Mark's 1/48 Mosquito FB.VI - COMPLETED

[MarkSH]

Hello fellow Airfixsators,

 

This is my one of my two concurrent Multi Role Combat Aircraft Builds for this GB:

 

 

The shape-wise accurate but surface detail lacking Mosquito FB.VI

 

 

I was intending to do it as a post-war Germany based aircraft but may change my mind on that, whatever I won't be using the kit supplied decals, probably have ago at my own again. I have also sourced a sort of representation of a merlin (see top right) from another kit so hopefully will display it with some engine cowlings removed. Also the intention is to add a lot of scratched interior detail as well, this will require replacing the very thick kit canopy with my own vac-formed version.

 

And to add some interest to the overall display I have also acquired the Tamiya 'Tilly' to sit alongside the Mossie as well as my own scratch built Trolley Accumulator which I finished yesterday:

 

 

 

 

So lots to do, can't wait.

 

Cheers, M.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Looking good i love the scratchbuilt cart. Mind if i keep an 👀 on this 

[stever219]

1 hour ago, MarkSH said:

 

The shape-wise accurate but surface detail lacking Mosquito FB.VI

 

I have also sourced a sort of representation of a merlin (see top right) from another kit so hopefully will display it with some engine cowlings removed.

 

And to add some interest to the overall display I have also acquired the Tamiya 'Tilly' to sit alongside the Mossie

The Airfix Mosquito has all the surface detail it needs, albeit raised.  It features the capping strips above the spars featured by later aircraft stressed fo heavier underwing loads.  It could do with the longitudinal straps along the fuselage centreline joints top and bottom but these can be added from strips of very thin plastic card should the modeller so desire.

 

The wheel wells and weapons bay are blank canvases but are reasonably well documented photographically and in reproductions of technical paperwork: you might be able to obtain further information from the de Havilland Aircraft Museum at London Conley near St Albans which has an ex 605 and 4 Squadron FB. VI under long-term restoration.

 

Normally the engine cowlings were removed from the bottom upwards, so bottom, sides then top: you may have a bit more scratch building than planned.

 

The RAF didn’t use the Austin Tilly, using a Hillman instead as depicted in the Airfix Bomber Resupply Set, albeit in 1/72nd scale.  This has been much discussed on this and other modelling sites and the suspicion is that Tamiya used a restored vehicle, painted in spurious RAF markings, as a reference for their kit.

 

I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with this kit, it’s still one of my favourites.

[MarkSH]

@stever219 thanks for your detailed response I have to admit I don’t feel I’ll have time to build an entire engine for display so I’ll just have to remove one panel. As for the Tilly that’s disappointing I was looking forward to building her, perhaps I will anyway.

[Lawzer]

There will soon be 2 Mosquito's....I've got another boxing so the 2 won't get confused 😁

 

I think you and I spoke about the scheme you were doing before @MarkSH - I was lucky enough to get a usable set of black ruffe decals....

Edited May 28, 2018 by Lawzer

[Rabbit Leader]

If that accumulator is anything to go by, this Classic Mossie kit will be worthy of top shelf honours.

I still remember the many plaudits this kit received when it was first released as it was said to have been initially designed as a 1/24th kit.

It obviously shows its age these days, however still believe that it can be made into a real winner. Good luck.

 

Cheers.. Dave

 

[MarkSH]

Hi all,

 

With regard to the spurious Tamiya RAF markings for the Austin 'Tilly' in a way it has helped making my decision on doing a postwar Mossie which I did have in mind anyway. The Tamiya kit supplies markings for a North Western Europe  vehicle around '44 for a unknown British Army unit, so I don't think its too much of a stretch to say a similar vehicle could have still been in use during the subsequent occupation of Germany and employed by BAFO for general duties.

I think I'll go for it as I've been itching to do the Tilly for quite a while now.

The Mosquito will be finished as FB.6 (Mark designation changed to Arabic numerals in '47) PZ471 of No. 21 Squadron as below from MAM's AIRFILE No. 22 Post War Mosquito FB.6:

 

 

This scheme appealed to me as it has some polished natural metal on the spinners and the nose cap, I'll have to knock up my own decals but there aren't that many.

 

Cheers, M.

[Lawzer]

You started on this Mark?

