SCALE MODELLING: DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
MOSQUITO: THE ULTIMATE MODELLING GUIDE
DE HAVILLAND
MOSQUITO
5 MODEL BUILDS 1/24 AIRFIX FB.VI 1/32 TAMIYA FB.VI 1/72 HASEGAWA FB.XVIII 1/32 HK MODELS B.IV 1/48 AIRFIX F-8 CONVERSION www.airfixmodelworld.com
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f one war film theme grabs me like no other, it’s that of 633 Squadron. It’s simply the best. If I’m in my car and listening to Classic FM, and Ron Goodwin’s stirring score hits the airwaves, I’m immediately transported to
Editor: Chris Clifford Assistant Editor: Stu Fone Editor's Secretary: Tuesday-Maria Osborne Contributors: Terry Higgins, Steve Budd, Garry Tobiss, Dana Bell, Chris Jones, Malcolm V Lowe, Stu Fone, Chris Clifford Art Editor: Tom Bagley Group Art Editor: Steve Donovan Group Editor: Nigel Price Production Manager: Janet Watkins Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Group Advertising Manager: Brodie Baxter Advertising Manager: Sarah Jarman
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the cockpit of a Mosquito. Thankfully, though, I would never have to do it for real. The 1964 film, while certainly not Oscar-bothering stuff, did give a hint as to the incredibly dangerous low-level missions ‘Mossie’ crews had to fly. When most people think of the Mosquito, they see it speeding down a high-walled Norwegian fjord, with the aim of ‘smacking’ enemy shipping. Many modellers of a certain age will undoubtedly state Airfix’s artwork for Mosquito boxings as being some of the most inspiring. Artist Roy Cross was a genius and knew exactly how to depict this famous and powerful twin; running the gauntlet of Me
262s, unloading rockets on a tricky ground target, a Molins Gun-toting ‘Tsetse’ braving a wall of flak…all guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing. In kit terms, the mighty Mosquito has been relatively well served, but only in recent years have we enjoyed very large and highly detailed examples, such as Airfix’s thumping 1/24 Superkit, and Tamiya’s superlative 1/32 offering…both of the ‘sporty’ FB.VI. This latest volume in Airfix Model World’s Scale Modelling series embraces these kits, along with three others, and our build contributors achieve stellar results in their projects. Whether it’s airbrushing and weathering,
scratch-building or making the most of the aftermarket to embellish a Mosquito model and ensure heightened detail, this bookazine is for you. And due to the inclusion of superb history features, from aviation history luminaries Dana Bell, Terry Higgins and Malcolm V Lowe, one has a truly rounded and vital reference resource. I hope you enjoy reading and using this volume as much as we enjoyed editing it. Now go build that Mossie!
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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CONTENTS NTENTS DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
CONTENTS ONTENTS
30 FB.VI MODEL BUILD
06 IN FOCUS – JUNGLE TWIN
The Mosquito’s trials and tribulations in southeast Asia are explained by Terry Higgins, with rare period images and exclusive colour profiles.
12 MODEL BUILD – SILVER BULLET The delights of Tamiya’s 1/32 Mosquito are discovered by Steve Budd, during this in-depth project.
22 IN FOCUS – STRIKE WING STING Terry Higgins provides an account of RAF Coastal Command Mosquito operations, which includes colour profiles and wartime photographs.
30 MODEL BUILD – SHIP-BUSTING SIX Airfix’s imposing 1/24 FB.VI is ‘tweaked’ by Gary Tobiss to produce a rocket-armed Banff Strike Wing asset.
68 FB.XVIII MODEL BUILD
KIT LISTINGS 96 ACCESSORIES & DECALS 58 DE HAVILLAND MUSEUM
4 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
50 F-8 MODEL BUILD
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CONTENTS DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
TOP TIPS Expert advice for all
84 B.IV MODEL BUILD
44 IN FOCUS – CAMERA-TOTING WOODEN WONDER Dana Bell examines how the Mosquito developed into the F-8 recce variant, flown by the Americans during World War Two.
50 MODEL BUILD – BOO! YOU’RE SPOOKED 66 SCALE DRAWINGS
Airfix’s generously equipped 1/48 Mosquito PR.XVI is converted to a USAAF F-8 with scratch-built additions, by Stu Fone.
58 IN FOCUS – HALLOWED GROUND
Chris Clifford discovers Mosquito magic at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, located in Hertfordshire, UK.
60 IN FOCUS – MIGHTY MOLINS
Malcolm V Lowe describes the missions of Coastal Command’s big-gunned maritime ‘Mossies’.
66 SCALE DRAWINGS
We present exclusive 1/72, 1/48 and 1/24 scale drawings of the Mosquito FB.VI and its weaponry, courtesy of Terry Higgins.
78 B.IV HISTORY
68 MODEL BUILD – SIX POUNDS OF FURY Chris Jones adorns Hasegawa’s 1/72 FB.XVIII ‘Tsetse’ with aftermarket accessories and a peerless finish.
78 IN FOCUS – GLASS-NOSED MUD MOVER The early bomber variant of the Mosquito receives a thorough description of its roles and operations by Malcolm V Lowe.
84 MODEL BUILD – COOKIE MONSTER
Hong Kong Models’ 1/32 B.IV is enhanced by Gary Tobiss, thanks to a host of aftermarket accessories.
96 ON THE SHELF – KITS, ACCESSORIES AND DECALS Comprehensive listings of kits, accessories and decals, available to enhance and adorn any Mosquito project. airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 5
IN FOCUS FAR EAST OPERATIONS
Mosquito ‘P’of B Flight, 45 Sqn, has its port mainwheel changed, circa October/November 1944. The serial appears to be in the HRxxx or HPxxx range on the original image (perhaps HR374?). The fuselage squadron code, partly visible just behind the starboard engine nacelle, appears to be in white and is repeated on the nose. Note the camouflage finish applied to the exposed top surfaces of the drop tanks as well. The inscription below the stylised maple leaf on the entry hatch is ‘Lois.’ RCAF pilots Plt Off Wilson and Flg Off Blenkhorne flew Mosquitos HR368 and HR374 in November. With that, there may be a connection to the maple leaf motif in the door art.
I THE TRAVAILS OF THE RAF MOSQUITO FB.VI IN RAF SOUTH EAST ASIA COMMAND ARE EXPLAINED BY TERRY HIGGINS
n contrast to the star performer it was in Northwestern Europe and Malta, the Mosquito fighter-bomber had an uninspiring start when first tested in the Far East. Mosquito FB.VIs HJ730, HJ759, and HJ760, along with a similar number of F.IIs were sent to 27 Squadron, a Beaufighter intruder unit, at Agartala, India in May 1943. While the pure fighters were used solely for familiarisation and training flights, the FB.VIs were to be used to test the aircraft’s operational potential in the harsh climate of the region. The plan was eventually abandoned and,
by late summer the surviving aircraft (one F.II had crashed) were taken over by 681 (PR) Squadron at Dum Dum, India. Another India-based Beaufighter interdictor unit, 47 Squadron at Yelahanka, also took a number of FB.VIs on charge in November/December 1943. Again, things seemed uncertain for the type in the region. Although operational sorties were flown by the Mosquito flight, the aircraft were not used after January 1944, and may have gone to the Vultee Vengeance-equipped 45 Squadron on the same airfield. This unit received additional
FB.VI LR250/Y, 45 SQN, LATE SPRING 1944 Based on the reference photo taken in May 1944, this Mosquito appears to have been one of the relatively rare examples delivered in the Day Fighter Scheme of Dark Green and Ocean Grey uppers/sides, with Medium Sea Grey undersurfaces and Sky spinners and fuselage band. The individual aircraft code letter is the same ‘SEAC White’ (actually a bluish off-white based on a mix of four parts white and one part roundel blue), or ‘SEAC Blue’ if you prefer, as the roundel centre and fin flash forward half. Based at Yelahanka, LR250 was written off in a non-fatal accident after the landing gear failed while landing at Amarda Road, India, on 18 May 1944.
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IN FOCUS FAR EAST OPERATIONS FB.VIs as dictated by the thensporadic ferry flights from the UK and, for a few months, used the type on operations more regularly then the previous two units. On May 13, the squadron suffered a tragic non-combat loss when Wg Cdr Stumm, DFC, and his navigator, Flt Lt McKerracher (RAAF) were killed when FB.VI HP939 broke up in the air while manoeuvring. Nonetheless, new aircraft continued to arrive to the extent that 84 Squadron at Quetta and 82 Squadron at Kolar became, in early July, the next India-based Vengeance units to convert to de Havilland’s fast twin. Both
45 Squadron FB.VI HP884/OB-Y in early 1945. This aircraft survived the war and was struck off charge on February 28, 1946. By that time it was most probably in the overall Aluminum finish. Here, it sports the Temperate Land Scheme with Azure Blue under surfaces and no ID bands. Note the finish variation around the individual aircraft letter, suggesting it may have been changed since the overall finish was newly applied.
This photo shows Mosquito ‘N’ of 45 Squadron’s B Flight in later markings, featuring wing ID bands. The aircraft has paddle-bladed propellers, indicating a later (than HJ/HP/HRxxxseries) airframe. Curiously, the wing and port nacelle appear to have a darker tone than the lower fuselage and starboard nacelle. All else being equal, this suggests an Azure Blue wing/starboard nacelle undersurface, and factory original Medium Sea Grey fuselage/port nacelle undersides. The black on the spinners appears to be gloss, with chipped tips.
squadrons relocated to RAF Ranchi but, grounded under heavy monsoon conditions, conducted no operational flying until mid-September. Soon
afterwards, yet another noncombat loss was suffered, due to apparent structural failure in flight and it was impossible for the crew to bail out.
FLYING CAMELS CERTIFIED Through early October, 45 Squadron had become fully operational on the Mosquito, while 47 Squadron repeated
its efforts at type conversion. By this time, it was realised that earlier losses in theatre were most probably due to structural failure, so 47
FB.VI HP884/OB-Y, 45 SQN, LATE 1944 – EARLY 1945 By the time the reference photo for this profile was taken, SEAC Mosquitos were being repainted in the Command’s standard finish for Day Bombers – the Temperate Land Scheme of Dark Green and Dark Earth on the uppersurfaces with Azure Blue undersurfaces. The demarcation between upper and lower colours seems to have followed the general pattern illustrated, but variations were not rare. That shown might simply have been based on examples seen on Mosquitos that had arrived earlier in the Day Fighter scheme. Black propeller spinners appear to have been 45 Squadron’s norm. (all profiles, Terry Higgins)
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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IN FOCUS FAR EAST OPERATIONS
‘R’ of 45 Squadron, circa mid-late 1944; the general condition of the Temperate Land Scheme is shown to good effect. Given the tonality of the code on the nose vis-à-vis the undersurface, assuming the letter to be Azure Blue or SEAC Blue, then it follows the underside of this aircraft remain in factory-applied Medium Sea Grey.
Squadron decided not to use its new aircraft operationally. As ‘luck’ would have it, on October 4 a 45 Squadron crew made it back to the airfield with its FB.VI’s wing beginning to buckle in flight, giving the technicians a chance to examine the problem. Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed after a bird strike caused the wing to fail, killing the test crew! By the end of October, three more aircraft and crews were lost – just one of which was a combat loss. By November 12, all Mosquito flying was suspended pending inspection. Problems were found in the quality of the gluing, and the extreme temperatures
and humidity of the region may have compounded this. Aircraft subsequently found to have defects on compulsory acceptance inspection were struck off on the spot. Eventually, a refinishing programme, which consisted of applying a uniform external finish of silver dope, also helped. The idea here was to eliminate heat absorption, especially under direct sunlight. Testing indicated the mid-day temperature inside the wing could thus be lowered by 12-15ºC. At the beginning of January, operations were resumed for a number of the squadrons concerned. As 1945 wore on, other units would also convert to
The ‘Lois III’ inscription on the crew entry hatch of this mysterious 45 Squadron FB.VI suggests it is a twice-removed replacement for the ‘Lois’ seen in the earlier photo. The dark finish appears to be the full-on SEAC Temperate Land Scheme over Azure Blue, tonally darkened by a photographic material that has increased the contrast between blues and yellows. Other interesting features include a nose cap modified for a larger strike camera, partially finished (and differently sized) wing stripes, and repair patches on the lower nose/starboard wing. It may be a trick of the light, but the wing tanks also appear to be differently sized – 50 gal to port and 100 gal to starboard.
FB.VI HR518/D, 47 SQN, FEBRUARY-MAY 1945 This aircraft was a regular mount for line pilot Bob Willis and his navigator, Tommy Thompson from the time A Flight, 47 Squadron converted (for the second time) to Mosquitos from Beaufighters. Although both 50 and 100 gal drop tanks had been delivered to SEAC, they were both in short supply at the time, so when required, the bomb bay long range tank was used, and the droppable ordnance carried on wing hardpoints. Operated among a mix of camouflaged and overall Aluminum refinished FB.VIs, HR518 is illustrated in the days prior to the application of SEAC ID bands. These were probably applied before the end of March.
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IN FOCUS FAR EAST OPERATIONS the type – usually from the muchfavoured Beaufighter – and a few would never fly actual operations on the Mosquito.
TYPICAL OPERATIONAL USE The Mosquito FB.VI was employed in a similar way to the Beaufighter in SEAC fighterbomber squadrons. Typically, either pre-planned strikes or ‘Rhubarbs’ were flown armed with two or four 500lb bombs (typically fitted with short-delay fuzes), and a full load of cannon
Wing Sting) fitted later. These were used regularly, in addition to bombs, in the immediate post-war period when four SEAC ‘Mossie’ squadrons, based in Borneo, went into action against Indonesian separatists in the Dutch East Indies, in late 1945.
FINISH AND MARKINGS The topic of schemes on Mosquito fighter-bombers in SEAC continues to draw controversy, with incomplete documentation, monochrome photo interpretation
Aircraft ‘M’ and ‘V’ of 45 Squadron in mid/late summer 1945. Note the retention of maintenance and handling airframe stenciling. The aluminum was applied over the factory-applied camouflage at MU level in the UK, and these small markings were most probably reapplied at the same time. Evidence of overpainted factory-applied roundels and former fin-flash red can also be seen on RF785/V. This would have occurred after arrival in SEAC, possibly at Dum Dum Airfield. Parked Mosquitos are not usually seen with flaps deployed, indicating maintenance may have been underway. Or it may be this was SEAC standard operating procedure, as an added measure to keep the wing interior cool. Close inspection of this image and relevant others reveals that such aircraft were not yet modified for R/P use, for no hint of the telltale bolt fairings (see Strike Wing Sting) is visible on the upper wings.
and machine gun ammunition. Incendiaries were also used on occasions, warranted by the target type. Rocket projectiles (R/P) were not used operationally to the extent that they were on Beaufighters in SEAC, although some squadrons did have the Mk.IB projector beams (see Strike
and sparse anecdotes being the only resources currently available. Much of what is presented here draws heavily on material published by RAF colour scheme researcher Paul Lucas, plus a few snippets of documentary materials and casual conversation with veteran SEAC strike-
fighter pilot and author, Atholl Sutherland Brown. The earliest (prior to February 1945 at least) Mosquito FB.VIs destined for the Far East would have left the UK in the Night Fighter Scheme – the normal factory finish for the type. A few variations have occurred,
including, for example, the Day Fighter Scheme, Sky spinners and fuselage band on HJ770. Whatever the case, once in theatre the aircraft were refinished in keeping with the orders of the day. During the tenure of the Mosquito in SEAC, this consisted of Temperate
FB.VI HR551/UX-P, 82 SQN, FEBRUARY-MAY 1945 If the reference photo date (February 1945) is correct, then this aircraft represents an early example of overall Aluminum. Additionally, the early serial number suggests it may have been refinished in SEAC. It features a number of interesting markings anomalies including a nonspecification fin ID band (it was not supposed to extend onto the control surfaces), a reversal of the presentation order of the squadron/ individual code letters, and what appears to be an overpainted repeat version of the serial number above the fin flash. The squadron/ aircraft codes were usually placed in the right-reading order on the port fuselage, with the ‘UX’ ahead of the roundel.
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 9
IN FOCUS FAR EAST OPERATIONS
Victory! This is arguably the final 45 Squadron group photo session of World War Two. All pretty standard stuff except for the novel ‘__V__ Japan’ banner held by the man front centre. This photo and all others illustrate the consistent lack of radio altimeter aerials on SEAC Mosquitos. An interesting detail, given that from early 1944 onwards such equipment had been deemed ‘absolutely essential’ for low-level strike in Coastal Command back in the UK.
Land Scheme (Dark Green and Dark Earth) uppers and sides with Azure Blue undersurfaces. Perhaps this anomaly was isolated to individual cases where refinishing was done in haste (ie a pressing need at the front reduced the time available for by-the-book refinishing). This may seem an odd statement, but stranger things have happened under the exigencies of warfighting. FB.VIs so painted appear to have served on the SEAC squadrons from mid-1944 through to early 1945. Markings for the period would have been SEAC roundels and fin flashes
and, from early 1945 (most probably February), white SEAC identification bands on the wings, tailplanes and fin. In early 1945, a ‘silver dope’ (actually Aluminum paint to specifications DTD63A or DTD 83A) finish was adopted for technical reasons as already recounted. However, this did not come into use at the maintenance units until after mid-February 1945, finally showing up with increasing regularity on aircraft in squadron service from approximately AprilMay 1945. On aircraft finished in this scheme, the bands on the
wing and tail surfaces were in Roundel Dull Blue. This scheme remained the standard for the Command’s FB.VIs through to beyond VJ Day in August 1945.
FINAL NOTES As imparted in the Strike Wing Sting article, there were a variety of Aircraft Radio Installation configurations present on Mosquito FB.VI airframes. These appear to have been related to certain factory serial number ranges. With that, it is interesting to note that the FB.VIs that ended up in SEAC all feature the aerials of the original ‘Hatfield
ARI’ layout; a main wire aerial strung between a fuselage-top mast and the fin leading edge, a trailing wire aerial fairlead just behind the bottom rear corner of the crew entry hatch, and, most probably, a Direction-finding loop mounted inverted on the canopy central framing. Gee was not in use in SEAC and the lack of whip aerials on the command’s FB.Vis is certainly evidence of this. A number of SEAC FB.VIs also carried some sort of large strike camera, positioned centrally in the nose. However, the photographic evidence indicates the lens was shorter than that used in some Banff Strike Wing FB.VI aircraft. Atholl Sutherland Brown recalls that the “big strike camera” mounted in the nose of a number of their Beaufighters used to be called “the Fairchild”… so, perhaps the same K-24 used in Coastal Command. This may have been the same equipment, albeit with a shorter lens, used on the Mosquitos. The rare photos in this feature were provided by veteran 177 Squadron pilot, Atholl Sutherland Brown, who obtained them from LAC James Parr, who was a 45 Squadron groundcrew member in 1944-45. Both were Burma Star associates. Additionally, although all are of aircraft from one squadron, they do illustrate the interesting range of finish and markings variations that could exist within a single unit, over such a relatively short period of time.
FB.VI RF785/OB-V, 45 SQN, LATE SPRING – LATE SUMMER 1945 Based on the photograph included, this illustration of Standard Motors-built FB.VI RF785 exhibits a textbook example of the final wartime SEAC Mosquito finish and markings. This aircraft would have arrived in SEAC and subsequently been prepared for squadron issue sometime through late March – April 1945. Typically, squadron crews would fly clapped-out machines west from the Burmese border area to Dum Dum airfield, and return ferrying newer FB.VIs (complete with larger 100 gal drop tanks and long-range weapons bay tanks installed), logging five or six hours in the air. By now, the larger drop tanks were finally in regular supply. Finish and markings notes are given in the photo caption.
10 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
STEVE BUDD DELVES INTO THE COPIOUS CONTENTS OF TAMIYA’S BIG MOSQUITO, TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT’S HEIR APPARENT TO THE ACCOLADE OF ‘GREATEST MODEL EVER’
T
amiya’s ‘Wooden Wonder’ may have about half the build steps of rival flagship kits, but still succeeds in packing a heavyweight punch. The amount of modelling input to bring this big twin to fruition is
deeply deceptive and purchasers should brace themselves for a magnum opus build, even if the tempting choice of aftermarket extras is bypassed. This kit, perhaps above all others, really challenges the concept of
upgrades…but more on that later. It’s a rare privilege as a modeller to be granted access to the cockpit of a subject one is building, but that was the generous treat extended to the author by the de
Havilland Aircraft Museum’s accommodating curators. Its FB.VI was undergoing a partial strip and re-build and my host, Bob Glasby, offered the opportunity to climb aboard and seat myself in the navigator’s position. His
Moulded in vision-friendly grey, Tamiya’s parts were sharp and with no discernible mould separation lines. 12 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD deep knowledge of the subject gave a fascinating insight into the aircraft generally, as well as nuances of the compact cockpit with its multitude of boxes, radios and other equipment.
MODEL SPEC
MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC Mosquito FB.VI By:
Tamiya
Stock Code:
60326
Scale:
1/32
Price:
£159.99
Available from: The Hobby Company, www.hobbyco.net
ROOM FOR TWO Returning to the plastic, the only item missing from the box was a fluorescent highlighter. The instructions conveyed a fair volume of information, some of it not so obvious, and a highlighter was invaluable in emphasising the need to remove tabs, drill holes and pursue
the marrying of the fuselage were rehearsed several times, to map the assembly sequences and incorporate elements of aftermarket products. The first of the extras was Eduard’s neat photo-etched (PE) metal interior set
Eduard’s PE interior set included a much more faithful rendition of the first-aid box, seen here on the far left.
The folded PE cable protector for the pilot’s emergency harness release was fitted to the right-hand arm rest support.
chosen configuration options, in addition to the selected build choice. With the text and line images suitably annotated, the first 16 stages that lay between the starting gate and
(32849). This replaced the integrally moulded kit flare cartridges and racks, and although the metal parts were tiny and challenging to align (there was minuscule
Eduard’s rudder pedals were demanding to assemble, but ultimately transformed the kit parts, which were hampered by moulding limitations.
DECAL CHOICES
As Tamiya’s markings didn’t cater for a SEAC airframe, aftermarket items from Eagle Cals (#EC169) were employed. The two sheets of Cartograf-printed decals featured superb colour register and definition, with four FB.VI schemes supplied, along with the appropriate styles of roundels and sufficient stencils for a single airframe: • HR551/UX-P, 82 Squadron, summer 1945 • HP913/SM-W, 305 Squadron, November 1944 • NS927/SM-C ‘Janka Kituś’, 305 Squadron, autumn 1944 • MM403/SB-V, 464 Squadron, September 1944
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The initial batch of cockpit components received preliminary painting before assembly…radios and other electrical items were yet to come. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 13
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
Tamiya’s ‘upside down’ instrument decals hid their sharp, detailed printing until safely in situ on the clear parts.
Post-it notes are a quick and benign method of holding flat items for painting, while allowing easy removal afterwards.
Despite the superb moulding, the fuel gauges and associated wiring were deemed too clunky, particularly as they occupied a conspicuous location in the cockpit. Clear plastic sheet was used to ‘map’ the footboards for the Uschi Van der Rosten wood decal, which ultimately proved rather ineffective here.
contact area and no means of setting their distance, one part to another), they were a quantum improvement once fitted–individual cartridges were then cribbed from seven pieces of stretched sprue. Also present on the fret was a guard/protector for the pilot’s emergency harness release cable although, in preference to the PE alternative, the latter was fashioned from Little Cars’ 0.2mm lead wire. There is a predilection among PE manufacturers to occasionally take its use too far, with cabling being a case in point. This led to the same fate for Eduard’s additions to the very three-dimensional radio and control boxes. Sanding the crisp detail of these items was clearly going to be a retrograde step, so they were hand painted carefully instead, as Tamiya intended. However, the flip side of the coin soon appeared, with obvious limitations in the moulding process evident in the rudder pedals. These quickly gave way to the eight-piece PE items, which needed every scrap of experience and ability to construct,
but ultimately produced replacements that were a real joy…and a huge improvement over the kit parts.
Next for a good dose of brass was the drift sight (U17); note the folded metal section, which sits on top of this equipment, is intended to rest against the starboard fuselage wall, by the crew door. Care was mandatory in ensuring the position of the PE matched the plastic it otherwise replaced exactly, as any error here would affect the fit of the overall cockpit.
FUSELAGE DELIGHTS It should be no surprise that Eduard provided replacement parts for the instrument panel. What may be a little startling
is the combination of Tamiya’s PE, clear parts and decals made these aftermarket accessories irrelevant. It used to be that a PE panel trumped the kit offering by a country mile, but times are changing… Tamiya isn’t just closing the gap, but galloping past in certain
Initial weathering was undertaken with a thin black-brown oil wash, supplemented by Humbrol 66 Olive Drab, applied lightly with a sponge. 14 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
TAMIYA’S INSTRUMENT DECALS WERE SHARP AND PERFECTLY READABLE
instances. A x3.5 magnification Optivisor revealed Tamiya’s instrument decals were sharp and perfectly readable. With the PE targeted at those areas properly deserving, HGW Models’ superb ‘fabric’ seatbelt set was brought together. As with the rudder pedals, the two sets of belts demanded maximum effort, as they could only be partially built off model,
Further painting and weathering began to uncover the thoroughness of Tamiya’s cockpit detailing. airfixmodelworld.com
and had to be completed in place; a surgeon-like task, finally accomplished with tweezers in each hand. Once sorted and in place, their Olympic-standard superiority over Tamiya’s PE steel parts was evident. All in all, the cockpit was outstanding straight from the runners, but lacked one essential piece of equipment, for those multi-hour flights over hostile
territory: the pilot’s relief tube that lurked under the driver’s seat, although the collection bottle itself (K46) was present. To colour the completed assemblies, a homespun mix of Interior Grey-Green was created from Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green (IJN), mixed with XF-2 Flat White and a little XF-69 NATO Black, the remainder being rendered in accordance with the kit instructions, utilising Tamiya’s paints listed therein. There was a modular system for the cockpit, which encompassed part of the forward bomb bay, as well as nose-mounted Brownings, ammunition feeds and hopper. Everything was moulded to the highest standard and the guns, along with their ancillaries, could be displayed with the commendably thin cover removed (it’s also replaceable if one chooses, thanks to a faultless fit). Parts U10 and U21 combined to make a home for
The sharp-looking stock instrument panel included a clear cover for the bomb selection and fusing panel. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 15
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC The basic core of the cockpit assembly was detailed selectively, and was a pleasure to paint and weather.
The kit compass was relocated a little lower and further back, as it appeared to otherwise obscure certain instruments.
The basic fuel gauge surgery is shown underway, as yellow cabling from Little Cars was cut and prepared. Note the small discs on the cockpit sidewalls were present on the real aircraft, and represented alternate equipment mounting points. A test-fit of the rear bomb bay cell revealed the faultless join, thanks to integrally moulded channels, which ensured proper alignment.
The revised fuel gauges, fuses and Very Light switching boxes were a great improvement. 16 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
the fuel gauges, under-fuselage Very Light switching, fuses and so forth. They were joined by a trio of cables mounted high up, and very much visible, on the starboard cockpit wall. Rather than struggle with yellow paint, the cables and their two clamps were sliced apart by razor saw, then replaced with Little Cars’ 0.4mm yellow detailing cable, and secured with clamps made from plastic strip. Finally, with Stage 16 approaching, the bomb bay door actuators (C10, C11, T3 and T7) were left off until the end of the build, as it was felt they were likely candidates for damage, given the extensive handling the model would receive in between.
POWERING ALONG Stages 20 to 23 covered possibly the finest styrene Merlin 25 engines one will find in any scale, and it was especially thoughtful to find parts C35 and C36 were alignment jigs for the two cylinder blocks. Each rocker cover had provision for a magnet that formed part of the removable panel system (which works impeccably, by the way). It was a timely reminder that nonmagnetic brass watchmaker’s tweezers remain a necessary but ongoing purchase… Next in the build were handed engine cradles, which incorporated mounts for the Mossie’s beefy undercarriage legs, and both items were built from duplicated parts J38 and J39. Each in turn had a vulnerable rear-facing leg, thoughtfully augmented by a sacrificial sprue section, which Tamiya recommended was removed at
the end of cradle construction. Here safety was eschewed in favour of parts finishing, ahead of paint application, rather than having to touch-up components afterwards. The engines were secured, not just with glue, but via two miniature screws, which is something of a Tamiya trademark and doubtless connected to its radio-control products. It all added to a level of precision that cropped up all through the build…parts didn’t just come together, they fitted. Exactly. For sure, it’s something Tamiya is known for, but the Mosquito really scaled new heights, with truly breathtaking engineering. The lucky purchaser will by now be aware that this model involved much detail painting and progress would, in consequence, be slower than normal.
ACCURATE COLOURS One striking factor about tackling the wing was the smart way in which the bomb bay, spars and undercarriage bay roofs had been moulded as a single item. This resulted in a component of great strength and rigidity, which in turn provided an accurate platform for everything attached subsequently. Any curiosity about the function of the tubes in parts A10, A13, B6,
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
The wing top assembly had perfectly sized PE steel radiator grilles fitted at the appropriate point.
The empennage included an integral mudguard, and provided the option of neutral or drooped control surfaces.
