Dave Flitton
Watching, I have a bunch of these and I need inspiration

Mark Norfolk
This kit goes together really very well indeed. Some light sanding of joins and all smooth - helps the amateur that the Mosquito was all wood so panel lines are minimal and hence appearance damage virtually non-existent! 🙂

Mark Norfolk
This build is going together much faster, or seems to be. Followed the recommended primer route and identified that actually my sanding wasn't all I thought it was cracked up to be, so some filler, etc. later these are the results. Much better. Managed to mask the front glass OK but resorted to maskol with the main cockpit. Had to do a remedial remove it and go again - the two bulbs either side are separate pieces and having glued the glass and then mounted to the fuselage, the left hand one was badly indented, so removed the whole glass, separated that piece, refitted the main glass and then the bulb. A much better result - though I've just realised there was a decal inside so not sure what's happened to that. 🙁 Looking back at the instructions there is a tab attached to these separate pieces - may have been useful to use that as a fixing aid during construction and then remove it. I had followed Patrick H's guidance on glossing the glass and that worked very well. Going to leave overnight to let everything dry off properly and then can think about the first coat of paint. I've used my new AK flat brush (no 4) on the propellers and seems to give a nice smooth layer so looking forward to trying that and the no 8 out more. I'm convinced by them though - ruined my initial 2/0 brush with the maskol (another lesson: use a cocktail stick, not a brush!) so I've ordered an AK replacement. 🙂. The maskol was also very useful for the numerous small round windows scattered across the fuselage.

Mark Norfolk
(Patrick H is Patrick Hagelstein. 🙂 )

Mark Norfolk
I'll post a picture later but AK interactive no 8 brush used on underside sea grey coat - very happy with results so far. Puts paint on v nicely (within the users skills set!).

Łukasz Gliński
Watching as I plan to build it soon too. Nice to see people coming back to modelling. Wondering how long it's gonna take before this community will make you convert to airbrushing😉

Guy Rump
Looking good so far Mark 🙂

Mark Norfolk
Thanks Lukasz / Guy. Airbrushing looks great and I do have one plus a compressor on a wish list, but for now they have to stay there! Having made one model and experimented a bit with brush painting I've quite got into keep tweaking mixes/ brushes, etc. and seeing what does what. Its interesting to see how various paints work too - just Humbrol, Tamiya & Vallejo so far but good fun. I'm also thinking even with an airbrush there would still be lots of times for brush painting! I'll be brushing for some time yet. 🙂

Patrick Hagelstein
Ah! Here it is! I'm in! 🙂

Mark Norfolk
Three coats on now: enough I think. The undercarriage was a fiddly undertaking - it seems it'll be a tight fit into the wheel wells so come the time that may be challenging. Still, very happy with the new AK brushes 🙂 very happy indeed.

Patrick Hagelstein
Hmmmm..... Do I notice a learning curve here? 😉 Great job! 👍 I also like how the landing gear turned out! 🙂

Mark Norfolk
I hope so Patrick (I'm enjoying the journey tbh) - in previous times I'd have hashed that landing gear, and I've never paid attention to things like 'paintbrush strokes' before, never mind priming, sanding join lines, etc. (The internet and things like youtube though do make a HUGE difference to what you can be aware of: not so much of that in the 1980's and 90's! 🙂 ). I don't have access to any of my previous models at the mo (of which only a few remain) but I do - bizzarely! - have the tail fins off an old fighter I made: can't believe the appalling paint job! he he heee! I remember too though a couple of my models - which I think still exist - were an F4 and an F16 I tried to make as 'wild weasels' from Spangdahlem: never had the decals back in the 90's, but now perhaps...?! (Went to my inaugural model show at the weekend - some great kits on display and also interesting to see the trade stalls: decals and old kits, as well as new kits, tools, advice,... taking more pennies next time!).

Łukasz Gliński
Indeed it's way easier today to build kits in less popular camos/liveries. I also find it cool and even order dedicated decals sometimes from all over the world 🙂 For sure you should be able to acquire some wild weasel decals.

Patrick Hagelstein
Spangdahlem birds and decals are out there! 🙂

Mark Norfolk
🙂 🙂

Mark Norfolk
Three coats of dark grey and one free, plus underside with maskol removed - bar one widow needing slight touch up quite pleased with results. Bought a stencil for preparing round masking tape next time 🙂

Patrick Hagelstein
Looking good so far! 👍

David Januska
Nice one and nice built👍. I like it very much.

Mark Norfolk
Thanks guys. I'm not so chuffed with the main cockpit though. Proving my nemesis at the mo cockpit glass! I have ordered an after market rob Taurus one in frustration but 2nd look is perhaps more recoverable than I feared. Note to self: patience and perseverance!! I'm guessing a thinners damp fine cotton bud perhaps? Wipe carefully along edges to try and improve definition. I'm beginning to see the attraction of 1/48!!

Patrick Hagelstein
Nooooooooooooh!!!!!! Don't leave the one true scale in modeling!!! (Yet..... 😄)

Mark Norfolk
Just ordered x2 1/72 kits & no 1/48! 🙂 Found a tempest kit that includes some 'photo etch' for the cockpit - never used that so should be interesting, and an A10 which I have plans for! 1/72 for a while yet!

