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Hello everyone I've just finished my pair of Airfix Mitchells, so thought I'd post some piccies. I didn't intend to build two, it just sort of got out of hand a bit. As happens, you know... I've been doing a W.i.P. thread, and the following intro is copied from it: Both these Mitchells were flown by Edward 'Ted' Burn D.F.M., from Alnwick in Northumberland, so another local connection. He was involved in the following two incidents in these Mitchells: On August 6th 1944 he was flying FW199, and from the 180 Sqn ORB Form 540: In the morning eleven aircraft took part in a medium level bombing attack on an ammunition dump at LIVAROT and in the evening eleven aircraft attacked a concentration of enemy tanks at T.985412 in Northern France. Mitchell FW199 returning from the latter raid was hit by flak and had to make a forced landing at B.7 – 123 Wing in Normandy. The crew, all unhurt, were as follows: 1672857 Sgt. Burn, E. Pilot, 154612 P/O A.C. Kirk, Nav.B Aus419507 Sgt C.V. Smith, WO(AIR), and 1250048 Sgt. Freeman, J.R. Air Gunner. On August 9th 1944 he was the pilot of FL210: This morning eleven aircraft went on a bombing mission to an ammunition dump at Foret de Lyons. Intense accurate flak was encountered and casualties were sustained. In the Mitchell FL210 the Pilot and Navigator were wounded on the way to the Target, they made every endeavour to catch up on the formation and carry on with the job, but as the navigator was fast losing blood they had to turn for home and made an emergency landing at HARTFORD BRIDGE where the Navigator, P/O A.C. Kirk was taken to hospital and his left leg amputated. The pilot, Sgt E. Burn suffered only minor injury while the others Sgt. G.V. Smith (WO/Air) and Sgt J.E. Freeman (Air Gunner) were uninjured. Ted would fly some 43 Ops with 180 Sqn, and was awarded the D.F.M. in April 1945. However, his R.A.F. career had been brought to an abrupt halt in very odd, almost tragic, cirumstances in late 1944. From the ORB Form 540, December 3rd 1944: 1672857 F/Sgt BURN E. resting in his room was shot in the head when a revolver was accidentally discharged in an adjoining room. He was instantly removed to hospital and placed on the dangerously ill list. An investigation was ordered. Apparently another airman had just got a photo of his sweetheart, and wanted to pin it on the wall. Rather than using a hammer, or even his shoe, he decided to use his revolver, which went off and the bullet passed through the wall, hitting Ted Burn. He was taken to hospital, and somehow survived, although he lost the use of his left arm and leg. He died in 1990, as reported in the Newcastle Journal, April 14th 1990: Wartime pilot dies after heart attack Wartime pilot from the region has died suddenly at the age of 67. Mr. Ted Burn, of Branding Court, Jesmond, Newcastle, died in Newcastle General Hospital after suffering a heart attack. Mr. Burn, who won the Distinguished Flying Medal, survived a head wound caused by a gun injury to go on to careers in business and the civil service. Born in Alnwick, he joined the RAF in 1942. Two years later, he was injured when a fellow serviceman accidentally shot him. Mr. Burn who was left with a bullet lodged in his head, made a remarkable recovery, despite losing the use of his left arm and leg. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So that's the intro, and the build has been interesting, to say the least. I can safely say I know much more about the Mitchell than I did before starting (which isn't that difficult, to be honest!). The devil is in the detail, and it's been interesting finding out about the foibles of the Mitchell II versions. FL-210 is an early Mitchell II, with the Bendix lower turret, and FW199 is a later version, refitted with an FN64 turret (spare from my Airfix Lancaster II). There are a host of minor detail differences - cockpit and rear fuselage glazing, nose gun, aerial fit, formation lights and wing tip lights in different positions, fuel dump pipes on the nacelle rears, camouflage paint used (Olive Drab 41 and Olive Drab 613) and the roundels on FL-210 are larger than on FW199. FL-210 also had replacement engine cowlings and exhausts fitted at some stage. The Airfix Mitchells have also proved 'interesting' but not always for the right reasons. The kit is really nicely detailed and very cleverly designed, but I have had several issues with the mouldings, with several short-shot parts and some odd moulding artefacts on the parts that made the fit of some of the parts a little 'relaxed' to be polite. The Airfix spares department have been very helpful, and I've also had the benefit of some very helpful posts from @don f on the W.i.P. thread, and some parts I needed were supplied by @vppelt68 both of whom I'm greatly appreciative to. I've also had lots of help from Dave Poissant of the 2nd Tactical Air Force Medium Bombers Association. I've used a few aftermarket bits - I've used photo etch parts for both kits (the Big Ed set for FW199, which has an open bomb bay), plus wheels from CMK for both kits. Decals are a mix of Xtradecal national markings, some of the kit decals and DK Decals 72043 Mitchell set for the serials and codes. I also added some scratch-built detail to the interior of both turrets and the nose interiors, as well as bracing the mainwheel legs. One observation about the two Mitchells - Airfix recommend 25g of weight in the nose. I didn't keep track of how much I put in FW199, but kept a list of the total for FL-210, which ended up having over 40g of ballast added in various parts. Both kits will STILL sit on their tails, given half the chance, and I think it's only the flat bottoms of the CMK weighted wheels that help them balance on the nose gear...I guess the weight needs to be as far forward as possible. Anyway, enought prattling, here are the photos (there are some detail photos on the W.I.P. so I'll not re-post them). So, all done and dusted. I think they've been worth all the time, effort and indeed money spent on them...! Cheers Simon