B7 and K14 was answered at the museum by Bob Glasby, who explained they were torque tubes, connected to the throttle quadrant levers by black rods, which communicated propeller pitch and engine revolutions. This is knowledge
included in the kit’s two PE steel frets. This material seemed milder and easier to work with than that in the Mustang release, as a sharp rounded blade kept for this purpose was able to snap each connector nub relatively easily. However, clean-up was the usual drag of resorting to supporting parts in flat tweezers with just the nub showing, while attacking it with a fine-cut, flat Vallorbe file. In this modeller’s view, it’s time to drop the steel and use conventional brass for such detail parts, unless the former is required for strength.
that really ought to be incorporated in kits, as it adds interest to the build and a greater awareness of design and function. Liners were added to the wheel wells and a brief return to the instructions indicated a large portion of the bomb bay was to be painted white. It appears plain white emulsion was used to cover the wood in this area and again, Bob confirmed he’d also seen it inside wheel wells, when the usual model annotation was for Interior Grey-Green. The twin radiators were
On a different note, modellers can certainly appreciate efforts by the manufacturer to minimise the chore of seam clean- up and that was evident in the lovely fuel cells (C6 and T25); here all but one of the joins were hidden when added to the bomb bay.
WHEELY? Engineering innovation was present in force in the 16-part wheels, if one included the hubs. Sharp lateral thinking from Tamiya resulted in a central core, to which side walls were added, followed by tread sections,
EVERYTHING WAS MOULDED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 17
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
An initial test of the fit between fuselage and wing was facilitated with tape and found to be perfect.
The cockpit slotted into position as advertised, and the wing was secured with Liquid Poly after first applying Tamiya’s signature metal screws.
which were ‘saw toothed’ into one another, thus hiding the joins. A spontaneous burst of applause broke out at the bench, after which Eduard’s Brassin resin replacements from its dedicated Mk.VI set (632 065) were razor-sawed from their dainty pour stubs, along with its dinky tailwheel. Eduard’s resin included the Dunlop logo and all that separated them from the superb kit rendition was a more
the rear nacelle wall by cables that ran forwards (through attachment points on the doors) to the undercarriage oleos, over wooden rollers on the front face of each leg, before fixing into the ‘X’ bracing structure. As the wheels retracted, the cables slackened and the bed springs pulled the doors closed; in reverse, the bull bars forced the doors open; a delightfully eccentric British solution.
abbreviated assembly time. The main undercarriage oleos, with their forward-facing ‘bull bar’ cages, can be assembled onto the wheels (ahead of attachment to the engine cradle), thanks to part J48, which is a simple, but brilliant throwaway spacer that allows the sub-assembly to cure in perfect alignment. Gear doors on the real aircraft were linked to bed springs; these were fitted to
Eduard’s exterior set 32 379 contained PE mudguards and braces, but the plastic parts better replicated the thickness and appearance of the originals and the fret remained unused in the build. Once completed, the modular engine nacelles fitted perfectly into the lower wing via several ‘teeth’ on either side, a methodology that set alignment and conveyed enormous security. The overall wing unit
POSSIBLY THE FINEST STYRENE MERLIN 25 ENGINES ONE WILL FIND IN ANY SCALE 18 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
The rear cockpit deck equipment was left as Tamiya intended, and not flattened as Eduard’s PE otherwise demanded.
also contained the cockpit rear upper deck, together with a small bulkhead, along with more radio and electronic equipment. After all this was finished, the wing was offered to the fuselage. Care was required not to snag the torque tubes (a point illustrated explicitly in the build guide) and the resulting join was astonishing. Tamiya provide a screw to hold the wing in place but the remarkable fit was sufficient (without the aid of either glue or hardware) to hold it securely when testing in situ. A choice of raised or lowered flaps was provided, but here they were in the former position, to preserve the Mossie’s outline and the engineering was
was constructed. The bomb bay doors attached to five support arms and actuators per side, each of which located faultlessly into position, before being secured with Humbrol's Liquid Poly cement and Superglue.
Characteristic variegated reddish tones on the fuel cells were achieved with Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown and red oil paint washes. The rear bomb bay contained robust braces, which were lined with hard rubber pads on the real aircraft.
SPEEDY IN SILVER Debate continues over whether Aluminium paint was more grey or metallic in appearance, but pragmatism took hold when it was understood Alclad II produced this tone. Two bottles of ALC-125 were duly acquired and with localised masking in place, it was applied comprehensively to the bare plastic. With confessional hat on, the airframe was not
AFTERMARKET M AT E R I A L S Aviaeology (www.aviaeology.com) AOD 32S05 Airframe Stencil/Data series
simple, rugged and secure. Four 20mm Hispano cannon, along with support frames and ammunition hoppers occupied the forward bomb bay, while a pair of 500lb, short-fin bombs were provided for the rear. There were moulded fittings for the aircraft’s bomb winch, which enabled the aircraft to be loaded without a designated lift, although the cables for these were not added in this particular build. Tamiya’s constant thoughtfulness even extended to PE alignment pieces, which worked perfectly as the quad gun unit airfixmodelworld.com
EagleCals (www.eagle-editions.com) Mosquito FB.VI EC#169-32
Master-Model’s turned-brass barrels and pitot tube were a great improvement over the kit parts and assembled easily.
Eduard (www.eduard.com) 32 849 FB Mk.VI interior set JX 184 FB Mk.VI mask set 632 065 Mk.VI wheels HGW Models (www.hgwmodels.cz) 132568 Mk.VI seatbelts Little Cars (www.modellingtools.co.uk) 0.4mm yellow detailing wire Master Model (www.master-model.pl) AM-32-083 Mosquito Mk.II/ Mk.VI
As ingenious as Tamiya’s engineering was on the wheels, Eduard’s slightly more detailed resin items were preferred. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 19
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC
With the decision made to paint the right-hand engine for display, the left received Alclad ALC-101 Aluminium to highlight its detail.
The display engine was finished in ‘factory fresh’ paint and was a wonder of precision fitting between components. Destined to remain hidden under its cowling, the left engine fitted superbly in its cradle and later, the nacelle.
The prominent oil tank behind each engine included a kit-supplied decal warning placard, which heightened the realism. 20 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
degreased, as is this modeller’s usual practice–instead, Alclad’s normally aggressive surface bond was relied upon to cope with the identification stripe masking to come. Unfortunately, a test with tape lifted all of Alclad’s High Speed Silver instantly…just two days before this article was submitted. After a mild panic, a sheet of plain white Microscale decal sheet was sprayed with Mr. Hobby’s H326 Roundel Blue and left to cure overnight. This was then hand-trimmed to the correct size and the offending area was covered neatly, with Microscale’s Micro Sol aiding application. Despite these trials, one aspect was clear, the Mosquito’s purposeful lines looked very sharp under the plain silver scheme. With that, Master Model’s superb turned-brass barrel set (AM-32-083) rounded out the presentation, after being sprayed with ALC-120 Gun Metal, as the gun sight, canopy (Eduard’s JX184 Mask Set was used, with many of the single pieces being sliced in quarters for a tight fit) and pitot tube were fitted with Liquid Poly and Superglue.
MISSION DE-BRIEF When Tamiya’s designers gathered to establish the objectives of its new Mosquito, there’s no doubt the five benchmarks of engineering, fit, realism, detail and mould alignment were at the forefront, and the evidence is in the box. I would certainly build another, but with home-spun detail not included in this build, and wearing a grubby, well-used paint scheme. Thankfully, the
gimmickry of Tamiya’s P-51D has been omitted from the Mosquito, bar the magnetic removable engine panels, and the fit of these finally won me over. Overall, what’s in the box is of such a high standard, it starts to close the door on aftermarket products; any extras added would be on a targeted basis, where the new items genuinely outperformed the kit components. While it’s easy for small errors to creep into manufacture and/or assembly and accumulate into significant build problems, it simply doesn’t happen here. There is the need for a minor tweak, but it’s so infrequent as to be disregarded in the final verdict, when deciding if the Mossie really is ‘the best kit ever’. I have five reasons for saying ‘yes’ and
it will surely remain top of the shop for some time…at least until Tamiya releases that 1/32 Beaufighter or Hurricane that all the best dreams are made of…
For walk-round photos of a Mosquito FB.VI, visit: www.airfixmodelworld.com
Just two copper pipes remained to be added to the starboard engine; these would be attached later in the build. airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI SEAC The standard box armament was very good, but the lack of visible ammunition in the flex-feeds was regrettable.
The left-hand flap assembly didn’t disappoint, with its robust and highly accurate fit as it was tested in situ.
THE MOSQUITO’S PURPOSEFUL LINES LOOKED VERY SHARP UNDER THE PLAIN SILVER SCHEME
IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS
Mosquito FB.VI (CF), HR405/NE-A, of 143 Squadron in February 1945. Engine grime, repair patches, and general weathering of the finish are apparent on this well-used aircraft. The original four-rail R/P Mk.IIIA installation was in use from November/December 1944 to late February 1945. (Key Collection)
HIGHBALL TO TSETSE
TERRY HIGGINS RECOUNTS THE HISTORY OF COASTAL COMMAND’S FIGHTER-NOSED MOSQUITOS AND THEIR OPERATIONS
R
AF Coastal Command’s initial experience with armed Mosquitos was with the highly modified bomber-nosed Mosquito B.IVs of 618 Squadron. The squadron had formed at RAF
Skitten on April 1, 1943 for the sole purpose of attacking Germany’s capital ships; especially Tirpitz, then located in Norway. Established under a cloak of secrecy, 618 Squadron comprised 11 crews and
their standard B.IVs (detached from 105 and 139 Squadrons, Bomber Command), and eight crews from Coastal Command’s own Beaufighter Mk.IIf-equipped long-range fighter community.
Throughout 1943, the crews were employed gainfully in training on both Coastal Command signals procedures, and the low-level delivery tactics required for the intended ordnance, the exotic ‘Highball’ bouncing bomb. A spherical anti-shipping adaptation of the Barnes Wallis’ cylindrical 'Upkeep' weapon design of ‘Dambusters’ fame, two of these smaller (1,000lb-class) munitions could be carried semi-recessed in a modified Mosquito bomb bay. Target-approach tactics were refined as training progressed into the late spring of 1944, by which time a small number of B.IVs
MOSQUITO F.II, DZ744/3-G, 333 SQN, RAF LEUCHARS (LATE 1943-EARLY 1944) This is the same aircraft in the foreground of the summer 1943-era photo. Its markings were changed when Coastal Command adopted the number/letter coding system in August 1943. DZ744 was lost during an armament test flight on April 30, 1944.
22 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS (modified to Highball configuration) were taken on strength. As it came to pass, the first operation was cancelled, for tactics required a wide span of open water for the target run-in, while Tirpitz remained stubbornly nested deep in the fjords. Nonetheless, training and acquisition of modified B.VI inventory continued. By autumn 1944, the squadron had received all of its Highball Mosquitos and, newly tasked with attacking Japanese capital ships beyond Coastal Command’s purview in the Pacific Theatre, headed for Australia aboard HMS Fencer and HMS Striker on December 23. Not long before 618 Squadron was formed, an RAF quest to create a replacement for its Hurricane IID tank-busters led to the development of a big-gunned Mosquito, the Mk.XVIII, known more popularly as the ‘Tsetse’ (see
Seen here in 1943, 333 Squadron’s F.IIs (including DZ744/G) were the first gun-armed Mosquitos to be used in action in Coastal Command. (Author’s collection)
p.60-64). Operational in November 1943, it wouldn’t be the first gunnosed Mosquito variant operated on the front line in the ‘Cinderella Service’ (as Coastal Command was often nicknamed).
KING, COUNTRY AND HONOUR
Wearing an early example of the Coastal Special Duties Scheme A, HR116 was involved in plenty of action across various mission profiles. For example, it damaged, and was damaged itself by an Arado Ar 196 in a head-on engagement on May 8, 1944, inflicted cannon-fire damage to U-244 on July 25, and was an Outrider on a successful ‘Wing Effort’ sortie on September 19, 1944. Note the 50 gal drop tanks and narrow propeller blades, which were standard throughout its service life. (Grant Mountain, ex-404 Squadron)
Coastal Command Review, Vol.IV, No.2, described 333 (Norwegian) Squadron as “the only one of its kind in Coastal Command, consisting of two flights with two types of aircraft, engaged in widely different types of duty. ‘A’ Flight… with Catalina flying boats on antiU-Boat patrols, convoy escorts, transport and special operations. ‘B’ Flight operates…Mosquito aircraft used for reconnaissance
MOSQUITO FB.VI, HR118/3-W, 235 SQN, RAF PORTREATH (JUNE-JULY 1944) Also subject to Coastal Command’s code markings change, 235 Squadron converted to Mosquitos from Beaufighters in June 1944, with some of its aircraft subject to the full ‘invasion stripe’ markings of the period. The number/letter code system was continued into early July.
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 23
IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS
Pictured mid-dive, this is a 235 Squadron Mosquito (fuselage code Y) in the anti-flak role, September 19, 1944. Note the fuel venting from the drop tank horn; it’s for this reason Strike Wing Mosquito crews were trained, once R/P came into use later that year, to jettison the tanks at least a minute before firing the rockets. (Author’s collection)
along the Norwegian coast.” The latter flight was formed at RAF Leuchars on May 10, 1943, with three Mosquito F.IIs (DZ754/F, DZ700/H and DZ744/G) as its initial operational equipment. An Airspeed Oxford and three
Merlin-engined Beaufighter Mk.IIfs were also on strength for communication, familiarisation and training. Additionally, RAF Leuchars was the home of the Command’s two photographic reconnaissance (PR) Mosquito
squadrons and Beaufighterequipped 235 Squadron. A new arrival on 333 Squadron, Mosquito DZ752/E and its crew, were lost on May 23, crashing near the airfield after rolling inverted on approach to land after a test ‘hop’.
The flight’s first operational sortie was flown by its Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant Commander Offerdal (pilot) and Quartermaster (see panel) Paulsen (navigator) in Mosquito ‘F’ on May 27. The three-and-a-quarter hour trip proved uneventful with thick fog and no sightings reported. Before the month’s end, Sub-Lieutenant Holdøe (pilot) and QM Finne would carry out a similar low-level visual recce between Storholm and Ona Lights in DZ754/F; while Offerdal and Paulsen flew two additional sorties in DZ744/G. Potential shipping targets were reported on each of these later flights, with inaccurate flak noted on one. So began a productive two-year record of what personnel in Coastal Command’s 18 Group would come to know as ‘Norge Recces’.
FJORD EXPERTISE The squadron remained a part of 18 Group, Coastal Command,
This Mosquito was one of several factory-fresh FB.VI aircraft used at A&AEE Boscombe Down to test the Mk.IB R/P installation between late-1943 and mid-1944. The installation would be used just briefly in Coastal Command, while it became the standard for SEAC’s fighter-bomber Mosquitos; see p. 6-11. (Key Collection)
MOSQUITO FB.VI, HR130/LA-E, 235 SQN, RAF BANFF (DECEMBER 1944) Even after the move to Banff in late October, some 235 Squadron Mosquitos continued with full stripes on the rear fuselage and a single letter code, but with the number ‘3’ overpainted. However, by December the stripes were limited to the lower fuselage only and the squadron’s old ‘LA’ two-letter codes had come back into use.
24 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS for the duration of its wartime existence. Headquartered at Rosyth, Scotland, the Group was responsible for operations over the expanse of water fanning to the north and east, including the Norwegian coast. The Mosquito Flight’s primary function was to provide last-minute updates on potential targets to the Admiralty, which in turn assessed priorities and assigned either Coastal Command or Royal Navy assets to strike them. On reconnaissance sorties, the Mossies darted in and out of Norway’s vast coastal waterways, either looking for new targets or providing immediate pre-strike updates on those already documented by other sources, such as human intelligence and other PR assets. Considering their Royal Norwegian Navy lineage, these aviators were more qualified for this role than fliers in any other RAF unit. Intimate knowledge of the myriad navigational aids along the coast, including visual
N AVA L F L I E R S Norwegian-crewed 333 Squadron was one of two Marinens Flyvevåpen (Royal Norwegian Navy, Naval Air Arm) units within the RAF. Thus some of the ranks given in this account, such as Quartermaster (QM) may appear somewhat unusual. RAF/Commonwealth personnel assigned to the squadron retained their Air Force ranks of course. The other RNoN-manned formation was 330 Squadron.
characteristics of individual lighthouses, did much for routing and target location accuracy. No doubt, advice on how best to ingress and egress the more complicated fjords at low level also benefited strike crews, particularly those assigned to targets in longer fjords further inland. At this stage in the anti-shipping war, the main strike assets of 18 Group were the antiquated Hampden torpedo bombers of 455 and 489 Squadrons, based at Wick and sometimes detached to Sumburgh and Leuchars. Although the combined-force Strike Wing tactics used in later anti-shipping operations were still in development, Leuchars-based 235 Squadron had by now begun using General Purpose bombs on its Beaufighters in the armed recce role…supplementing the Group’s strike potential whenever possible. As Coastal Command’s preeminent long-range fighter type, the Beaufighter also continued to provide armed escort for both strike aircraft and convoys. Although armed visual recce was the primary role, Norwegianmanned Mosquitos would also occasionally have to engage enemy patrol and fighter aircraft. Early on, due in part to not having a dual-control trainer available, 333 Squadron’s losses mounted steadily. By the end of August 1943, five Mosquitos and crews (including the original CO) had been lost to accidents or combat. Just three F.IIs remained on strength at this point and the unit was taken out of the line to regroup. Fortunately, a dual-control Mosquito T.III was made available
With a relatively capacious weapons bay for such a compact aircraft, the FB.VI could carry bombs, depth charges or additional fuel behind the four 20mm cannon. In both Coastal Command long-range fighter and strike roles, the four .303in Browning machine guns were retained in the nose. (Key Collection)
and new FB.VIs started to trickle in through the last weeks of September. Familiarisation training picked up the pace through October, and the flight resumed Norge Recce operations by midNovember. The fighter-bombers
were capable of carrying 1,000lb of bombs internally, in the space usually occupied by a long-range fuel tank in the F.II. Although FB.VI wing hardpoints were wired for ordnance carriage, typically they were used to carry 50 gal
MOSQUITO FB.VI (CF), HR414/NE-L, 143 SQN, RAF BANFF (DECEMBER 1944) When it moved to Banff in late October 1944, 143 Squadron was in the process of converting from Beaufighters to Mosquitos. HR414 may have had stripes applied at the MU or a previous ‘owner’, but these were overpainted fully by the time the reference photo for this profile was taken in December 1944.
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IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS
Mosquito FB.VI (CF) PZ438 being loaded with R/Ps, probably during photographer Charles Brown’s visit to Banff in February 1945. Portions of the original Night Fighter factory finish are visible under the rather haphazardly applied new scheme. For additional details, see profile caption at the bottom of this page. (Author’s collection)
drop tanks; range was always a key consideration on trips to the homeland coast. By the end of the year, 333 Squadron Mosquitos racked up a number of air-to-air victories while the loss rate remained acceptably low…especially when compared to that for the summer of 1943.
ALL-MOSQUITO EFFORT As detailed in ‘Mighty Molins’ (p.6064), four 618 Squadron crews were detached to RAF Predannack in October 1943. Once the first three Mk.XVIII Tsetse airframes were completed, they would be operated alongside 248 Squadron F.IIs and a T.III (originally operated by 333 Squadron). This coincided with
a change in mission emphasis for 248 Squadron, now officially stated as ‘Primary…Fighter Recce… Secondary…Fighter Support to Torpedo Strike Squadrons’ while it would also resume ‘Regular interceptor patrols covering A/S operations in the Bay of Biscay.’ While the aforementioned early arrivals were used for training and familiarisation flying, as well as a few operational sorties in company with Tsetse Mosquitos and remaining Beaufighters, full-scale FB.VI operations did not begin until February 20, 1944 when four aircraft, led by Wing Commander Burton DFC in LR828/R, performed an uneventful anti-submarine patrol off Cape Ortegal. In addition
to the new aircraft type, squadron crews were also being trained on the associated ‘Gee’ navigation aids and VHF communications sets. Having moved to Portreath earlier in February, the unit established a busy operational routine alongside 618 Squadron’s Special Detachment (SD) Tsetse aircraft. After this formation was subsumed within 248 Squadron on May 18 1944, it was known as either C or SD Flight. Around this time, it was also decided that the rocket projectile (R/P) was to be the primary strike weapon on Coastal Command squadrons, so further production of Tsetse Mosquitos was halted. While strike Beaufighters had been busy
converting to R/P, the weapon was still in the experimental stages on the Mosquito. As a result, 248 Squadron would soldier on with cannon and machine guns as its primary armament, while droppable ordnance (bombs, depth charges, and eventually small mines) would be employed depending upon mission type. In June 1944, 235 Squadron, then based at Portreath also began conversion from Beaufighters to Mosquitos. Training on the new type while maintaining its commitment to invasion support operations, it’s remarkable that the squadron flew its first ‘Mossie’ sortie on June 16 (Sqn Ldr Barnes and Flt Lt Quelch in HR118/3W). By July, the Beaufighters had all been returned to Maintenance Units (MU) and the formation was immersed with coordinated operations alongside 248 Squadron…the first all-Mosquito Strike Wing was born. As the invasion gained ground on the continent, the Portreath Wing maintained pressure on the German maritime presence in the south, flying anti-aircraft escort, anti-shipping recce, and roving patrols over the Bay of Biscay and its coastlines. By early September, pickings had reduced greatly, and with continued declining activity further south, Coastal Command renewed its efforts against German trade and military support traffic in the north.
BANFF STRIKE WING In early September 1944, four strike squadrons, 144 and 404 (Beaufighters) and 235 and 248 (Mosquitos), were relocated to
MOSQUITO FB.VI (CF), PZ438/NE-F, 143 SQN, RAF BANFF (FEBRUARY 1945) Through January 1945, 143 Squadron had settled on this style of markings presentation. The reapplied ‘stacked’ serial number points to the fact this aircraft once had invasion stripes applied to the rear fuselage. Note the PZxxx-series midfuselage whip aerial and strike camera nose.
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IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS RAF Banff in northeast Scotland – with the specific purpose of interdicting German maritime traffic along the Norwegian coast. While the last of these was in transit, 333 Squadron’s B Flight Mosquitos at Leuchars also started an incremental move to Banff. By the end of the month, operations were in full swing, and the lowlevel recce specialists continued to fly routine morning Norge Recce sorties. Operating as an integral part of a larger organisation, their mission broadened to include ‘Outrider’ sorties…a pathfinder role that depended on intimate knowledge of the operational area. During an Outrider flight, 333 Squadron Mosquitos would accompany strike formations to the coast and, via a special signals organisation, help them navigate
the best routes to and from targets along the treacherous coast. Once the target position and extent were known, Norwegian crews would find the most navigable routes for various sizes of formations within each fjord and sound, in south and southwest Norway. Over time, crews of the other squadrons would also become Outrider specialists, often with training from 333 Squadron veterans. In October 1944, 18 Group’s strike assets were rationalised, with all Mosquito squadrons based at Banff while Beaufighter units moved a short distance to Dallachy. On moving from North Coates and converting from Beaufighters to Mosquitos, 143 Squadron also joined the Banff Wing in October, while 455 and 489 Squadrons moved to Dallachy from Langham,
The double-tier R/P rig installed on a 404 Squadron Mosquito, loaded with 25lb armourpiercing Mk.II Type J-headed rounds. (Ed Lee, ex-404 Squadron)
concentrating four squadrons of Beaufighters in northeast Scotland. With the exception of 16 Group’s 236 and 254 Squadrons continuing to operate the Beaufighter at North Coates, all Coastal Command
anti-shipping strike squadrons became part of 18 Group, organised for the final campaign against occupied Norway. Mosquito strike squadrons at Banff finally got into the R/P business towards the end of October, having trained as their aircraft underwent incremental conversion to FB.VI (CF) standard throughout the month. Some machines in each squadron remained ‘clean winged’ and dedicated to the anti-flak role. Likewise, the remaining 248 Squadron Tsetse and 333 Squadron recce machines did not carry R/P.
ROCKET VARIATIONS
Several aspects of the R/P conversion are shown to advantage here. Rarely seen in most photos, the forward four pairs of pylon mounting bolt fairings can just be seen silhouetted against the sky on the upper surface. Similarly, the darker finish across the rear portion of the wing indicates refinishing where the rear fairings are present. Since this aircraft has bolts at all four R/P stations, it can be assumed this FB.VI was converted to CF standard prior to the advent of the double-tier R/P system in March 1945. Other CF features in view are the larger drop tank horn and radio altimeter aerial, both inboard of the guard rail structure. (Author's collection)
While at Banff, strike Mosquitos underwent three formation-wide changes in R/P configurations. Initially the heavy twin-railed R/P Mk.IB projector beams were used. While the conversion of an FB.VI to FB.VI (CF) added just 10lb of permanent fittings and wiring to the aircraft, the full set of eight Mk.IB beams and stub pylons
MOSQUITO FB.VI (CF?), HR569/KK-F, 333 SQN, RAF BANFF (FEBRUARY 1945) Airframes in B Flight, 333 Sqn were also subject to a markings change, sometime in late 1944. Overpainting evident on the reference photo suggests the long-abandoned number/letter format was applied when HR569 was taken on strength in late November, but changed by the time the new codes were present in January.
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 27
IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS
DM-H (formerly DM-R) of 143 Squadron circa April/May 1945; the combination of double-tier R/P and 100 gal drop tanks resulted in the ultimate Coastal Strike Mosquito. The Banff Wing flew its first mission with aircraft of all three Strike squadrons in this configuration on March 7, 1945. Note the dark finish near the leading edge of each wing upper surface, indicating two sets of R/P pylon attachment bolt fairings. (Key Collection)
weighed 360lb (without rockets). Sometime in December (other sources state late November) the Mk.IIIA projector beam was introduced. This used the same internals and stub pylons, with the full installation coming in at 42lb lighter. These also had a smaller frontal area, which reduced aerodynamic drag, and helped to redress some of the aircraft’s inherent cruise/endurance performance issues. Still, a fully armed R/P Mosquito could not take advantage of the wing’s drop tank capability, so range did ultimately suffer. Banff strike wing Mosquitos used the four-rail Mk.IIIA fit well into 1945. After testing by both de Havilland and A&AEE Boscombe Down, a new R/P system was made available, which allowed wing hardpoints to be used for drop tanks. Officially the ‘Mk.
IIIA projector with tier carriage’ or ‘double-tier Mk.IIIA’, this rig needed just two beams per wing, with special saddle fittings used to hang one pair of rockets below another. The lower munitions also featured modified fins, slotted to allow the saddles to capture the rear of the rocket body. Inboard of the rockets, a guard rail structure was mounted to fend off the drop tank when it was jettisoned in flight. As the new system was being installed, all 18 Group FB.VIs (and presumably any remaining FB.XVIII Tsetse) had larger ‘horns’ installed for carriage of 100 gal drop tanks. Prior to this, just 50 gal types had been used on FB.VIs (PR Mosquitos began using the larger tanks much earlier). Except when present on FB.VIs newly delivered from the MUs, the smaller tanks became a rare sight at Banff after February 1945.
MARITIME LIVERIES The Special Duties Scheme A used on Coastal Command striketasked Mosquitos consisted of Sky undersurfaces and Extra Dark Sea Grey uppers and sides. Unlike Beaufighters, which received this scheme at the factory from early 1944 onwards, almost all Mosquito FB.VIs were delivered in the Night Fighter scheme of Medium Sea Grey overall, with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green on the upper and side surfaces (the exceptions were a small number finished in the Day Bomber scheme). Early service Coastal Command FB.VIs in both 333 and 248 Squadrons did carry the Coastal-specific scheme, while many aircraft appear to have been operated in the factory finish. This is especially true in the last months of the war for new arrivals to the Banff Strike Wing.
For example, numerous March and April arrivals in service with 248, 333, and 404 Squadrons (which re-joined the wing for conversion to Mosquitos in April 1945) operated for the duration of their service in the standard Night Fighter Scheme. Although they were not technically a strike squadron, 333 Squadron Mosquitos were refinished fairly consistently in the strike scheme throughout 1944. This seems to have lapsed from about November 1944, with the occasional new arrival either fully or partially re-liveried as (it would seem) time allowed. Partial refinishing also made for interesting variations such as thin coats of grey (presumably Extra Dark Sea Grey) on the sides and uppers while undersurfaces remained in Medium Sea Grey. Official correspondence on this
MOSQUITO FB.VI (CF), RF880/EO-X, 404 SQN, RAF BANFF (MAY 1945) The repainting of this Standard Motors-built aircraft to Special Duties Scheme A appears to have been abandoned part way through, with some of the factory-applied Night Fighter colours still visible. Conversion of the squadron’s new Mosquitos to the late double-tier CF configuration was undertaken at Banff through April 1945, while associated crew training was underway.
