MONTEX 1/32 BOOMERANG
COMMENTS ON THE KIT |
Despite the valid glowing review by Patrick
Sprau on AMI of the Montex
1/32 Boomerang, there are a few
issues with this kit.
My connection with this kit first occurred
in October 2006 when a local modeller, Lucas Kedzierski,
contacted me on behalf of Montex seeking Flap Bay and Gun
Bay detail. Apparently the project was well advanced at this
time.
I was able to determine that they were using
Polish author Zbiqnie Luvanc’s monograph and drawings.
These drawings were based on data I supplied in 2000 and
depicted the correct fuselage length of 26ft, 9 27/32 inch,
not the much quoted 25ft 6 inches (despite this measurement
being in the instruction sheet, the kit is the correct length).
Note – Imperial measurements are used
because this aircraft was designed and built using this system.
As much data as seemed useful was supplied
to Montex, but there was no direct contact from them so I
was unable to give complete guidance, and had to rely on
the preview
photo’s by Jay
Laverty on Large
Scale Model’s web
site. As more photos were displayed, additional material
in the form of photos and drawings were sent to enable corrections
and more in-depth detail via Lucas.
Despite all this effort some data was not
used and errors created. Some examples are –
- Sagging fabric on the control surfaces, rather than
the taut finish as depicted in photo’s.
- Armour plate behind the seat not included.
- Installation of the main wheels is back to front. The
flat disk is the outer cover, the smaller disc is the
brake drum which is located against the fork.
- No cockpit floor and fuel gauges. This is actually
the top of the wing centre section.
- Canopy has excessively thick framing; it doesn’t
match the photo sent!
- The machine gun belts are not visible where they travel
over the cannon as they are inside steel guides.
- The aft end of the Flame Damper exhaust pipe is not
open! It has a curved pipe exiting it, to duct hot air
to the gun bays – details were sent!
- The detailed painting guide I sent was not used either.
The installation booklet leaves a lot to be worked out by
the modeller. Even with my detailed knowledge of the Boomerang,
I had difficulty identifying all the small parts.
This article is not to be seen as denigrating this kit, as
the majority of the creation is brilliant. There are only
a few issues which an experienced modeller, with adequate
data, can overcome. Some examples are:
- Fill the sagging fabric until flush;
- Reverse the wheel installation;
- Paint the cockpit frame Grey Green FS34226, not light
green.
- Install the top skin between the front and rear spars
of the wing centre section to create the cockpit floor.
- Fix the square lower armour plate behind the pilots seat
which seals the fuel tank off from the cockpit.
Other details of note are:
- The surface finish of the metal wingtips was flush and
even in this scale would be no different form the plywood
items used later on.
- It must be noted that Boomerangs DID NOT EVER have metal
skinned ailerons this is a long perpetuated myth created
by G. Pentland in 1963 by his reading the maintenance manual.
- The wings will need spars to hold them at the correct
7 degrees dihedral as super glued butt joints do not have
great shear strength.
- The panel for the gun camera in the left wing needs engraving
on the undersurface plus a clear lens cover.
- Mr Sprau’s comment about the tyre tread is correct.
A46-9 had smooth contour covers, the square tread tyres
were later introduced to provide better traction.
- The identification of F/LT D.H. Goode as the pilot of
A46-128 is correct.
- A46-9 is in the correct CAC applied colours.
- A46-128 has the original colour scheme that has been
partially modified by No 5 SQN, as there is no return
in the lower colour under the tail plane and the serial
number is now stenciled – CAC applied numbers
were solid.
- A46-211 – the demarcation of the white empennage
has been altered from the factory applied coverage. This
is confirmed by the absence of the CAC logo on the rudder
and the stenciled serial number.
- All of these schemes would have the maintenance stencils
applied.
- The F24 aerial camera in the rear fuselage of A46-211
had its lenses covered by a flush panel in the centre between
the wing trailing edge fillets. There was a mud guard in
front of this but the detail shape has eluded me.
- The IFF antenna wires from the fuselage sides to the
tail planes were not used on -211. A 19 inch rod antenna
between the wheel wells replaced these.
- The fuselage tank filler behind the cockpit left hand
side was covered, usually by a flush panel, unless lost
as seen in the photos of -128 and -211.
- A very visible part missed from the cockpit is the arm
rests which covered the upper longeron between the windscreen
and rear window frame.
- The control grip should only have one firing button as
control for the cannon or machine guns was by electrical
switches on the left hand sub-instrument panel.
- The wing spar of 36ft equals 13.5 inches in 1/32 scale,
the same as the kit. Forget metric as this introduces conversion
errors!
The CD of photos taken by Lucas Kedzierski,
who should have been credited for this, is good. But it leaves
the modeller with a lot of research to do to determine details
such as component location and colouring.
As a result of this article I will produce
a modellers guide to provide more details to enable an accurate
build and paint job for this kit. I envisage that it will
contain a lot of photos and drawings both historic and current
(from my rebuild project). Work is also in hand to produce
an accurate cockpit canopy which will be in three separate
sections.
I have asked Red Roo Models to sponsor
this guide, however, as I will be overseas until December,
I ask all kit owners to be patient as it will be 2008 before
it is available due to their heavy work commitment.
Richard Hourigan - 14 Sep 2007
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