Eduard have designed a pair of detailed etched sets to upgrade Revell's recent quarterscale Mosquito, inside and out.

Set #49438 - Mosquito B. Mk.IV Interior - $26.95

Two etched frets are included, one of them pre-painted, with a total of 105 new parts.

The pre-painted fret is also available as Zoom #FE438 and displays the usual exceptional detail on the instrument faces and radio fascias, and the new etched parts completely eclipse the kit's original parts, with much more convincing detail than the moulded versions and making Revell's decal panel look positively toy-like.

The colour used for the main panel fascias is very dark grey, rather than the black I'd have expected, to allow details and instrument faces to be picked out in full black.

The etched Sutton harnesses for the pilot and navigator look good and, again, are far superior to the kit's seatbelts. They're multi-part, but not as complex as some Eduard harnesses I've seen.

The second fret is plain metal and it's at this point that things begin to get markedly more complex; while the pre-painted parts are suitable for all modellers of average ability, using some of the parts on fret #2 will require a fair amount experience with working with etched parts.

There's a new pilot's seat to fold to shape, along with a very delicate equipment rack into which fit new consoles - again, boxes that must be folded to shape. There are replacement rudder pedals and the bomb-sight must be carved away to almost nothing before fitting etched pieces.

The bomb aimer's compartment comes in for quite a comprehensive makeover, with new racks for flares and oxygen bottles, more boxes to fold, cables to fit, an escape axe and fire extinguisher, plus details for the entry hatch. The inside of the kit nose will require quite a lot of intricate work removing moulded details and smoothing the surfaces ready for the new parts.

The set includes etched oxygen bottles etc. and this is going beyond what can be realistically depicted in this medium, even though the parts are folded over, concertina-fashion, to avoid them looking completely flat. (It has to be said though that Revell have only moulded the original versions as half-rounds.) Purists will certainly want to add the items from scratch for a full 3-D appearance to do justice to the overall level of new detail.

Lastly, there are no less than 9 new items to fit inside the canopy, including minute latches and brackets.

Set #48617 - Mosquito B. Mk.IV Exterior - $24.95

Turning to the rest of the Mossie, Eduard have produced another 2-fret set that adds another 158 new parts aimed at two main areas:

1: The bomb-bay
2: The undercarriage

The bomb bay benefits from new bulkheads and racks, details for the door mechanisms, along with new tails and arming props for the kit's bombs themselves. There's a little modification needed to the original parts to install the extra details but, despite the slightly daunting parts count, it doesn't look as complex as some of the interior work.

The undercarriage comes in for a lot of attention, with new liners, details and bulkheads for the main-wheel wells, hinges etc. for the doors and new mudguards for the gear legs. Eduard have included the retraction guides that Revell missed.

Rounding everything off are replacement radiator cores and access panels for the fuselage spine.

The instructions for each set as clearly laid out with easy to follow monochrome illustrations, and as usual, colour versions are available on Eduard's website.

Conclusion

Eduard's additions should make for a great looking Mossie. Less experienced are advised to seek out the Zoom set for a simpler, but still very effective details to the cockpit. Going the whole hog with both the sets here is really something for modellers who've got a few etched upgrades under their belt. Recommended to experienced modellers.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.