28 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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IN FOCUS COASTAL COMMAND MOSQUITOS topic in early 1944 appeared to imply it was less important for the Scotland-based Coastal Command Mosquitos (just 333 Squadron at the time) to have Sky undersurfaces, while it was very important for those based in the south (248 Squadron) to have this colour. As aircraft repainted under these variable rules all eventually became located in the north, it’s no surprise there was so much variety in evidence on Banff’s large fleet of Mosquito FB.VIs. The author’s assumption that a few RFxxx-series aircraft had such partially completed refinishing when taken on strength by 404 Squadron (in April 1945), may be due to this seemingly relaxed official view on refinishing. More research is definitely required!
MINOR VARIATIONS Another area that could use additional investigation, assuming
This late-war image of RS625/NE-D, from 143 Squadron at Banff, highlights the typical aerial configuration of the Airspeed-built RSxxxseries FB.VIs; a wire aerial strung between the fuselage spine and tail, plus a Gee whip aerial protruding from the rear section of the canopy. Several patches of darker paint are evident on the fuselage spine, vertical tail leading edge, and port engine nacelle top. (Author’s collection)
any related documentation has survived, is the topic of Aircraft Radio Installations (ARI). There is ample evidence of varitions in such equipment across the rich photographic record of wartime Mosquito FB.VIs, Coastal
Command included. A clue to ARI differences inside the aircraft is the range of external, and therefore immediately visible, aerial configurations. Within the scale drawings accompanying this account, an attempt has
Mosquito FB.VI (CF), RS504/DM-Z, 248 Squadron, returns to Banff after hitting an enemy vessel’s mast during a strike on May 4, 1945. Amazingly, it was repaired to airworthy condition, eventually ending up in the RNZAF as NZ2363 in the summer of 1947. (Author’s collection, with thanks to Tony Rodgers)
been made to cover a few of the variations usually seen on FB.VIs in Coastal Command service. Interestingly, there seems to be some consistency of configuration within certain serial blocks, but exceptions and permutations have also been noticed. Given the noted batch consistencies, it seems reasonable to assume it all starts with the electrical provisioning installed at the factory and possibly, that it may vary from there as each individual aircraft progressed through its service career. Whatever the case, references currently available indicate all Coastal Command FB.VIs had Gee and VHF installed. The F.IIs appeared to have DF loops mounted to the canopy upper middle framing, so no Gee on those airframes. Being fully operational strike aircraft, the FB.XVIIIs most probably had the same fit as the FB.VIs, from which they were derived.
MOSQUITO FB.VI (CF), RS504/DM-Z, 248 SQN, RAF BANFF (MAY 1945) This Airspeed-built aircraft served in both 235 and 248 Squadrons, where it was almost lost in action on May 4, 1945 (all profiles, Terry Higgins).
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 29
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
GARRY TOBISS CLEARS A VERY LARGE SPACE TO BUILD AIRFIX’S 1/24 MOSQUITO IN COASTAL COMMAND COLOURS
SHIP-BUSTING
T
Plenty of parts were devoted to the cockpit floor, along with the seat. Note the black circles where ejector pin marks had to be filled. 30 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
he FB.VI version of de Havilland’s Mosquito first flew on June 1, 1942, and it ushered in a fearsome array of weaponry. Its armament comprised four Hispano Mk.II 20mm cannon, four .303 Browning machine guns, either two 250 lb (110Kg) or two 500lb (230 kg) bombs in the internal bay, plus eight under-wing rockets. Power was provided by two 1,460hp (1,090kW) Merlin 21s or 1,635hp (1,219kW) Merlin 25s. Airfix’s 1/24 Mosquito packed a considerable punch on its original release in 2010, and still does in its re-release form, having been re-introduced to the firm’s range in 2015. The scheme chosen for this build was for an aircraft operated
by Coastal Command’s famous Banff Strike Wing, from Boyndie airfield in northeast Scotland. Missions involved attacking Axis shipping and submarines in the North Sea, around the Norwegian coast and fjords. Tactics involved placing the aircraft into a 45-degree dive, then using the machine guns to sight for the unguided rocket launches. The latter were set so that some struck above, and the remainder below the waterline. This method was highly successful and there are numerous mission reports where shipping and submarines were damaged heavily or sunk. This is a kit that needs very little introduction. Having garnered wide acclaim, the imposing 1/24 Airfix Mosquito was a model that some had dared hope for, while airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI others thought impossible. More than 600 parts were supplied on 16 blue-grey runners. One clear frame, weighted rubber wheels and a sheet of decals completed the contents. The kit also had a large onepiece upper wing, that spanned the width of the box, plus the fuselage halves. It was worth a long look at the comprehensive instruction booklet to see how Airfix had engineered the model, and intended it to be constructed. As
MORE THAN 600 PARTS WERE SUPPLIED ON 16 BLUE-GREY RUNNERS
usual with aircraft, first came the cockpit. Everything seemed large in 1/24 so there was plenty of opportunity for Airfix to create an excellent level of detail. The instrument panel was supplied with a clear styrene piece intended to slot in from the back of the panel, to create ‘glass’ for the instrument dials. Curiously, dial decals were then supposed to be applied to the front of the clear part, making the effect rather redundant. The approach used here was to apply the decals to the back of the clear part, so the detail
M A I N LY M A R I T I M E M O S S I E S Airfix supplies three liveries with its Mosquito, two being for Coastal Command. Other aftermarket decal products were also used here: • 235 Squadron, Banff Strike Wing, RAF Coastal Command, Banff, Scotland, May 4, 1945. Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces, Sky undersides • 404 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, RAF Coastal Command, Banff, Scotland, April-May 1945. Medium Sea Grey/Dark Green upper surfaces, Medium Sea Grey undersides • 4 Squadron, Celle, RAF Germany, September 1949. Medium Sea Grey upper surfaces, gloss black undersides Aviaeology stencils were used in place of those with the kit, as they were thinner, with glossy carrier film to avoid silvering. Airscale instrument dials were used in place of some kit-supplied versions. A large and colourful decal sheet was supplied.
Rudder pedals and the detail underneath the cockpit floor were all rendered well. airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 31
MODEL BUILD MODEL SPEC
MOSQUITO FB.VI De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI By:
Airfix
Stock Code:
A25001A
Scale:
1/24
Price:
£149.99
Available from: www.airfix.com
showed through. One or two came off too easily so they were re-applied, and then secured with gloss varnish. The space between the decals was then painted black to prevent any leakage of light spoiling the effect (required for the photography, more than the finished model). Airscale decals (www.airscale.co.uk) were used whenever possible because they provided a much greater degree of refinement. The main instrument panel was painted black and then highlights were picked out with shades of dark grey, while panel decals from the kit completed the assembly. The main interior colour used for this build was Xtracrylix FS 34151 Interior Green, which was applied
to all parts after a base coat of Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray (sic) primer. There was plenty of opportunity to study reference photos, and add highlights to accentuate the detail of the superbly moulded parts. The fuselage halves were very large, and joining them meant aligning the cockpit assembly and the tailwheel bay to ensure everything settled correctly. All holes for the locating pins provided a very tight fit, so were drilled to create a slightly larger diameter. This aided with assembly and the fuselage was aligned section by section, then secured with masking tape. Clamps were employed initially, but the diameter of the fuselage was so great that they tended to cause the halves to flare and leave a gap. Overall the result was satisfactory, although some of the seams did have small sections that needed filling. The tail assembly was then added, whereby everything came together without issue. It was then time to start with the enormous mainplane which, thankfully, also assembled very easily.
The instrument panel was well moulded, which provided plenty of opportunity for fine brushwork.
More detail parts for the sidewalls and control column. Again, the moulding was superb. 32 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
The port side cockpit wall. Fans of super-detailing could have a field day adding extra wiring, but the author was under strict instructions to try and keep the build as ‘out of the box’ as possible.
Replacing some of the kit decals with instrument dials from Airscale, and applying the decals to the rear of the clear part, created realistic results.
MOSSIE POWER Attention then turned to the two engines and undercarriage. There was a high parts count for the Merlins (see panel) and each piece was separated and cleaned. Small scratch-built backing plates were put inside the engine blocks, to permit the driveshaft to the propeller to be left off until the model was virtually complete. Each engine assembled quickly to the point where the basic unit was built. Painting followed,
The wiring was painted black then highlighted with grey. Instrument dials came as decals and were treated with gloss varnish once applied, to bring them to life.
after consulting reference photos for guidance. Merlins came in black or natural metal colours, and the former was chosen for the main structure, with detail picked out in various metallic shades. Engine nacelles and undercarriage then had to be tackled to complete the engine installation. Mosquito undercarriage units were imposing affairs, and Airfix
The bulkheads at the rear of the bomb bay. Accentuating the detail and weathering followed. airfixmodelworld.com
A view showing the instrument panel and rudder pedals. Cotton thread was wound around the top of the control column to match photos found on the Internet.
had thought carefully about recreating these structures. Again, there were many components, including several delicate parts. Most were prepainted with Mr. Hobby Mr. Metal Color 213 Stainless. The huge rubber tyres had pigments rubbed into the tread and were then assembled to the support struts. They were very heavy and the assembly flopped around rather alarmingly, so was secured temporarily to the nacelle with masking tape. Final assembly of the engine into the nacelle demanded a good deal of concentration.
The underside of the cockpit floor formed part of one of the gun bays.
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
SUTTON HARNESSES Aftermarket seat harnesses are generally manufactured as photo-etched (PE) metal or fabric; the former sometimes coming in pre-coloured form. Both mediums can work well, but there are drawbacks with each. PE sets can be quite rigid, which makes it tough to conform them to the seats and achieve a convincing drape. Too much bending and shaping on the pre-painted variety can lead to the paint flaking. Fabric seat harnesses may look over-scale because of the grain in the fabric, and they sometimes need heavy persuasion with glue to follow the contours of the seat. The RB Productions harnesses used here were made from pre-cut paper, so the webbing was very malleable and surprisingly strong. All parts were secured with PVA glue. This was the set as supplied, although one of the buckles has been cut from the silver PE…to replace the temporary loss of a buckle for the first harness in the carpet!
All the components laid out in roughly the correct positions. Preparing and assembling each of the harnesses took almost three hours. Each harness comprised shoulder and back straps, plus two lap belts. The paper passed through each of the buckle apertures easily.
34 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI Two harnesses in place. Small amounts of water, applied with a fine brush, made the belts conform to the seat contours and a hint of PVA made them secure.
After spending so much time on the Merlin, it came as an unwelcome surprise to find it would not slot straight into the nacelle. The front of the unit had to be opened slightly, and the intake at the bottom of the engines needed trimming to make everything fit. Very careful manoeuvring and trial assembly then followed, to make sure the engines were not damaged. Even then, one of the engine bearers snapped. Once installed, the rest of the plumbing was added but some of the delicate wires broke as they were manipulated into position, so lead wire was used instead. This made everything much easier, but even so, the addition of all the connectors to the engine took a long time. The result was a very busy engine, so all the effort was well worth it. Adding the engine bearers led to initial head scratching because they did not completely attach to the nacelles. It then became apparent that the top fixing
point was only finally secured once the nacelle had been joined to the wing. Test-fitting the closure of the nacelle halves revealed various challenges to get everything in and aligned. The exhaust stubs were attached temporarily to ensure the engine was positioned properly, and the nacelle was duly assembled. Only then could the undercarriage be completed by adding the braces. It was a tricky operation getting the parts aligned and secured – especially with the huge tyre pendulum moving with the slightest encouragement. The result was two large subassemblies ready to be joined to the wing. For the final touch to the engines, out came Alclad
FINAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE INTO THE NACELLE DEMANDED A GOOD DEAL OF CONCENTRATION airfixmodelworld.com
Each engine nacelle was formed with large halves, which were painted Interior Green prior to assembly.
Bulkheads, engine bearers and oil tanks (two shown for front and rear views) for the nacelles. The black circles are ejector pin marks corrected with filler.
Each of the main undercarriage assemblies was comprised a whole series of fine components. Note the pre-flattened rubber tyres. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 35
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI ALC-112 Steel to basecoat the exhausts, followed by highlights with ALC-104 Pale Burnt Metal.
AIRBORNE ARTILLERY
The main undercarriage was assembled in two stages. Struts were added to the bulkhead first, and then the nacelle was closed. Braces were added only once the structure had set…but beware of the wheel flopping about.
MERLIN MAGIC The level of detail supplied for the engines was superb. Two units were provided and each comprised a whole host of components.
The instructions called for the nacelles to be added before detailing the bomb bay but they were left off until after the latter was completed, to avoid damaging the undercarriage. There were two gun assemblies, one for the Hispano cannon and another for the Browning machine guns. First were the four cannon, which, together with their supports, were fitted into the forward bomb bay; all parts were painted prior to assembly. The cannon were painted black and then highlighted, first by creating a metallic sheen
with graphite powder (applied with a finger) and then picking out edges and prominent detail with silver pencil. The ammo feeders were painted silver and the cartridge cases received brass-coloured paint. Assembly of the unit then followed, to create a rather delicate structure, which needed to be put into its final position in the bomb bay to provide stability. Various pipes were then added, and the connecting point for some of these was not obvious from the instructions, so a best guess was made. Everything apart from the cannons was then given a dark brown oil wash to accentuate the detail further. The cannon fairing was then painted and added to protect the barrels, as well as to avoid masking later.
These were the basic parts for each engine. Others such as various delicate wires and hoses were added later.
Each engine assembled quickly and easily. The instructions suggested the propeller hub should be added, but the interior was altered to allow positioning later.
THE LEVEL OF DETAIL SUPPLIED FOR THE ENGINES WAS SUPERB. TWO UNITS WERE PROVIDED AND EACH COMPRISED A WHOLE HOST OF COMPONENTS
One engine painted and installed, with all the connectors and smaller fittings. The result was a very busy-looking Merlin, but keen super-detailers could obviously take this further. 36 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
Real Mosquitos were assembled with a complete wing added to the fuselage. This single part in the kit provided the basis to mirror the approach.
Each propeller came with separate blades and a spinner. One is shown assembled together with the crew access door (bottom).
These parts would form the wing radiators. Options allowed the rear flaps to be built open or closed.
Completing the bomb bay involved adding and decaling the two fuel tanks, plus the cradle for the bombs. Joining the fuselage and wing came next, and this involved offering the wing at a slight angle to the fuselage and then coaxing it in slowly. It fitted very tightly, but no sanding was required to facilitate the operation...testament to Airfix's airfixmodelworld.com
quality engineering. Each nacelle was then manoeuvred into place and, with a rather worrying-sounding ‘snap’, they locked into position. Therefore, no testfitting was possible. Phew! The overall fit was relatively good, although a modicum of filling and sanding was needed at the nacelle trailing edges. The aircraft now stood on its main undercarriage for the first time. Completing the bay for the Brownings meant the model had four prominent and delicate machine guns sticking out of the nose, so thought was necessary on how best to protect these. The eventual solution was to cut a small plastic drink bottle in half; the diameter of the bottle provided a snug fit to the nose and was fixed with masking tape, allowing it to
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 37
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
Joining the substantial wing to the equally huge fuselage demanded very gentle persuasion, and it was best to offer this unit at a slight angle to aid the fit.
Pieces for two of the fuel tanks; a bomb cradle and two stores completed the assemblies needed to finish the bomb bay.
A mass of parts was provided for the Hispanos and their ammunition feeds, creating a mini kit in its own right.
Two radios were supplied and the surface detail was excellent. Each unit was basecoated with black and then details picked out in accordance with reference photos.
be removed and replaced as required. The Brownings were given the same paint treatment as the Hispanos. One unusual part of the assembly was the use of four rubber parts to represent the complex shape of the ammunition feeds. Attempts to paint the rubber prior to assembly failed because the paint flaked, so they were painted in situ. Dark brown oil wash was then applied followed by highlights with a silver pencil. The nose cone was painted prior to assembly, to avoid complicated masking around the protruding guns. Note that the front part of the nose cone would not fit properly, unless the plate supporting the guns was separated from the cross brace.
then attached. A small signal gun was also fixed to the canopy. The two radios were added next, to the area behind the crew, and the canopy was glued in place followed by the crew door. The kit provided a choice of an
were dipped in Johnson’s Future Klear floor polish, to provide extra shine and to provide protection against scratches. A frame was also supplied for the inside of the canopy, so this was painted before assembly and
open or closed door, together with extended or stowed crew ladder. Four crew figures were also provided; two in flight positions or two ready to board the aircraft, although none were used for this build. Airfix supplied
FINAL APPROACH The fairings around the forward gun bay were added; it was a shame to hide the detail, but the intention with this build was to show a largely closed aircraft. All clear parts 38 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
SHIP-SMACKERS Rocket armament was supplied in the kit, but Master Model metal replacements were used to provide enhanced detail.
The rockets were easy to construct by following the simple instructions. Each built into a very impressive replica.
Each rocket consisted of 12 parts, including a turned-aluminium warhead, brass body, PE fins and supports, exhaust port, firing cable and resin attachment supports.
A comprehensive set of stencil decals was included. The PE fins and their supports are also shown.
options for open or closed main bay doors, with the former chosen for this build to show some of the wonderful detail. Moulding quality on each bay door was a little disappointing, because they suffered from
prominent ejector pin marks. Many were deep and couldn’t be scraped away, so circles of plastic card were punched and placed in the holes. Any tiny gaps left were made good with filler. Two evenings were required
Applying the paint and decals created convincing rockets and these added a pleasing touch to the finished model.
to remedy the problem, because the blemishes were sometimes hard to sand. After all this it was time to sit back and coast to the end of the build…then came the engine cowlings. One slotted in with just minor filing, while
the others needed much more persuasion and even then, left unsightly gaps at the top edge, which had to be treated with plastic card and filler. This meant it was only possible to render one cowling removable.
GUN BAY DETAIL WAS ACCENTUATED INITIALLY WITH AN OIL WASH airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 39
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
THE LAST STAGE OF WEATHERING WAS COMPLETED VIA LIFECOLOR LPW 11 RAIN MARKS
FADED PAINT
The canopy had an internal frame, and another pleasing addition was the small signal gun, used to fire the identification colours of the day.
Another major sub-assembly was the bay for the Brownings. Note the four black rubber pieces for the ammunition feeds.
The Editor’s instructions were to make the aircraft “look like it had flown down the funnel of a ship in a Norwegian fjord”, so with this brief in mind, the painting process began. Much masking was needed to cover the undercarriage, and then considerable time was spent masking the canopy glazing – no aftermarket masks appeared to exist in 1/24. The canopy frame was then painted Interior Green and the whole model was primed with Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray, supplied by Albion Hobbies (www.albionhobbies. com). Lifecolor paints from the Airbrush Company (www. airbrushes.com) were then employed: UA095 Sky for the undersides and UA109 gloss Extra Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces. Both were applied
Paint and highlights really brought the area to life. Bombs were apparently not carried for anti-ship missions, but were fitted here additional interest. 40 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
MATERIALS AT A GLANCE Airscale www.airscale.co.uk • AS 24 RAF 1/24 scale RAF cockpit decals Alclad II www.alclad2.com • ALC-104 Pale Burnt Metal • ALC-112 Steel • ALC-600 Acqua Gloss Aviaeology www.stores.ebay.ca/ Aviaeology • A0D24S05 1/24 Mosquito airframe stencil/data markings
over black pre-shading, but this process resulted in a very grumpy modeller because the black paint was old and tiny blobs kept blocking the airbrush. This was remedied by a thorough cleaning of the airbrush, and then a raid on my wife’s sock draw yielded some old stockings. When a section was stretched over a container they provided the perfect filter for the paint, with several offending paint blobs left on top of these new additions to the modelling equipment. The Sky was airbrushed first, in light coats, until what was deemed the right intensity of pre-shade was left showing through. The Sky was then lightened progressively with white, and each successive pass was applied randomly to provide tonal variation; the same technique was used for the upper surfaces, to provide
extensive patchiness. The whole airframe then received two coats of ALC-600 Acqua Gloss to make a smooth surface for the decals. Aviaeology’s stencils were used in place of the kit versions, because the font was slightly smaller and the amount of carrier film on the two large ‘Keep Off’ decals was much less. All lettering for the large kit squadron codes was cut out to reduce the amount of carrier film. A photo-copy was taken first to help with alignment when the letter decals were put on the model. Removing the carrier film proved sensible because the
Airfix markings were thick (one or two cracked), and the clear fill between the letters had a matt sheen, which caused problems with silvering on the black codes at the rear of the fuselage. Silvering happens when tiny bubbles of air get trapped under the decals. Applying gloss varnish before decaling usually solves the issue, but not this time, so nasty areas of silvering were eventually mostly painted over. A dark wash, made from a mix of Michael Harding Artists Oils 121 Burnt Umber and 128 Lamp Black was then run into the engraved surface detail, followed by a coat of Vallejo matt acrylic varnish to mute the glossy airframe and decals. The last stage of weathering
Mr. Hobby Color www.albionhobbies.com • Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray • Mr. Metal 213 Stainless Hannants www.hannants.co.uk • Xtracrylix FS 34151 Interior Green
Lifecolor The Airbrush Company www.airbrushes.com • UA095 Sky • UA109 Extra Dark Sea Grey • LP03 Rain and Dust Liquid Pigments Michael Harding’s Artists Oils www.michaelharding.co.uk • 121 Burnt Umber • 128 Lamp Black Master Model www.master-model.pl • AM-24-011 1/24 British RP-3 Rocket
RB Productions www.radubstore.com • RB-P24001 1/24 Sutton QK Harness
Gun bay detail was accentuated initially with an oil wash, and then silver pencil highlights made more of the superb moulding. airfixmodelworld.com
Vallejo www.acrylicosvallejo.com • 26.518 Matt Acrylic Varnish
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 41
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.VI
ONE VERY LARGE MOSQUITO DOMINATED THE BENCH! was completed via Lifecolor LPW 11 Rain Marks. This was dabbed and brushed over a section of the airframe, and then drawn across the surface with the remover, with a wide flat brush. This completed the paintwork, so the final stage of the build was to assemble and fix the rockets, plus the bomb bay and undercarriage doors. One very large Mosquito dominated the bench!
WORTH THE CASH? This is an expensive kit, so the inevitable question is whether it’s worth the money. Building
such a large model provided several months’ entertainment so there’s no doubt it will keep any builder very busy. It was also an interesting project, because the level of detail in all areas was excellent and allowed plenty of opportunity to make the most of the moulding quality. There were fit issues, which didn’t take long to resolve, but overall the quality of the engineering was very high. Adding the RB Production harnesses and Master Model rockets definitely ensured an extra level of refinement…all these additions being highly visible on the completed model.
Painting begins…the model was now too big to shoot on the A1-sized blue background, so a section is shown here with the Dark Sea Grey applied in a deliberately patchy finish.
Step two was to apply random squiggles of the base colour lightened progressively with white to create a faded and arbitrary colour map. Light sanding highlighted patches of raised surface detail.
The last step was to use Lifecolor ‘Rain Marks’ and draw the colour down the wings and the side of the fuselage This also harmonised the decals with the rest of the surface. 42 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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CELEBRATING BRITAIN’S GREATEST WARTIME BOMBER
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IN FOCUS MOSQUITO F-8
CAMERA-TOTING
WOODEN WONDER DANA BELL EXPLAINS HOW BRITAIN’S MOSQUITO DEVELOPED INTO THE AMERICAN-FLOWN F-8 RECONNAISSANCE VARIANT
I
n April 1941 – one month after the passage of the Lend-Lease Act – Army Air Corps boss Major General H H ‘Hap’ Arnold was in Britain to plan production with his RAF counterparts. Much of the visit concerned changes necessary to bring American aircraft up to British standards, but the Americans were also introduced to the latest UK aircraft and innovations. On April 20, a flight demonstration of the new de Havilland Mosquito made a particular impression as chief test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland tore across the sky at 408mph (656km/h).
On April 15, 1977, Elwood R ‘Pete’ Quesada (who, as chief of the Intelligence Division’s Foreign Liaison Section, had accompanied Arnold on the UK visit) waxed romantically when recalling the encounter 36 years earlier: “I do recall the first time I saw the Mosquito as being impressed by its performance, which we were aware of. We were impressed by the appearance of the aeroplane; as you no doubt know, all aviators are affected by the appearance of an aeroplane. An aeroplane that looks fast usually is fast, and the Mosquito was (by
44 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
the standards of the time) an extremely well-streamlined aeroplane, and it was highly regarded, highly respected.”
WISH-LIST Returning to America, Arnold asked Britain for further details on just four projects: the Handley-Page armoured ring cowl, the jet propulsion engine, photo-reconnaissance Spitfire and the “all-wood de Havilland reconnaissance airplane.” For more than two years, the Air Corps had searched fruitlessly for a combat-worthy reconnaissance/mapping aircraft. Quesada noted: “... it was generally recognized in our stable or inventory of aeroplanes there was no decent
Hap Arnold waves to the crowd after his fact-finding tour of Britain. Following his boss, Pete Quesada carries a briefcase full of technical data, including the first reports on the new Mosquito. (NARA)
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IN FOCUS MOSQUITO F-8
Mosquito B.Mk.IV Series II was sent to Wright Field for AAF evaluation in February 1943. The aircraft wore day-fighter colours of Dark Green, Ocean Grey, and Medium Sea Grey, with Sky fuselage band and black spinners. A month later, the aircraft was lost following an in-flight engine fire. (NARA)
reconnaissance aeroplane – they weren’t worth a damn!” The Mosquito (and Spitfire) appeared the most capable aircraft in production. Despite his favourable impressions of the aircraft, Arnold’s original interest had more to do with learning the Mosquito’s secrets than ordering it for the AAF’s recon squadrons, and he couldn’t be blamed; despite a promising test programme, the Mosquito had yet to establish itself operationally. The Mosquito’s first reconnaissance mission would not occur until mid Photographed in Toronto, ‘The Spook’ would be the only F-8 to fly in combat. The aircraft operated with the 15th Mapping Squadron, 5th Photo Group… and later 3rd Photo Group. (Joe Holliday)
September 1941, with the first day-bomber mission following at the end of May 1942. With no proven track record, the ‘Mossie’ was just another promise of things to come. American reviews of Mosquito data and drawings brought little enthusiasm, but on December 13, 1941 the Materiel Division requested a Mosquito for flight tests at Wright Field. In January the British Air Commission agreed to send a new B.Mk.IV as soon as production allowed, but shipping delays and damage in transit would delay that delivery until February 1943! In the meantime, production had begun in Canada. Several US companies, particularly Curtiss, had been approached for possible production contracts during 1941, but a more
satisfactory solution was found when the US agreed to supply Lend-Lease funds for The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Ltd to begin production in Toronto. The first 25 Canadian aircraft (designated B.Mk.VIIs) would be built with American Packard Merlin engines, components shipped from the UK, and major structures; similar B.Mk.XXs would be built with all parts manufactured in North America. The first flight of a Canadianbuilt Mosquito (serial KB300) was on September 24, 1942 (with three more aircraft flying by the year’s end). Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr, Chief Test Pilot and son of the company’s founder, soon arrived at the factory, taking KB300 on a whirlwind tour of Canada and the United States. The Mosquito’s
performance caused quite a stir, and not all of it was positive for US planners. In December, young de Havilland was scheduled to fly the aircraft to California; while the cover story had him visiting his famous cousins, actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine, he was in fact demonstrating the Mosquito to Lockheed, Hughes and other West Coast manufacturers. The Materiel Division in Washington had no problems with flight evaluations, but blocked any comparative tests, particularly against the P-38 Lightning. In a phone call to Wright Field, Colonel Benjamin Chidlaw explained his concerns: Col C: I am a little afraid of the build-up on this Mosquito, and the first thing there will be
KB300, the Canadian prototype B.Mk.VII, photographed at Wright Field during its first American tour in October 1942. The aircraft was painted overall aluminium with black spinners. (NARA) airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 45
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO F-8 KB300 returned to the US for evaluation by the US Navy at NAS Anacostia, DC. Although the aircraft was damaged by an engine fire on March 30, 1943, by April 15 it was repaired and flying test runs. (NARA)
MISGUIDED LOYALTY
on it is to build the thing [in the US], see. That is what I am afraid of Colonel Johnson. Col J: Well I am not afraid of that, I mean – Col C: Well I am afraid of it, because I know the politics and pressure and screws that these fellows turn. In other words, if they just wanted it out there to see it, it would be a different proposition, but to be out there and actually run comparative tests and whatnot, I am a little bit scared of it. Col J: Well I don’t know why? I mean you think it is so much better than the P-38? Col C: No, not necessarily better, but it gets out there and it does a lot of things that the P-38 won’t do, such as [garbled] on one engine, and roll-and-a-half on top of a loop, and that kind of stuff, see. I am just a little bit
scared of it, and the British they want to know why we want it out there see, and so I told them that we would find out why the request had been made. The Mosquito would not fly against the P-38, but shortly after noon on December 15, Lockheed Chief Test Pilot Milo Burcham and Chief Research Engineer C L ‘Kelly’ Johnson put KB300 through its paces. Johnson’s five-page report concluded: “...it can be stated that the Mosquito is a nice airplane to fly, having excellent speed and only a fair rate of climb. Many of its characteristics are similar to the P-38, and it exceeds it in only one regard, the lightness of the aileron forces.” What went unsaid was that a two-seat bomber performed as well as the best fighter then in service with the US Army. Others would pay more attention to the differences....
