Mosquito FB.VI RS625 NE*D 143 Sqn Strike Camera

[datguy]

Photos of this aircraft from April 1945 show a strike camera/gun camera in a nonstandard fairing on the midline of the nose just above the machine guns.   I have some questions about this fitting.

 

• Are there any drawings or detail photos available that show the size and shape of the fairing, and how it was fitted to the nose piece?
• Is it known whether this camera arrangement was first fitted as part of the trials with the tiered rocket launchers and drop tanks, or was it fitted to this aircraft for use in documenting the Strike Wings' attacks?

 

Thanks for any information you can share.

 

David

[Dave Swindell]

Hi David

I've not seen any detail drawings or photo's that show the actual installation, but I believe the camera was an F24 aerial reconnaissance camera with a short focal length lens, the fairing diameter would be about right for this.

There's a good photo of PZ202 with this installation taken dead square on from the front which has been published in a few books (SAM Mosquito datafile p30 is one), the diameter of the window is just slightly narrower than the gap between the two inner machine guns. I can't find a copy on the web of this photo, but there's one below from the side that I'm pretty certain is the same aircraft. This was the test aircraft for the RP/Drop tank combination, but I'm pretty sure the camera installation was nothing to do with these trials.

 

This camera installation was used to document the Banff wing anti shipping strikes, and as well as RS625 NE*D, PZ438 NE*F was also fitted with this installation and features in several Charles Brown photos from Jan 1945, these have been widely published, one below. There were probably more aircraft with this mod, but I haven't seen any phjoto's or reference to them outside of use by 143 Sqn. @Terry @ Aviaeology might know more as he's well up on the Strike wings? I modelled this one from the Tamiya kit, the window and fairing scratched from a piece of tube of a suitable diameter  glazed and faired in, the back of the camera was fudged from scraps of plastic card, it's quite tiny in 1:72, so not a great deal of detail is called for.

 

PZ202 at the3 A&AEE??

PZ438 NE*F 143 Sqn, another one with the nose camera mod

 

And my attempt at modelling it with the Tamiya kit in 1:72

 

[HOUSTON]

Dave.

helpful information. And you model is

Nice, SUPER  build. 

 

[datguy]

That's perfect, Dave.  Exactly the information I was hoping to find.  

 

Thanks!

- David

[Fredag]

An example from the John Smith collection, almost a New Zealand barn find situation. Stored for the last 60 odd years.

https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/27961/john-smith-collection?page=28

 

[sammy da fish]

Good model there like it, that it my big Tamiya Mossie just moved several places up the pile. And now via the NZ web site I have clear shot of the camera gun details. Thanks again.

Sammy

[Dave Swindell]

3 hours ago, Fredag said:

An example from the John Smith collection, almost a New Zealand barn find situation. Stored for the last 60 odd years.

https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/27961/john-smith-collection?page=28

 

Thanks for the link Fredag, very interesting, I hadn't realised that this Mossie had the camera modification. It appears to have been modded  further, presumably in NZ service, the bulge to stbd of the camera doesn't appear to be present on the 143 sqn or A&AEE photo's, and there appears to be an extension tube at the front for a longer lens, but the original installation looks the same. Frustrating that the photographer didn't post any of the camera installation inside!

[Anthony in NZ]

7 hours ago, Dave Swindell said:

Thanks for the link Fredag, very interesting, I hadn't realised that this Mossie had the camera modification. It appears to have been modded  further, presumably in NZ service, the bulge to stbd of the camera doesn't appear to be present on the 143 sqn or A&AEE photo's, and there appears to be an extension tube at the front for a longer lens, but the original installation looks the same. Frustrating that the photographer didn't post any of the camera installation inside!

Hi Dave

 

I took photo's of the inside of the mount.  Ignore the long lens sticking out the front, they boys had an F-24 they popped in the mounts, and when I was talking to John (the original owner) many years ago abou this he mentioned it had a short lens in it.  I think this is the only surviving nose of this type left in the world and FYI it has had no mods in NZ

 

I will find my pics and post them for you later

 

Cheers

Anthony

[Anthony in NZ]

Here you go...

 

 

 

 

Cheers Anthony

[datguy]

Thanks Anthony. A great help to me too 

[spitfire]

Wow great photos and story, what a treasure trove, amazing.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Dave Swindell]

17 hours ago, Anthony in NZ said:

Hi Dave

 

I took photo's of the inside of the mount.  Ignore the long lens sticking out the front, they boys had an F-24 they popped in the mounts, and when I was talking to John (the original owner) many years ago abou this he mentioned it had a short lens in it.  I think this is the only surviving nose of this type left in the world and FYI it has had no mods in NZ

 

I will find my pics and post them for you later

 

Cheers

Anthony

Cheers Anthony that would be great. Curious about the blister on the stbd side of the camera fairing though as I can't make it out in wartime photo's. 

Just twigged that it's you in some of the photo's in the linked thread, lucky you - I got a look round Avspecs a couple of years ago but there was ne're a mossie in sight.

I got waylaid last night, thanks for posting the photos, looks like I was pretty close with my model when I built it.

 

 

I went looking for the aircraft's history last night, it appears NZ2336 was built as TE910 by Standard Motors and was supplied to New Zealand via 27MU at RAF Shawbury after being delivered there direct from the manufacturers, without seeing any RAF Squadron service. I'd always assumed that the nose camera fit was a Banff Strike Wing/143 Sqn local mod, so after your statement that it had no mods in NZ I was wondering if the camera nose had been fitted at 27MU for delivery to Banff, but with wars end it was then diverted to the RNZAF. However, this morning I found my request to join the Omaka John Smith Mosquito Facebook group had been approved, and the very first post in my feed this morning was a photo of NZ2336 being fitted with with a standard nose cone as built and supplied to the RNZAF, and the camera nose "as fitted at some point in service with 75 Sqn" has been removed for separate display. They see this as appropriate for their intended display as a 487 Sqn machine, but I can't help feeling a little disappointed this morning that this aircraft has now lost it's uniqueness and will be "just another Mosquito". They do seem to be doing a pretty good job so far with the completed work on it. 

If the camera nose was indeed fitted by 75 sqn, I wonder if someone involved in the installation was ex Banff 489 Sqn? This could also explain the blister, which appears to be for what was presumably a larger motor drive for the camera.

[11bravo]

On 11/25/2020 at 2:01 AM, Fredag said:

An example from the John Smith collection, almost a New Zealand barn find situation. Stored for the last 60 odd years.

https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/27961/john-smith-collection?page=28

 

Thanks for the link.  That's a most interesting thread.   Spent the morning (and a few cups of coffee reading through all of it).  

[Anthony in NZ]

My pleasure Dave

 

Yes I feel the same as you regarding keeping her original with her original nose.  John and I are pretty convinced she was delivered with it fitted and not added on by 75 Sqn.  I found a photo of her on delivery sitting behind an Aussie one and she still had her cammo on and the camera nose fitted.  She only flew about 20 hours in RNZAF service.

 

However, it is the families choice and I have to respect that, I am just pleased we have her here to admire and study

 

You did a great job on your F-24 installation!

 

Cheers Anthony