The Little World

Well, the insides of the Hobby Boss P-47 kit were just as good as I expected – with the top-and-bottom fuselage construction and the crisp mouldings. The sprue trees were well-planned, and even if I do not use the wing tanks, I will have them for a future build.

Basic fuselage has a very peculiar radio direction finding loop sprouting up on top of the razor back. You can guess which part of the kit is going to get razor-sawn off as soon as the parts get washed…

The wing is fine – I love how both the dihedral and the horizontal stabilisers in this form of construction are pre-set from the factory. I can manage the vertical stabliliser.

Gear doors look sturdy enough to go on and stay on. That belly tank is the prize of the accessories – defining the type as it does.

Pretty basic engine but given the deep shrouding, I can paint it to look good. Bless them – they’ve even got the cross-hatch tread on the tyres and anti-sway tank mounts.

Canopy looks as good as the Brewster Buffalo one did.

But there is a problem. The inside of the box looks to have had an infestation of mould or a spray of oil in there – unlike any other model airplane box I’ve ever seen. I wash all the plastic parts before assembly so I know they are clean, but I am leery of having this box in the workshop – I don’t need fungus contamination on my camera lenses. I wonder what the story is on this one?