46 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
For most of 1942 the AAF had believed that its combat mapping and reconnaissance needs would be met by cameraarmed A-28/A-29 Hudsons, B-17 Flying Fortresses, and F-4/F-5 Lightnings. In reality, the Hudsons and Fortresses would prove far too vulnerable to enemy fighters, while the photo Lightnings were plagued by range limitations and production delays. By October 1942, Lockheed was receiving enough turbo-superchargers to produce just 58 Lightnings per month; diverting 15 to reconnaissance duties reduced the total number of fighters by 26%!
In November, the commander of the 3rd Photo Group requested (through channels) the transfer of one Mosquito from the very limited British contingent flying over North Africa and the Mediterranean. With so few aircraft available, the RAF could have easily refused the request, but the American commander was Lt Col Elliot Roosevelt, Hap Arnold's protégé and son of the President. Two PR.Mk.IVs were soon released to the Americans. Roosevelt’s enthusiasm for the Mosquito was effusive, and it opened the eyes of AAF planners in Washington. By January 1943, General Ben Chidlaw (who previously had feared US
The first F-8s carried a single camera in the aft fuselage, with a second at the left, forward corner of the bomb bay. The observer could lift a panel beside his bench seat to replace film magazines in flight. Note the bomb bay fuel tank aft of the camera. (NARA) airfixmodelworld.com
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO F-8
Following the loss of DK287, Canada loaned B.Mk.VII KB306 to Wright Field’s flight test programme. Seen here on a trial flight over the Ohio countryside, the aircraft was eventually accepted by the AAF with serial 43-34931. (NARA)
factories would be redirected to Mosquito production), began pressing for the delivery of Wright Field’s long-overdue flight-test Mosquito. Chidlaw ordered Materiel Division to evaluate the aircraft as a potential reconnaissance platform for AAF units in the European and Mediterranean theatres. The aircraft (DK287) arrived at Wright Field on February 14; six days later, before the first flight-test had been scheduled, Arnold requested 91 Mosquitos (65 for the ETO and 26 for the MTO) from Britain’s 1943 production estimates. AAF planners hoped to secure enough Mosquitos to eventually end all further F-5 conversions, making more P-38s available to fighter squadrons. The request must have come as a shock at a time when Canadian production was still struggling (fewer than ten aircraft had been completed), and RAF units desperately demanded every available Mosquito. Yet, on March 22 the United Kingdom Air Liaison Mission instructed the Royal Canadian Air Force to release the next five Canadianbuilt Mosquito bombers to the AAF for recon conversion. The need for more Mosquitos was such that General Carl airfixmodelworld.com
Spaatz, commander of the Northwest African Air Forces, offered to sacrifice 48 new P-51Bs so their engines could be diverted to 24 new Mosquitos (with half going to the RAF and the rest to his own 3rd Recon Group). Washington noted Spaatz’ interest in more Mosquitos, but could ill afford to restrict deliveries of the new Mustangs At Wright Field, things did not go well with the DK287 flight evaluations. On March 14, one month after delivery to the AAF, the aircraft’s left engine caught fire in flight. Lt N R Rosengarten parachuted without incident, but
Col O J Ritland, the pilot, injured his back and left knee when his parachute failed to open properly. The fire was attributed to failure of the left engine’s right exhaust manifold, which allowed superheated gases to pour into the nacelle and wing interior; the aircraft, which crashed in a Dayton suburb, was a total loss. KB300 suffered a similar fire on March 29. The US Navy, which had become interested in the Mosquito as a night fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, was testing the aircraft at NAS Anacostia, near the US capitol. When the pilot noticed bubbling atop the right engine cowl, he
throttled back immediately and operated the fire extinguisher. The aircraft then returned safely to base, where the exhaust manifold was found to be loose, causing severe damage to the engine installation and minor damage to the wing.
INTRODUCING THE F-8 The AAF designated its new reconnaissance aircraft the F-8, reserving serial numbers 43-34924 through -35123 for the first 200 expected deliveries (the last 160 serial numbers were cancelled when subsequent aircraft were delivered under Reverse Lend-Lease). The
One of the first five F-8s, 43-34928 was the photo installation testbed. She also flew trials at the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA) Langley Field, Virginia, facility, as seen in this 1944 image. (NASA Langley) SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 47
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO F-8
Bell’s modifications included split vertical cameras in the forward bomb bay, a vertical recon/mapping camera in the aft fuselage, and camera switches and sights in the cockpit. A rack in the nose stored spare film magazines for the split verticals. (NARA)
Canadians moved quickly, delivering five aircraft in June. While the first went to Wright Field as prototype for camera modifications, the next four were sent to Peterson Field, Colorado Springs, Colorado, for field installation of cameras before
rushing to the Mediterranean Theatre. Two more Canadian Mosquitos were loaned to Air Transport Command at Elizabeth City, North Carolina to train ferry pilots, and a third was loaned to Wright Field to complete the flight-tests delayed by the loss
of DK287. Although no further Canadian production was available before September, the crashes of two Colorado Springs aircraft brought the AAF begging for replacements – Canada then transferred the two Elizabeth City aircraft. When one of those was damaged, the Wright Field aircraft was also transferred. The four new Colorado Springs airframes were required in North Africa by July 1, with mapping missions scheduled over Sicily prior to the Allied invasion. Continued difficulties with camera, instrument, and radio installation delayed departure until the autumn, by which time just three aircraft were available. One of those aircraft was almost lost when a maintenance man accidentally punctured a hydraulic line, then tried to cover the error with an inadequate patch job. Approaching Washington, the two-man crew (including Col Roosevelt) lost all hydraulic pressure; they lowered the landing gear manually, then
touched down at Bolling Field without flaps or brakes. That aircraft was ‘The Spook’, identified by the nickname Capt Jim Setchell had given his new-born son. With hydraulics restored, The Spook would cross the South Atlantic flying combat missions over Italy with the 5th Photo Group’s 15th Mapping Squadron, until dropped from unit records in August 1944. Of the three F-8s ‘rushing’ to the Mediterranean, one would crash on Ascension Island, a second would lose an engine approaching Belem and eventually return to the US, and The Spook would become the only F-8 to enter combat.
THE FINAL DELIVERIES By the end of 1943, de Havilland Canada was delivering the last of its AAF Mosquitos. Despite hopes the aircraft would arrive with all photographic modifications installed, Materiel Command agreed to accept unmodified aircraft, converting them at Bell Another B.Mk.VII, 43-34930 taxies on a wintry day at Wright Field. (NARA)
48 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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IN FOCUS MOSQUITO F-8 Niagara Modification Center (a short flight from Toronto, across Lake Ontario). Bell applied US markings, and added or revised 37 systems, including the installation of two split vertical cameras (K-17 or K22) in the forward bomb bay and mounts for a single 6in to 40in (15cm to 101cm) mapping camera in the aft fuselage. Modifications of the last two F-8s were completed in August. But by August 17 the F-8 had developed a dangerous reputation with its crews, and Air Transport Command refused to ferry any additional aircraft. The primary problems were unsatisfactory engine operation and unsafe loading conditions, causing extreme tail heaviness. The first 25 aircraft delivered by ATC suffered seven accidents (an eighth, fatal, accident occurred days after ATC filed its report). Thirteen aircraft had reached the UK when projects there and in the Mediterranean, were cancelled. Safety could be improved by trimming the aircraft properly
Marzy Doats’ (43-34959) photographed in Colorado shortly before flying the Atlantic in 1944. The aircraft was returned to the RAF as KB185 that October. (Fred Dickey)
and correcting engine flaws, but the F-8 had also become old technology in a rapidly changing air war. More than three years had passed since Arnold and Quesada first saw the Mosquito fly. German daylight defences had improved, and new Luftwaffe fighters were easily capable of intercepting the ageing Mosquitos. Newer aircraft carried two-stage superchargers
for greater speeds and altitudes, and American leaders wanted the improved Mosquitos for their missions. The 13 F-8s delivered to the Eighth Air Force arrived within weeks of the first Reverse Lend-Lease Mosquito PR.XVIs, whose superior performance guaranteed those F-8s would never face combat. In August 1944, before the last two Mosquitos left the Bell
modification centre, the F-8s were declared surplus. Surviving aircraft were returned to the RAF, while the AAF received a bill for the 12 F-8s damaged beyond repair. Though the F-8 played a minor role in AAF combat operations, the overall success of this and later PR Mosquitos would be seen in generations of American high-speed, unarmed reconnaissance aircraft.
Most F-8s were modified into reconnaissance aircraft at Bell’s Niagara modification centre in upstate New York. Originally B.Mk.XXs, the aircraft all had slipper tanks mounted beneath their wings. (Textron Bell) airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 49
MODEL BUILD
STU FONE RELIES ON EXTENSIVE SCRATCH-BUILDING, TO CONVERT AIRFIX’S RE-BOXED 1/48 MOSQUITO PR.XVI INTO A WELL-KNOWN USAAF F-8
BOO!
A
YOU’RE SPOOKED
Airfix updated the components for its 1/48 Mosquito in 2003, including new fuselage halves, which featured engraved exterior panel lines and respectable interior detail…the cockpit would receive many additions during this build. 50 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
irfix’s quarter-scale Mosquito is just like the legendary Rolling Stones...ageing, yet still hugely popular. Issued originally in 1977 as an FB.VI, since 2003 it’s been re-released in NF.30, B.XVI and PR.XVI versions. To achieve this, the basic FB.VI components were augmented with updated parts
MODEL SPEC
MOSQUITO F-8
de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI By:
Airfix
Stock Code:
A07112
Scale:
1/48
Price:
£27.99
Available from: Airfix, www.airfix.com
First stage in detailing was to decide what would be added and what space was available; the cockpit floors and bulkheads were fix in position temporarily with Blu Tack, and a draughtsman’s pencil was used to trace the outline. airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8 (replacement fuselage, cockpit, canopy, nacelles and upper wing), which featured engraved — as opposed to raised — panel lines. This build was of a US Army Air Forces photo-reconnaissance (PR) Mosquito F-8, 43-34926 ‘The Spook’. Airfix’s generous contents were just what was needed, as the original single-stage Merlin nacelles would be combined with the bomber/PR airframe; all that would be needed from the spares box was a pair of ‘needle’ propellers.
HOME-MADE INTERIOR The bomber fuselage halves were relatively well detailed, but reference photos highlighted a lack of cables and equipment boxes, and the instrument panel was backdated from PR.XVI to B.IV standard. Preparation is vital when scratch-building, so a host of books was assembled (see References panel), along with online sources, to establish exactly what was in a B.VII; thankfully, it was almost identical to an early B.IV. Test-fits revealed the 1970s-era components would need plenty of preparation, due to prominent mould seams and ejector pin marks. However, it was pleasing to note Airfix’s modern parts were almost as refined as recent offerings by other manufacturers. Prominent items missing from the cockpit included the main fuse box and rudder pedals; unlike the remainder of the cockpit, the latter were bare metal, and highly visible. With all the necessary information to hand, the first task
SCARY MOSSIE
The Spook was the sole USAAF F-8 to fly combat missions, crewed by pilot Major J Setchell and navigator Captain JC Alexander. The aircraft’s name was for Setchell’s son, after he saw his boy for the first time (the family was infamous for giving out nicknames). Fündekals’ excellent markings are dedicated to this one airframe and supplied the necessary stencils, unit and national insignia. Larger items were very delicate, with at least one tearing, but they were sufficiently thin to conform to most raised or recessed detail on the model.
was to determine the size of the available space. Blu Tack secured the floor/bulkheads temporarily and a 0.5mm draftsman’s pencil was traced along the sidewalls. Another tip is to mark where each item will be located, and over three evenings red, blue and black annotations indicated what was to be removed, added and connected by wiring/cables respectively. Modifications were created from scrap styrene, plastic card, rod and strip, fuse wire, and bespoke copper and lead wire from Little
The pilot’s area benefited from Airfix’s 2003 refresh, but still lacked rudder pedals and instrument panel decals.
The cockpit now appeared much busier. Instrument panel changes were needed to backdate it to B.VII format.
There was less room than expected, due to thick fuselage halves. To aid the scratchbuilding, red pen signifies remove/fill, blue for new detail and black for cables/wiring.
The completed aft cockpit and radio deck prior to painting, highlighting the scratch-built wiring, cables and locations for the replacement communications fit.
The kit instrument panel's rear needed access holes for cabling that fed into the rear of each dial. A needle held in a pin vice acted as a mini bradawl.
REFERENCE PHOTOS HIGHLIGHTED A LACK OF CABLES AND EQUIPMENT BOXES
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 51
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8
A key element missing from the port (pilot’s) sidewall was the throttle assembly. While it looks complex, it could be reduced to a series of rectangles, squares, circles and triangles, which aided scratch-building.
To backdate the panel, the main dials were moved and new undercarriage and bomb bay levers, and rudder pedals were added. The lead wire 'ponytail' would be routed into equipment boxes.
Cars (www.modellingtools.co.uk) and Plus Model (www.plusmodel. cz). Holes were either drilled with the aid of a pin vice, or created with an RP Toolz punch-anddie set (www.rptoolz.com). Not all alterations involved adding material; one of the most effective, yet simplest was to reduce the thickness of the navigator’s seat backplate from 1.2mm to 0.5mm.
COMMUNICATIONS CHANGES As work commenced, it was discovered the radio fit was incorrect, as The Spook was equipped with US comms gear. Fortunately, an Internet search yielded the appropriate maintenance manual; various boxes were then built from laminated plastic card, and populated with lead wire and switches.
Unfortunately, the kit radios emulated RAF versions, so US equipment had to be made from plastic card, rod, strip and lead wire. From top left, clockwise, these are: MN-53 Antenna, RA-10D Receiver, TA-12B Transmitter, MN-28 and MR9 Control and MP-28B Power Units.
Once the sub-assemblies had been constructed, the interior received a primer of Mr. Surfacer 1200, before Alclad’s ALCE012 British Interior Grey-Green was airbrushed in two light coats. Once dry, details were painted with Humbrol enamels and Tamiya and Vallejo Model Air acrylics. Seat cushions also received Burnt Umber and Raw Sienna oil paints, which were then blended into the base colour to provide contrast. Radio equipment was then added to the rear decking and port sidewall, before lead wire cables were manoeuvred into position and secured with Superglue. There was one notable glitch in the instructions, as the part numbers for the forward fuselage windows were transposed. However, this did yield a handy tip for masking the glazing interior; apply a strip of masking tape to the aperture and cut around the outline, remembering the lefthand piece is for the right window, and vice versa. A sealing layer of ALC-600 Aqua Gloss was followed by a Burnt Umber/Lamp Black oil wash into recesses, before light grey enamel dry-brushing highlighted edges and raised features. Instrument dials were replicated with old Reheat decals from the spares box…and a left-over fragment of an Airscale sheet. Only then were Eduard’s Seatbelts RAF late (49101) added to the pilot and navigator seats, although the latter was more of a shelf with a cushion. The harnesses were fiddly, but were easy to manipulate once an end was secured with Superglue, even if it did mean they had to be re-touched with Tamiya XF-57 Buff where paint had flaked. Then came the first big test, with the decking, instrument panel and pilot’s seat
CLOSING THE FUSELAGE HALVES WAS GOING TO BE A TIGHT SQUEEZE 52 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8
All the scratch-built components for the cockpit prior, to painting. Note the boxes, cabling and fuse box on the left-hand fuselage half, next to where the navigator would sit. The latter’s seat was improved by the simple expedient of reducing its thickness via sanding.
Alclad’s Mil-Spec Interior Grey Green acted as the main cockpit colour; detail painting utilised a variety of enamel and acrylic shades. The peculiar khaki tone on the radio equipment was a bespoke mix based on photographs, and acted as a primer for this equipment.
fixed into the starboard fuselage half. Although Airfix suggested these attach to the opposite side, the thought process here was to aid cable routing into the righthand sidewall equipment boxes. With all the extra fittings installed, closing the fuselage halves was going to be a tight squeeze, duly confirmed when clamps had to be employed to hold everything while the cement dried – during which one radio box ‘pinged’ across the room. A coat of matt varnish completed the cockpit, with dots of Microscale’s Micro Kristal Klear
with Valiant Wings’ and SAM Publications’ references. Interior bulkheads, wheel well roof (none of which were in Airfix’s kit) and framework were fashioned from plastic card and strip, with various thicknesses of lead wire replicating hydraulic and electrical lines. The exterior was easier, thanks to material provided by Fündekals’ instructions, which highlighted differences in panels on Canadianand UK-built airframes. Several areas of raised detail were removed, with new seams created with an Olfa P-Cutter; curves and smaller access hatches were created with a needle held in a pin vice. The former was also employed to engrave the lower wing section (from the original kit release), but smaller access panels were left in their raised form, as
added for instrument dial glass. Once joined, lengths of tape held the fuselage halves securely. After the main frame had dried, a rub with a sanding stick highlighted those areas in need of filler. Squadron Products’ Green Putty (www.squadron.com) was utilised, as it had a fine-grained consistency and dried quickly.
LEGS OUT! Airfix’s nacelles, while good for their day, were devoid of interior detail. A spare Tamiya 1/48 FB.VI wing served as a guide, along
SO MANY CHOICES Barracudacals (BC48-166) and Aviaeology (AOD48S05) provide Mosquito stencil decals, and although both would have been ideal for this build (despite the latter’s depiction of an FB.VI on the instructions), they appeared to contain a complete set of those markings applied at UK factories. The former’s markings contained a bonus in the shape of twopart instrument dials, although these couldn’t be used due to
the semi-scratch-built panel. However, as research into The Spook continued, it emerged that Fündekals’ sheet contained all the necessary data, as these early USAAF aircraft carried fewer stencils than RAF machines.
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they were rendered crisply. The fit of the 1970s-era parts wasn’t brilliant, and when combined with the additional scratch-built components, there was a struggle to insert the completed nacelle into the wing. The mainplanes were then married with the fuselage. To ensure a strong join, Superglue was applied to the fuselage recess before the wing was attached; once the correct dihedral was achieved, accelerant was flowed into the join. Gaps were treated with light applications of Green Stuff (to avoid the risk of sinkage if a single thick layer of putty was applied), and then sanded. Upper sections for the undercarriage were formed from 2mm and 1mm brass tube, with the linkage joint shaped from
With a dark oil wash and grey dry-brushing effects applied, the ‘office’ took on a more realistic appearance. Note the ponytail has now been unwrapped in preparation for routing the wiring to the boxes on the right-hand side of the cockpit. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 53
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8 sections cut from discarded kit parts…which goes to prove, never throw anything out! The brass parts were tacked onto the styrene with Kristal Klear and, once orientated correctly, secured with Superglue and accelerant. The components received ALC101 Aluminium, before they were assembled around the wheel and mudguard (the supports for the latter were drilled for greater realism) and set aside for later. With the fuselage halves mated, filler was applied to any gaps or steps along the seam; in places, engraved panel lines would need to be re-scribed. Small patches of masking tape covered the forward windows; these would remain until the airframe was primed, protecting the glazing. Here, two nacelle halves have been taped temporarily to aid sizing of the wheel well roof section, and visible ejector pin marks have been filled.
CANOPY CONUNDRUM Canadian-assembled B.VIIs featured flat, rather than bulged canopy side panels, but Airfix’s bomber/PR glazing lacked this provision. However, as the fighter-bomber item did have the required sections, they could be removed and fettled to fit the PR version. The first attempt resulted in a broken main canopy, due to overly exuberant test-fitting, but after a spare had been sourced, success was achieved. Deluxe Materials Glue ’n’ Glaze was used to attach the parts, although a slight drawback was its very slow curing time. Replicating internal framing has always been challenging, but editing this volume's Airfix’s 1/24 Mosquito build provided inspiration. The tubular structure was built from lengths of 0.5mm
wire, which were pre-painted Interior Grey Green, then shaped and attached with PVA. However, there was no short-cut to masking the canopy and nose ‘bubble’ in preparation for painting, and after a night’s patient trimming, cutting and burnishing of tape, the glazing was attached with Kristal Klear.
FEATHERED DAY SCHEME Two primers were utilised– Stynylrez SNR0201 White (for just the wing leading-edge strips and propeller tips) and Mr. Surfacer 1000 Gray. The lightest tone, Sky, was added first, and the rear airframe and spinners duly prepared. After a final polish with Micro-Mesh pads, ALCE011 RAF Sky Type S was airbrushed in several thin layers. This would be one of the few tones applied with the aim of achieving even coverage, as reference photos indicated little tonal variation. The wing leading edges then received white, and once dry, the fuselage band and these strips were masked while the rest of the model received grey primer. Colourcoats ACRN04 Medium Sea Grey (diluted in a 2:3 ratio with thinners) was airbrushed onto the underside, with the depth built gradually over two sessions. Application was deliberately uneven, and this was emphasised
THIS WAS AN ENJOYABLE, IF OCCASIONALLY CHALLENGING PROJECT 54 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8
Despite all the test-fitting, attaching the roof linen to the wheel well was tricky. Cabling has been added with lead wire, while the side ribs are styrene strip. The seams forward of the opening would require remedial work later in the build, due to filler shrinkage.
The next area of work was the engine nacelles. Helpfully, the Fündekals instruction sheet provided the panel changes necessary for a Canadian-built B.IV airframe. As with the cockpit alterations, red is to be removed, and blue is new detail.
COLOURCOATS’ RAF TONES
As modellers may be aware, the Colourcoats enamel paints collection was taken over by Sovereign Hobbies, after the 2014 demise of UK-based White Ensign Models. Since then, the existing range has been consolidated and expanded (including shades for aircraft)…these have now been packaged into themed collections. Here the RAF Day Fighter Scheme set was trialled; it comprised three 14ml tins, ACRN04 Medium Sea Grey, ACRN09 WWII Dark Green and ACRN07 Ocean Grey. The fine pigment meant it was quick to prepare…with stirring and shaking, the paint was touch dry in just over four hours. Re-coats were not attempted until after 12 hours, and one slight issue was that Blu Tack left a residue if the paint was not protected by gloss varnish first. airfixmodelworld.com
by lightened and darkened mixes, achieved by first adding white, then black to the base hue. A highly diluted solution of the original shade was then misted to reduce contrast. According to references, the upper and lower camouflage demarcation was hard-edged, so masking tape created a suitable boundary before ACRN06 Ocean Grey was applied, using the same process as the undersides. Unlike RAF aircraft, USAAF F-8’s had a thin 2in (50mm) feathered edge between the upper colours. Several feet of Blu Tack ‘worms’ were rolled and applied, then Ocean Grey areas were covered with tape and Humbrol’s Maskol (AC5217). To ensure a soft edge, the final hue, ACRN09 WW II Dark Green, was sprayed such that the airflow was directed over the masked section to the area requiring paint. After a night in a drying box, the masking was removed, and while the desired effect was achieved, the matt surface was marred by Blu Tack residue (this issue did not arise on gloss areas), so fresh mixes of Dark Green and Ocean Grey were airbrushed freehand at low pressure (12psi/0.8bar). The model was then left for two days, at which point ALC-600 Aqua Gloss was applied, sealing the underlying tones and providing a smooth surface. The final task prior to decaling was to mask and
Canadian-built early Mosquitos had flat side panels, but the kit’s bomber/PR canopy was supplied with just bulged items. Fortunately, Airfix also included the original fighterbomber glazing, which had the required sections.
After one broken main canopy…success! The drawback to this method was the rather thick sections of glazing at the top, which were difficult to align. The Interior Grey Green wire would be attached to the inside, to replicate interior framing.
No, this wasn’t an attempt to build a psychedelic Mossie! The ‘needle’ blades came from a Tamiya FB.VI, and were primed with white and coated with Maskol, before the spinner received its Sky colouration. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 55
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8
It may not look much, but masking of the canopy took an entire evening, and combined tape strips with Maskol and several sections cut with the aid of a scribing template. The interior colour has been applied prior to the rest of the airframe being primed with Mr. Surfacer 1000.
Airfix’s undercarriage was regarded as good when first released in 1977, and isn’t too bad when compared with a unit from a Tamiya kit. However, the lack of upper sections was notable. These were scratch-built from brass rod and scrap plastic, and attached with Superglue.
Modifications don’t have to be major. Here, the simple drilling of the lightening holes in the mudguard supports ensured extra realism, especially when combined with slight thinning of the items.
SEVERAL FEET OF BLU TACK ‘WORMS’ WERE ROLLED AND APPLIED
airbrush the wing leading edges, and propeller tips, with 154 Insignia Yellow before the rest of the latter were painted matt black.
SPIRITED SCHEME
It's a modeller’s affliction; paint one colour, then swathe it in masking before the next. Here, the undersurface Medium Sea Grey has been covered and the upper Ocean Grey masked, in preparation for the Dark Green. 56 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
After modern military subjects, with their myriad warning data, the Mosquito was a delight due to minimal stencilling and just basic identification and national markings. Microscale’s setting solutions aided the application of Fündekals’ markings, and the process was complete in just a single evening. The right-hand national insignia presented a slight challenge, as it had to conform to a cable conduit on the right-hand side, but it cracked when drying and airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO F-8
At the last moment, it was realised Airfix hadn’t supplied a crew access ladder. Therefore, a new item was crafted from various diameters of brass and nickel tubing, courtesy of Albion Alloys.
With decals, light oil wash weathering and final varnish applied, the moment of truth arrived…just how effective had the canopy masking been? As it turned out, paint had bled under the tape in several places, so these were re-painted with Dark Green enamel.
had to be re-touched with paint. With the decals sealed beneath another layer of Aqua Gloss, a check of the airframe revealed two seam lines on the nacelle undersides. After a momentary panic (the deadline was looming), these were filled with Green Stuff
Grey Green colour had bled slightly under the tape, and considerable repainting of the canopy frames was needed...undertaken with a fine brush and a steady hand. As final assembly commenced, it was realised there was no crew access ladder, so after unsuccessful attempts to reproduce it in styrene, Albion Alloys’ nickel and brass tubing came to the rescue. Tacked initially with PVA, components were then secured with Superglue, before receiving Interior Grey Green. Subsequently all remaining sub-assemblies (antenna mast, undercarriage and doors, ladder and propellers) were attached to
to simulate oil smears. The airframe then received matt varnish, and it was time for the moment of truth…removal of the last pieces of masking. Unfortunately, the initial Interior
REFERENCES Mosquito in Action Part 1, by Jerry Scutts (Squadron/Signal), ISBN: 978-0-89747-285-3 Mosquito Walk Around, by Ron MacKay (Squadron/ Signal), ISBN: 978-0-89747396-5
putty, sanded once dry and a diluted mix of Medium Sea Grey was applied to match the surrounding tones. After a day’s drying, it was time for weathering. This was kept to a minimum, as available reference photos revealed a relatively wellmaintained exterior, with minimal staining. A Burnt Umber oil wash was applied to highlight panel lines, with a diluted Burnt Umber/Lamp Black mix applied to the nacelle panels, before a white spiritmoistened cotton bud was drawn back in the direction of the airflow
Airframe & Miniature No.8: The de Havilland Mosquito Part 1: Bomber and PhotoReconnaissance, by Richard A Franks (Valiant Wings), ISBN: 978-0-99353-451-5
the model, with a length of Fine EZ Line replicating the single external wire aerial.
STYRENE DELIGHT It might not have the refinement of more modern offerings, but Airfix’s Mosquito is still a great kit, if occasionally troublesome here due to the scratch-building efforts… and when combining original and updated components. This was an enjoyable, if occasionally challenging project, and with all the leftover parts, has prompted thoughts of scratch-building lower wings, undercarriage and spinners for an FB.VI. Happy days!
Modellers Datafile 1: The de Havilland Mosquito by Richard A Franks (SAM Publications), ISBN: 978-0-95334-650-1 de Havilland Mosquito 1940 Onwards (all marks), by Jonathan Falconer and Brian Rivas (Haynes), ISBN: 978-0-85733-360-5 Aviation Guide 2: Mosquito FB.VI, by Dave Brown (SAM Publications), ISBN: 978-190695-908-1 Manual for radio equipment fitted to Canadian-built USAAF Mosquitos: www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk
Improvements to the access door comprised a mid-section bar, operating handle (near bottom) and emergency door release (just below left hinge). airfixmodelworld.com
Description and photographs of radios fitted to Canadianbuilt B.XX Mosquitos: www.jproc.ca
After all that time, just the propellers, undercarriage and doors, ladder, engine filters, access hatch and antenna mast were left to add. The latter has been pre-threaded with EZ Line, and a brass rod, which would fit into a hole in the upper fuselage. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 57
IN FOCUS DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT MUSEUM Crowning glory of the de Havilland Aircraft Museum’s collection is the original DH.98 prototype W4050.
HALLOWED GROUND
58 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
CHRIS CLIFFORD FINDS THAT IF YOU LOVE MOSQUITOS, AN AVIATION HISTORY GEM IN HERTFORDSHIRE AWAITS YOU
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nyone considering building a Mosquito should add a visit to the de Havilland Aircraft Museum to their calendar. Besides the opportunity to view real Mosquitos up close, it allows one to drink in the atmosphere; the collection, after all, is housed next to the moated manor house Salisbury Hall…de Havilland’s secret wartime bolthole set up in 1939. This new, safer location took the company Mosquito designers away from the main Hatfield factory, a prime target for enemy bombing of course. Fast-forward 78 years and one can enjoy seeing three full Mosquitos (FB.VI TA122, the original prototype W4050…itself an amalgam of two airframes, and B.35 TA634. As well as these, one can also inspect airfixmodelworld.com
IN FOCUS DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT MUSEUM
The main hangar is packed, not just with three whole Mosquitos, but also with ‘smaller’ exhibits such as the 4,000lb ‘Cookie’ bomb…a famous weapon employed by the type.
