Martin Baker MB5B Monsoon PR3 build thread

[PR19_Kit]

Picking up on the MB5 mania that's sweeping across the WhiffWorld just now, and being persuaded by The Wooksta's argument about a mini-theme for this year's IPMS Nationals, er, sorry SMW 2017, I dug out my Skybirds86 MB5 from The Loft.

For those of you who weren't around in 1986, their MB5 was Skybirds86's first kit, and to say it was a landmark would be an understatement. Not only was it superbly engineered, but it was accurate (shock, horror...) and the instruction sheet actually told you how to get around the various problems produced by the low pressure injection moulding process, and the mistakes that the manufacturer had made! Not only that, but the plastic used was marbled black, white and grey. Yes, really........

Here's a pic of my kit and you can see what I mean about the colour of the styrene. It makes it very difficult to see the engraved panel line detail, but it's there and very well done.



Naturally mine's not going to be OOB, and the wings will be longer (What? Really???  ) because I'll be building the later PR version of the M-B Monsoon, the PR3. 

The Monsoon PR3 used the three stage supercharged Griffon 101, producing some 2500 bhp at low levels, giving the Monsoon a top speed of almost 500 mph below 10000 ft, which was faster than the Luftwaffe's Ta-152s of the period at that level. Further details of the Monsoon's  development and service will be posted in a backstory near here before much longer.

Meanwhile here's the plan I'm working to.....

[dogsbody]

Some drawings that were in my picture stash. I can't remember where exactly they are from.








Chris

[Librarian]

This is going to be goooood .

Currently looks like the world's first tie-dyed kit

[PR19_Kit]

Lovely drawings, those Chris. Thanks so much for posting them. 

[kitnut617]

Seeing those styrene parts jogged my memory. I've got something in the stash just like it.  Now what the heck was it. 

[kerick]

The kit looks like fun but that plastic is fugly! Hope primer covers it!

[The Rat]

This is a winner already! 

[PR19_Kit]

This is a winner already! 

I dunno about that as yet, a lot of work to do before it's even ready for primer.

It's a bit like a better engineered Pegasus kit, the engraving is much better defined than a Pegasus, but as there's no location pegs it needs careful lining up. The fuselage sides don't match all that well, especially around the under fuselage radiator scoop and the air intake under the prop, but I've managed to sort them out a tad. They'll need further work later though. Mine must be a late production moulding as the port wing is a tad short moulded and it doesn't fit the fuselage worth a damn, but it's nothing that I've not come across before of course.

It's very strange filing and cutting the parts as noted in the instructions but I'm a bit lacking in info as it seems there should be an exploded parts diagram included, and I can't find it anywhere. 

No matter, I'll press on regardless.

[Steel Penguin]

I have to admit it seems a bit of a shame to cover that lovely marble effect in paint.
But im watching with interest 

[PR19_Kit]

I have to admit it seems a bit of a shame to cover that lovely marble effect in paint.
But im watching with interest 

I may only paint one side. 

[The Rat]

No matter, I'll press on regardless.

A true whiffer! 

[comrade harps]

Making me want to put aside the Eastern Front 1941 theme for a while and do my take on the MB.5... napalm, tip tanks and all.

Will look on with envy. 

[PR19_Kit]

So much for 'well engineered'.........

As I'm building a PR aircraft it won't need any guns so I've puttied the gun ports. On looking closely I noted that the wing leading edges don't match when the under wing moulding is located against its step, so I needed MORE putty. If there's one thing I hate about Whiff modelling it's the tons of PSR work that's almost essential, but that's life in WHiffWorld of course.

I've got the cockpit interior assembled, with white metal rudder pedals, stick and pilot's seat, but the instrument panel doesn't work as specified. It's white metal too, already painted matt black and you're meant to lightly scrape off the black so the bezels show up shiny, but the bezels aren't cast deep enough and ALL the black comes off. 

I think a repaint and some silver paint on a single bristle brush will work. I wonder how the 'Air-brushes-are-essential' crew would handle THAT problem? 

The white metal prop has been filed and assembled and very nice it looks too, but the  combined exhaust and prop-bush casting will need some modification as it's not wide enough for the exhausts to protrude far enough through the cowling.

I guess if it was easy everyone would do it, wouldn't they? 

I'll have to get an AZ MB5 now, just to see how they compare.

[NARSES2]

So in service she was known as the Monsoon then ? Do you know something I don't or are you just better at naming then me ?  Couldn't think of a sensible one at all.

[PR19_Kit]

Martin Baker Monsoon trips off the tongue nicely, doesn't it? 

When the War Ministry ordered the MB5 into production in September 1944, MB hadn't got a large enough factory to produce the 750 aircraft ordered so James Martin approached Hawker Aircraft to act as sub-contractors. During the discussions Sydney Camm asked what the MB5 was going to be named, but no-one had thought of that so far, and Camm suggested that MB 'borrow' one of Hawker's 'wind names', thus the MB Monsoon.

[That's a chunk of the back story written already.... ]