 

I'd be interested to know - do your kit fuselage halves have a little sink mark about 2/3 the way back and a sink mark on the starboard side where the (what I *think*) are fuel gauge dials inside the cockpit?

 

The one I did last year has them and all 3 I have now do....

 

 

 

[MarkSH]

2 hours ago, Lawzer said:

You started on this Mark?

 

I'd be interested to know - do your kit fuselage halves have a little sink mark about 2/3 the way back and a sink mark on the starboard side where the (what I *think*) are fuel gauge dials inside the cockpit?

 

The one I did last year has them and all 3 I have now do....

 

 

 

Yes I have the starboard side sink hole and a very small indentation on the port side, nothing much too fret about. Not started yet next couple of days hopefully working on the Swordfish at the moment.

[MarkSH]

Evening all,

 

Finally got around to starting on the Mossie, and immediately set about vandalising the port side cockpit wall...

 

 

The kit representation of the throttle box and elevator trim indicator was a little indistinct plus quite a lot of other bits and pieces were missing so I replaced it with some scratched detail, I'm not going to do too much (famous last words!) just enough to make it look a little more busy  through the cockpit glazing. Here's a start:

 

 

I've added the compass, intercom panel, some cabling and the pilot oxygen tube the tail ends will be trimmed and not visible anyway.

 

 

I have also started painting up the other cockpit components, added some rudder pedals below the Instrument Panel, made a foil harness for the pilot's seat (will do the same for the Obs./Nav...safety first chaps) and added the seat height adjuster as well. I've got hold of the Barracuda airframe stencil decals which include a decal for the Instrument Panel and some cockpit placards as well, they look quite nice on the sheet so hopefully they'll smarten up the overall look. I also want to make a frame for the R.1155 Receiver to sit on as the kit would have it seemingly floating in mid air.

 

 

 

The Starboard side wall details are better defined so I'll keep that, but I will embellish it as per the port side, there are some interesting shapes and cabling to add texture and as it will be more visible than the Pilot's side wall needs to be busier.

 

Anyway its a start,

 

Cheers, M.

[Lawzer]

Looking good Mark!

 

A great start! 👍

[MarkSH]

Hi all,

 

I'm really loving the variety of build subjects in this GB and the inventive corrections, rectifications and general high quality modelling, great stuff.

 

My Mossie build is firmly in the cockpit detailing mode at present, I have made some progress today, using the BarracudaCals for the Instrument Panel has worked out ok, but I had to use a substantial amount of Microset / Sol and then MR Softer to get them to conform to the bumps and hollows of the IP and have just put a drop of Gloss Cote in the dial faces:

 

 

I have added as much detail to the other cockpit components as I feel is necessary including some cabling, Oopps just noticed that I'll need to add the oxygen supply tube for the Obs./Nav's position;

 

 

Finally, dry fitting the IP to make sure it will now fit properly. The kit has a moulded lug on the port fuselage 'near' where the IP should be set, however, if it is intended as a locator for the rear face of the IP it is no where near far enough back, I can't believe it was intended for the front face as it would occlude some of the dials so I removed it completely:

 

 

Moving onto the Stbd. side wall next.

 

Cheers, Mark.

[Lawzer]

I was quite happy with the way my mossie cockpit was progressing but seeing this.....top work!! 👍 

[stevej60]

Excellent cockpit Mark.

[BIG X]

Outstanding work - I really like the wood at the bottom of the control column - I just can't do wood - yours looks brilliant.

[MarkSH]

8 hours ago, BIG X said:

Outstanding work - I really like the wood at the bottom of the control column - I just can't do wood - yours looks brilliant.

Wood, Oh dear! I thought it was leather 😉

[Blitz23]

Can tell this is gonna turn out fantastic, great stuff so far!

[Rabbit Leader]

+1 from me as well... this is looking very good. I also like the post war scheme you've chosen, a little splash of colour always suits a model. Your turning an old girl into a modern day marvel. Well played so far, especially with the 'woody' leather!! 