INFO The de Havilland Aircraft Museum Salisbury Hall, London Colney Hertforshire, AL2 1BU, UK Tel: 01727 824800 E-mail:
[email protected] www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk The museum is open from 10.30am to 5pm (last entry 4pm) on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays, from the first Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. Refreshments are available on site.
weaponry, such as the 4,000lb ‘Cookie’ bomb and ‘Molins’ gun, as fitted to the FB.XVIII ‘Tsetse’. And an extra dimension is that actual restoration work can be seen in real time, as highly skilled technicians are on site most days.
PROTECTIVE EXPANSION The museum doesn’t just have Mosquitos on display…it’s also home to many other varied de Havilland types, which are stored outside. This invariably exposes them to the elements
It’s fascinating to watch aircraft preservation in action, and the de Havilland Museum’s knowledgeable staff are keen to answer visitors’ questions.
and encourages corrosion and unwanted weathering. In a bid to protect more of its assets, the museum has been granted planning permission to build a new hangar. While a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £1.5m has been applied for, the ultimate cost of the hangar will be more than £2.2m, so a fundraising drive is in full swing. If you love de Havilland types, and want to help in their preservation, why not donate via the museum website? One can also become a Friend
of the museum for just £20 per year, and in doing so one receives quarterly copies of the DH Gazette, free membership to the collection and discounts on purchases over a certain amount from the DH Aeroshop. This has books, model kits, fine art prints and more. Benefiting from an easy-to-reach location, friendly staff and a wealth of aviation history to enjoy, the de Havilland Aircraft Museum is a treat for any Mosquito fan…or those with a wider interest in the company’s types.
Under restoration at the time of writing was FB.VI TA122; the museum’s skilled technicians ensure that everything on the aircraft is as accurate as possible.
airfixmodelworld.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 59
IN FOCUS FB.XVIII ‘TSETSE’
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s one of the most recognisable and successful British military aircraft of World War Two, the Mosquito was a versatile platform capable of adaptation into various roles. In addition to the many wellknown missions the Mosquito undertook for the RAF during the war, one that is much less celebrated is that of a heavy gunarmed attack aircraft. Designated Mosquito Mk.XVIII, this specific variant of the Mosquito was produced in small numbers, but was nonetheless a potentially lethal member of the ‘Mossie’ family. Employing the Mosquito as a heavily-armed attack platform was a concept examined by de Havilland comparatively early in
Prominently displaying so-called ‘Invasion Stripes’, Mosquito Mk.XVIII NT225/O of 248 Squadron shows the position of the Molins gun barrel and its associated fairing. This aircraft was shot down during a disastrous raid over Norway on December 7, 1944. (Hawker Siddeley Aviation)
MIGHTY MOLINS CARRYING A POWERFUL GUN, THE MK.XVIII WAS A HARD-HITTING BUT LITTLE-KNOWN VERSION OF THE MOSQUITO. MALCOLM V LOWE DESCRIBES ITS COASTAL COMMAND EMPLOYMENT
60 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITOairfixmodelworld.com
IN FOCUS FB.XVIII ‘TSETSE’ Seen from an angle not usually publicised, Mk.VI HJ732/G was used as the prototype for the Mk.XVIII Tsetse Mosquito. Much work was needed to make the Molins gun conversion perform successfully in the Mosquito airframe. (Key Collection)
the creation process of the type. From the time the prototype, W4050, first flew on November 25, 1940, it was clear the Mosquito had the power and versatility to allow development into specific roles. Initial operational versions were delegated to daytime light bomber and reconnaissance work, with the former task involving Mosquitos carrying bombs in a fuselage bomb bay. Further development led to the well-known fighterbomber versions, which introduced the hard-hitting fuselage nose armament of four .303in machine guns and four 20mm cannon. The concept of carrying a heavy weapon in the Mosquito’s fuselage, to give the type greater ‘punch’, led de Havilland to explore the possibility of fulfilling a need to provide greater firepower to combat the new, heavily armoured German tanks that started to appear in North Africa during 1942. At that time, many anti-armour operations had been flown by Hawker Hurricanes, this successful fighter design from the Battle of Britain era having been delegated to ground-attack duties as the war progressed. The modified Hurricane Mk.IID carried a 40mm cannon in a pod beneath each wing, but this 'scabbed' armament proved increasingly less effective against German armour, and was not particularly easy to aim effectively. Mounting a heavier weapon in the Mosquito’s fuselage, somewhere along the centreline, would give greater firepower, as well as being comparatively straightforward to aim due to its relatively central location. airfixmodelworld.com
AIRBORNE ARTILLERY The standard Royal Ordnance 6 Pounder (57mm) tank and anti-tank gun was the weapon chosen for installation in the Mosquito. This gun was introduced in late 1941 and was mounted in many types of British tanks, such as later marks of Crusader, Cromwell and Churchill, as well as being employed as a standalone anti-tank artillery weapon. It was manufactured by several Royal Ordnance factories and private engineering companies such as Vickers, official figures suggesting that well over 36,000 were produced during the war. Installing this weapon in an aircraft, however, proved to be
a difficult process, and required considerable re-design and modification. The gun could not possibly be loaded and reloaded in flight, and so an automatic system for reloading was designed by a team that included Desmond Molins. He successfully developed an automatic loading device (built by Molins of Peterborough, UK) for the 6 Pdr, which included five racks that held up to 23 rounds. Adaptations of this arrangement were used later by the Royal Navy for fast surface vessels, but the Molins conversion work also proved suitable for operation in the Mosquito following various ground trials. Forever after the 6 Pdr with these adaptations was
branded the ‘Molins gun’. A standard Mosquito FB.Mk.VI, serial number HJ732, was duly converted at de Havilland’s Hatfield factory as a flying prototype. This successful and powerful fighterbomber version of the Mosquito usually toted four .303in machine guns in the extreme nose, and a quartet of 20mm cannons in the lower forward fuselage. To fit the Molins gun, ammunition and its automatic shell feed into the Mosquito FB.VI, the 20mm cannons were removed and the resulting space filled almost entirely with the large gun assembly. The normal gun bay access doors beneath the cannons were modified, as the Molins weapon had to
The Molins gun assembly with its ammunition rack was large and weighed approximately 1,800lb (816.47kg). It is displayed here on a handling carriage alongside one of the Mk.XVIII Tsetse Mosquitos. (Hawker Siddeley Aviation) SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 61
IN FOCUS FB.XVIII ‘TSETSE’ The airframe that acted as the prototype for the Mk.XVIII Tsetse Mosquito conversions was Mk.VI HJ732/G, the ‘G’ prefix to its serial number signifying it had to be guarded, due to its secret trials and conversion work. (Key Collection)
be mounted slightly offset to starboard due to the arrangement of equipment and the automatic feed, and the ejection of used shell cases, so the right-hand door was made larger. These doors could be opened on the ground for access, but could not open for any reason when the aircraft was in flight. The Molins gun was one of the largest weapons fitted internally in a frontline World War Two aircraft. The substantial recoil of the gun was taken up in a range of ways. Struts, running from the gun assembly, were attached to various particularly strong points within the forward fuselage/wing centre section, including the underside of the crew compartment. Even so, early firing tests with the prototype HJ732 showed that various rivets and fasteners around the forward fuselage and engine nacelles were worked loose, or sheared when the gun was fired. The main recoil device for the gun was an oil-filled recoil buffer, attached to the gun assembly beneath the gun itself. This substantial piece of equipment was so large that it required a fairing to be added to the underside of the nose of the aircraft, positioned to starboard in line with the slightly-offset gun package. This blister extended back onto the enlarged starboard gun bay door at its front edge. The new mark of Mosquito to carry the Molins gun was officially designated Mk.XVIII, or FB.Mk.XVIII in its full official title. There was never an intention to manufacture the Mk.XVIII as a separate sub-type on the de Havilland production line, as all subsequent Mk.XVIII aircraft were planned
to be conversions from standard FB.VI or later Mosquitos. The usual battery of .303in machine guns in the extreme nose was retained in all the Mk.XVIII subsequently converted, but some aircraft carried just two instead of the normal four. Armour protection was provided for the two crew members,
radiators and engines, it being assumed that the Mk.XVIII would need to get in close to targets to disable them effectively. Two of the normal wing internal fuel tanks of the FB.VI were removed, resulting in the need for underwing fuel tanks to be carried as standard, as well as a new small fuel tank in the rear of the gun bay.
Due to the Molins gun, increased armour and airframe stiffening, the Mk.XVIII was considerably heavier than the FB.VI, and needed a more powerful version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to power it than standard Mosquitos. This was the Merlin 25, rated at 1,635 hp at 2,250ft (686m) with +18 lb/ sq in boost (R-R official figures). Due to its considerably greater ‘sting’ than the normal Mosquito, the Mk.XVIII was unofficially called ‘Tsetse’ after the rather dangerous biting flies of that name. Success with the prototype HJ732, tested at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, during June/July 1943 (plus live firing trials) led to limited contracts for the conversion of what became only a small number of Tsetse Mosquitos. The initial intention was to make a comparatively large number of these aircraft, but widespread introduction in the RAF of unguided 3in (7.62cm) rockets with 60lb (27.22kg) warheads rendered the Tsetse somewhat superfluous. Although a small number continued to be converted until late 1944, the decision to discontinue conversion work was made earlier in 1944, and just 17 serial numbers of completed Mk.XVIII Mosquitos have been positively identified so far.
HIGHS AND LOWS
An RAF groundcrew member beside a Mk.XVIII Tsetse holds one of the Molins gun’s large 6 Pdr shells. The image was released for official publication in November 1944. (Hawker Siddeley Aviation)
62 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
In frontline service, the intended role of the Tsetse also changed radically. It had been found in practice that 3in rockets were excellent and far better for antitank work than a flying artillery piece. The first three aircraft airfixmodelworld.com
IN FOCUS FB.XVIII ‘TSETSE’ and anti-ship strikes, German Kriegsmarine submarines (U-Boats) being the particular prize. However, the Tsetse needed to be escorted – a task which 248 Squadron provided at first with Beaufighters, but later with Mosquito FB.VIs when the squadron received these from late 1943 onwards. Operational reality, though, revealed the Tsetse was less than adequate for anti-submarine work. The slow-firing Molins gun was difficult to aim when many German gunners were firing back (surfaced U-Boats were always escorted by heavily armed ships near to their bases), and submarine hulls were difficult to penetrate…even with a 6 Pdr shell. Several submarines
to reach a frontline squadron were HX902-HX904, allocated to 618 Squadron in the autumn of 1943. This unit specialised in low-level operations, but for operational purposes its Tsetse were attached to 248 Squadron at RAF Predannack in Cornwall, and formed a Special Detachment within the unit. This was a Bristol Beaufighter-operating, Coastal Command squadron, tasked with anti-shipping and anti-submarine work in the Bay of Biscay and along the French coastline; the Tsetse thus became a Coastal Command weapon. Initial operations were flown in October-November 1943. In the months that followed the Tsetse, often operating in pairs, were tasked with anti-submarine airfixmodelworld.com
were, however, damaged by Tsetse strikes but just one was confirmed sunk. This was U-976 on March 25, 1944, off Saint-Nazaire by HX903/I and MM425/L of 618 Squadron’s Special Detachment. The Tsetse were not tasked with aerial combat but inevitably, dogfights ensued with defending German fighters. The Molins gun was useless for dogfighting as it had a low rate of fire and could not be aimed accurately in a turning fight, although it is believed that a Junkers Ju 88C-6 heavy fighter was hit by a 6 Pdr shell during an air battle on March 10, 1944. The true worth of the Tsetse proved to be against German surface vessels. Warships and merchant shipping presented
much larger targets than a partly submerged submarine, and 6 Pdr rounds were very effective even against heavily armoured flak ships. The Special Detachment of 618 Squadron had received two more Mk.XVIIIs in February 1944 (MM424-425), and during the same month a move was made to RAF Portreath, also in Cornwall. By then one of the Tsetse had been shot down, and returning from a patrol in June, two Tsetse collided near to their base… HX903 crashed with the loss of its crew. In May 1944, the Tsetse were transferred permanently from 618 Squadron to 248 Squadron (eventually as its ‘C’ Flight), and continued to operate with that unit when it moved from Cornwall
Front view of a Mk.XVIII Tsetse Mosquito, in this case fitted with just two .303in machine guns, showing the different nose layout compared to the standard FB.VI. The barrel of the Molins gun (and its prominent fairing in the lower forward fuselage) can be seen, offset to starboard. (Key Collection)
Late in World War Two, Tsetse Mosquito FB.XVIII PZ468 was allocated to 254 Squadron, with the fuselage codes QM-D. The colour of the fuselage code letters may have been dull red or black. (Key Collection) SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 63
IN FOCUS FB.XVIII ‘TSETSE’ Overall, although the Tsetse had achieved successes against German shipping (flak ships, U-Boat escorts and myriad smaller vessels), just one U-Boat was sunk during the Mk.XVIII’s career, and the ‘flying artillery piece’ concept had not really been proven. Unguided aerial rockets had turned out to be the real asset for Coastal Command’s strike aircraft, and the surviving operational Tsetse were eventually scrapped.
UNUSUAL ENDING The port side of much-photographed Tsetse Mosquito FB.XVIII PZ468 of 254 Squadron, which was coded QM-D. Note the prominent underwing long-range fuel tank, and the overall well-worn appearance of the aircraft. (Hawker Siddeley Aviation)
to Scotland during September 1944. Thereafter based at Banff as a part of the celebrated Banff Strike Wing, the squadron flew on anti-shipping operations across to Norway. Once more the Tsetse proved effective against German shipping, but this was a very challenging operational environment, with fierce German air opposition. Standard Mosquito FB.VI fighter-bombers acted as escorts for their Tsetse colleagues, but all strike aircraft involved (also including Beaufighters) needed to be escorted by real fighters, these sometimes being RAF or US-flown North American Mustangs. By the end of December 1944, several more Tsetse had joined the squadron (NT224-225, PZ251-252, PZ300-301, PZ346, and PZ468), but that was the limit of operational deliveries. During a raid over Norway on December 7, 1944, two Tsetse were shot down by German fighters. In mid-March, 1945 the remaining
Nose details of one of the Tsetse Mosquitos with four .303in machine guns, showing the end of the barrel of the Molins gun–which was mounted offset to starboard but parallel with the fuselage centreline in plan view. The Molins gun was one of the largest weapons carried by a warplane during World War Two. (Hawker Siddeley Aviation)
Tsetse were transferred to Coastal Command’s Beaufighter-operating 254 Squadron at RAF North Coates in Lincolnshire. A new role for these aircraft was attacking Biber midget submarines along
the Dutch and German coasts. Again, just moderate success was achieved from these sorties, although a Biber might have been sunk on April 12 with the help of other Allied aircraft.
There is an odd footnote to the Tsetse story. One of the Mk.XVIIIs, PZ467, was shipped to the US in April 1945. The US Navy was very interested in the role of the type as an anti-ship aircraft – the specific mission in which the RAF’s Tsetse had performed best – and used PZ467 for evaluation of the concept. The aircraft was operated from the US naval test facility at Patuxent River, Maryland and received the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics Serial Number (BuNo) 91106. Unfortunately, it was damaged in a hard landing, and with the end of the war these trials were no longer deemed necessary. Subsequently demilitarised, the aircraft was sold into civil ownership in 1946, civil registered NX66422, and passed through several owners. It was finally bought by Jean Doar during 1947, who named it ‘The Silver Streak’ and intended to fly it around the world in record time. Unfortunately, the aircraft was damaged extensively in a landing accident during early 1948 before the record attempt could be made, and was subsequently scrapped.
An early conversion to Mk.XVIII Molins gun standard was MM424. It was allocated to 618 Squadron’s Special Detachment in February 1944. The end of the Molins gun barrel beneath the nose can just be seen, as well as the crew entry hatch on the forward fuselage. (Hawker Siddeley Aviation)
64 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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SCALE DRAWINGS 1/48 FB.VI AND FB.VI (CF) COASTAL FIGHTER CONVERSION DETAILS Twin landing/taxi lighting installation in starboard wing leading edge believed to be a factory feature on Airspeed-built RSxxx-series FB.VIs (maybe others after repair or modification downtime?) Newly delivered aircraft would sometimes operate for a short while with factory-installed engine exhaust shrouds in place. These were usually removed by operational station servicing personnel.
Engine exhaust shrouds removed.
The four-rail set-up as used within the Banff Strike Wing prior to March 1945. From late October 1944 the heavier Mk.IB R/P rails were used. The changeover to the lighter Mk.III rails (illustrated) was initiated in early December.
Double-tier R/P rig plus 100 gal drop tank was typical of Banff Strike Wing Mosquitos after early March 1945.
Nose modified to mount Fairchild K24 strike camera (select aircraft in the Banff Strike Wing).
Factory standard nose with gun camera to port.
Small dome-shaped protrusions above the wing ‘spar cap’ mod strips are doped fabric-covered wooden fairings over the bolt heads that are part of the Coastal fighter conversion package. The bolts themselves go through the front and rear spar box structures and hold the R/P pylons in place. Many, or perhaps all aircraft modified to CF standard for service in the Banff Strike Wing, after early March 1945, have just the two outboard front and rear sets as shown here. This is in connection with the fact that only the outer pair of rails was used on the late-service long-range double-tier/100 gal drop tank configured aircraft at Banff. Aircraft converted to FB.VI (CF) configuration earlier than the beginning of March 1945, but still on ops at Banff after early March, retained the through-spar bolt sets corresponding to all four R/P rail stations on the wing (ie the early CF configuration), as shown in the full plan view. However, the inner pair was not used after the double tier/100 gal tank configuration became the norm. On the wing underside, after the two inboard sets of pylons were removed to accommodate the 100 gal drop tanks, streamlined wooden fairing covered the exposed bolt ends (see manual except illustration at left).
Small wooden fairings over ends of unused pylon bolts (plus another pair inboard of tank).
Bulged observer’s side window. Factory standard on Airspeedbuilt RSxxx-series FB.VIs. Appears to have been retrofitted to others at random.
Variations in fittings (apparently structural) underneath glazing panels as noted on some aircraft (not related to bulged side window instalation).
Aerial mounting plate and loading unit for Gee whip aerial on some aircraft. First seen on D-Day-era LRxxx-series Coastal Command FB.IVs and typical on a number of late-service RSxxx-series aircraft converted to the FB.VI(CF) standard.
De Havilland-production standard aerial mast removed or simply not installed at all. On some RSxxx-series aircraft, the Gee whip aerial is mounted to a modified circular hatch (forward) and the main wire aerial is affixed between the mast stub fitting and tail.
De Havilland-production standard aerial mast removed or simply not installed at all. On some aircraft (esp. PZxxx series) the Gee whip aerial is mounted in this location. Another variation features the longer 5ft (1.5m) whip aerial here and a shorter 3½ft (1.1m) on the port rear canopy mount.
SCALE DRAWINGS 1/48 FB.VI AND FB.VI (CF) COASTAL FIGHTER CONVERSION DETAILS Twin landing/taxi lighting installation in starboard wing leading edge believed to be a factory feature on Airspeed-built RSxxx-series FB.VIs (maybe others after repair or modification downtime?) Newly delivered aircraft would sometimes operate for a short while with factory-installed engine exhaust shrouds in place. These were usually removed by operational station servicing personnel.
Engine exhaust shrouds removed.
The four-rail set-up as used within the Banff Strike Wing prior to March 1945. From late October 1944 the heavier Mk.IB R/P rails were used. The changeover to the lighter Mk.III rails (illustrated) was initiated in early December.
Double-tier R/P rig plus 100 gal drop tank was typical of Banff Strike Wing Mosquitos after early March 1945.
Nose modified to mount Fairchild K24 strike camera (select aircraft in the Banff Strike Wing).
Factory standard nose with gun camera to port.
Small dome-shaped protrusions above the wing ‘spar cap’ mod strips are doped fabric-covered wooden fairings over the bolt heads that are part of the Coastal fighter conversion package. The bolts themselves go through the front and rear spar box structures and hold the R/P pylons in place. Many, or perhaps all aircraft modified to CF standard for service in the Banff Strike Wing, after early March 1945, have just the two outboard front and rear sets as shown here. This is in connection with the fact that only the outer pair of rails was used on the late-service long-range double-tier/100 gal drop tank configured aircraft at Banff. Aircraft converted to FB.VI (CF) configuration earlier than the beginning of March 1945, but still on ops at Banff after early March, retained the through-spar bolt sets corresponding to all four R/P rail stations on the wing (ie the early CF configuration), as shown in the full plan view. However, the inner pair was not used after the double tier/100 gal tank configuration became the norm. On the wing underside, after the two inboard sets of pylons were removed to accommodate the 100 gal drop tanks, streamlined wooden fairing covered the exposed bolt ends (see manual except illustration at left).
Small wooden fairings over ends of unused pylon bolts (plus another pair inboard of tank).
Bulged observer’s side window. Factory standard on Airspeedbuilt RSxxx-series FB.VIs. Appears to have been retrofitted to others at random.
Variations in fittings (apparently structural) underneath glazing panels as noted on some aircraft (not related to bulged side window instalation).
Aerial mounting plate and loading unit for Gee whip aerial on some aircraft. First seen on D-Day-era LRxxx-series Coastal Command FB.IVs and typical on a number of late-service RSxxx-series aircraft converted to the FB.VI(CF) standard.
De Havilland-production standard aerial mast removed or simply not installed at all. On some RSxxx-series aircraft, the Gee whip aerial is mounted to a modified circular hatch (forward) and the main wire aerial is affixed between the mast stub fitting and tail.
De Havilland-production standard aerial mast removed or simply not installed at all. On some aircraft (esp. PZxxx series) the Gee whip aerial is mounted in this location. Another variation features the longer 5ft (1.5m) whip aerial here and a shorter 3½ft (1.1m) on the port rear canopy mount.
SCALE DRAWINGS 1/48 FB.VI AND FB.VI (CF) COASTAL FIGHTER CONVERSION DETAILS Engine exhaust shrouds were often removed on operational FB.VI (CF)s.
Double-tier R/P rig on FB.VI (CF) from early March 1945.
Early FB.VI & F.II variation.
FB.VI (CF) typical R/P set-up December 1944 to late February 1945. Heavier Mk.IB rails used October/ November 1944 (note drop tank mounting ‘horn’ sometimes retained between the two inboard rails).
100 gal drop tank on FB.VI (CF) from early March 1945.
Twin landing/taxi lighting installation in starboard wing leading edge, believed to be a factory feature on Airspeed-built RSxxx-series FB.VIs (possibly others after repair or modification downtime)
Fairing for wing mounted Universal Carrier No.1 Mk.III. The ‘spar cap’ modification strip was widened in this area, possibly related to provisioning for later CF modification.
FB.VI wing converted to CF standard showing holes for R/P pylon mounting bolts fore and aft, and holes for electrical fittings between aft pairs of holes.
50 gal drop tank typical prior to early March 1945. Typical FB.VI wing stores station centreline.
Although the system was not installed,the ‘Monica’ tail warning aerial fairing was present on most (if not all) FB.VIs. Not present on F.IIs.
Radio altimeter aerial, both wings on all FB.VI (CF) and on pre-conversion FB.VIs in Coastal Command starting in early 1944.
Rear-facing mirror camera installed only rarely on Coastal Command FB.VI (pre-CF conversion) and FB.VI (CF) aircraft.
Original ‘spar cap’ modification constant width strip.
SCALE DRAWINGS 1/48 FB.VI AND FB.VI (CF) COASTAL FIGHTER CONVERSION DETAILS Engine exhaust shrouds were often removed on operational FB.VI (CF)s.
Double-tier R/P rig on FB.VI (CF) from early March 1945.
Early FB.VI & F.II variation.
FB.VI (CF) typical R/P set-up December 1944 to late February 1945. Heavier Mk.IB rails used October/ November 1944 (note drop tank mounting ‘horn’ sometimes retained between the two inboard rails).
100 gal drop tank on FB.VI (CF) from early March 1945.
Twin landing/taxi lighting installation in starboard wing leading edge, believed to be a factory feature on Airspeed-built RSxxx-series FB.VIs (possibly others after repair or modification downtime)
Fairing for wing mounted Universal Carrier No.1 Mk.III. The ‘spar cap’ modification strip was widened in this area, possibly related to provisioning for later CF modification.
FB.VI wing converted to CF standard showing holes for R/P pylon mounting bolts fore and aft, and holes for electrical fittings between aft pairs of holes.
50 gal drop tank typical prior to early March 1945. Typical FB.VI wing stores station centreline.
Although the system was not installed,the ‘Monica’ tail warning aerial fairing was present on most (if not all) FB.VIs. Not present on F.IIs.
Radio altimeter aerial, both wings on all FB.VI (CF) and on pre-conversion FB.VIs in Coastal Command starting in early 1944.
Rear-facing mirror camera installed only rarely on Coastal Command FB.VI (pre-CF conversion) and FB.VI (CF) aircraft.
Original ‘spar cap’ modification constant width strip.
SCALE DRAWINGS 1/72 FB.VI AND FB.VI (CF) Typical of pre- CF HPxxx & HRxxx series in service from 1943 through early 1945 Coastal Command service FB.VI in 1943-44 (pre-R/P). Note original wire main aerial w/mast, and under-fuselage trailing aerial fairlead retained. Gee aerial is mounted internally to rear fuselage wooden structure. Note smaller 50 gal drop tanks.
Typical of CF modified PZxxx series in service from late 1944. NTxxx-series aircraft may have been similar.
The initial FB.VI (CF) conversions of late 1944 used all four R/P stations on each wing and, until sometime in December 1944, these were equipped with the heavier Mk.IB rails. Even prior to conversion, PZxxx-series Mosquito FB.VIs in Coastal Command had a Gee whip aerial mounted either on the mounting point originally occupied by the Hatfield-design aerial mast, or on the circular hatch just ahead of this slightly to port. Typical of CF-modified RFxxx series in service after early March 1945. Typical FB.VI (CF) with later double-tier R/P conversion and 100 gal drop tanks. Gee aerial as per the series illustrated above.
Typical of CF-modified RSxxx series in service from March/April 1945. Many earlier LRxxx-series FB.VIs (both pre- and post-CF conversion) also featured this aerial configuration.
As per FB.VI (CF) RFxxx series above, but with Gee aerial mounted through the rear canopy, and main wire aerial strung from stub fitting on fuselage spine. Note lighting fixture in wing leading edge (stbd only). Trailing aerial fairlead not installed.
SCALE DRAWINGS 1/24 FB.VI AND FB.VI (CF) WEAPONS 500lb Bomb MC Mk.VI with No.28 tail, tail fuzed
Note fairing for wing-mounted Universal Carrier No.1 Mk.III. This carrier was also used in the bomb bay of the Mosquito FB.VI for bombs and depth charges. Tail fuzes of either a delay or air-burst variety were commonly used by anti-shipping aircraft in 1944-45 Depth Charge Mk.XI with D/C Tail Mk.IV Could be carried in the bomb bay with this tail fitted. Tested on wing hardpoints at Boscombe Down, but such carriage would have been at the expense of drop tanks.
Mine ‘A’ Mk.VIII with para-tail and nose spoiler Limited use through1944-45. One per wing hardpoint.
Rocket Projectile (R/P) Installations
Four Mk.IB rails per wing were used from late October through November 1944. The early type 25lb AP head is shown. Pylons are in the position for No.2 (2nd from wingtip) R/P station.
The Double-Tier R/P rig in use on Banff Strike Wing Mosquito FB.VI (CF) from early March 1945 required just two Mk.IIIA rails per wing to carry eight R/P rounds.
View from below the pylons of starboard R/P station Nos. 1 and 2 with the horizontal support bars extending inwards to the drop tank guard rail strutwork.
Outboard profile view showing the Mk.IIIA rail with guard rail and strutwork inboard. This shows only R/P station No.2 (the rail and pylons of station No.1 omitted for clarity. Above: A frontal view showing overall arrangement. Note through-wing attachment bolts and wooden caps on the wing upper surface. The entire assembly was perpendicular to the wing undersurface.
As above, but with guard rails and strutwork omitted for clarity and with a two-way weak-link adaptor installed on the niphan socket, at the rear of the Mk.IIIA rail.
