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| Mosquito
PR.XVI - USAAF 653rd BS/25th BG, 325 Photographic Wing, RAF Watton,
Norfolk, 1944 |
Aviation
Archive. World War II
- Europe & Aftrica. Not much to thrill with this model.
This particular copy was made for the UK market in 2003, and you can
still find them for sale by online vendors. There's some question
in my mind about the light blue used on the fuselage and wings. Black
and white pictures of like Mosquitos show a much darker finish, and
the real thing at the National
Museum of the US Air Force is definitely painted a dark purplish
blue. Why the difference, I don't know, especially since the museum's
version and this diecast represent the very same aircraft (NS519).
I'm not going to say here that Corgi is chock full of blueberry muffins,
but my devotion to said muffins has been somewhat shaken.
Correction: While engaged in intense
research of the color issue (actually, I was reading while working
my way through a fresh cup of coffee and a Wendy's chocolate Frosty),
I discovered on page 171 of Ethell's book "Air Command: Fighters
and Bombers of World War II" a color photo of a "...25th
Bomb Group (Recon)...reverse Lend Lease Mosquito Mk. XVI Bomber...painted
in PRU blue with red tail..." If you visually correct for too
much cyan in the print, the color of the Mosquito shown matches the
hue and intensity on this Corgi model. Perhaps a blueberry muffin
should have gone with that coffee...
Ship it, Danno. If the box this model
came in could talk, we would surely have another War and Peace (Tolstoy
that is, not Hollywood). Not a corner is undamaged, and the edges
are variously folded, spindled, or mutilated. The top is split by
a long cut from a box opener, and the slot in which the view-top tongue
fits is ripped. The evidence speaks of a package that went from China,
to a UK vendor, to a sidewalk seller, to the bottom of a tall pile
of unsellable stock, to a bulk purchaser in the US, to an online vendor
who was forced to hold it to the last. Then, yes, to me, the original
all-day sucker, who was told of the box's condition ("But the
model is in perfect shape"). Feeling charitable (actually, desperate--after
all, it was the last one) I said yes. The same vendor has since restocked,
probably from some other despairing UK source. Nonetheless, I'm glad
I got this particular model, because you've got to admire the pluck
of its box. The center held, even though the corners took a beating. |
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