fatalbert Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Well,I was in the loft the other day looking for a Matchbox Mosquito that I want for a future tt39 project when I came across an old forgotten Frog kit of DH's finest.I seem to recall acquiring it at a swap meet many years ago.It had already been started.At some point someone had hacked the nose off of one of the fuselage halfs and it was missing the removed part so it went in the stash,forgotten until now. What to do with it.any suggestions?I have been thinking of putting the matchbox nightfighter nose on it but what to do with those undersized engines,Maybe a crashed airframe diorama,?Any ideas for me to ponder would be gratefully received☺ Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 I used one of the pilots in a Tamiya 1/100 Viggen. The outer wings were recommended for correcting the wings of the Revell I-16 so I did that, but it is not needed now. Ditto a pair of large intakes for late Spitfires. I recall that the wheels were useful for something, but don't recall what. I did save the nose and canopy for possible conversion of an Airfix Mossie to a bomber, but again who'd need that now? Ditto the tail to improve the Frog Hornet. So it was once a very useful kit, but unless you have a pair of Tamiya 1/100 jets it isn't much use now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 are the aircrew figures really that tiny? I might need some like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaselden Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 (edited) Just build it for nostalgia's sake. The Frog Mossie was the first kit I ever made by myself...at the ripe old age of 6. I failed to understand the instructions so I glued the bomb aimer's window onto the fuselage and then glued the gun nose over the top. I did a similar thing with the alternate canopies, resulting in a glued-up mess that put the poor pilot permanently into IMC. I did build it with the wheels down but had no paint so I applied the decals straight to the grey plastic. Proud of my new creation, I took it to my aunt's house the next day. It was impossible to visit her and not be fed...and she duly offered us sandwiches and a cuppa. I put my Mossie on the armchair I'd been sitting in and scampered into the kitchen to get my sandwiches (typical 6 year-old boy, always hungry!). I dashed back into the living room, entirely focused on my food...and promptly sat on my Mossie, completely trashing the undercarriage, breaking off the tailplane. My pride and joy was ruined. 😥 Apologies for the trip down memory lane...you'll now be returned to your regular programme. Edited November 13, 2018 by mhaselden 9 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck1945 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 2 hours ago, mhaselden said: Just build it for nostalgia's sake <snip>... Apologies for the trip down memory lane...you'll now be returned to your regular programme. Continuing that theme I built it in ‘68 or early ‘69 when stationed at West Ruislip RAF Station. While operated by the USAFE, the nominal station commander was, at least to me at 23, an elderly RAF Squadron Leader and I proudly presented the completed kit to him. Turns out his brother had KIA flying one so in retrospect it wasn’t that neat of an idea 🙁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 The fin is too small, as well, IIRC. You might consider using foil or tissue over the nose section to simulate a tarp and build it; one of my favorite models and my first airbrushed kit. I cut open the entry door and opened the bomb bay. Didn't know about the fuel tanks mounted in the roof of the bay back then. Ah, those were the days! Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 5 hours ago, mhaselden said: Just build it for nostalgia's sake. It's nostalgia for us because we had it when new. For him it would not be nostalgia but masochism. It's never a waste of time if you are enjoyng yourself, but... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 You could do something like this: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWFK10 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 The Patrick Stephens Ltd Classic Aircraft book on the Mosquito said, way back in 1980, "this is not a good kit by present day standards". "The most serious problem with this kit is that the wings are placed far too high on the fuselage. The root positions practically break the lower line of the cockpit, which makes any model completed from this kit look a little odd. The work involved in correcting this is not worthwhile...." It suggests that all it's good for is to provide useful spare parts and as Graham says that was true 40 years ago but not these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 Thanks for the suggestions and memories☺,I cant build it without tinkering,I just cant live with it lol,talking of memories I dont remember the frog kits,my first mosquito was the original Airfix one,am glad I dont have one of those as its worse than the frog one.I did wonder if it was possible to convert it into a FMA IAe.24 Calquin,but looking at them,I think its a conversion too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antti_K Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Hello Neil, I've got a wild idea for you: VL Mosquito-Vihuri. During the Continuation War here in Finland Valtion Lentokonetehdas (State Aircraft Factory) proposed a "reverse engineered" Mosquito bomber. Two Mosquitoes were ordered from Germany but they were never delivered. The idea was to equip the Finnish-build Mosquito-Vihuri with DB-605 engines. So if you got for example surplus engine parts from Matchbox Me-410 kit in your spares box you are on the way. The proposed project was quickly abandoned as Finland received Ju-88 bombers from Germany. No plans were drawn and Valtion Lentokonetehdas concentrated on fighter designs VL Myrsky (Tempest), VL Pyörremyrsky (Typhoon) and VL Puuska (Gust). Here is one "What If" night fighter version: http://www.pienoismallit.net/galleria/malli_11353/ Cheers, Antti 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 12 hours ago, Antti_K said: The idea was to equip the Finnish-build Mosquito-Vihuri with DB-605 engines. So if you got for example surplus engine parts from Matchbox Me-410 kit in your spares box you are on the way. Or cut the engines off and turn them upside down, swapping over wings, and then