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
CHRIS JONES ENLIVENS HASEGAWA’S MOSQUITO FB.XVIII WITH A HOST OF AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
I
f ever there was a league table of ‘outlandish historical weapons’, then the Mosquito FB.XVIII would surely rank in the upper echelons. A wooden aeroplane wielding a 6-pdr (57m) auto-loading cannon in the anti-shipping role would, by most stretches of the imagination, be considered a ridiculous proposition, but wartime ingenuity made it a reality. Employing its ambitious main armament and working alongside other maritime strike aircraft, this variant of the ‘wooden-wonder’ contributed to the destruction of at least ten U-Boats during World War Two. Although the heavy-calibre cannon
As with any resin cockpit, much time was spent thinning, trimming and test fitting. A heated scalpel was invaluable for removing the canopy from the runner, without damaging the fragile clear styrene. 68 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII ultimately lost out to the unguided rocket as the weapon of choice for such missions, and although just 18 aircraft (including the prototype) were produced, the FB.XVIII certainly secured a fascinating chapter in the story of the Royal Air Force. Mosquitos have a particularly special place in my heart, because my Great Aunt Irene worked on them at the de Havilland factory in Hatfield. A small personal connection perhaps, but a reminder nonetheless of the countless multitude
MODEL SPEC
The rudder pedals were tiny and consisted of five parts each! De Havilland Mosquito FB.Mk.XVIII ‘Anti-Ship Attacker’ By:
Hasegawa
Stock Code:
02024
Scale:
1/72
Price:
£39.99
Available from: www.amerang.co.uk
of people, from all walks of life, that worked in the factories, down the mines, on the farms and who crewed the ships that kept alive the Allied war effort.
TO MAKE A MOLINS MOSSIE... As one of the rarer versions of the Mosquito, the FB.XVIII or ‘Tsetse’ (named after a biting fly) is somewhat under-represented in the world of scale aircraft. For this project, Hasegawa’s kit was adorned with as many aftermarket accessories as possible, with the intention of producing an in-depth and hopefully interesting build. The kit itself featured wonderful surface detail, with fine, sharp recessed panel lines and subtle raised moulding where appropriate. Both the early narrow three-bladed propellers and later ‘paddle’ blade versions were included in the package, but the instructions called for the use of the earlier offerings. Checkerboard-tread mainwheels with the later solid hubs came as standard (some early style resin wheels were purchased and utilised mistakenly, until the error was noted), alongside the option for both shrouded and unshrouded exhausts. The plastic runners included a separate nose section for a standard Mosquito FB.VI (the version from which the FB.XVIII was derived), along with a resin replacement nose to model the Tsetse. It should be noted that the XVIII did carry four .303 Browning machine guns, but this was often reduced to just two, which were used as a sighting aid for the main gun. Here, however, Hasegawa’s resin nose included just two
The cockpit floor and radio shelf were attached to the bomb bay/wing spar assembly before painting commenced.
The wings were broken down in the following manner, but the dihedral seemed a little ‘off’ after assembly.
The front faces of the nacelles had to be trimmed to improve the fit and avoid ugly steps.
THE KIT ITSELF FEATURED WONDERFUL SURFACE DETAIL, WITH FINE, SHARP RECESSED PANEL LINES
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 69
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
Yahu’s aftermarket instrument panel was simply wonderful and a worthwhile addition to the build. Oil paint was streaked over the exposed floor panels to produce a wood grain effect.
A sharpened pencil helped to produce precise chipping effects in areas of wear and tear.
machine gun ports. Another pair of resin inserts took care of the difference in cannon ports and bomb bays between the FB.VI and FB.XVIII, while resin fuel tanks were also included. There was even a gorgeous turned brass 57mm gun barrel, along with bombs, the relevant wing pylons and rockets, both of which were used by the Tsetse in service. In theory, the inserts didn’t require surgery as they appeared to offer simple ‘drop-fit’ replacements for the standard Mosquito FB.VI kit plastic parts, but more on that later. Horrifyingly, the earlier 1/72 Hasegawa Mosquito B. IV included a multi-piece canopy but no such trauma was experienced here, just a single-piece main transparency. Sadly though, the kit cockpit was incredibly basic and the main gear legs were missing much of the detail present on the real items, so extra work was required. The basic cockpit was supplanted by a glorious Mosquito FB.VI resin ‘office’ (designed for the Tamiya kit) by Aires, along with a stunning coloured and pre-assembled photoetched metal instrument panel from Yahu Models. Eduard photoetched (PE) brass was utilised for the radiator faces and intake grilles, along with a pitot tube and
luxurious turned-brass .303 gun barrels by Master Model. Resin wheels were also sourced from True Details, but it emerged that they weren’t relevant for this build and didn’t get used. The particular Mosquito being modelled, PZ468, actually featured shrouded exhausts, but the author managed to somehow feature exposed exhaust stubs on this build. Thankfully, Quickboost exhaust stubs were present to ensure that it was, at least, a beautiful mistake!
Montex Masks were used to mask the canopy neatly, while Aviaeology stencils ensured further life and authenticity. These were arguably the best stencils the author has so far encountered, so they come with a hearty recommendation.
THE GLASSHOUSE AND THE SCALPEL... I tend to find any task involving transparencies or gloss varnish loathsome, and to be avoided at all costs, mainly because any problems will be painfully
The kit wheels were plugged with drilled plastic rod, in preparation to accept the brass rod axle towards the end of the build. 70 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
A SHARPENED PENCIL HELPED TO PRODUCE PRECISE CHIPPING EFFECTS IN AREAS OF WEAR AND TEAR obvious and horrible to amend. Sadly though, the creation of scale models tends to make such challenges necessary. The canopy runner attachment point seemed to be on part of a glass panel, rather than just the surrounding framing so extreme care during removal was required, plus a little artistic license with subsequent masking to hide the resulting scratches. After protecting the canopy with Tamiya tape, a scalpel blade was heated over a flame and used to slice through the runner like a hot knife through, well... plastic as it happened. Transparent styrene is very prone to stress marks, which manifest as frosty discolorations; these will blight any plastic unfortunate enough to bear witness to them and are often impossible to remove. After clean-up, the The detail incorporated into Aires’ resin castings was simply world class, which made painting much easier.
airfixmodelworld.com
canopy was treated to a dunk in original Johnson’s Klear (since reformulated as Future/Pledge). This meant the Klear was cured completely and the canopy was ready for appropriate masking when required.
MAXIMUM EFFORT Main construction commenced by attaching the nose sections to their main fuselage parts, before the halves were test-fitted and the glue was left to dry. Afterwards, the inside faces were thinned considerably, with the aid of multiple scalpel scrapes to assist cockpit fit. Since the Aires resin was not designed for use in this kit, it was clear that something of a fight was expected. After neatening the resin parts (always wet sand and clean any mess, as the dust isn’t good for one’s health), an initial trial suggested more
KIT DECAL OPTIONS • NT225/O, 248 Squadron RAF, June 1944 • PZ468/QM-D, 254 Squadron RAF, April 1945
AFTERMARKET STENCILS
A highly comprehensive set of Mosquito stencils was sourced from Aviaeology to replace the kit items. The sheet was of phenomenal quality and proved to be a thoroughly worthwhile addition to the model. The company has other Mosquito sheets with full sets of markings (see listings, p.96-98). www.aviaeology.com
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 71
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
The completed cockpit, ready for installation into the fuselage...this was certainly a busy-looking ‘office’!
The fuselage halves went together very well indeed, but plenty of tape was used just for good measure, to encourage a tight bond.
A PLETHORA OF AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES WAS USED FOR THE BUILD, TO MAKE THE PROCEEDINGS MORE INTERESTING...
effort was required, so the front wing spar was thinned and the roof at the front of the bomb bay was trimmed. The resin instrument panel coaming was also removed and re-attached, to make it fit into the fuselage in a more co-operative manner. Next, the floor, radio shelf and instrument panel sections were all fixed together with Superglue, and after much test-fitting, the cockpit sidewalls were attached where required. A few gaps were evident along the cockpit sill where the resin sidewalls met the kit plastic, so Milliput was called into play. However, the lower parts of the sidewalls were not glued to
the fuselage, since some degree of flexibility was required to ensure they would attach neatly to the cockpit floor, when the fuselage halves came together. After no small degree of hassle, the resin was in order and attention turned
Hasegawa included various resin parts and a metal gun barrel for the FB.XVIII conversion but, frustratingly, the nose and inserts were undersized. 72 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
to even more joyous activity, namely the tiny rudder pedals, which each comprised five minute pieces of PE. Despite this, all the effort was well worth it as the detail in the Aires cockpit was utterly world class. All components were then coated with Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green — thinned with 99.9% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) — before much care was utilised to paint all the detail. With the small scale and intricacy it requires, this took quite a while, but the high quality of the ‘canvas’ demanded maximum effort. The black areas were dry-brushed, before a Raw Umber filter was applied over the cockpit. The PE instrument panel (minor trimming was required to avoid snagging the gun sight) and pedals (slightly poor fit) were
finally applied, before multiple light coats of Xtracolor XDFF Flat Varnish were used to provide a uniformly matt coat. Reference photos showed Mosquito cockpit chipping tended to reveal dark brown wood underneath, so a suitable sharpened pencil was used to re-create this effect in places that would have been subject to wear and tear, such as edges and areas of high foot-fall.
MOSQUITOS, ASSEMBLE! With the internals completed, the fuselage halves were then mated – a glorious stage at which the kit started to look more like airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
The main gear legs had axle locating holes drilled, so the wheels could be attached easily at the end of the build. Ultimately though, the aftermarket wheels here weren't used.
Scratch-building and spares added much-needed detail to the main gear legs.
an aeroplane under construction, rather than a peculiar assortment of parts. The fit was excellent, which was a good start. However, the resin nose was too small, in fact, it was terribly undersized. Rather than turn the build into a laborious sanding challenge, the plastic FB.VI nose section was utilised and the outer ports for the .303 muzzles and the gun camera were filled with Milliput…a simple fix. Despite the excellent fit of the main halves, though, construction was by no means trouble-free. To begin with, there was a nasty step on the join between the front and rear parts of the engine nacelles, and the front faces had to be trimmed so the cowling areas came together
and sanded separately from the fuselage before being attached. With the airframe assembled, the canopy was masked, sprayed with cockpit green and then masked again (to protect from overspray)
in a more acceptable fashion. There was also a step along the mainwheel bay door hinge line, which needed levelling. Beyond this, the underside resin inserts were also too small. Milliput was used to fair these gaps, and since
it is workable with water, damp cotton buds were used for cleanup and to ensure neat, consistent joins. Thankfully, the wings went together well, but for ease of neatening they were assembled
FIGHTER-BOMBER SUPPLEMENTS A plethora of aftermarket accessories was used for the build, to make the proceedings more interesting... Aires, www.aires.cz • 7067 Mosquito FB Mk.VI & NF Mk.II Cockpit Set Quickboost, www.quickboost.net • QB72301 Mosquito Exhausts Eduard, www.eduard.com • DSS137 Mosquito Mk.VI ‘Zoom’ Set Master, www.master-model.pl • AM-72-091 Mosquito Mk.II/ Mk.VI Pitot Tube & Armament Set Yahu Models, www.yahumodels. siemianowice.com • YMA7260 Mosquito NF.11/ FB.VI Instrument Panel
Milliput helped fill the gaps on the underside. Once this had been done, Halfords Grey Plastic Primer was sprayed over the whole airframe for a consistent undercoat. airfixmodelworld.com
before Halfords Grey Plastic Primer was deployed straight from the can to produce a uniform undercoat. Annoyingly, the bomb bay insert join looked poor, so the piece was removed. Mating edges on the fuselage and the bomb bay were prepared, but over-zealous sanding made the bomb bay insert too narrow, so the gaps looked even worse. To neaten the joining edge on the fuselage, narrow pieces of plastic rod were attached to produce new, sharp edges, and Milliput was used alongside Humbrol Filler to cover the join seam. After sanding, Tamiya XF-54 Dark Sea Grey was airbrushed over the relevant areas to check the join. After more remedial work and priming, the bomb bay insert was at last in place, faired and looking neat. Milliput was used in some areas on the airframe, mainly
After covering the glazing and spraying the canopy frames, they were shielded from overspray by even more masking. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 73
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
After removing the bomb bay insert to improve the join, the edges were neatened and improved with plastic card and filler.
The basecoat then was mottled with dark and light shades of Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Grey 2, to provide a weathered effect.
to neaten seams but also to fill a few gaps. At this stage, it seemed prudent to remove the canopy to ensure that no mess from the bomb bay remedial work had got into the cockpit or stuck to the inside of the glazing. Mercifully, all was well, so the canopy was
reattached with white glue and resprayed where necessary. A peculiar thing about the Mosquito was that some of the canopy framing was actually internal, so the appropriate areas were masked to protect the ‘interior’
Mr. Color C363 Medium Sea Grey provided a uniform basecoat for the camouflage.
colours from the subsequent camouflage. As mentioned beforehand, the main gear legs were lacking in detail, since the fenders and cross-bracing were missing. The mudguards seemed too awkward to recreate, so their absence was conveniently forgotten, but the cross-bracing was replicated with a mix of spares box acquisitions and scratchbuilding. To facilitate this, the twopart legs were fixed together and the joins were sanded, before the process could begin. In addition, the axle locating holes were drilled through from the outside, so that an axle rod could be passed through to attach the wheels later in the build.
TO MASK A MOSQUITO Reference pictures showed a hard edge to the paint scheme on this aircraft, so much masking would be required, but first, a base coat had to be applied. For
this project, Mr. Color (lacquer) paints had been supplied by Albion Hobbies (www.albionhobbies.com), so the first task was to cover the
airframe in C363 Medium Sea Grey. The plan was to use Mr. Color Leveling Thinner, but the retarding agent in the formula meant the paint didn’t build in fine, misted layers but tended to pool and run. This product would probably be best suited for modellers working in warm climates or the heat of summer, and certainly not the temperate and sometimes damp United Kingdom! To that end, it was decided to utilise simple cellulose (lacquer) thinners, and the results were much more pleasing. The colour matches of the Mr. Color paints seemed spot on, but the fumes are toxic, so wear a firmly
REFERENCE PICTURES SHOWED A HARD EDGE TO THE PAINT SCHEME ON THIS AIRCRAFT, SO MUCH MASKING WOULD BE REQUIRED 74 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
Hard-edged colour demarcations were provided courtesy of ‘Tamiya Masking Tape for Curves’.
fitted mask, appropriate filters and work in a well-ventilated room. If possible, some kind of spray booth would not go amiss, and make sure to vacate the area for some time after spraying to let the air clear. After a base coat, XF-83 Medium Sea Grey was mixed with white, thinned with IPA to a sensible extent, and then mottled over the airframe. The idea is to thin the paint enough to leave smooth, feathered edges. If the edges appear speckled then the paint needs to be diluted further.
Sometimes, Tamiya colours can ‘chalk’, but this can be rectified either with fluid retarder, or by careful light overspray of the same colour. More Medium Sea Grey was then mixed with a hint of black and used to provide a darkened mottle. This technique is a useful way to provide an interesting finish to a model; the highlights and lowlights can suggest fading, staining, bleaching, muck, grime or even light reflecting on high points and falling into shadow in low points on uneven, rippled surfaces. In
The Dark Green was then mottled with lightened Tamiya XF-81 Dark Green. Further to this, a darkened mottle of Dark Green would follow. airfixmodelworld.com
With masking complete, Mr. Color 330 Dark Green was applied where needed.
essence, it is a one-size-fits-all way of giving a model an ‘in-service’ appearance. The base coat was protected by several light coats of Alclad ALC-600 Aqua Gloss, before being masked in preparation for the C361 Dark Green. Tamiya Masking Tape for Curves was sliced into thin strips, applied in an appropriate pattern and then burnished with a cocktail stick to ensure no paint leaked underneath. Tamiya Tape was then used to fill the gaps, along with a little Humbrol Maskol in awkward areas,
but it seemed that the Maskol reacted with the Aqua Gloss to some degree, causing yellowing, so in future this would be something to avoid. Once more, C361 Dark Green was applied, before being weathered in a similar manner as previously with Tamiya acrylics. Again, gloss varnish protected the coat, before the appropriate areas were masked and sprayed with C362 Ocean Grey. The wheel wells were also masked and sprayed Interior Green before the whole airframe was then treated to a
After more masking, the Ocean Grey areas on the nose and fuselage were sprayed. The airframe started to look handsome once the tape and Maskol were removed. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 75
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
SKILLS WORKSHOP
M A S K I N G O N AW K WA R D C U R V E S Obtaining neat lines on curved surfaces is challenging (especially on small and highly rounded parts such as 1/72 propeller spinners) but this method seems to work well. First, place a portion of Tamiya Tape on a flat, glossy ceramic tile and use a new scalpel blade with a metal ruler to slice very thin, long strips. These will be flexible enough to wrap around awkward shapes, although it can take several attempts to achieve a neat curve, so be patient! Next, use a cocktail stick and burnish the tape carefully to avoid paint bleeding underneath, but take care to not alter the shape of the mask at this stage. Finally, use extra pieces of tape or Humbrol Maskol to cover remaining areas to be masked.
full gloss coat. It can take several sessions to build a decent, glossy finish, but the effort is worth it to avoid decal silvering. Applying a few light to medium layers, leaving the model to dry in a sealed box and then coming back to it is better than blasting the surface with a single heavy coat which sags, runs and has to be sanded. The kit decals exhibited a matt finish in places, but generally worked very well. However, the stencils from Aviaeology were a revelation. Some stencil decals can seem very glaring and stand out far too much on a finished model, but these were simply perfect, with subtle, fine lettering and minimal carrier film. They were incredibly thin, so care was needed to avoid them folding, but the result was superb with no silvering whatsoever. After sealing the decals with more gloss, it was appropriate to consider the required weathering.
GRIME TIME
multiple, painstaking, thin misted coats over the whole airframe. These matt coats look fantastic, but they are damaged easily, hence the pre-emptive final assembly, to avoid minimal handling of the final model. The gun barrels, from both Hasegawa and Master were superb, particularly the latter’s .303s with their incredibly intricate cooling jacket detail. After a coat of NATO Black, they were treated to the application of AMMO MIG Gun Metal pigment. The black provided shadow for the recesses, while the pigment highlighted the outer jackets and looked marvellous. The same technique was used on the Eduard radiator faces, which also looked grand. Next, an incredibly thin mix of 1:1 Flat Black and Red Brown was used to provide a sense of accumulated grime along panel lines, and exhaust staining, and was also sprayed in areas where oil streaking would have occurred. It was also used to add extra dirt to the airframe in a more general sense with random mottles. This technique, pioneered by the inspirational Chris Wauchop, is an effective way of bringing a model to life and another cool way of creating an operational appearance. Reference photos revealed the Merlin oil discharge would run back from the engine, across the lower part of the main gear doors and then
Once gloss varnish had been applied, all decals were applied and sealed. Aviaeology’s stencils were particularly excellent.
A home-made oil wash was used over the Medium Sea Grey, while AMMO MIG Winter Streaking Grime (a dark green shade) was used over the Dark Green. After cleanup, as much final assembly took place as possible. It had become clear that the True Details wheels were the wrong version for the FB.XVIII, plus they had turned out to be too wide for the gear legs, so the kit wheels were pressed into service. Deepening of the tyre treads with a scriber took place before, during and after sanding to try and preserve some semblance of the moulded detail and, once painted, AMMO MIG A.MIG-3004 European Earth pigment was ideal to simulate accumulated mud and dust in the treads. Xtracolor matt varnish was then applied in
Araldite was applied to the ends of the axles to hold them in place, and then neatened with a damp cotton bud. Any gaps were filled with PVA white glue and painted silver.
A highly thinned mix of matt black/red brown wash was applied; this simulated airframe grime and staining.
76 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO FB.XVIII
AMMO MIG Gun Metal pigment brought the superb gun barrels to life.
AMMO MIG Gun Metal pigment was also applied to the radiator faces, which looked marvellous once fitted.
A COTTON BUD DIPPED LIGHTLY IN ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL WAS USED FOR THE OIL STREAKING
the resin cockpit and there were some awkward areas to tackle. In retrospect, the dihedral seems a bit ‘off’, as there appears to be a variation in the angle between the inboard and outboard sections of the wing parts. However, because of the way they are engineered, this was not an issue that could be resolved easily, short of replacing them entirely. Overall though, the look of the kit is pleasing and the surface detail top-notch. Additionally, it’s not every day that you get to make a Mosquito your Auntie might just have helped to build during World War Two! spray backwards. To this end, the aforementioned mucky mix was used to build grime in these areas, and then a cotton bud (very lightly coated in IPA) was dragged back to provide streaking. The picture I was able to find of this particular aeroplane showed the staining was more pronounced and indeed much blacker in reality, but I held back somewhat to avoid making the effect look too contrived. One of the final touches was to add a chalky element to the exhaust staining, so a very thin mix of Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey was used to supplement the exhaust staining. The wingtip light fairings were airfixmodelworld.com
built with white glue (Hasegawa did advise that the trailing edge fairings should have been filled as part of the construction, but this was overlooked), the guns were added and cordite staining was sprayed with super-thin XF-85 Rubber Black (less stark than Tamiya's Flat Black, and less greenhued than NATO Black) to draw the build to a close.
TO CONCLUDE... If an out-of-the-box build of a highquality 1/72nd Mosquito FB.XVIII is your aim, then this is the only option. As a project it took quite some time, partly because of
The exhaust stains were finished with a very thin chalky streak of Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey, to replicate the effects seen on the real aircraft. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 77
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO B.IV
GLASS-NOSED
MUD MOVER THE B.IV LIGHT BOMBER WAS IMPORTANT AMONG INITIAL OPERATIONAL VERSIONS OF THE MOSQUITO. MALCOLM V LOWE TELLS THIS EARLY SUCCESS STORY
I
t was during 1942 that the de Havilland Mosquito entered widespread squadron service with the RAF. This significant development
was only achieved following a difficult gestation process, in which the aircraft’s designer and manufacturer, de Havilland, pursued the whole programme
as a private venture in the face of considerable official indifference…and sometimes opposition. Planned originally as a company project but with
W4050 was the original Mosquito prototype, and served on many trials during the type's development. It approximated to the Mk.IV series and is seen here during engine development work, with a prominent prototype ‘P’ marking on its rear fuselage. (Key Collection) 78 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
official Specification P.13/36 for a new medium bomber as a reference, de Havilland drew on its experience with the excellent wood-construction DH.88 Comet – winner of the England to Australia air race in 1934. The company wanted to go beyond official requirements, though, and eventually designed an aerodynamically clean RollsRoyce Merlin-powered, two-seat, twin-engined monoplane bomber of wooden construction. It was intended to be fast enough to out-run enemy fighters without the need for defensive armament, such as heavy gun turrets and their crew members. The new design eventually gained the in-house designation DH.98. Due to its unconventional layout, the DH.98 did not gain official interest until after the start of World War Two, and only then due to several far-sighted and influential individuals lending support to the project. At last in March 1940, de Havilland received a contract for a prototype and 49 production examples, conforming
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IN FOCUS MOSQUITO B.IV
Two of 105 Squadron’s Mosquito B.IV Series IIs fly together in this classic image from late 1942. They were DZ353/ GB-E nearest to the camera, and DZ367/GB-J. (Key Collection)
to Specification B.1/40. Much of the design work took place in secret at an old country house a few miles from de Havilland’s main facilities at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, called Salisbury Hall. During the autumn of 1940 the work of building the prototype went ahead, the name ‘Mosquito’ being adopted. The new aircraft was constructed in a small hangar erected at Salisbury Hall, and was then transported to Hatfield for final assembly. It first flew on November 25, 1940, piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr. At first marked as E0234, it later wore the British military serial number W4050. Subsequent trials, both manufacturers’ and military, confirmed the excellent speed and handling qualities of the new aircraft; it was certainly much better than existing light bombers such as the Bristol Blenheim. Although initial production Mosquitos were intended to be light bombers, a change of official emphasis resulted in the adaptation of the type into a night fighter and reconnaissance airfixmodelworld.com
platform. This resulted in a re-design and the modification of initial production fuselages, for the installation of forward-firing machine guns and cannons rather than the transparent bomb-aimer’s frontage for the light bombers. In the event, two further prototype/ development aircraft were built to pioneer the additional tasks; W4051 for reconnaissance (first flight June 1941), and W4052 for night fighting. There were many similarities between the light bomber and reconnaissance models (both unarmed), with initial production aircraft having short engine nacelles; this was changed early in the manufacturing run to the familiar Mosquito production long nacelle shape, which extended beyond the wing trailing edge. The first reconnaissance aircraft were designated Mk.I (usually nowadays called PR.I), one of these flying the first real Mosquito sortie during September 1941. Due to the similarities between the two types, the reconnaissance and light bomber Mosquitos shared much commonality in the early years of Mosquito manufacture and service.
RELATED DEVELOPMENT The Mk.IV production series therefore included both B.IV light bombers, and PR.IV reconnaissance aircraft...the latter carrying cameras instead of bombs. Separate night fighter production airframes were designated NF.II. Due to the complicated early procurement that mixed-
Showing the classic lines of the production Mosquito, a B.IV Series II from 105 Squadron banks away for the camera. 105 Squadron was the light bomber Mosquito’s first operational unit, the aircraft shown here being DZ367/GB-J. (John Batchelor Collection)
up all three of these initial Mosquito models, the first Mk.IV light bomber examples were designated B.IV Series I (sometimes written Series i) while contemporary reconnaissance examples were designed PR.IV Series I (or Series i) prior to large-scale production commencing. The term ‘PR/ Bomber Conversion’ for some of the early light bombers was apparently used occasionally. They possibly numbered as few as nine examples. Less intertwined
but still closely related, were the main production batches that followed, of the B.IV Series II (or Series ii), and the similar PR.IV Series II (or Series ii). All Mk.IV Series II aircraft of either light bomber or reconnaissance configuration were delegated serial numbers in the ‘DK’ and ‘DZ’ ranges, starting with DK284 and ending with DZ652. The exact number finished as light bomber or reconnaissance models is open to considerable speculation, as the original company records
The initial operational unit for the light bomber Mosquitos was 105 Squadron, whose aircraft were muchphotographed. Among them was DZ353/GB-E. (John Batchelor Collection) SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 79
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO B.IV The Mosquito matured into a fast and very successful warplane. This B.IV Series II, DK338, was photographed prior to delivery in ‘clean’ finish, devoid of squadron markings. (John Batchelor Collection)
are either missing or incomplete. It is possible that B.IV Series II production included 269 examples (with sufficient of the rarer PR.IV Series II to make up 299 or 300), but many other similar totals have been quoted in recent times. Manufacture took place at Hatfield and at de Havilland’s major Chester facilities, and wellmanaged dispersed production brought many smaller companies' involvement in component and major airframe subassembly, especially those with woodworking experience. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin 21 inline engines of 1,280hp take-off power, the B.IV Series II had an excellent top speed of 380mph (612km/h) at 21,000ft (6,400m) with un-shrouded exhausts; or 366mph (589km/h) with prominent flame-damper exhaust covers fitted. The
offensive load was initially four 250lb (113kg) bombs in the fuselage bomb-bay, but four 500lb (227kg) bombs were later found to be possible without outwardly modifying the fuselage if their fins were decreased in size. With a wingspan of 54ft 2in (16.51m) and a maximum takeoff weight of some 22,380lb (10,151kg), the Mosquito B.IV Series II was considerably smaller than the four-engined heavy bombers of the RAF’s Bomber Command, which it would partner so successfully later. With its comparatively light structure and powerful Merlin engines, the light bomber Mosquito had a good power to weight ratio and this, combined with its clean lines, resulted in performance that made it revered by its two-man crews. Known to many affectionately as the
A posed but nonetheless excellent image of armourers preparing 105 Squadron Mosquitos for operations, apparently during an ‘open day’ for the Press. The aircraft in the background, with its propellers positioned immaculately, was B.IV Series II DZ360/GB-A. (Key Collection)
‘Mossie’ or ‘Wooden Wonder’, it also displayed excellent single-engine performance including the ability to climb with one engine feathered. All B.IV examples (light bomber and reconnaissance) featured a transparent nose, no defensive armament, and a ‘V’-shaped
Early Mosquito Mk.IV examples featured short engine nacelles which did not extend back from the wing’s trailing edge, as shown here by W4072, ostensibly a B.IV Series I, but flown initially as a ‘PR/Bomber Conversion’ aircraft that later served with 105 Squadron. (John Batchelor Collection) 80 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
windscreen structure rather than the flat night fighter type.