 

Cheers.. Dave

 

[MarkSH]

Thanks for the comments guys, I Have to say I do enjoy putting my own stamp to an older kit, I do have more modern kits in the stash and others with aftermarket 'extras',  but doing it the scrapheap challenge way really does make me feel like I'm a kid again searching through the house for 'useful' bits and pieces (some that hadn't yet outlived their original usefulness) to personalize my modelling efforts.  Like I said earlier in the thread I'm really enjoying this GB because of the variety of subjects but also because of the extra miles people are going to make an old kit shine, as they say "necessity is the mother of invention"

[MarkSH]

Afternoon folks,

 

Sorry for the pause in proceeding's a 'la Mossie, but I took the opportunity, whilst titivating the Fairey Flycatcher for the Carriers GB to consider whether or not to proceed with a further bit of kit bashing and finally decide that it was a workable option. Subsequently I set about the forward stbd. fuselage with various tools and levels of enthusiasm and needless to say after about five minutes of effort I was thinking OMG what have I done!

 

Starting from the outside I began to score carefully around the crew access door, I had considered starting from the inside but thankfully changed my mind because, as it happened the outer and inner details were not well aligned and my first plan was to drill through all the way around the door!

 

Unfortunately or fortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the initial carnage but the following show my frantic efforts to tidy up the mess I'd made:

 

Here I have glued some thin plastic card to the inside to act as a support for soft plastic card strips cemented around the perimeter of the gaping hole I'd made in my Mossie.

 

With the softer card forming a ring in the door some filler was added, also taking the opportunity to fill some of the sink holes in the fuselage.

 

Once cement and filler were cured I could start to reshape the door orifice with gentle whittling and filing, using the Modeller's Data File plans as a guide.

 

After quite a bit of whittling, filing and gnashing of teeth, almost there. To be honest, the MDF plans do not accurately reflect the positioning of the door on the kit, or vice versa, but I think its close enough. Now all I have to do is scratch a replacement door.

 

And all this because I saw a photo of the crew access ladder and thought....I could scratch that!

 

Anyway its done now and I can at least crack on with the internal starboard fuselage details.

 

Cheers, Mark.

[Lawzer]

I contemplated the door - for about a second! 😁

 

Great work!

 

i have a 1/48 crew ladder from a ju88 - you're welcome to it if you think it might be of use?

[MarkSH]

Thanks for the offer, but I've got the brass tubing and rod available to make a scratch version of it, all part of the fun!

[MarkSH]

Ok chaps,

 

Back in the saddle and continuing with the Mossie interior, plus had a couple of goes at the crew access door;

 

 

First attempt didn't seem quite right so reduced the hinges, moved the central support and added the door jettison handle, put the locking handle in the right orientation for an open door, added the door strap, storage pocket, some colour and a suggestion of the placard and I think it'll do, just a bit of touching up required. the access ladder is going to be made from Brass tubing, I bought a 4 tube set starting at 1mm OD and the rest fit inside each other and will form the telescopic assembly quite nicely but that will have to be made to measure when the Mossie is on her pins.

 

 

 

 

Added some cabling to the starboard cockpit wall, along with a couple of extra do-dads. I think I'm pretty close to buttoning it all up.

 

Glad to be getting on with some modelling again.

 

Cheers, Mark.

[Lawzer]

Superb!

[MarkSH]

Evening all,

 

Having just returned from a very enjoyable family holiday and with modelling enthusiasm fully rejuvenated I decided to tackle the engine nacelle modification I've had in mind from the outset.

To achieve the exposed engine look the port nacelle outer side cowling was carefully scored repeatedly along the raised panel  lines until it could be removed.

The Merlin engine was borrowed from another kit (the Airfix boxing of the Otaki Mustang) the engine looks a little disproportionate but I think it'll look ok with some details to distract.

 

 

I have had to fit the bulkhead out of sequence from assembling the undercarriage but  don't see any real issues with fitting the U/C directly to the nacelle later on. (apologies for the image quality my Son has borrowed my main camera so I'm having to use a little compact thing!)

 

 

I have thinned the panel edges and added the sill around the perimeter. the bullhead has had some minor detail added and also the distributer? at the rear of the exhausts. I created the coolant header tank from a tapered Milliput sausage wrapped around the front of the engine.  I added the front section of the engine bearers whilst the engine was loose, but the rear parts had to be fitted when the engine and bulkhead were glued in place.

 

 

The engine and interior painted up...…

 

 

 

 

….and fitted with the wing/nacelle top test fitted a few more wires, hoses and greeblies and I think it'll do. I'm also going to have to try and replicate the removed side cowling, the removed kit part is just way too thick to use so I'm still pondering on that.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.