Product Review: Corgi 1:32 Mosquito
Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:09 pm
I finally bit the bullet and purchased a Corgi 1:32 scale Mosquito from ebay (see auction picture below). While I'm a bit late to the game on this aircraft release, I'm very glad I picked one up and am posting a brief review for those who may consider adding the 1:32 Mosquito to their collection...
In short, the model is fantastic! It is mostly diecast (and acordingly heavy), with some plastic parts and tons and tons of detail.
As is typical with most higher-end diecast products, my model had no paint flaws, blemishes, or QC issues.
Again, there is lots of detail on the model. All control surfaces move with some being linked so that they move simultaneously with the others (like the elevators). The bomb bay opens and my model comes with a replica of the 4,000 lb "cookie" bomb. The bomb is magnetic so that it mounts in the bomb bay (a nice touch!). The crew hatch in the nose also opens and a boarding ladder accessory came with the model.
The landing gear have rotating rubber tires and are retractable. The model comes with seperate pieces for the main gear doors to display them either closed or open. The open main gear door pieces (4 in all) are held in place by a pin and spring and the closed door pieces (2 in all) snap in place. The doors are actually quite sturdy.
Access panels come off the engines as well, exposing the Merlin engine. The panels are somewhat difficult to get on and off, but snap into place, stay tightly, and do not impeed the rotation of the propellers. One must remove the exhaust tubes before removing the panel.
The cockpit has two nicely-painted pilot figures which are permanently fixed beneath the canopy. The radio equipment is visible behind the pilot and flight controls are present. The instruments are not painted and that is actually my only real complaint with the model. The nose compartment is rather spartan with no significant detail and the crawl space between the cockpit and forward compartment was not replicated.
My particular mode (Mosquito B Mk XVI from 632 Squadron) also came with two ground crew figures and a diecast trolley for loading the "cookie" bomb. This allows me to make a neat little dio when displaying the aircraft on the ground. A large metal stand was also included to display the plane in-flight.
Model is quite large, approaching the size of a smaller 1:18 scale plane like the Bf-109 and it is certainly heavier. Many of the 1:32 planes made by 21c and BBI have finer details, particularly in terns if weathering and cockpit detail. The Corgi plane is sturdy, however, and I feel that I can pick it up and move it around without risk of breaking something. The Corgi 1:32 Mosquito is also not very cheap. I lucked out and got mine for $135, though they seem to retail for $180-$190.
Still, if you are looking into getting one, I highly recommend it
In short, the model is fantastic! It is mostly diecast (and acordingly heavy), with some plastic parts and tons and tons of detail.
As is typical with most higher-end diecast products, my model had no paint flaws, blemishes, or QC issues.
Again, there is lots of detail on the model. All control surfaces move with some being linked so that they move simultaneously with the others (like the elevators). The bomb bay opens and my model comes with a replica of the 4,000 lb "cookie" bomb. The bomb is magnetic so that it mounts in the bomb bay (a nice touch!). The crew hatch in the nose also opens and a boarding ladder accessory came with the model.
The landing gear have rotating rubber tires and are retractable. The model comes with seperate pieces for the main gear doors to display them either closed or open. The open main gear door pieces (4 in all) are held in place by a pin and spring and the closed door pieces (2 in all) snap in place. The doors are actually quite sturdy.
Access panels come off the engines as well, exposing the Merlin engine. The panels are somewhat difficult to get on and off, but snap into place, stay tightly, and do not impeed the rotation of the propellers. One must remove the exhaust tubes before removing the panel.
The cockpit has two nicely-painted pilot figures which are permanently fixed beneath the canopy. The radio equipment is visible behind the pilot and flight controls are present. The instruments are not painted and that is actually my only real complaint with the model. The nose compartment is rather spartan with no significant detail and the crawl space between the cockpit and forward compartment was not replicated.
My particular mode (Mosquito B Mk XVI from 632 Squadron) also came with two ground crew figures and a diecast trolley for loading the "cookie" bomb. This allows me to make a neat little dio when displaying the aircraft on the ground. A large metal stand was also included to display the plane in-flight.
Model is quite large, approaching the size of a smaller 1:18 scale plane like the Bf-109 and it is certainly heavier. Many of the 1:32 planes made by 21c and BBI have finer details, particularly in terns if weathering and cockpit detail. The Corgi plane is sturdy, however, and I feel that I can pick it up and move it around without risk of breaking something. The Corgi 1:32 Mosquito is also not very cheap. I lucked out and got mine for $135, though they seem to retail for $180-$190.
Still, if you are looking into getting one, I highly recommend it