PRECISION ATTACKS The first B.IV delivered to an RAF operational unit was W4064 (a B.IV Series I) to 105 Squadron at RAF Swanton Morley during November 1941. This squadron took the B.IV into combat during May 1942, and flew a mix of Series I and considerably more Series II airframes; the unit was eventually based at RAF Marham in Norfolk. Then, 105 Squadron pioneered the type of low-level pinpoint precision daylight attacks that made the Mosquito famous. An early example was carried out on September 25, 1942, against the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo. It was followed by Operation ‘Oyster’, the successful low-level raid on the Philips radio and valve factory at Eindhoven, the Netherlands, later that year on December 6. This unit was joined by 139 Squadron, airfixmodelworld.com
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO B.IV
The cockpit interior of a light bomber Mosquito, showing the instrument panel and control column. Particularly evident is the cut-out to the lower right, which allowed the second crew member to access the nose for bomb-aiming. (Key Collection)
also later at RAF Marham, as the second Mosquito light bomber unit within 2 Group of Bomber Command during the summer of 1942. Next was 109 Squadron in late 1942, although this specialist unit was a trailblazer in the use of the ‘Oboe’ precision navigation aid and blind bombing system. Eventually, 105 Squadron also flew on many Oboe sorties from the summer of 1943, as a part of the Pathfinder Force within Bomber Command’s 8 Group. Together with 109 Squadron, its Mosquitos flew ahead of night raids and employed Oboe to precision-mark targets for main force heavy bombers. 139 Squadron also joined 8 Group for night operations during 1943. The most significant development during the operational life of the B.IV Series II was the re-working of several of these aircraft to carry a much larger single bomb. This was the cylindrical 4,000lb (1,814kg) high-capacity bomb, sometimes called a ‘Cookie’. To accommodate such a weapon the standard Mosquito needed modification within the bombbay and externally, the fitting of enlarged ‘bulged’ bomb-bay doors being necessary. The prototype conversion was B.IV Series II DZ594/G during 1943. A number airfixmodelworld.com
of B.IV Series II airframes were subsequently converted to this standard; they were sometimes called B.IV (modified); the exact total is open to considerable debate but at least 17 serial numbers have been definitely identified. The type was successful operationally, especially in employment by 692 Squadron of 8 Group’s Light Night Striking Force. A significant early task was during
the night of February 23-24 1944, against targets in Düsseldorf. A small number of B.IV Series II were converted for dropping the ‘Highball’ anti-shipping weapon for use by the specialist 618 Squadron; a B.IV Series II, DK290, was used initially as a trials aircraft for this conversion. With few suitable targets left in Europe, the unit moved to Australia during late 1944/early 1945 and
would have been fielded against Japanese shipping if the war in the Far East had continued into 1946. Other units that operated Mk.IV aircraft included 521 Squadron for meteorological observation duties; this unit’s Mosquitos flew Photo-recce and Meteorological Photography Aircraft (PAMPA) sorties, to assess the weather over target areas for Bomber Command’s ‘heavies’.
A 139 Squadron B.IV Series II displays the transparent nose common to all marks of the Mosquito light bomber series, as well as the type’s unique main undercarriage units and covered exhausts. (Malcolm V Lowe Collection) SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 81
IN FOCUS MOSQUITO B.IV April and May 1944. The aircraft was certainly not new and was rather war-weary, being a veteran of operations with 139 and 105 Squadrons. It appears from official Soviet documents seen by the author that the Russians were not overly impressed with the Mosquito, although thought had apparently been given to licenceproducing (or even unlicensed copying) the design in the Soviet Union. This ultimately did not happen, and no further Mosquitos were supplied for evaluation. DK296 made a belly-landing on its ninth test flight in the Soviet Union and was not repaired. A further Mk.IV that flew in ‘overseas’ markings was
Several Mosquito B.IV Series IIs of 139 Squadron (fuselage code XD), parked neatly for the camera. This was the second RAF squadron that flew the type operationally. (Malcolm V Lowe Collection)
CIVIL MACHINES A little-known role for a handful of specially converted Mosquitos was that of a fast courier aircraft, operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). This outfit flew different unarmed aircraft types during World War Two for transport and special (sometimes clandestine) flights and often, but not exclusively to, and from, neutral countries through enemy-controlled airspace. The Mosquito was ideal for this work, being fast and able to outrun intercepting fighters. One role for BOAC Mosquitos was the rapid and very hush-hush run from Scotland to Sweden on diplomatic business and, it is often said, to transport precious ball-bearings to Britain. The first BOAC Mosquito was PR.IV Series
II DZ411, marked as G-AGFV. The BOAC service eventually included ten Mosquitos, although G-AGFV was the only Mk.IV, the remainder being converted Mosquito FB.VIs (additional to some dual-control T.IIIs used for training). G-AGFV was delivered to BOAC during December 1942 and flew its first actual run from RAF Leuchars in Scotland to Stockholm in Sweden during early February 1943. It survived several trials and tribulations and was the fastest of BOAC’s fleet at that time. The aircraft was eventually returned to the RAF in early 1945.
RUSSIAN CONNECTION A single Mosquito B.IV Series II, DK296, was supplied for evaluation to the Soviet Union during the spring of 1944. Flown
The enlarged bomb-bay doors of a 4,000lb Cookie-carrying Mosquito on the prototype conversion, DZ594/G. The hatch with a circular window just ahead of the ‘bulged’ bombbay doors was for crew entry on light bomber Mosquitos. (Malcolm V Lowe Collection)
by a Soviet ferry crew from Errol, Scotland, and eventually arriving at Vnukovo, Moscow, in April that year, the Mosquito was subsequently assessed by LII, the Soviet aviation flight test and research establishment, during
DK310, which found its way to Switzerland. This aircraft was a PR.IV Series II, operated by the RAF’s 1 PRU (Photographic Reconnaissance Unit). On August 24, 1942, the Mosquito was on a long-range reconnaissance when
A 4,000lb Cookie is prepared for mounting within the bomb-bay of a nightcamouflaged Mosquito B.IV (modified), serial number DZ637, of 692 Squadron (fuselage code P3) at RAF Graveley. (Malcolm V Lowe Collection)
82 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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IN FOCUS MOSQUITO B.IV engine trouble forced its crew to enter neutral Swiss airspace and make an emergency landing at Bern-Belp airfield. The aircraft was eventually purchased by Switzerland and underwent military evaluation. It was later passed to Swissair, receiving the Swiss civil registration HB-IMO but was returned to the Swiss military before finally being retired during 1946.
BOAC operated several Mosquitos in the later stages of World War Two. The first was this converted PR.IV Series II G-AGFV (ex-DZ411), which flew operationally with the airline from early 1943. (British Aerospace)
FURTHER SUCCESS With so much development and growth potential, the Mosquito A single Mosquito B.IV Series II, DK296, was supplied to the Soviet Union. It is seen here prior to delivery. The aircraft had its original RAF insignia painted out and Soviet red stars with black borders applied, although it retained its British military serial number. (British Aerospace)
was produced in large numbers subsequent to the Mk.IV in different versions, and for wideranging roles, including fighterbomber, night fighter, and further dedicated unarmed light bombers – although the name ‘light’ had already become something of a misnomer with the adaptation of some Mk.IVs to carry the large Cookie. Numerically, the next light bomber Mosquito was the Mk.V, a development of the B.IV with a modified wing designed to carry an external fuel tank of 50 gal (2,27l lit), or a 500lb (227kg) bomb, one beneath each wing. This version was not seriesproduced, but the wing design was retained for the next major light bomber production version by de Havilland, the Mk.IX, which was a high-altitude development of the B.IV with more powerful, two-stage Merlin engines. Further development led to the significant B.XVI, with Merlin 72/73 or 76/77 engines, of 1,710hp each at 8,500ft airfixmodelworld.com
(2,591m), this version having cabin pressurisation for higher altitudes. Like the Mk.IX, the underwing loads previously mentioned could be carried additional to four 500lb bombs in the bomb bay. Many were, however, able to carry Cookie instead; the type had a range of some 1,470 miles (2,366km). The final version of these British-built Mosquito light
bombers was the B.35. Developed from the Mk.XVI, with Merlin 113/114 (or 113A/114A) engines, this pressurised light bomber was mainly used post-war. Additionally, production of light bomber Mosquitos was also undertaken by de Havilland’s Canadian subsidiary at Downsview, Ontario. The first was the Mk.VII, based on the Mk.IV, and was followed by
the Mk.XX and the Mk.25 (both often had the ‘B’ prefix added to their designations); the latter was powered by US-built Packard Merlin 225 engines. Overall Mosquito production is usually quoted as being 7,781 examples of all marks and roles, although some historians have questioned the validity of this total. Production ended during 1950.
Switzerland ‘obtained’ this Mosquito PR.IV Series II, DK310, due to engine problems while flying with the RAF’s 1 PRU. It was allocated the Swiss civil registration HB-IMO during part of its time in Switzerland. (John Batchelor Collection) SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 83
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
COOKIE
MONSTER GARRY TOBISS KEEPS CALM AND CARRIES ON WITH A MASS OF AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS, TO ENRICH HONG KONG MODELS’ 1/32 MOSQUITO
Eduard’s fabric seatbelts were deemed far superior to the PE versions supplied in the kit.
World War Two. Its tale of a plucky British industry creating an exceptional aircraft, mainly from wood, was a propaganda dream. Ronald Eric Bishop, chief designer at de Havilland and based at Salisbury Hall north of London, designed the Mosquito to be streamlined and fast. This was in an age when the Air Ministry was far more inclined to adopt a proposal bristling with defensive guns but the performance of the Mosquito prototypes was astonishing. In February 1941, a Mosquito flew 23mph (37km/h) faster than a Spitfire…so the type was ordered into production. There is a wonderful story recounted in the Haynes manual (see panel) about why the Mosquito fuselage profile resembles a fish. Apparently, Bishop was seated on the toilet
84 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
at Salisbury Hall, contemplating the design of the new aircraft, and he looked at a fine specimen of a stuffed pike located in the same room. None other than Winston Churchill had caught this fish in the Salisbury Hall moat, at some point before World War One. Bishop sketched the lines of the pike on an envelope he found in his pocket and this became the basis for the Mosquito design – genius! Luftwaffe Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring was apparently furious at the Mosquito and was quoted as being “green and yellow with envy” and “they (the British) have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops”. The Mosquito undertook many roles including reconnaissance, precision groundattack, anti-shipping, bomber and pathfinder. Hong Kong (HK) Model’s offering represents the Mk.IV (Series II) bomber variant,
armed with either four 500lb (227kg) bombs or a hefty 4,000lb (1,818 kg) ‘cookie’.
SUPERB ENGINEERING The kit was supplied on 21 runners, plus wing and fuselage sections moulded in light grey styrene. Four runners of clear parts, a
MODEL SPEC
D
e Havilland’s Mosquito achieved fame as one of the most versatile and charismatic aircraft of
de Havilland Mosquito B Mk.IV Series II By:
HK Models
Stock Code:
01E015
Scale:
1/32
Price:
£149.99
Available from: www.pocketbond.co.uk
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
DECAL OPTIONS Mosquito markings for UK-based aircraft were provided on the Cartograf decal sheet (plus an intriguing Soviet-marked airframe), along with basic airframe stencils: HK Models included a small fret for PE seatbelts and radiator intake covers, although neither was used during this build.
small photo-etched (PE) metal fret, decal sheet, black and white instruction book and a painting guide completed the package. Moulding detail was incredibly good although many parts suffered from ejector pin marks. When compared to illustrations in Haynes’ Mosquito Owners’
• DK296, 305 Ferry Training Unit, RAF Errol, autumn 1943 • DZ637/P3-C, 692 Squadron, RAF Graveley, spring 1944 • DZ637/AZ-X, 627 Squadron, RAF Woodhall Spa, summer 1944
Manual (see panel), it showed HK Models had paid considerable attention to how the real aircraft was assembled. The kit had separate wingtips, a large singlepiece wing, plus the attachment of the fuselage as a complete unit, echoing the assembly of the full-size item. The latter was
The kit’s styrene components for the cockpit would build into a faithful and detailed replica straight from the box, but for this build they were augmented by aftermarket products.
Profimodeller's PE catered for the bomb and bay, but much was unused as it was for a standard airframe with flush doors.
Profimodeller’s cockpit set for the Mosquito Mk.IV (P32243) was extensive, with PE items embellishing the instrument panel, rudder pedals and armour plating with a myriad of extra parts. Two beautifully cast resin figures, depicting a pilot and navigator/radio operator were provided with the initial release of HK Model’s Mosquito Mk.IV. Included in the cockpit update set was a series of ‘Urethan’ (resin) components for seat cushions, oxygen bottles and the instrument backs, while there were decals for the dial faces… although the latter were replaced with items from Airscale.
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SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 85
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
AFTERMARKET EXTRAS Fortunately, this builder was supplied with a variety of products to embellish the kit offerings, including stencils from Profimodeller (P32244) and a selection of decals (AS32 RAF) and placards (AS32PLA) from Airscale, which added interest to the cockpit and bomb bay.
The instructions for the PE were generally quite good, although one or two parts appeared to be labelled incorrectly. Adding such a large quantity of PE took a great deal of time and patience, but the results were most impressive, and any defects on the kit parts were covered as a result. Detail out of the box was very good and a standard build would have been quite acceptable, but the raft of PE certainly improved the finished model.
modified extensively with PE. Reference photos were consulted, allowing the main radio to be painted in detail, and lead wire was added (as it was visible through the canopy). Similarly, the instrument panel was well documented, and time was spent bringing it to life. The kit supplied most decals for the instruments but these were supplemented or replaced with Airscale products (www.airscale.co.uk).
GETTING COMFORTABLE
supplied as two ‘tubes’, while the real Mosquito was built similarly, with laminated wooden fuselage halves joined vertically. Work began by dipping all clear parts in Johnson’s/Future Klear polish, both to protect from scratches and adding extra shine.
The main build process started with the cockpit; this would have been quite straightforward, but adding Profimodeller’s PE upgrade set (P32243) meant cutting and preparing approximately 180 separate parts as well as 17 black resin pieces.
Each seat cushion moulded on the kit parts was designed to be replaced by Profimodeller’s resin parts. It meant that quite large areas of styrene had to be removed carefully…this was done for the pilot’s seat, but the results were deemed just a marginal improvement, so the observer’s seat was left unmodified. One or two areas, such as the bulkhead behind the observer, were
After what seemed a very long time, the cockpit interior was finally ready for painting. Most parts were primed with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Gray straight from the can, although an airbrush was used on the fuselage tube due to its awkward shape. AMMO MIG’s WWII British Cockpits set (A.MIG 7432) then came into its own, as
The extent of the additions to the styrene have become apparent, with the basic parts (left) and then the assembled and enhanced sub-unit (right)…subsequently, radio cables were replicated with lead wire. 86 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV achieve with PE equivalents. All cockpit parts were then assembled to create a module, which slotted into the rear of the front fuselage. When it was test-fitted, though, it jammed… and parts were dislodged when even the gentlest pressure to remove it was applied. However, slight trimming resulted in a better seating and everything came together without further problems. The tailwheel, horizontal stabiliser and elevators were
it supplied an interior green tone, an enamel wash and European Earth pigment. Any colour is a matter of preference, but the green appeared slightly blue-grey compared to other offerings… however, the wash not only highlighted details but modified the overall hue to match that seen in reference photos. Airscale’s cockpit placards added a final flourish of interest to the interior.
STRAP IN Next came Eduard’s fabric seatbelt set (32839); each strap was separated from the backing sheet and then threaded
through PE components while they were still on the fret. This wise advice (obtained from the Internet) meant the process was far less fiddly than it could have been. Even so, it took a couple of hours to prepare and then fix everything to the seats. Curiously, the instructions did not include all the fabric parts and some of the metal items weren’t present on the fret. Peering at photos of the Sutton harness helped resolve this problem, and a small amount of scratch-building made up for the missing pieces. The fabric was very malleable and led to a result that would have been difficult to
I N N O VAT I V E E N G I N E E R I N G
A one-piece wing for a Mosquito kit is nothing new – Airfix even used this for its huge 1/24 scale offering. HK’s approach was unusual, as almost the entire wing upper and lower surfaces were supplied as a single unit, as was the horizontal stabiliser.
The forward fuselage was also included as one component, rather than the usual halves, which meant there was no join to deal with. However, it did make painting challenging, because the only way to access the innards via airbrush was to spray through every available opening. While at first glance it appears the cockpit sidewalls were covered in ejector pin marks, these were representations of reinforcing discs fitted to the real aircraft. Each would receive its fair share of PE parts.
Similarly, the entire rear fuselage was provided as a tube, and again this eliminated any seams. All the engineering meant time saved during this part of t he build was used to concentrate on other areas, such as the cockpit and its mass of PE.
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
The partial bulkhead was almost unrecognisable after it had been detailed, with moulded features replaced by a combination of resin and PE items.
Fortunately, one of the PE components for the bomb bay covered a poorly fitting inset on the roof section, although the ejector pin marks still needed attention.
AMMO MIG’s WWII British Cockpits set was ideal for the interior surfaces, providing a base colour, wash and pigment to highlight structures and equipment. Airscale decals replaced/supplemented the kit offerings and transformed the instrument panel. Klear was added to the front of each dial to simulate glass.
Adding the cockpit module to the fuselage involved sliding the unit into the rear of the nose section.
The cockpit looked busy, with Eduard’s fabric seatbelts being prominent; the round window above the observer’s seat was drilled and scrap clear styrene attached.
next, with the wheel assembly painted prior to installation, and the unit was snapped into place in the rear fuselage. Be warned…the tolerances were very tight, which meant the trial fit became the main event. A slight modification was made to the tail fin, as the styrene pitot
tube was removed, and then a hole was drilled for Profimodeller’s turned-metal replacement. The instructions then directed that the fuselage sections be joined in preparation for adding to the wing - as used during the assembly of the real aircraft. Test-fitting the parts against the wing showed
that this would have been very tricky, so the front section was attached first, followed by the bomb bay sides, with rear section utilised as an alignment aid. Once set, the rear fuselage was added… this was quite a deviation from the instructions, but still gave a decent result.
WHEELS DOWN It was unusual to assemble the undercarriage so early in a build, but this was dictated by the kit’s engineering. The detail was excellent and comparisons to photos showed the result was a faithful representation of this sturdy structure, but the
BE WARNED...THE TOLERANCES WERE VERY TIGHT 88 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
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MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
SKILLS WORKSHOP D E A L I N G W I T H P E PA R T S With all the PE additions during this build, it’s worth mentioning several hints and tips to get the most out of this material. The correct tools are crucial, and parts can be removed from the fret with either specialist scissors or a sharp knife. Cutting onto a hard surface blunts a blade quickly, and it’s beneficial to have a small whetstone to hand. When parts are neatened, this can generate tiny metal shards, and it’s best to wipe the work area regularly (to avoid getting them stuck in fingers); moistened kitchen towel is ideal. Running water over the hands also removes pieces that are difficult to see. Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue can attach PE components, but gel versions provide more time to align parts before it cures. Note it’s always worth checking against the kit assembly stages to ensure the PE additions don’t affect the fit.
Other tools include (from left to right) bending pliers, tweezers, small files, a scalpel for separating parts where scissors cannot access, and a toothpick tipped with Blu or White Tack to pick up and place small parts.
Obtaining proper tools is vital, such as scissors for cutting parts from the fret and smooth needle-nosed pliers for gripping them, especially when filing. These Xuron examples (www.xuron.com) have been indispensable to this modeller.
Achieving very accurate bends is made easier with a ‘hold and fold’ device such as the ‘Bug’ from The Small Shop (www. thesmallshop.com). The PE part is secured under the press and then bent gently with the blade. Small pieces of the attachment gate usually remain after a part has been separated from the fret, and these can be either trimmed with scissors or, as shown here, filed. The component must be held firmly otherwise it will deform.
When removing components with a blade, a smooth, hard surface is required (a ceramic tile or specialist toughened glass cutting mat is ideal); parts will deform if a standard cutting mat is used.
assembly sequence would have made it very difficult to leave the undercarriage off until the end. All parts (including wheels), had to be painted prior to assembly; metallic tones were replicated with Mr. Metal Color 213 Stainless, and the tyres received Lifecolor UA-733 Tyre Black. The rubber-toned areas were treated with AMMO MIG’s European Earth pigment (from the cockpit set) to highlight the tread and weather the surface. Each wheel and strut sub-unit was designed to be added to the airfixmodelworld.com
engine nacelle, so the relevant parts were separated, tidied (various annoying ejector pin marks had to be removed) and painted Interior Green. When a wash was applied to the nacelle interiors, a question was raised: should there be rivets on the external skin? Out came Airfix’s 1/24 offering, but this also lacked this feature. Eventually Haynes’ reference book settled the matter, with a photo of an airframe under restoration showing the mystery fasteners, and the missing items were duly added with an RB Productions (www.radubstore.
com) Rivet-R riveting tool. Each nacelle was then assembled and prepared for the Merlin engines. Two easy-to-assemble units were supplied, and as it was decided close the cowlings, the out-of-box detail was more than sufficient… but a few pieces of lead wire were then added; after all, scratchbuilding is fun! The powerplants were painted H-125 Cowling Black, with features picked out in silver (the Haynes’ manual again served as a guide), before they were added to the firewall. This was somewhat tricky, as the engine bearers
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 89
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV supplied, it was easier to use a prominent straight piece of raised detail on the wing as a guide. Masking tape was cut to the width of the offset from the raised detail and then one half of the drop tank was aligned with the edge. This meant the holes were in the correct position for the drop tank to sit snuggly against the wing leading
edge. At this point, the instructions called for the nacelles to be added, but the risk of damage to the undercarriage (when joining the fuselage to the wing), was considered too great, so they were left off; this proved to be a wise decision. While the assembly dried, the canopy was embellished with PE on the frame, before the latter was sprayed Interior Green. Three of the five separate clear parts were then
glued to the frame with Zap/Pacer’s Canopy Glue. A tiny signal gun added a finishing touch, and this was attached to the top of the canopy and the complete unit was married to the fuselage.
TO BULGE OR NOT TO BULGE HK Models provided two options for the bomb bay; four 500lb bombs on racks in a standard bay or one
4000lb ‘cookie’. Either option was designed to be displayed in an open bay, but closed doors were possible with a small amount of modification. The bulged bay was chosen for this build. Profimodeller’s Mosquito Bomb Bay set (32242) was supplied to embellish the interior, so another mass of PE parts was separated, cleaned and attached. Many (unused) parts were associated with the smaller bombs, their associated racks and the bay doors. Reference photos were vital as several components, such as replacement latches on the fuel tanks, were over-scale, and lengths of lead wire were added as replacements. Once dry, the main bomb bay was slid into the wing. As mentioned
had to align with other parts of the sub-assembly. Slow and careful were the watchwords, but there was no drama. Constructing the wing was a simple process, even with the separate flaps and ailerons. The huge parts felt in danger of deforming, but were stiffened by the addition of components to the trailing edge. Optional drop tanks were used, which meant drilling four location holes in the underside of the wing, and while precise measurements were
The small life-raft bay behind the cockpit was formed from Profimodeller’s detail set, and although the raft itself was a bright orange, this was all invisible by the end of the build… but we know it’s there! 90 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
HAYNES’ MOSSIE MANUAL This is a brilliant tome covering the genesis of the Mosquito, its manufacture, a brief war history, post-war duties, the ‘anatomy’ of the aircraft, a pilot’s view, plus anecdotes on maintaining and restoring full-size machines. The sections on building and restoration were particularly useful during construction, because of the many photos of aircraft under construction, plus close-up shots and diagrams of equipment.
previously, the fuselage assembly sequence was altered. A test-fit of the nose revealed the bay protruded slightly, so needed to be trimmed with a sharp knife. A further problem was found with the rear fuselage, because part of the wing prevented an accurate join. Minor surgery on an area that would be hidden was carried
De Havilland Mosquito Owners Workshop Manual, by Jonathan Falconer and Brian Rivas (Haynes), ISBN: 978-0-85733-360-5 www.haynes.co.uk
As with the wings, the main section of the horizontal stabiliser was a single-piece item, to which the elevators and associated pivot edges were fitted.
out, and finally the fuselage was married to the wing. Similarly, there were fit issues with the two nacelles, as small tabs on either side of each (designed to clip into the wings) had to be shaved carefully. Prior to this, there was insufficient space for them, even when the wings were flexed gently. Adding the nacelles to the wing revealed a large gap that was visible after the radiators had been test-fitted; this was duly filled with scrap plastic. Further problems surfaced when the engine covers were added, with more filling, filing and sanding required to fair everything in.
TIME FOR PAINT An abundance of masking was necessary to protect the undercarriage during painting. Eduard’s Mosquito Mk.IV mask set (JX182) was used on the clear parts – a worthwhile investment because several areas were quite tricky – and everything was finally ready for painting. A coat of Mr. Hobby SF-289 Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray primer was applied from the can, and the model was then checked for any defects that needed correcting. A nasty fit issue was highlighted where the windshield abutted the rest of the canopy…no
The tailwheel assembly was designed to fit onto the stabiliser ‘spar’ prior to being fitted in the fuselage.
Profimodeller packed plenty of detail into each engine nacelle/main undercarriage housing, with the internal rib detail used as a guide to adding missing rivet marks on the exterior.
Each main undercarriage unit comprised more than 25 parts to capture the look of these complex mechanisms accurately. Note the weighted tyre and two styles of wheel hub – the plain type was used for this build. airfixmodelworld.com
HK Models included two full Merlin engines and although each was effectively a minikit with 20-plus parts, just the exhaust pipes would be visible once the nacelles were completed, as the cowlings would be fitted in the closed position. SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 91
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
ADDING THE AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES CERTAINLY AUGMENTED THE LEVEL OF DETAIL
amount of trying to make the photos suggest there really was a height difference worked. The windshield was carefully eased off and the join area on the fuselage pared back to improve the fit. Once done, a black pre-shade was airbrushed along all panel lines. The 627 Squadron scheme was chosen, with Mr. Color’s WWII Royal Air Force Standard Color Set for Aircraft Middle-Late Period (CS684) used; this was kindly provided by Albion Hobbies (www. albionhobbies.com). This superb package comprised C361 Dark Green, C362 Ocean Gray and
C363 Medium Sea Gray. Each was thinned in equal measure with Mr. Color’s Leveling Thinner and applied via airbrush. These are lacquer paints, so a respirator and safety glasses are recommended for health and safety reasons. First, the undersides were coated with C363, which was then masked. The upper surfaces then received C362, but with an attempt to vary the coverage density to simulate wear and tear. RAF aircraft were apparently painted with large templates made from rubber mats to give a hard-edged boundary between
Even at this late stage of the build, one was impressed by the parts breakdown. Separate elements twere provided to complete the underside of the wing, including the bottom of the engine nacelles, drop tanks and radiator assemblies. 92 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
colours. For the build, shapes were cut from masking tape with Crafty Products’ ‘Gyro-cut’ hobby tool (www.craftyproducts.
co.uk). The pre-shade was then re-instated over the exposed areas and C361 was airbrushed to complete the basic scheme.
While the styrene components were perfectly adequate for the bomb bay, Profimodeller’s accessories added a final touch of class to the doors, roof/fuel tanks and even the 4,000lb ‘Cookie’ bomb. airfixmodelworld.com
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV A view of the large gap between the nacelle and the wing, which was filled with an offcut from the bottom of a surplus radio once the cockpit PE had been applied.
Next came the challenge of the identification stripes. A rubber band was positioned carefully on the fuselage at the tailplane end, with the latter’s leading edges acting as a reference. Flexible masking tape was then placed on the model, but now the rubber band acted as the guide. This became the baseline for the elastic band, and a second length of tape was added to define the entire area of the stripes,
which was painted white. The process was repeated, but with the initial start line
moved to the edge of where each black stripe would be, and masking tape applied as before. A small wooden stirring stick was marked with the correct spacing, which ensured the colour widths remained consistent. This was necessary as the tapered fuselage prevented the use of set-width tape – a trick that works with stripes on flatter surfaces, such as wings. Mr. Color 125 Cowling Color was then applied to the exposed areas to create the black lines. The entire airframe was then rubbed down gently with 6,000-grade Micro-Mesh cloths and brush-coated with Johnson’s Klear, followed by further polishing with fine-grade cloths to ensure the airframe surface was smooth. The kit’s decals went on easily, and conformed well with the aid of softening solution. There many stencils, so just a few extra items were added from Profimodeller’s set (32244). Everything
was set aside for 24 hours to cure, before a wash of Ultimate Modelling Products’ Weathering Wash Dark Dirt was applied. Once dry, this was wiped carefully and dabbed away to leave the surface detail highlighted. Alclad II ALC313 Klear Kote Matte was then airbrushed to mute the glossy decals. Annoyingly, and even after all the preparatory work, several stencils exhibited a sheen at certain angles, but this was not corrected. Finishing touches included the addition of the bomb bay and undercarriage doors, plus the aerial and pitot tube. Last, but not least, came the propellers and the aerial wire, and two tiny blobs of white paint were added to the latter to represent insulators…the Mossie was finally complete.
PLASTIC WONDER? Product quality has improved dramatically over the years and modellers have high expectations for what their hard-earned cash will buy. This is an expensive kit, with innovative features, but
MATERIALS AT A GLANCE Alclad II www.alclad2.com • ALC-313 Klear Kote Matte AMMO MIG www.migjimenez.com • A.MIG 7432 WWII British Cockpits Mr. Hobby www.albionhobbies.com • Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray • Mr. Color C125 Cowling Color • Mr. Color CS684 WWII RAF Standard Color Set for Aircraft Middle-Late Period • Mr. Metal Color GX213 Stainless Eduard www.eduard.com • 32839 Mosquito Mk.IV seatbelts Fabric • JX182 Mosquito Mk.IV Lifecolor www.airbrushes.com • LC-UA412 Extra Dark Brown • LC-UA733 Tyre Black Profimodeller www.profimodeller.com • P32241 Pitot tube for Mosquito • P32242 DH Mosquito Bomb Bay – upgrade set • P32243 DH Mosquito cockpit – upgrade set • P32244 DH Mosquito Stencils
The cockpit glazing was designed to be attached to a separate inner frame, and the latter simplified painting greatly. Extra PE pieces, such as the prominent radio aerial loop and a flare gun were added later. airfixmodelworld.com
Mr. Color paints are, arguably, among the best on the market. This set was designed for late-war RAF schemes.
