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Alley Cat
AC24005C DeHavilland Mosquito
TR.Mk33 Conversion
Kit no: AC24005C
Scale: 1/24
Markings: 2 Different schemes
Price £37.50
Base Kit : Airfix 1/24 Kit
No. of parts: in total: Grey Resin + 1 photo etch sheet + Canopy + Airframe Masks
http://www.a2zeemodels.co.uk/mosquito-tr-mk33-sea-mosquito-conversion-set-5061-p.asp
From A2ZEE Models we have the most interesting conversion for the Airfix 1/24th scale Mosquito I have seen to date - their 24th scale TR. Mk33 Sea Mosquito Conversion. This medium size box is stuffed full of resin, the cover of the box showing the profile tells you nothing of the goodness that is inside. Fifty-one resin parts, wire and a photo etched sheet as well as masks for two versions fo sea mossie this is a large bit of resin for the price. Like I said this is an unusual version of the Mosquito. No other version allows for folding wings, a torpedo, rocket packs and an arrestor hook!!
Briefly the history of the Sea Mosquito – well it was conceived as a carrier -borne anti shipping aircraft in late 1944. The fuselage was strengthened the airframe was was fitted with folding wingtips outside the engines, an arrestor hook and the ability to fit an 18 inch torpedo under the fuselage. The TR.Mk33 also carried an ASH radar in the nose, and - for short take offs rocket assisted take off gear (RATOG) was attached to the fuselage. Merlin 25 engines and smaller tyres rounded off the conversion from the FB MKVI. Although the Sea Mosquito was never used from carriers as designed, it did serve post war with the land based Fleet Air Arm in 811 Squadron until it was replaced by the Sea Hornet in 1947.
Let's stop the history channel blurb and get on with the kit – The box is packed with resin in bags which seem to keep coming out - after you have pulled one out there's another bag, then another! These are some very large pieces for me, mainly a 32nd scale kind of guy, but anyone who as seen the 24th scale Mossie kit will know it’s a serious hunk of plastic - so any conversion kit will be substantial. How this one is made, with the inclusion of masks for this price I just don’t know, it’s a good deal of product for not much money.
The Several pages of instructions are clearly laid with pictorial diagrams to show you where to cut and drill your necessary to complete this conversion with any degree of success, There is one double sided instruction leaflet which explains the instruction pictures on the other five pages included. There is also a colour profile page with two schemes illustrated . the fact that the instructions are on different pages to the pictures is great as you can read and see the instructions at the same time.
The Radar nose of the ASH radar is the first thing I took out of the box, this "bull" nose on the end of a solid cone is well cast with a slight under surface "balling" effect, this worried me a little – but on very close examination this is only under the surface and the 'dome is smooth. So no worries there. There are several colour pictures and written instructions for the filling and altering of the fuselage, from using the etched frame provided to scribe a new lower access panel, to using the styrene provided to make stiffening strakes to using the wire provided for the assembly of the arrestor hook under the rear fuselage. Longer air intakes are included if you desire to include them, they are flawless inside, no tricky internal extra resin around to clean up here. New enlarged tailplanes are also included which match the texture of the donor kit. Starboard side cockpit radar installation is included in some fine resin parts, which are to be installed after careful surgery on the instrument panel. Dials and switches are clearly reproduced so as you need for nothing else. Alley Cat have provided all the parts here you need – it's up to you to make it all into a model. This is not a shake and bake conversion, but not beyond the skills of most modellers who would be reading this review.
Being a guy and interested in the things that go bang - the next thing I looked for was the torpedo. This cigar sized three part canister of resin represents an 18" Mk.XV or Mk.XVII torpedo. There are also resin fins and steering veins and photo-etched propeller blades for the propulsion. There is a six stage step process illustrated here in the picture section, once the bombay doors are closed you need to drill several holes and use the jig that Alley Cat have provided to position the torpedo correctly so it can be strapped to the aircraft with the small bits of wire and plastic strip provided. Nice work on the jig – otherwise it would be a right pig to position. There are also two pictures showing the angle of the prop blades. Though a little fiddly in installation this process - if followed properly it will bring you a awesome torpedo just under 19cm long!
The wing fold conversion is next to examine. Well before you do you will need to read the instructions twice, measure trice and cut once the kit wings. You can use the folding wings for reference and dry fitting before you go, but just measure twice and cut once and its all ok. Once you have cut the wings and fitted the fold parts, there are really nice knuckles moulded into the hinges that capture and hold the parts together with some very gentle pressure to mate them. Extra parts are supplied to make the wiring and connecting parts of the wing . These bits of plastic strip and wire must be the most useful bits of seemingly useless scrap parts I have ever seen on a conversion.
The smaller dimension ribbed tyres used in this conversion with the new oleos supplied by Alley Cat are well cast and easy to clean up – they combine with some of the kit parts to make up the undercarriage assembly. The great thing about this is they have strengthened the oleos with wire all the way through them. This impressed me as the kit is very heavy and if I didn’t have these I would think about investing in metal legs – which I don’t like very much as they are tedious to clean up before assembly – not to mention expensive! Nice that Alley Cat have thought of this.
Propulsion – well they certainly wanted this off the carrier decks!!! The TR.Mk.33 had an extra blade on each propeller of the twin Merlin 25's, these are provided in the form of two propellers correct to the kit pieces, with a four holed spinner to cover the four holed resin hub. The RATOG Installation is another story and is one or two steps more to make. You have to drill several holes as described to install ignition cables and the braces to hold the rockets.
The markings are a mixture of the kit markings, plus masks for two aircraft supplied by Montex which make up the majority of the markings for the two different airframes, as well as the internal and external canopy masks (nice) both airframes are from the royal Navy. I much prefer masks if possible in this scale as carrier film in 24th UGLY!!
TW270/413/CW 790 Naval air Squadron. Culdrose 1948 – Extra dark sea/ Sky colours
TW256/593/LP, 771 Naval Air Squadron. Lee-On-Solent - camouflaged extra dark sea/ Dark slate grey/sky version with a white radar nose tip.
I can't wait to build this all up! The "I have suddenly gotten the Kahunas to build a Mossie build" is coming in August – complete with this conversion. Watch this space… Here are some extra pics to whet the ol' appetite….
                       
What Do We Think ?
I would recommend it for a dedicated modeller who has some skill with resin, and someone who doesn’t mind cutting up their new mossie kit! You just have to have the Kahunas to make it ! There are reasons why I love this conversion…
It's perfect as a conversion for me for these reasons
– its different to anything out there right now
- Well thought out and explained in its instructions
- excellently cast with masks for canopy – at this scale it's better to mask rather than decal!!
If you want something different to make your mossie into – buy this, make it and enter it in a show – you'll probably win if you do it all right!
10/10 Perfect !
Adam Norenberg
Thanks to the lovely people at A2ZEE models and Alley Cat who supplied us with this Kit
http://www.a2zeemodels.co.uk/mosquito-tr-mk33-sea-mosquito-conversion-set-5061-p.asp
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