In this final installment of the review of this superb kit we will look at the engines and we will get the airframe assembled and get the decals applied.

The engines are really models unto themselves. I took my Mosquito to a club meeting and displayed it as a Work In Progress, and most of the comments and questions about the kit dealt with the engines and the plumbing for the engines.

There is a great deal of detail and plumbing, and the best part is that the cowls can be left open to show off your handiwork. As with other aspects of this kit, you are strongly advised to study the instructions, and to follow the sequence of construction laid out in the instructions. This is especially important when it comes to the tubes and pipes that are attached to the engines, and that run from the airframe into/onto the engines. Test-fit as much as you can before assembly.

This is at least the second in this as yet un-named series from Osprey. The first that I’m aware of was Spitfire by Tony Holmes published in the same hardback format in August 2015. This appears to be a ‘handy’ size book that is possibly derived from earlier books by Paul Crickmore on the SR-71 Blackbird. Paul Crickmore has quite a history photographing and writing about the Lockheed Blackbirds leaning on his time as an Air Traffic Controller in London. Following the termination of the SR-71 program, Paul Crickmore produced a very detailed book, Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed that won praise from the aviation press, SR-71 crews, and the late president of the Skunk Works, Ben Rich.

Guideline has just added the Ilyushin IL-2 to the list of titles in their “Warpaint” series.

The pages of this book are all printed on high-quality, glossy stock, and the covers are in stiffer card stock, also glossy. As with other titles in this series, the production quality is quite high.

There are not really any distinct “chapters” in the book, but each new section is labeled in bold type. The author dives right in on page one to explain the history behind the idea of the Il-2, and its subsequent creation. Having established that, he then discusses early production, modifications, and further production. The addition of a second crewman (rear gunner) is covered in depth, as this was a major change to the initial version of the aircraft. Some brief combat history is woven throughout the developmental history, as in large part it was the combat experience that resulted in the need for changes to the airframe.

History

Ordered in 1943, the first F8F flew in 1944. The XF8F-1 had a speed of 424 mph was armed with four .50 caliber guns in the wings and could carry two 1000lb bombs. Deliveries of the F8F-1 began in May 1945 but due to the end of the war the order was cut to 770 from 2900. Later Grumman received a contract for 126 F8F-1Bs which had four 20mm cannons instead of the .50 guns. The F8F-2 was introduced in 1948 and 293 of the -2 Bearcats were built by Grumman with the biggest differences being a taller fin & rudder and a revised cowling. Besides the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps F8Fs were used by Thailand, South Vietnam and France.

Summary

Hasagawa has re-released their previously out-of-production Tamago Plane Series Egg Plane caricature of the venerable TBF/TBM Avenger, this issue sporting two sets of new markings, including the popular set for USS Mission Bay (Code E16).
The small, sturdy box contains two sprues of relatively hard, blue plastic, a clear plastic canopy packaged separately, one medium sheet of decals which are thin and in perfect register, and one instruction sheet totaling 6 pages with 2 steps, printed in black and white.

The markings in the kit cover two schemes: TBF-1C: U.S. Navy USS Mission Bay Code: E16 and TBM-1C: U.S. Navy VC-42 Code 21.