bodging the rest I had a similar idea to use the old and inaccurate 48th Monogram Mosquito, and was able to use some surplus Airfix engines to do this... having got some Bf110 props and spinners from a model club freebie box... the kit inaccuracies could then become Finnish modifications to the basic design... One a not dissimilar tack, the 1/50th SMER Fiat G.55 is planned to get some severe butchery to become a VL Puuska , as this was just a project, where the VL Myrsky (Tempest), VL Pyörremyrsky (Typhoon) actually got built I did start trying to make a VL Pyörremyrsky a while back, when I actually had some enthusiasm. Usually I have seen Pyörremyrsky translated as "Hurricane" though I thought is was more literally in Finnish "whirl wind " (Pyörre = circle/wheel. myrsky - = wind/storm) cheers T 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawk Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 A Blenheim NF with Lichtenstein and ShVAK cannon (see link above) would be an interesting what-if as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Have you boys been sniffing the paint thinner again? Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisTheBear Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 How about making a construction diorama. Get assorted figures, bits and pieces aso from the spares box, some styrene sheet, strips etc. That way you can use the kit parts but modify tbem as you want. Hours of fun with research, planning, and building. DennisTheBear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 On 11/14/2018 at 9:04 PM, Antti_K said: Hello Neil, I've got a wild idea for you: VL Mosquito-Vihuri. During the Continuation War here in Finland Valtion Lentokonetehdas (State Aircraft Factory) proposed a "reverse engineered" Mosquito bomber. Two Mosquitoes were ordered from Germany but they were never delivered. The idea was to equip the Finnish-build Mosquito-Vihuri with DB-605 engines. So if you got for example surplus engine parts from Matchbox Me-410 kit in your spares box you are on the way. The proposed project was quickly abandoned as Finland received Ju-88 bombers from Germany. No plans were drawn and Valtion Lentokonetehdas concentrated on fighter designs VL Myrsky (Tempest), VL Pyörremyrsky (Typhoon) and VL Puuska (Gust). Here is one "What If" night fighter version: http://www.pienoismallit.net/galleria/malli_11353/ Cheers, Antti That's an interesting idea,I wonder how feasible that would have been in reality. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, fatalbert said: That's an interesting idea,I wonder how feasible that would have been in reality. Finland has lots of timber, and they did make plywood skinned types, the Pyörremyrsky is preserved, and that's skinned like that, many Soviet types were as well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 Thanks for all your suggestions guys,I think I have had a bit of an idea on where I am going to go with it.An aircraft in an airforce that accidentally shoots up its own army's armoured cars in the desert. Thats the only clue your going to get ☺,sorry no.prizes for correct answers.🏆 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Somebody, Blue Rider maybe, made decals for planes and Airforces in Tintin, one being some kind of Mosquito..... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 5 minutes ago, Troy Smith said: Finland has lots of timber, and they did make plywood skinned types, the Pyörremyrsky is preserved, and that's skinned like that, many Soviet types were as well. But no access to balsa, which in sandwich form provided the lightness, whereas other wooden designs were heavier than their equivalent in metal. The Soviets retained wooden structures and surfaces because of their lack of aluminium in sufficient quantity, what they had was used in T34s. Aluminium was one of the priority supplies received from Lend Lease. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antti_K Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Hello all, Pahk's (is the pilot called Pjotr Pahk in English version?) Mosquito sounds very good option as well. Looking forward to see it. How realistic the Finnish Mosquito-Vihuri project was? Taking the time into consideration I think that the idea was sound and VL certainly had the required know-how and raw materials. Balsa wood was available in Finland so no problem there either. The greatest problem was the glue. The wooden structures in Finnish built Fokkers showed no problems; in fact some of them served from late 30s to mid 50s. But those aircraft were built using far better glues and adhesives. The Finnish "Myrsky" fighter was designed and production started during the Continuation War. A diagonal-plywood sandwich structure was used but without balsa core. Problems started almost immediately as the glue joints started to broke. They couldn't cope with water or cold weather. With proper glue we would have had a fighter with rather high top speed and reasonable armament. This was something that must have turned the enthusiasm down with the Mosquito-Vihuri project. And to be honest I think that Junkers 88 filled the need better during the Soviet summer campaign in 1944. One Myrsky fighter (MY-14) is being restored as we speak. The fuselage and wings are almost complete and it is expected to be ready for roll-out sometime next year. I've seen the project and those guys are making an excellent job. Cheers, Antti 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 58 minutes ago, Antti_K said: Pahk's (is the pilot called Pjotr Pahk in English version?) Mosquito sounds very good option as well. Looking forward to see it. http://tintin.wikia.com/wiki/Piotr_Skut Quote Piotr Skut (French: Piotr Szut) is an eyepatch-wearing Estonian pilot who is friendly with Captain Haddock and Tintin after they saved his life in the Red Sea Had more time too look up the details.... These are the Blue Rider fictional decals https://www.insigniamag.com/02_172_decals.html#fictional 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 12 hours ago, Troy Smith said: http://tintin.wikia.com/wiki/Piotr_Skut Had more time too look up the details.... These are the Blue Rider fictional decals https://www.insigniamag.com/02_172_decals.html#fictional Thanks Troy,I have ordered a set of those,thanks for the heads up ☺👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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