Airfix 1/24 Mustang wheel wells

[Pete Roberts]

Wonderful news regards the detail sets for the Airfix 1/24 Spitfire!

 

A huge thank you from me, and I am sure, a whole lot of modellers who have been calling for help in these areas of the kit.

 

I have two kits and both have been put on to 2020 builds now - looking forward eagerly to see what you can do with these.

 

PR

[LSP_Ray]

On 12/2/2019 at 9:59 PM, Model_Monkey said:

There will be a cockpit for the classic Bandai 1/24 scale Nakajima N1K2-J Shiden Kai.  Research is complete.

 

That would be awesome! The surface detail is actually not too bad, but the details are horrid.

[fightersweep]

The 51 wheel well looks amazing, and fills a big (literal) gap on the Airfix kit. I'm well up for anything that appears for the Spitfire too. Those kits are crying out for any aftermarket.

 

As far as the wing dihedral is concerned, and this affects the Spit too, just add what the real aircraft had...a wing spar. I use Evergreen box tube and make spars for my kits. Works every time and appears to give the kit more strength too.

 

Steve

Edited December 4, 2019 by fightersweep

[R Palimaka]

4 hours ago, fightersweep said:

The 51 wheel well looks amazing, and fills a big (literal) gap on the Airfix kit. I'm well up for anything that appears for the Spitfire too. Those kits are crying out for any aftermarket.

 

As far as the wing dihedral is concerned, and this affects the Spit too, just add what the real aircraft had...a wing spar. I use Evergreen box tube and make spars for my kits. Works every time and appears to give the kit more strength too.

 

Steve

 

I agree, adding the wing spar makes all the difference. I had to scratch build one, but now Modelmonkey's wheel well for the Mustang corrects both the empty well and the dihedral. Not sure of the structure of the Spitfire's wing, and how that would be designed.

 

The only other modification that has to made is to remove a millimetre or so from the inside of the wingroot on the wing top parts so that it takes up the new angle (5 degrees in the case of the Mustang). It took a bit of dry-fitting and experimentation but it wasn't difficult,  just some extra time added to the build. I was worried how flexing the large wing bottom part up to the correct angle might affect the fit at the rear toward the radiator intake, but there was no issue there. Watch the angle of the landing gear legs too! Some clamping and giving the glue time to cure and it was done.

 

I am not an experienced modeller, never scratch-built anything before this, just stubborn and love the Mustang. The modification to the wing dihedral is not difficult. These ModelMonkey parts will save hours and hours, and lots of sweat, and are sharply detailed. The pre-cut holes in the ribs will allow plenty of room for piping and wiring, and the set includes the heavy pipes running to the radiators in the square openings in the well roof, and lots of other mechanical/hydraulic pokery-jiggery. I will use them on my second 1/24 Airfix Mustang...and maybe a third.

 

Richard

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by R Palimaka

[Pete Roberts]

The Spitfire wing spar is a bit tricky. The wings were bolted onto the fuselage and the cockpit has no floor, so difficult to get a spar that passes through the fuselage.

 

At this point, not having attempted anything yet, I am considering spars to stiffen each wing, and contemplating an attachment to the wing root area for the spar arrangement(s).

 

But that project is on hold until the wheel wells turn up (and the cockpit). 'They' say patience is a virtue - sorry, virtuous I'm not!  But I am trying - in fact my wife says I am VERY trying.

 

PR

Edited December 4, 2019 by Pete Roberts