Mark Norfolk
So, read about a car product called Meguiares PlastX which this modeller uses to polish his clear plastic with, and which photos shows works even after sanding. So I've removed the canopy and sanded it down (shown) - so now to procure some PlastX and try it. Glad I read this & am having a go but probably fortified by the fact a replacement is in the way! :-/

Mark Norfolk
For info this tip was at davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/

Guy Rump
Good tips there Mark, thanks 🙂

Mark Norfolk
So, bought the PlastRX and tried it: the pictures show a first go and finally a second, and then the glass dry fit back to the model - got to repaint the glass metalwork but very pleased with the improvement to the glass post the sanding back of the paint from the first abortive attempt. In hindsight the maskol worked very well on glass that sat somewhere with defined edges - so the wing lights and round fuselage windows, but didn't do at all well on the cockpit glass without any such edges. It may well be my amateur skills, but I think I'll avoid maskol on such cockpit glass and go with tape. I've seen more guidance about taping- I tried doing whole panes before but I think I'll follow the tiny strips and build up method! Anyway, the PlastRX seems v good.

Mark Norfolk
Patiently masked up with tape and repainted glass. Feeling good, hoping for decent result... :-|

Derek Huggett
Mark - May I humbly suggest masking tape for the defined edges, then Maskol (or other liquid masking fluid) for the greater voids behind the tape? Interesting to hear about the PlastRX too - thanks for sharing. 👍 🙂

Mark Norfolk
Thanks Derek - appreciate the tip!

Mark Norfolk
Definitely waiting for after market product: realised my glass over painted with excess lattice structure. Not end of world but whilst it looks better now also pretty wrong, and it seriously detracts, I think, from rest of the kit. Salutary lesson in doing your homework! 😮

Derek Huggett
Suggest homework using pictures of the real thing - I have seen enough errors on box art/photographs and instructions during my years to know not to trust them implicitly (a lot of manufacturers are NOT enthusiasts!)😉

Łukasz Gliński
Fingers crossed, vacu stuff is not easy to handle and not everyone likes it. My advice: dryfit it thousand times, same applies for cutting and sanding of the edges.

Patrick Hagelstein
What helps is using a ruler and a sharp knife to trim the edges of the tape before applying it. Then use those sharp edges to mask off the straight parts of the window panes. Don't worry about the curved parts, just apply tape over them and burnish the tape down really well with a toothpick or something. Then take a sharp (new) blade and use the weight of the knife to trace along the edges. That way you can achieve sharp edges along the canopy.

Mark Norfolk
Cheers guys, I will do all of this - research before taking another step or decision, have a plan, give myself time and plenty of cut straight tape. 👍

Mark Norfolk
So, decided to re-sand and re-do the glass again! Research showed my lattice was wrong, plus I was felt that what I'd done detracted from the rest of the model (the incredible impact 1 of 83 pieces can have!). The sanding went very well and was pleased with how far back it took things, though given the close up photos I'd previously taken i'd more of an idea what to aim for (that research issue again!). Then polished up with Plast RX - worked well, but the glass looked very scratched when looked at via a light source (not surprised given the abuse I've given it), so was thinking Klear required, when in a last remedial sand the front left portion broke - not off completely but heavily cracked. Feel pretty sanguine about this - it's probably no surprise it broke given the stress I'd put it through. I shall now set it aside as a back up, await the Rob Taurus piece, and tackle that v carefully, taking account of Dreek, Patrick and Lukasz's tips and feedback. In the meantime gloss coats and decals.

Andy Ball
Looking good, am thinking of this one to build too, any issues thus far?

Łukasz Gliński
Knife blade matters as well in case of cutting the masks, my recommendation is a curved one.

Mark Norfolk
Thanks Lukasz. I'll be sure to dig out a curved blade. Andy, no issues at all except my trials with the cockpit glass. I was concerned about the wheels/ struts into the wings but that went very well. Most awkward fits are the open wheel covers - edges caught the housing, meaning they didn't all go that easily onto the pins. I actually broke one with the pressure I was applying so - just take it easy! Otherwise kit goes together very very nicely. Would happily make again with a different paint job. 🙂

Patrick Hagelstein
Good one Łukasz! A curved doesn't have the risk of pulling away the tape if the blade gets accidentally caught. Set aside a brand new blade for cockpit masking. If you need the curved blade for something else, just switch them out so you keep one decimated to cockpit masking.

Mark Norfolk
Well, things have gone - largely - downhill. After decals did a gloss coat and then the panel line wash. Massive lessons: one gloss coat not enough. Left paint job very streaky, all sorts of staining in one wing decal and holes in one fuselage decal. Glossed again which partly rescued the staining effect: now the underside is ok (ish) but the top is not. Very disappointed given how pleased I'd been up to decals. Still - lesson time! Suck it up and move on. The Rob Taurus glass though - reasons to smile again. Cut out and sanded / trimmed to size ok, gloss coated, taped uk hard edges, maskol for couple of internal areas and painted. Much happier with approach, taping outcome and hopeful for results. S

So lessons?

Two gloss coats over pre washes.
Be more precise re:where I put the wash so minimising need to wipe with thinners.
Follow ALL those tips re: cockpit glass, plus prepare separately and add last - for me major lesson is don't prime with non enamels as can't correct it chemically.
Above all - patience.

Pondering nose glass replacement as thinners have trashed quality of it.

Patrick Hagelstein
What happened with that decal? Did tape lift that decal off?

Mark Norfolk
Came off when I used thinners to remove panel wash. One of things that made me realise one glass coat insufficient and to be more precise with wash to minimise need to clean up!!

Patrick Hagelstein
🙁

Mark Norfolk
tis a little but hey ho! It will all come together at some point just not yet! 🙂 I got lots to learn!