The Little World

And you never look a gift buffalo in the mouth…

This little gem was left on the modeller’s table at the club one week along with another 1:72 model under a sign: ” Free, please take “. I didn’t feel I could make good use of the other Japanese airplane but I knew that the Brewster was going to have a good home.

You see, I already have a Hobby Boss Brewster built as a plane of No. 25 Squadron RAAF PEARCE in 1942. I made up RAAF roundels and fin flash for that and saved the USN kit decals for another day –  well, the day arrived.

No two models are ever going to be the same from two different makers, and this was the case with the Airfix kit vs the Hobby Boss. The Hobby Boss has a markedly longer nose – I don’t think it was really modelled from an F2A-1 at all – probably a later model. But all the other places were so similar that the markings could fit right onto the Airfix.

I’m delighted, as this is the first pre-war livery for a US plane that I have built. Love or hate the yellow wing and silver fuselage if you will, but I am delighted with the result. And as it was painted with lacquer, it went through the masking stages quickly and cleanly. I learned my lesson with aqueous acrylics and masking tape!

I think Hobby Boss did a better job of the moulding, though this is just because they went at it with newer machines and mould makers. This Airfix kit is the raised-rivet type. I don’t mind this at all, it is spectacular enough to justify the bumpy feel and it is made to please me, not a judge. But I wish Airfix had been a bit more precise with the thing – it’s a kit sent out at the end of the Marfleet factory era and it is a little crude in places.

Perhaps that’s what persuaded the previous owner to keep passing it by in his stash. The decal sheet  was missing, and as was advertised as having an alternative RAAF marking set, maybe he took those for a Hobby Boss! Weirder things have happened.

Any rate, for the price of a spare set of transfers and a spoonful of paint, this has been the subject of a delightful and rewarding weekend build. I consider it a win.