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Inspired by the recent post on the TR37, I took a good look at my Sea Mosquito TR33 reference material and made the following observations. I’ll firstly make some general observations, then I’ll point out some widely circulated errors relating to representations of specific airframes. Camouflage and markings In ‘Mosquito an Illustrated History Vol. 2’ by Ian Thirsk, there is a photo of mosquitoes lined up fresh from the factory. Three are TR33s TW232, TW229 and TW231. They are in the temperate sea scheme (TSS) of Extra Dark Sea Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Sky (EDSG/DSG/S), have an 8” serial and 4” Royal Navy presentation and type C roundel s and equivalent fin flashes (thin white line) applied. A three figure code behind the roundel and station letters above the fin flash were presumably added by the squadron. See TW256/593/LP below for an example. In 790NAS and 811NAS, photos show that D type roundels sometimes later replaced the C types (but the fin flashes often remained in the earlier style). It seems 811NAS presented their station letters as part of their code on the fuselage as per their FBVIs (i.e. FD4L.) Air Britain’s ‘Fleet Air Arm Fixed wing Aircraft since 1946’ gives several examples for 811NAS TR33s, including TW239/FD4R, TW247/FD4L, and TW250/FD4H. Each airframes code letter was repeated under the nose. Photos can be seen in Ian Thirsk’s book and Stuart Howe’s Mosquito Portfolio, although presentation of the codes is not clear, there are dark letter/numbers either side of the roundel. Someone has modelled a TR33 from this squadron, either based on the same assumptions or perhaps on a reference photo I haven’t seen. If it is the latter, it would be good to see or at least its existence confirmed. Some airframes in 790NAS and 771NAS were later resprayed overall silver (See Ian Thirsk’s book and ‘RNAS Culdrose 1947-2007’ by Geoff Wakeham) with black codes and station letters, silver or black spinners. Radome colour Apart from the prototype LR387, which uniquely had a black radome, all but one photograph I have seen, show white radomes. The exception (see comment about TW241 below) had an unpainted radome. Noses – the ‘improved nose’ Some drawings and profiles depict the TR33 nose as a standard nose cone with a radome sticking out of it. The nose cone is more conical than a standard nose. Some references refer to a later more aerodynamic nose with presumably the conical nose cone extended forward to the radome nose cap (I can’t see the radar pod going backwards as it would end up in the pilots lap! – see cut away drawing of a TR33 in Air International June 1984). Looking at my photo references I don’t see an extended nose cone. I believe that what you are looking at are standard TR33 noses with the radar pod removed and a nose cap fitted over the hole where the radome protruded from the nose cone (see the photo of TW281/407/CW below). These caps are usually painted in TSS or silver to match the nose, but are sometimes black. There is a very good close up photo of this revised nose in Stuart Howe’s ‘Mosquito Portfolio’. I describe these noses as capped noses. It stands to reason that the radar equipment was often removed since it wasn’t required for the role in which the aircraft was being employed (fighter direction training, twin conversion etc.). Errors in profiles and decals Warpaint Special No. 3, published by Guideline Publications has profiles for TW256/593/LP, probably the best known and most depicted TR37, and TW270/413/CW. TW256/593/LP Numerous photographs (including this one) show that this airframe had the 8” serial it was delivered with. TW270/413/CW Publishers, decal providers and conversion kit providers (e.g. Guideline publications, Aeromaster and Alley Cat) appear to have taken a profile for TW270/413/CW as the basis for one of their options. The earliest occurrence of this profile appears to be in Scale Aircraft Modelling July 1995, with a David Howley profile but no reference source photo. and many modelers have built their models based on their instructions. However, there are errors which need to be pointed out. This is a case of an error being passed from publication to publication without the source reference material ever being checked, so that the error becomes established truth. Wrong serial Firstly it isn’t TW270! Air Britain’s book doesn’t allocate that serial to a TR33 but allocates 413/CW to TW279. Easy to confuse the last digit. Photographs show that this airframe had an 8” serial (see code colours below) Wrong upper surface camouflage it is portrayed as having a monotone EDSG upper camouflage, rather than TSS. TSS is notoriously difficult to see as the tonal value between EDSG and DSG is very small and therefore looks like one colour. However there is a photo of this airframe where the EDSG/DSS is very clearly seen (see code colours below) Of course the airframe may have had a respray, but I’m yet to be convinced that any TR33 wore a Coastal Command style monotone EDSG upper camouflage. Wrong colour codes 790NAS used yellow codes and station letters. Several photographs of squadron aircraft in Ian Thirsk’s book, ‘RNAS Culdrose’ by Peter London and Geoff Wakeham’s book all show the use of this colour, not white. Two photographs of TW279/413/CW (including rear fuselage detail) in Ian Thirsk’s book confirm all the above, very clearly. Wrong radome colour? All profiles of this airframe show a radome painted EDSG/S to match the nose. I have not seen a photo of this aircraft which shows the radome, but as I say above, I have only seen white or unpainted radomes in squadron service. Perhaps it was a capped nose or even an empty pod? Of course, there may be a photo out there which proves that a TR33 wore serial TW270, that it wore white squadron markings, monotone EDSG upper camouflage and a painted radome. If so, I’d like to see it or at least have someone confirm its existence. Other observations about particular airframes TW281/407/CW The photo of this airframe in some publications makes it look as though it has a Coastal Command style monotone EDSG upper camouflage. However EDSG/DSG can just be discerned on the nose area in the same photo in the Aircam book on the mosquito (No. 28) and in deed the above photo. I could be wrong but I’m yet to be convinced that any TR33 wore Coastal Command style monotone EDSG upper camouflage. It has a capped nose, with the cap painted to match the nose (compare the length of the conical nose cone on TW281 with that of TW256 above, they are the same. It has the 8” serial and 4” Royal Navy presentation and type C roundel s and equivalent fin flashes it would have been delivered with. Whilst the code and station letters can’t be seen in the photo, the Air Britain book states that it wore 407/CW when with 790NAS. These would almost certainly been in yellow as per the other aircraft in the squadron (see comments about TW270/413/CW above). TW241/043/FD I’ve only seen one photo of a TR33 in 703NAS service and it’s an interesting one. It is in Ian Thirsk’s book. It has a two tone upper camouflage, but there is a high tonal difference between the two upper camouflage colours, which suggests not TSS. Possibly RAF Day Fighter Scheme (Ocean Grey, Dark Green and Medium Sea Grey)? Could be a filter on the camera though. It has White codes and stn. Letters with a black 8” serial and 4” Royal Navy presentation. It unusually appears to have an unpainted radome and has an interesting wing aerial installation with vertical rods above and below a couple of spikes sticking out from the leading edge towards the end of the wing (Probably associated with the Hookah radar detection and homing device). I’ve seen the same aerial arrangement on another TR33, but I can’t remember the book concerned. Hope this is useful