Mosquito

This is the Airfix 1/72nd scale Mosquito fighter / bomber.

The USAAF used the Mosquito as a pathfinder aircraft to lead bomber missions.  They would fly the mission profile and record the radar signature of the ground and then the bomber pilots could see what the ground was supposed to look like on their real mission.

This is a very old kit, sold under the MPC name.

Shown here with a 1/72nd scale figure.  The Mosquito was also used for special missions to communicate by radio with OSS agents, going as far as Berlin.

Except for the landing gear this is a pretty good kit.  The landing gear has two main struts that are way too thin, flimsy and just plain don't fit together.  They were warped and the left right parts don't match up.

I solved the lack of a match up by covering the plastic rods with a white plastic tube.  It made it much stronger and it's subtle enough that it won't make any difference in the look.

My USAAF now has a pathfinder.  My OSS now have better communications.