Scale Plastic & Rail

1/24 De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.XVIII “ Tsetse” conversion

1/24 De Havilland Mosquito  FB Mk.XVIII “ Tsetse” conversion (for Airfix kit)
Alley Cat
Catalogue # AC24006C
Available from A2Zee Models for £30.00

The behemoth that is the 1/24 Airfix ‘Mossie’ is the subject of another key conversion set from the excellent Alley Cat range, from A2Zee Models. The so-called “Tsetse” Mosquito had a lethal 6-pounder ‘Molins’ cannon fitted in the underside belly of the aircraft, replacing the lower 4 cannon usually housed here. The result was a machine with a large cannon barrel protrusion at the front, and a bulged forward fairing to accommodate. This gun was a modified anti-tank gun and carried a lethal kick. Primarily used as anti-submarine and anti-shipping aircraft, 27 of this variant where completed, and they proved successful in this unusual role.

This conversion set comprises of 16 medium-grey resin parts; 2 sheets of Montex masks for both the interior and exterior canopy glazings, and 2 sheets of Montex masks for the individual aircraft which are the subject of this conversion.

The first thing that strikes me when I open this kit is the size of the parts. If you haven’t seen a 1/24 Mossie, you may not know what I mean. This is a HUGE kit, and of course, this conversion reflects that. There are 2 bags of supplied resin, and the first contains an entire 1 part piece which forms the weapons bay, aft of the original 4 underside cannon. This substantial piece contains the rear fairing for the Milins gun, and all associated panelling and apertures for this machine. A minimal casting block will have to be removed, and a fine razor saw will be needed. In the same bas you will also find the entire forward cockpit halves, forward of the wing leading edge. These are cast due to the armour plating which was fitted to this area. The last part in this bag is for the cockpit entrance door, again fitted with armour plating. Again, casting blocks will be easy to remove, having been designed not to immediately foul the main parts. Detail on the parts is commensurate with that on the actual kit, and is finely rendered.

The second bag is even more stocked with resin. The first part I come to is the replacement nose, forward of the cockpit windscreen. This piece is a casting masterpiece. The upper part of this is designed to be removed in order that you can install the 4 upper cannon as per the original kit. This part is cast to include the floor of this gun bay also. The next part is for the armoured upper nose section, covering the guns. The lower Molins gun fairing is also here, with the guns forward fairing and barrel aperture cast into it. Rivet and panel detailing is superb. The barrel is a short section which plugs into this part, and is hollowed out also.

The remaining parts are concerned with the strengthened inward wing flaps and the radiator flaps, again all flawlessly cast in the same medium-grey resin. Casting blocks are designed as to not cause an issue when it comes to removing them. Detail herein is again commensurate with the Airfix kit and won’t look out of place on the kit when finished.

The resin itself is quite supple and will prove easy to sand and cut with both saw and knife. On some parts, namely the forward nose areas, there appears to be a ‘marbling’ effect in the resin. This causes no issue with the exterior finish, but I would certainly just give everything a quick tickle with a very fine sanding stick or Micromesh in order to give a totally flawless finish.

As this conversion is done in association with Montex Masks, you won’t be surprised to see some of their amazing sets in here, and indeed, we have 4 sheets. The first two, as previously mentioned, are concerned with both the interior and exterior glazing. While there appears to be a little back-shrinkage around some mask parts, this is the same for other sets I have used, and there should be no problem with the quality and fit of them. Two beige mask sheets are supplied for the individual aircraft markings. You will need to use the national markings and stencilling from the kit in order to complete the model.

Two A4 colour sheets are included which tell you the levels of surgery needed to implement this kit. Thankfully, very little surgery at all will be needed except for removing the forward cockpit halves from the kit fuselage. All other parts are simply replacements for the actual kit. Most of the instructions are therefore text. One of the sheets shows the colour schemes for the Molins birds, and placement for the masks.

So what do we think?

I have to say this is a splendid conversion set which, for minimum effort and cost, will make an unusual looking subject. I will be using this set in a forthcoming project too. Overall, casting and mastering are exceptional, and for the bucketload of resin you get, this is excellent value for money, and I hope to see many more sets like this. I’ll just need to move house to be able to house these superscale conversions!

Overall: 10/10

JH

My sincere thanks to Ali of A2Zee Models for the review sample used here. To buy this item directly, click THIS link.