Mosquito NF Mk. II, 157 Squadron (Tamiya, 1/72)

[Sabre_days]

I know I must be crazy for starting a fourth build, but since this is also a Mosquito STGB, it wouldn't feel right not to build a Mossie.

 

Going with the 1/72 Tamiya kit, the one I pulled out of the stash was earmarked for an NF Mk. II when I bought it years (I think probably over 10 years) ago. I did drill out the necessary holes for the NF II in the wingtips and nose, but otherwise the kit is untouched.

 

In keeping with trying to focus my World War II 75th anniversary modelling efforts on 75 years ago to the calendar year, I wanted to do a 1942 Mosquito. Luckily, according to the Osprey Combat Aircraft series book on Mosquito night fighters and fighter bombers, the scheme on the kit decal sheet for RS-B of 157 Sqn is from around March, 1942.

 

[Dave Swindell]

Hi Sabre Days, if you've not already seen it, check Stew Dapple's NFII build thread fo my comments regarding the fuselage strake & radio fit for this (and other) Mosquito.

[Sabre_days]

Thanks! I will definitely be removing the strake. For the time being I'm taking the route Stew did and leaving the kit radio parts as is, but I have painted them grey to look more like radar equipment...

[Sabre_days]

Saturday evening I finally got the cockpit to a point I was reasonably satisfied with. After how well the Eduard Steelbelts for my P-59 over in Prototypes etc. turned out, I decided to use PE instead of the kit decals for the seat harnesses. The ones I used are swiped from surplus sets intended for the Hasegawa Spitfire IX that I stockpiled for my stash of Airfix kits back in the days before the AZ and Eduard kits came along. I used the decals as a guide to rearrange them into a configuration that I hope looks "about right" for a Mossie.

 

The instrument panel is the kit decal with a bit of red, blue and yellow paint added around the edges of the engine instruments on the lower left. After applying setting solution and a coat of clear flat I added drops of Future/Johnsons Klear (or as it's now known over here, Pledge Floor Care Multi-Surface Finish...it took a couple unsuccessful attempts to find Future followed by a few minutes googling on my phone and reading a thread on the finescale.com forums, all while standing in a cleaning products aisle, to figure that one out) to simulate the glazing on each instrument. The high raised detail holds the Future in very nicely and I was quite pleased with the effect when I could tilt the panel to just the right angle to catch the light. In the photo, and installed in the fuselage, it really doesn't show...

 

 

Got started on assembly tonight, currently waiting for the cement on the fuselage, wings and nacelles to dry overnight. More photos to follow in the next few days.

Edited March 20, 2017 by Sabre_days

[DAG058]

Plenty of detail on show in the cockpit. The seat belts look smashing. 

[Stew Dapple]

Nice start SD, it's looking excellent in there - I wish I had used aftermarket belts, I tried the kit seatbelt transfers and while they are better than nothing... they're not that much better than nothing  Yours look much better.

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

 

 

[CedB]

Nice internals Jordon, good tip on the i/p too; thanks. Looking forward to this build  

[Basilisk]

On 20/03/2017 at 7:58 PM, Sabre_days said:

I decided to use PE instead of the kit decals for the seat harnesses. The ones I used are swiped from surplus sets intended for the Hasegawa Spitfire IX that I stockpiled for my stash of Airfix kits back in the days before the AZ and Eduard kits came along. I used the decals as a guide to rearrange them into a configuration that I hope looks "about right" for a Mossie.

Good effort in detailing your cockpit, but I wouldn't like to be the pilot strapping into your seat 

 

There is no part in front of the seat. In a Spitfire this is part of the harness on the seat back, but I think it isn't used on the Mosquito seat at all as there isn't a provision for it.

 

 

Should be easy to correct.

 

Cheers, Peter