Master Model is known for producing high quality brass armament for aircraft and ship models. This new offering, AM-24-004, Hispano 20mm brass cannon for the AM-24-004, is another fine addition to this line of products.

The Master Model parts replace all four of the 20mm cannons that are included in the Airfix kit. It is necessary to remove and use the breaches from the kit parts but the barrels can be discarded. Assembly is straightforward and documented on the instruction card contained in the Master Model package.

One begins by removing the breach from the original Airfix cannons and by drilling a receiving hole in each breach. The depth and diameter of the receiving hole can be determined by identifying the locating pin on the brass barrel part that butts up against the breach.

It will be necessary to bend some brass and these photo etched parts are rather small. I have a P.E. bending tool but chose to use a pair of tweezers and a razor blade instead. The instruction card has a very clear illustration which shows what needs to be “bent”. Each Master Model part is shown in its “pre-bent” condition and then shown in its “bent” state. The bends are not complex but the size of the parts will be a bit of a challenge for the P.E. rookie. With care, the rookie will be successful but caution must be exercised so that the parts do not take flight during the bending process as gentle pressure is applied to them with the tweezers. It’s surprising how much “spring” can be found in these little parts and how far they can fly when put under small amounts of pressure.

I work slowly with P.E. parts and it took about 60 minutes to prepare the gun barrel shown in the accompanying images. By examining those images one can see that the detail on the brass parts is much sharper and cleaner than what can be achieved with plastic. This is especially true concerning the recoil spring. The time applied to the cannon barrels will result in a dramatic improvement in the appearance of this aspect of the Airfix Mossie.

This Master Model item is highly recommended and well worth the price. It is easy to work with, well designed, and is notable for the excellent “fit” of the parts.

Thanks to Master Model for the opportunity to review this item.