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Airfix 1:24th Scale Mozzie


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Hi,

here are some images of my 1:24th scale Mosquito. I started it last year, or perhaps even the year before that. I got it out again last Weekend ans since then progress has been good. I try to be careful with wash and weathering to avoid overdoing it. The scratch on the seat cushion will one day be covered with Eduard seat-belts.

Hope you like the pics.

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Regards
Peter

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Thanks for your comments and likes! :)

As I'm from Germany we get WWII historical sites and Crash sites by the dozens here. Many years ago a friend of mine and retired schoolteacher did what he called Aviation Archaeology, he dug up remains of crashed WWII aircraft. I assisted him on his trips several times. I recall we went to a site near Dortmund what was said to be a MKII 51 Sqdn Halifax bomber, one with a Tollerton nose fairing. I remember the surprising large amount wood-splinters we found at the site (amongst many other things) and I asked my friend if he's sure we hadn't found a Mosquito instead. He was obviously disturbed by my remark and from his reaction I could tell he wasn't certain that the wreckage we had found was indeed a Halifax. Anyway the site became known as the "Hurler Busch Halifax". The Hurler Busch is a small Wood near Dortmund. While we still at the site I found a very remarkable piece: It was a black disc about the size of the palm of a man's hand, maybe slightly larger. It was about2-3 inches thick, was from cast material, painted black with a White "Crown Property" (or something to that effect) stamp on it with a White crown in the center. The inside was hollow and there was a sprocket inside which was abviously some sort of fairlead of a bicycle chain. One side was open, something must have been attached to the open side once. To me there was no doubt it was part of the control column, though it was obviously too small to be from a Halifax. I'm certain the part we had found was this:

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Perhaps it was a Mosquito we had found after all? I no longer have this piece as all items went into the collection of the schoolteacher, who has now long since passed away. Perhaps someone here can post a picture of a real Mosquito column for me to see if I'm right.

Like I said in my post above I'm planning to use Eduard seat belts for my model. On the Airfix pilot's seat the opening in the backrest for the seat belt is not central, it is slightly offset to stbd.

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I think on Tamiya's 1:32nd scale Mosquito this opening is indeed central. I don't know how the ends of the seat belt were fastened to the back of the seat. I don't wasnt to simply stick them on there, maybe someone here can shed some light on this.

Thanks!
Peter

Edited by olympic1911
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First seatbelts are in place. Those Eduard seatbelts are quite a challenge! I found it far easier to thread the belts into the buckles BEFORE the buckles were cut from the fret. This made them far less prone to loss. Now for the bottom halfs!

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Peter

Edited by olympic1911
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Today I added details to the instrument panel. Though I have the Airscale instrument panel decal I decided to use the Airfix offering after all. Alle instruments received a blob of Model Master Glosscote.

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Peter

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Work on the Cockpit is progressing well. I'm trying not to over-do the weathering as this can ruin a model

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The clear safety-cap was glued with PVA to avoid messy stains

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I might be able to glue the fuselage halfs together this weekend.

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Regards

Peter

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Your model looks superb Peter - and fascinating info regarding the archaeology. Any further news on the identity of the find?

Kirk

Wohoo! Kate Bush Album cover as an Avatar! Your my best pal already! :winkgrin:

I did some further research into the object we found back then but as it was about 20 years ago some details surely aren't present anymore others may be incorrect. However, now I'm certain that it was stamped A M (Air Ministry - obviously!) with a white crown underneath and not Crown Property as stated above.

My best bet it was from a Halifax after all and it was this here:

viewfrompilotsseatweb.jpg

It is an auto-pilot speed steering lever so it would make perfect sense that there was a sprocket inside.

The finds that this retired schoolteacher made back then were truly amazing. He dug up several B17 Bombers finding crew-members' belongings such as navigational instruments, rulers even parts of a wrist watch. On a Lancaster site we found several one penny coins which were most likely good luck charms. We also found parts of a browning .303 machine-gun at a Lancaster site near Iysselsteyn in Holland. This aircraft had the codes "JO-Z" I don't recall the serial-number anymore.

Anyway - back to the Mosquito

The Radiators will receive a layer of Humbrol silver later on today and once this has fully dried it'll get some wash to bring out the mesh.

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I have masked parts of the wings for here too the radiator area will be painted in silver. I'm planning to build an all-silver RAAF version of the Mosquito. By the way: All paintwork has been aibrushed and none of it has been painted with a brush (yet), apart from minor details and the washes of course.

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A few bits and pieces are being prepared for a coat of surfacer, filling if necessary and final painting

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I found it easier to attach the rear bulkhead to the wing-spar rather then to the fuselage as advised in the instruction booklet. This would ensure that there are no gaps between the pieces after the wings have been joined to the fuselage. I have to say though that the general fit of parts in this kit is superb!

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More soon!

Peter

Edited by olympic1911
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  • 1 year later...

Well, I've got her off the shelf again, after more than a year. One thing I noticed is the top surface of the flaps don't fit properly. You can see the top surface of the nacelle protruding over the flap surface.

 

J4100017a.jpgBilder hochladen

 

I have seen a number of build-logs on the Airfix Mosquito but this issue seems to have never been mentioned.

 

You can see here I have used the edge of the nacelle as a template to draw its outline onto the flap with a pencil.

 

J4100018a.jpgBilder hochladen

 

What would be best? Surely to trim the nacelle would be the simpler Approach, but somehow I believe that to cut this area away from the flap will be the more difficult but better solution.

 

Regards

Peter

Edited by olympic1911
typo
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  • 4 years later...

Looking great! I dunno how you keep it so neat and tidy, but I think it really benefits from that care at this scale. Maybe now the fuselage and wings are all on, there'll be no way to hide it away for 5 years anymore!

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Looking good, I an sorry to have missed this one, just caught up and like what I see.  Yes it certainly is  big beastie and would be difficult to miss.  Got one in the stash too, one day soon...

Great work on this .

 

Chris

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Thanks all for your comments and likes. Contrary to the instructions, I glued the engine beareres to the wing spar before the engine were attached to them. When test fitting the engines nothing would line up as it should. The engines simply wouldn't rest onto the bearers where they were supposed to. The only cure was to remove half of the supercharger air-intake and after that the engines fitted better. As an afterthought, it might have been better to simply remove a slice of intake where it attaches to the engine casing.

 

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Peter

 

 

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Looks fantastic. I don't remember having a problem with the intake, but I had a problem with fitting the saddle tank at the front in behind the nacelle's front face. Maybe it's linked to whether you apply the engine bearers to the engine or to the wing first.

 

Overall I found the fit pretty good but it had its frustrating moments. I had a lot of trouble getting the main gears on, I remember that. And the pilot doesn't fit in his seat when the cockpit is in the fuselage unless you cut his left arm off! Maybe I got something out of alignment there too.

 

It's a huge model!

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