl grommets provided for prop/spinner fit (which makes them easily removable for transport)
Clear landing and wingtip lights provided
Build Inspiration:
Sometimes my research phase goes on for longer than my build time does. (and I don't build quickly!) I started into this project with the intent of having a D-Day era RCAF Mosquito in The Hangar. I already had a great refence photo of a 409 Sqn. aircraft sporting D-Day stripes and knew the serial number was MM512 but after quite some time trying to chase down the letter code, I had to abandon that pursuit. Next I came across a nice shot of the pilot Walter Dinsdale in front of "his" Mosquito NF Mk. XIII and I had a profile of his aircraft with D-Day stripes, so I figured I was good to go again. What I failed to notice was that this D-Day striped aircraft was a Mk. XXX (and not a XIII... and there are noticeable differences in the engine area - that unfortunately were not clear to me in the photo!). The good news is, I did eventually notice (when I checked a illustrated version of the aircraft, noticed the engines and then checked the serial number against its type) The bad news was this was very late in the build... so more research time to invest in while the project awaits :0 I did eventually settle on another NF Mk XIII Mosquito from RCAF 410 Squadron HK476 coded RA-O which was also crewed by Dinsdale & Dunn. The Devil is in the Details!
Heads-Up Report:
Remember to do those appropriate drill outs for antennas and such ( I often forget this step and end up trying to figure out the precise position later using other references)
I deviated from the instructions in one area that I found useful, I attached the landing gear to the wings (so I could have open access and get the gear well secured) prior to fitting the engine nacelles.
Other standard deviations from instructions include not fitting the gear doors, antennas or other small fragile parts until the very last stage
Watch the orientation of the wing lock parts as they are designed to taper with the wing but will fit in the wrong way
Separate wing tips fit did require a bit of sanding and filler work
Bomb bay panel was glued in on three sides, allowed to dry and then the forth side was glued up afterwards to tighten up this fit
Kit Additions / Modifications:
Drilled out the gun barrels a bit to add some depth
Cobbled together the squadron codes and serial numbers from the spares box (had to chop up a couple of letters to achieve the end results for the letter A and the O was made by editing a Q)
Finishing:
The paint scheme for this 1/48th Mosquito aircraft was the standard RAF Dark Green over Medium Sea Gray. I applied this in a slightly faded paint tone look (although it is very subtle and difficult to see in the photographs.) My standard Klear (floor finish) gloss coat was sprayed on in preparation for decals (where I use another wet coat of Klear to help adhere the decals). Next various washes are applied to bring out the recessed and raised details. After all that has fully dried for a couple of days a Model Master dull coat is used to seal everything in and matte down the finish. Last steps were to add on all the small details, like antennas and navigation lights, do any touch-ups as well as brush on some exhaust stains using oil paints utilizing a dry-brush technique.
The After-Build Report:
If you haven't built a Tamiya Mosquito you may want to consider one. Little details such as tail planes that only fit in their proper side, parts fit so good that you may question whether you need glue are just a couple of reasons. This model can serve as one of your benchmarks of what an excellent kit encompasses or just be a great, low-stress build that produces an excellent looking aircraft model for your shelf display. This 1/48th Tamiya Mosquito NF Mk. XIII was only released in 2000 and not again (so far) so the NFII (or other Mossie Mk.) may be easier to find.
Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers
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