30/06/2020
So been doing a bit of work on my Airfix 1:24 Mozzy, A Chrismas prezzy of wifey a couple of years ago which I started and never completed because of issues I had with the kit.
The Biggest stumbling block for me, was the undercarriage. The plastic parts are far too flimsy, and break if you so much as cough on them. this goes for a lot of bits such as pipes and struts etc that you get in these high detailed kits. Which is a pity, because its a lovely model
The manufacturers of many kits these days put castings or etches in, I think Airfix need to do the same. Some of the parts are ridiculously fragile and break even trying to cut the out, Sorry but 1 mm pipes in plastic are hidious to cut out, which might be why you don't see to many of these models around the shows, built up?
These are my favourite planes of WW2 and I wanted to make a diorama and build some service vehicles for it, to do the detail justice. You may have seen these scratch built models in a previous posting. Yet another thing Airfix don't do to go with their 1:24 planes. However, finishing these vehicles off has prompted me to finish the kit.
Some time ago I decided that the undercarriage would never survive the build, never mind be strong enough to work in the rest of the plane or take to shows, and survive the journey, so using my contacts I decided to use the plastic parts as masters, and cast them in brass.( And before you ask), 'No' I cannot sell you a set, as this would breach their copyright. as they are not my masters, But if you haven't started yours yet for the same reasons, or gave up having broke the bits and decided to build one in flight instead, you could do the same as me and get your own castings made, to replace the useless plastic ones, in the frets.
As I didn't want mine in the air and wanted to show off some of that lovely detail. Although this is not a cheap option, it cost me about the same price as the kit to do, I think it is worth it, as the brass replacements are a 1000 times stronger than the plastic ones. and because the plastic parts were used as masters they are exact replicas of them.
Anyway here are some photo's I took, to show how the diorama will eventually look, near enough? It will of course look much better on a proper bit of modelled airfield and when the Mozzy is fully finished and painted in Day period it will look splendid. I have got to get some more figures and modify them and make them some hats. (They are actually modified Revell Rally pit crew, I also used some of the tools in this kit. A much cheaper alternative, as there is very little available in this scale. I think I will get another set as these are readily available. and cost a few pounds for five figures. The rest you may recognise from the Airfix kit itself, Still got a few to modify. file off the flight suits etc.
Got to repair the front guns know, something else that would have been better cast in metal. They got blitz during the building. Easy done. Another day on it and it will be ready to start painting it.