Ultimate Modelling Products www.umpretail.com • Weathering Wash Dark Dirt
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 93
MODEL BUILD MOSQUITO B.IV
Pre-shading was kept to a minimum, and limited to panel lines on metal sections. Note the extensive protection provided to the undercarriage, to ensure it wasn’t affected by the camouflage colours.
The Gyro Cut craft tool was incredibly useful for cutting the camouflage masks, because unlike a scalpel, it was very easy to change direction to achieve the flowing curves required by the scheme.
it’s let down slightly by various fit issues. There were also moulding defects, but the majority were dealt with easily or remained hidden after the build. Relatively minor surgery (with a modicum
problem achieving a great result. If the objective is to construct a large model without too much additional effort, then this would be a good choice. Adding the aftermarket accessories certainly
of filling and sanding) corrected these problems, so the kit came together reasonably well and built into an impressive replica. Modellers with a moderate amount of experience should have no
augmented the level of detail, with the cautionary note that adding such extensive sets took a huge amount of (admittedly enjoyable) extra time.
THE GYRO CUT CRAFT TOOL WAS INCREDIBLY USEFUL
The model with the basic livery completed. Note the variation of paint coverage, designed to be the first stage of the weathering.
To add a personal touch to the model, a wartime reference photo was used as a reference to add graffiti to the ‘Cookie’. 94 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO
airfixmodelworld.com
HISTORY • REFERENCE PHOTOS • COLOUR PROFILES Key Publishing’s first reference book in the new Combat Machines series is a detailed 84-page study of the famous B-17G bomber, timed perfectly for the release of Airfix’s new 1/72 kit of the type. Written by Malcolm V Lowe, the development and history of the B-17G, including its post-war service are covered in full with rare black and white (and colour) photos, more than 30 specially commissioned colour profiles, a two-page cutaway drawing and walk-round images of a restored aircraft. This is a vital research and reference tool for modellers and aviation enthusiasts alike, and seeks to correct erroneous information published in other books. Besides offering useful material about the aircraft itself, Combat Machines B-17G also explores the flight crews, their clothing and Medal of Honor awards, as well as missions flown by the RAF and USAAF’s numbered air forces.
84 PAGES, SOFTBACK
ORDER DIRECT PLUS FREE P&P* Free P&P* when you order online at www.keypublishing.com/shop
OR
*Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders.
160/17
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S U B S C R I B E R S C A L L F O R Y O U R £ 1. 0 0 D I S C O U N T ! 160 B17G Airfix direct fp.indd 50
13/02/2017 12:42
ON THE SHELF KITS/ACCESSORIES/DECALS
MOSSIE BITS & PIECES
60753 Mosquito B.IV/PR.Mk.IV
ven a brief look at catalogues and mail order websites yields a huge number of products regarding de Havilland’s ‘Wooden Wonder’, with the majority catering for the newer Hasegawa, Tamiya and Revell offerings. This list is not definitive, being more of a cross-section and representing items (mostly) available currently.
1/72
E
1/32 60326 Mosquito FB.VI ACCESSORIES Aires (www.aires.cz) 7067 FB.VI/NF.II Cockpit Set (Tamiya) 7077 FB.VI/NF.II Detail Set (Tamiya) 7091 FB.VI/NF.II Gun Bay (Tamiya) 7099 FB.VI/NF.II Bomb Bay (Tamiya) 7154 Wheels + Paint Mask (Tamiya) 1/48 4086 FB.VI/NF.II Cockpit Set (Tamiya) 4152 FB.VI Bomb Bay (Tamiya) 4177 FB.VI Gun Bay (Tamiya) 4200 FB.VI/NF.II Engine Set (Tamiya) 4208 FB.VI/NF.II Wheel Bay (Tamiya)
1/48
7037 Interior (Hasegawa)
4294 Wheels + Paint Mask (Tamiya)
AR AW48402 DH.98 Mosquito
7038 Control Surfaces (Hasegawa)
Weighted Wheels
7047 Mk.IV Detail Set (Hasegawa)
Airscale (www.airscale.co.uk)
7105 PR.XVI Conversion (Tamiya)
1/24
7116 Mk.IV Armament (Hasegawa)
AS24 MOSA Mosquito NF.II/FB.VI
7227 FB.VI Bomb Bay (Tamiya)
Instrument Panel (Airfix)
7228 B.IV Exterior (Tamiya)
AS24 BEZ German, RAF and US
7229 B.IV Control Surfaces (Tamiya)
Instrument Bezels
7267 Packard V-1650-7
ASPE24 DET German, RAF and US
Q72024 Mk.IV/VI Oil Coolers
Cockpit Details
1/48
Attack Squadron
4036 Interior (Tamiya)
(www.attacksquadron.pl)
4038 RR Merlin Engine
1/72
4106 Mk.IV/VI Exterior (Tamiya)
ASQ72067 TR1143 Radio Set
4108 Two-stage Merlin Conversion
Barracuda Studios
(Tamiya)
(www.barracudacals.com)
4241 Wing-Mounted Coolers (Tamiya)
1/32
4260 Mk.II/IV/VI Control Surfaces
BR32265 FB.VI Ammo Feed Chutes
(Tamiya)
BR32267 FB.VI Rocker Covers
Q48114 Tail Strut (Tamiya)
1/24
Q48193 Hispano Mk.II Cannon
BR24281 Late Mainwheels
Eduard (www.eduard.com)
CMK (www.cmkkits.com)
1/72
1/72
CX119 Mosquito Fighter Canopy Mask
7036 Engine Set (Hasegawa)
(Tamiya)
4463 B.IV Cockpit Set (Tamiya)
1/72
Airwaves (www.hannants.co.uk)
A03019 Mosquito Mk.II/VI/XVIII
1/72
1/48
AC72166 Mk.II/VI/XVIII (Airfix)
1/24 A25001A Mosquito FB.VI Hasegawa (www.amerang.co.uk) 1/72 02096 Mosquito FB.VI and Spitfire Mk.VII ‘Operation Overlord’ 02198 Mosquito NF.XIII Night Fighter Hong Kong Models (www.pocketbond.co.uk)
Fold Conversion
61066 Mosquito B.IV/PR.IV
Airfix (www.airfix.com)
A07112 Mosquito PR.XVI
Sea Mosquito Wing
61062 Mosquito FB.VI/NF.II
4296 Wheels + Paint Mask (Tamiya)
A07112 Mosquito B.XVI/PR.XVI
AC24009C
1/48
KITS
A07100 Mosquito FB.VI
Alley Cat Models
60765 Mosquito NF.XIII/XVII
Alley Cat Models (www.alleycatmodels.co.uk)
CX121 Mosquito Bomber Canopy Mask
1/72
(Tamiya)
AC72044C B.IV Series I (Tamiya)
CX164 Mosquito Canopy Mask
1/32
(Hasegawa)
AC32044C Mosquito Wheels Block
SS137 Mosquito Mk.VI (Tamiya)
Pattern
1/48
1/24
49239 FB.VI/NF.II (Tamiya)
AC24005C TR.33 Sea Mosquito
49242 B.IV/PR.IV (Tamiya)
Conversion (decals)
49438 B.IV Interior (Tamiya)
AC24005C TR.33 Sea Mosquito
EX028 Mk.IV Canopy Mask (Tamiya)
Conversion (masks)
EX029 FB.VI/NF.II Canopy Mask
AC24006C Mosquito FB.XVIII ‘Tse-Tse’
(Tamiya)
Conversion (decals)
EX268 B.IV Canopy Mask (Revell)
AC24006C Mosquito FB.XVIII ‘Tse-Tse’
FE239 FB.VI/NF.II (Tamiya)
PK-116 Mosquito Mk.IX/NF.30
Conversion (masks)
FE242 B.IV/PR.IV (Tamiya)
Revell (www.revell.de/en)
AC24009C Sea Mosquito Wing Fold
FE438 B.IV Interior SA (Revell)
1/32
Conversion
1/32
04758 Mosquito Mk.IV
Armory (www.armorymodels.com)
32376 Mk.IV Bomb Bay (HK Models)
Tamiya (www.hobbyco.net)
1/72
32377 Mk.IV Exterior/Engines (HK
1/72
AR AW72406 DH.98 Mosquito
Models)
60747 Mosquito Mk.VI/NF.II
Weighted Wheels
1/32 01E015 Mosquito B.IV Series II Matchbox (out of production) 1/72
Eduard 32841 Mk.IV Seatbelts
32379 FB.VI Exterior (Tamiya)
96 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITOairfixmodelworld.com
ON THE SHELF KITS/ACCESSORIES/DECALS 32839 Mk.IV Fabric Seatbelts (HK
Eduard 32840 Mk.IV Interior SA
Model Design Construction
K32322 FB.VI Canopy and Markings
Models)
(www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk)
Mask (Tamiya)
32840 Mk.IV Interior SA (HK Models)
1/48
K32329 FB.VI Canopy and Markings
32841 Mk.IV Seatbelts (HK Models)
CV48022 Mosquito NF.II/B.IV/FB.VI
Mask (Tamiya)
32845 FB.VI Seatbelts (Tamiya)
Control Surfaces (Tamiya)
MM32163 Mk.VI Canopy and
32846 FB.VI Fabric Seatbelts (Tamiya)
CV48028 Mosquito Banff-Wing Gun
Markings Mask (Tamiya)
32849 FB.VI Interior (Tamiya)
Nose (Tamiya/Airfix)
SM32060 Mk.IV Canopy Mask (Revell)
33148 Mk.IV Interior (HK Models)
MDA48005 Mosquito NF.II/FB.VI
SM32162 Mk.IV/PR.I/IV Canopy Mask
33151 FB.VI Interior (Tamiya)
Cockpit (Tamiya)
(Hong Kong Models)
632061 Mk.IV Wheels (HK Models)
1/32
SM32163 FB.VI Canopy Mask (Tamiya)
632062 Mk.IV Exhaust Stacks (HK
CV32080 Rocket Stubs
1/24
Models)
CV32036 British Late War 3in High-
K24051 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy and
Explosive Rockets
Markings Mask
CV32035 British Late War 3in Armour-
K24079 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy and
Piercing Rockets
Markings Mask
Montex (www.montex-mask.com)
MM24015 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy and
1/72
Markings Mask
SM72014 Canopy Mask (Tamiya)
SM24015 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy Mask
SM72068 Mk.VI Canopy Mask
Pavla Models (www.pavlamodels.cz)
(Hasegawa)
1/72
SM72069 Mk.IV Canopy Mask
C72038 T.III Cockpit (Tamiya)
(Tamiya)
C72046 B.IV Cockpit (Tamiya)
1/48
U72060 Mk.IV Bomb Bay (Tamiya)
K48173 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy and
U72062 RR Merlin 73/72 engine
Markings Mask (Tamiya)
cowlings (Tamiya)
K48174 FB.VI Canopy and Markings
V72-09 Mosquito (Fighter) Canopy
Mask (Tamiya)
(Airfix)
K48283 Mk.IV Canopy and Markings
Profimodeller (www.profimodeller.com)
Mask (Tamiya)
1/32
K48322 FB.VI Canopy and Markings
P32173 UK/US HVAR Rocket (Tamiya/
Mask (Tamiya)
Revell)
MM48004 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy and
P32241 Pitot Tube (Hong Kong Models)
Markings Mask (Tamiya)
P32242 Bomb Bay (Hong Kong Models)
MM48230 Mk.XVI Canopy and
P32243 Interior (Hong Kong Models)
Markings Mask (Airfix)
Quickboost (www.aires.cz)
MM48241 Mk.IV Canopy and
1/72
Markings Mask (Tamiya)
QB72121 Undercarriage Covers
MM48306 Mk.IV Canopy and
(Tamiya)
Markings Mask (Revell)
QB72204 FB.VI Nose (Tamiya)
SM48004 NF.II/FB.VI Canopy (Tamiya)
QB72301 Exhaust (Tamiya)
SM48228 FB.VI Canopy Mask (Airfix)
QB72425 Oil Radiators (Tamiya)
SM48230 Mk.XVI Canopy Mask
1/48
(Airfix)
QB48030 Sea Mosquito Conversion Set
SM48241 Mk.IV Canopy Mask
(Tamiya)
(Tamiya)
QB48140 Undercarriage Covers
SM48306 Mk.IV Canopy Mask (Revell)
(Tamiya)
1/32
QB48252 FB.VI Nose (Tamiya)
K32297 Mk.IV Canopy and Markings
QB48306 Exhaust (Tamiya)
Mask (Revell)
QB48325 Wheel Fenders (Tamiya)
632065 Mk.VI Wheels (Tamiya)
M7218 Mk.IV Camouflage Mask Part 1
632066 Mk.VI Exhaust Stacks (Tamiya)
(Airfix, Hasegawa, Tamiya)
632077 FB.VI Nose Guns (Tamiya)
M7219 Mk.IV Camouflage Mask Part 2
632078 FB.VI Gun Bay (Tamiya)
(Airfix, Hasegawa, Tamiya)
632090 FB.VI Engines (Tamiya)
1/48
632091 FB.VI Right Engine (Tamiya)
M4815 Mk.VI Camouflage Mask
632092 FB.VI Left Engine (Tamiya)
(Airfix/Tamiya)
BIG3355 Mk.IV
M4816 Mk.IV Camouflage Mask Part 1
BIG3359 Mk.VI
(Revell/Monogram/Tamiya/Airfix)
JX182 Mk.IV Canopy Mask (HK Models)
M4817 Mk.IV Camouflage Mask Part 2
JX184 FB.VI Canopy Mask (Tamiya)
(Revell/Monogram/Tamiya/Airfix)
SIN63208 Mk.IV (HK Models)
Maestro Models
1/24
(www.maestromodels.com)
23005 RAF WWII Seat Belts Early
1/72
23006 RAF WWII Seat Belts Late
MMK7278 Mosquito 4-Blade
Falcon Models
Propellers
(www.falconmodels.co.nz)
1/48
1/72
MMK4880 Mosquito 4-Blade
Set 2 RAF Fighters World War II
Propellers
Set 8 RAF Bomber World War II (Part 1)
1/24
Set 17 RAF World War II Part 2
MMK2401 Mk.XIX nose SwAF J30
1/48
(Airfix)
Set 31 RAF Fighters World War II
Master Model (www.master-model.pl)
Set 40 RAF Part 2
1/72
Freightdog
AM-72-091 NF.II/FB.VI Pitot and
(www.freightdogmodels.co.uk)
Armament
1/48
1/48
FDR48M02 NF.XII conversion (Tamiya)
AM-48-026 British Mk.2 Browning .303
FDR48M03 FB.VI 100 Group
Caliber
conversion (Tamiya)
AM-48-111 NF.II/FB.VI Pitot and
HGW Models (www.hgwmodels.cz)
Armament
1/48
1/32
148543 Seatbelts
AM-32-083 NF.II/FB.VI Pitot and
1/32
Armament (Tamiya)
132809 Mk.VI Seatbelts and Canopy
1/24
Mask (Tamiya)
AM-24-001 British Mk.2 Browning .303
132568 Mk.VI Seatbelts (Tamiya)
Caliber
1/24
AM-24-004 Hispano Mk.II 20mm
124505 Sutton QK Harness (RAF)
Cannon
Seatbelts
AM-24-011 British 3in Rocket RP-3 with
124509 Seatbelts (Airfix)
60lb SAP Heads (Early)
LF Models (www.lfmodels.com)
AM-24-012 British 3in Rocket RP-3 with
1/72
60lb SAP Heads (Late)
M7217 Mk.VI Camouflage Mask
MasterCasters
(Airfix, Hasegawa, Tamiya)
(www.mastercasters.co.uk) 1/32 MST32019 Intake Grilles and Cowling Fasteners 1/24 MST24001 Weighted Wheels (Block Tread) MST24003 Weighted Wheels (Diamond
Quickboost QB48306 Exhaust
airfixmodelworld.com
Tread) MST24009 Intake Grilles and Cowling Fasteners
Eduard 632090 FB.VI Engines SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 97
ON THE SHELF KITS/ACCESSORIES/DECALS RESIN2Detail AC48045 Fast Fix Mosquito Exhausts
QB48593 Mk.IV Seats w/Safety Belts (Tamiya) 1/32 QB32066 Exhaust (Revell) RB Productions (www.radubstore.com) 1/32 RB-P32016 Sutton QK Harness RB-P32040 Mosquito Radiators 1/24 RB-P24001 Sutton QK Harness RB-P24003 Mosquito Radiators RESIN2Detail (www.resin2detail.com) 1/48 AC48004 Packard Merlin V-1650-7 AC48045 Fast Fix Mosquito Exhausts RES-IM (www.res-in.webnode.cz) 1/48 GM48010 Mk.VI Markings Mask (Tamiya) Rob-Taurus (
[email protected]) 1/72 72071 Mk.II/VI (Tamiya) 72072 B.IV/PR.IV (Tamiya)
1/32
Eagle Cals EC 32 167 B.IV/PR.IV
Outriders 333 Sqn (RNoAF) NF.II/FB.VI
Mask
AOD24S05 NF.II/FB.VI airframe/stencil
1/24
data part 1
TNM24-M30 Mk.IV/VI Camouflage
Airscale (www.airscale.co.uk)
Mask
1/24
Ultracast (www.ultracast.ca)
AS24 MOSA NF.II/FB.VI Instrument
1/48
Panel
48001 500lb MC Mk.III British General
Barracuda Studios
Purpose Bombs
(www.barracudacals.com)
48002 1000lb MC Mk.I British General
1/72
Purpose Bombs
BC72008 Stencil data for all marks
48033 Seats (late pattern)
BC72165 Airframe Stencils – Expanded
48034 Control Surfaces
1/48
48035 FB.VI Crew Access Door
BC48166 Airframe Stencils – Expanded
(Tamiya)
1/24
48045 Tail Wheel (Tamiya)
BC21467 Airframe Stencils – Expanded
48046 Mud Guards (Tamiya)
Berna Decals (
[email protected])
48047 Flame Dampening Exhaust
1/72
Shrouds (Tamiya) 48048 FB.VI AI Mk.XV ASH Radar Nose (Tamiya) 48104 5-Stack Exhausts (Tamiya) 48118 100 gal Fuel Tanks (Tamiya) 48246 Spoked Wheels Block Tread 48247 Standard Wheels Block Tread 48248 Spoked Wheels Diamond Tread 48249 Standard Wheels Diamond Tread 48250 Standard Wheels Australian Z-Block Tread Valom (www.valom.net) 1/48
1/48
DSV02 B.IX/B.XVI/PR.34 Conversion
48068 Mk.II/VI (Tamiya)
(Tamiya)
48069 B.IV/PR.IV (Tamiya)
Verlinden Productions
Scale Aircraft Conversions
(www.verlindenonline.com)
(www.scaleaircraftconversions.com)
1/48
1/48
1460 Mosquito Cockpit Detail Set
48038 Landing Gear (Tamiya)
(Tamiya)
1/32
1465 Sea Mosquito Conversion
32099 Landing Gear (Tamiya)
(Tamiya)
1/24
1474 Mosquito Gun Bay and Moving
24002 Landing Gear (Airfix)
Surfaces (Tamiya)
Squadron (www.squadron.com)
Yahu Models (www.yahumodels.siemianowice.com) 1/72 YMA7260 NF.II/FB.VI Instrument Panel (Hasegawa/Tamiya) 1/48 YMA4830 NF.II/FB.VI Instrument Panel (Tamiya) 1/32 YMA3210 NF.II/FB.VI Instrument Panel (Tamiya) DECALS Aviaeology (www.stores.ebay.ca/Aviaeology) 1/72 AOD72005M RCAF 418 Sqn AOD72023 Banff Strike Wing Mosquitoes (143, 235, 248 Sqns) AOD72033 Coastal Strike Wing Outriders 333 Sqn (RNoAF) NF.II/FB.VI 1943-45 AOD72S05 FB.VI airframe/stencil data 1/48 AOD48005M RCAF FB.VI 418 Sqn Intruders
1/72
AOD48023 Banff Strike Wing (143,
SQ9156 Mk.VI (Airfix)
235, 248 Sqns)
1/48
AOD32033 Coastal Strike Wing
SQ9532 FB.VI (Airfix)
1/48 BD 48-121 FB.VI in French and Foreign Service 1/32 BD 32-39 FB.VI in French Service 1/24 BD 24-02 FB.VI in French Service Blackbird Models (www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk) 1/72 BMD 72017 Operation Overlord (PR. XVI) BMD 72019 Post War RAF Pt.1 (NF.36) BMD 72026 Mosquito Pt.2 (B.XVI/B.IV/ NF.30/NF.XV) 1/48 BMD 48008 Operation Overlord (PR. XVI) Carpena Decals (www.decals-carpena.com) 1/72 7230 Mosquito Part 1 (NF.II/NF.30/ FB.VI/PR.XVI) 7231 Mosquito Part 2 (FB.VI/PR.XVI) 1/48 4822 Mosquito Part 1 (NF.II/FB.VI/ PR.XVI)
AOD48S05 FB.VI airframe/stencil data
1/72
1/32
TD72033 Mosquito Wheels Block Tread
AOD32005M RCAF FB.VI
5-Spoke Hub
AOD32011 RCAF FB.VI
1/48
AOD320231 Banff Strike Wing (143,
TD48017 Mosquito Wheels Block Tread
235, 248 Sqns) Pt.1
Flat Hub
AOD320232 Banff Strike Wing (143,
TD48093 Mosquito Wheels Block Tread 5-Spoke Hub
235, 248 Sqns) Pt.2
TD48489 FB.VI Cockpit (Tamiya)
AOD32033 Coastal Strike Wing
Topnotch (www.topnotch-success.net)
Outriders 333 Sqn (RNoAF) NF.II/FB.VI
1/72
1943-45
TNM72-M30 Mk.IV/VI Camouflage
AOD32S05 FB.VI airframe/stencil data 1/24
Mask
Mask
Service
1943-45
True Details (www.squadron.com)
TNM48-M30 Mk.IV/VI Camouflage
BD 72-99 FB.VI in French and Foreign
Outriders 333 Sqn (RNoAF) NF.II/FB.VI
SQ9600 FB.VI (Tamiya)
1/48
AOD24033 Coastal Strike Wing
TNM32-M30 Mk.IV/VI Camouflage
Aviaeology AOD72033 Coastal Strike Wing Outriders 333 Sqn (RNoAF) NF.II/FB.VI 1943-45
AOD24005M RCAF NF.II/FB.VI AOD24023 Banff Strike Wing (143, 235, 248 Sqns)
Eagle Cals EC 32 168 FB.VI
98 SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITOairfixmodelworld.com
ON THE SHELF KITS/ACCESSORIES/DECALS Fündekals :) BOAC PR.IV
Fündekals :) (www.fundekals.com) 1/72
Xtradecal X32059 Mosquito T.III/B. IV/B.XX/F-8
1/72
F-8 43-324926 ‘The Spook’, 3rd
RF7205 RAF 1940-47 (PR.XVI)
Photographic Group (Reconnaissance),
RF7206 RAF 1939-45 Part 2 (B.XXV)
12th AF, La Marsa, Tunisia, November
Thunderbird Models
1943
(www.thunderbirdmodels.co.uk)
1/48
1/72
F-8 43-324926 ‘The Spook’, 3rd
72-003 World Wide Airways Mosquito
Photographic Group (Reconnaissance),
Racer
12th AF, La Marsa, Tunisia, November
72-004 Kenting Aviation DH.98
1943
Mosquito
1/32
1/48
BOAC PR.IV
48-001 World Wide Airways Mosquito
BOAC FB.VI
Racer
HGW (www.hgwmodels.cz)
Vingtor (www.vingtor.net)
1/48
1/72
4896 Mosquito Part 2 (FB.VI/PR.XVI)
248022 Mosquito Stencils (Wet
4897 Mosquito Part 3 (NF.30/FB.VI)
Transfers)
Colorado (www.coloradodecals.com)
1/32
1/72
232011 Mosquito FB.VI Stencils (Wet
72.30 NF.II
Transfers)
72.31 Mk.VI
Iliad Design (www.iliad-design.com)
1/48
1/48
48.22 Mosquito Part 1 (NF.II/FB.VI/
48023 Canadian-built Mosquitos
PR.XVI)
(B.XX/B.VII/FB.26)
48.96 Mosquito Part 2 (FB.VI/PR.XVI)
IsraDecal Studio (www.isradecal.com)
48.97 Mosquito Part 3 (NF.30/FB.VI)
1/48
DK Decals (www.dkdecals.cz)
IAF72 IAF Mosquito (T.3/NF.30/FB.6/
1/72
TR.33/PR.16)
72013 Mosquito in Czechoslovakian AF
LF Models (www.lfmodels.com)
(NF.II/B.XXV/NF.XVII/NF.XII/NF.XIX/
1/72
NF.30/PR.IX/PR.XVI/FB.VI/T.III)
C7281 Mosquito over Switzerland Part
72016 No.100 Group RAF (B.IV/FB.VI)
1 (FB.VI)
1/48
C7282 Mosquito over Switzerland Part
48005 Mosquito Australian pilots in
2 (PR.IV)
RAAF and RAF (FB.VI/PR.40/PR.XVI/
C7283 Mosquito over Switzerland Part
NF.XVII)
3 (PR.IV)
(www.mooserepublic.se)
48007 Mosquito in Czechoslovakian
C7293 Mosquito over Dominican
1/72
AF (NF.II/NF.XVII/NF.XIX/NF.30/PR.IX/
Republic (FB.VI)
72012 J 30 Mosquito
PR.XVI/FB.VI/T.III)
C72117 Mosquito over Rechlin (B.IV)
1/48
48009 No.100 Group RAF (B.IV/FB.VI)
1/48
48008 J 30 Mosquito Mk.XIX
Eagle Cal (www.eagle-editions.com)
C4838 Mosquito over Switzerland Part
Ventura (www.venturapublications.com)
1/72
1 (FB.VI)
1/32
EC 72 167 B.IV/PR.IV
C4839 Mosquito over Switzerland Part
V3261 USAAF 8th Air Force PR.XVI
EC 72 168 FB.VI
2 (PR.IV)
Mosquito
72-106 Mk.IV - BOAC 72-107 Mk.VI - BOAC 1/48 C4840 Mosquito over Dominican Republic (FB.VI) C4858 Mosquito over Rechlin (B.IV) 1/32 C3236 Mosquito over Rechlin (B.IV) Model Alliance MA-72204 WWII 2nd Tactical Air Force 1944-45 (NF.XXX) MA-48198 WWII Coastal Command Part 1 (FB.VI) MA-48204 WWII 2nd Tactical Air Force 1944-45 (NF.XXX)
Owl (www.owl.cz/en)
EC 48 167 B.IV/PR.IV
Xtradecal (www.hannants.co.uk) 1/72 2008 (FB.VI) X72-148 History of 4 Sqn (FB.6) 1944-2014 Part 2 (FB.VI) X72-232 Mosquito T.III/B.IV/B.XX/F-8 1/48 X48-071 RAF 23 Sqn 1943 to 1960 X48-075 617 (Dambusters) Sqn 19432008 (FB.VI) X48-106 RFC/RAF 100 Years of 4 Sqn Part 1 (FB.6) X48-156 Mosquito T.III/B.IV/F-8 1/32 X32058 Mosquito FB.VI X32059 Mosquito T.III/B.IV/B.XX/F-8 1/24 X24-001 Mosquito FB.VI
OWLD72014 Night Fighter Experts
EC 48 169 FB.VI
(FB.VI)
1/32
1/48
EC 32 167 B.IV/PR.IV
OWLD48014 Night Fighter Experts
EC 32 168 FB.VI
(FB.VI)
EC 32 169 FB.VI
Profimodeller (www.profimodeller.com)
Freightdog
1/32
(www.freightdogmodels.co.uk)
P32244 Mosquito Stencils
1/72
Print Scale (www.printscale.org)
FSD72-003S Weekend Warriors
1/72
RAuxAF (T.3)
72-159 FB.VI/NF.XXX/NF.II/NF.XIII/
FSD72-004S Post War Brits Abroad Pt.II (FB.6)
NF.XVII
1/48
1/48
FSD48-005 Post War Mosquitos in RAF
48-085 Mosquito Part 1 (FB.VI/NF.II/
Service (PR.34/B.35/NF.36)
NF.XXX)
airfixmodelworld.com
32-125 FB.VI 333 (RNoAF) Sqn
1/72
EC 48 168 FB.VI
1955 (PR.34A)
1/32
(NF.II/FB.VI)
Moose Republic Decals
V3265 Israeli Mosquito
48-107 Mk.VI - BOAC
X72-195 D-Day 70th Anniversary June
1/48
1/48
48-106 Mk.IV - BOAC
X72-093 617 (Dambusters) Sqn 1943-
1/72
EC 72 169 FB.VI
FSD48-007 RAF Over Malaya 1948-
RAFDec (www.hannants.co.uk)
Illiad Design 48023 Canadian-built Mosquitos (B.XX/B.VII/FB.26)
48-086 Mosquito Part 2 (FB.VI/NF.XIII/ NF.XVII)
Xtradecal X72-232 Mosquito T.III/B. IV/B.XX/F-8
SCALE MODELLING | DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO 99
Airfix 3 F_P.indd 1
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