http://www.FineScale.com 55guised as part of the cockpit structure to
spread it. I am planning on building a sec-
ond kit as a night-fighter flown by U.S.
Navy crewmembers sent to learn British
tactics. When I do, I am planning on build-
ing the clear nose first, then going back to
Page 1 and making sure everything aligns
to the nose. Another option would be to
connect G4 and G11, the vertically split
nose halves, to their respective fuselage
halves before assembling the fuselage.
I painted the cowls, flaps and, gear doors
separate from the airframe. I used Testors
Model Master paints inside and Mr. Color
on the exterior.
The decals went down well over a coat
of Pledge Floor Gloss (PFG). I tried to
accelerate the process with a hair dryer on
the fuselage codes, but I don’t recommend
it. They began to bubble rather than con-
form to the surface. I sealed them with
PFG and then Testors Dullcote.
The flaps are a simple butt joint, but I
wish they had a more positive system for
alignment. The engines, props and gear
doors fit well, just be sure the gear doors
“snap” all the way in. The hole for the
antennae mast is a little large. You may
want to add some filler. All that was left
was to drop in the completed turret.
Although this kit has minor challenges,
most modelers should easily overcome
them. I thoroughly enjoyed mine. Airfix
continues to give us great kits of interest-
ing subjects and I can’t wait to see what’s
next.- Andy Keyes
Kit: No. A09186 Scale: 1/48
Mfr.: Airfix, airfix.com Price: $49.99
Comments: Injection-molded, 216 parts,
decals Pros: Great fits overall; landing
gear structure easy to assemble, solid;
turret-assembly jig is absolute genius
Cons: Wish there was a jig to build the
multi-piece engine cowls; glass nose dif-
ficult to assemble