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Mosquito Canopies


Trenton guy

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The new Airfix B.XVI kit contains two types of canopies but only one is used for this particular boxing. The ones specified have bulged side windows. The unused ones have teardrop fairings on the side windows and roof. My references are failing me. Is there any rule as to which canopy is used with which mark of Mosquito. According to photos, the teardrop side panels seem to be characteristic of the Mark IX and the bulged ones of the Mark XVI , but not entirely. There seem to be exceptions. Other late marks seem to be a mixed bag of both, IS THERE A RULE?

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If the variant had a pressurised cabin the side windows would be of the 'blown' (bulged) variety as per the XVI but as a non-expert on the type that's about the only rule I can think of. I think the top blister was used primarily by PR versions but not 100% sure so those with a far greater knowledge will probably provide a more definitive answer.

 

Regards

Colin.

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Just to add that looking at all my Mosquito photos it seems all bomber versions (and also the prototype aircraft) had the tear drop sides, apart from the pressurised versions, but that the top blister seemed to vary as I've seen pics of the PR.XVI both with and without it. FB and Nightfighter versions with the flat front screen do not appear to have had either the side or top blisters from what I can tell.

 

Regards

Colin.

Edited by fishplanebeer
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6 hours ago, fishplanebeer said:

bomber versions (and also the prototype aircraft) had the tear drop sides, apart from the pressurised versions, but that the top blister seemed to vary as I've seen pics of the PR.XVI both with and without it. FB and Nightfighter versions with the flat front screen do not appear to have had either the side or top blisters from what I can tell.

That's as good a summing up as you will get, but the best thing is to find a photograph of the aircraft you propose to model. Don't trust artist's profiles as these can be wildly inaccurate regarding canopy types.

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I just checked my Airframe & Miniature # 8 and 10 and it seems from them (they might be wrong) that the bombers had the side blisters and the PR versions also had the top blister.

 

The exception to this rule would be B Mk 35 and some special B Mk XVI with H2S. These had the bugled windows.

 

Fighters had no blisters, except TF/TR mk 33 and mk 37 which had the bulged panel on the starbord side.

 

If Airfix has based their model on a museum specimen, the chances are pretty high that they got the wrong windows. I remember that there was a thread here on BM about the Airfix model, try to find it and see if it helps.

 

Now would a real expert please confirm this 🙂 ?

 

/Finn

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Firstly, IGNORE any and all profiles. They're usually bobbins.Find a photo of the aircraft you want to do.

 

Up to and including the B.IX and PR equivalents, the bomber nose aircraft had teardrop side blisters. From the XVI onwards, the bomber nose aircraft were pressurised, which included a revision of the canopy framing, making it chunkier. At this point, they got blown or bulged side panels. Some PR.XVIs sported astrodomes in the roof escape hatch but again, check photos of the aircraft you're building.  The few PR32s may not have had the astrodome, there are few photos of the type to say definitively. All the PR34s did have it.  The B35s largely didn't, having the flat escape hatch, but many of the B35s rebuilt as TT.35s had the astrodome so the operator could see the drogues.  There are too few photos of the TT.39 to say definitively.

 

The Canadian production bombers were all B.IV equivalents, albeit the wings and wheels were tweaked from the B.XX onwards, but they all had the canopies with blisters. 

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Just to add, the B.35 also had the side windows featuring an anti-foggiing system comprised of twin sealed  glazing panels with an air gap. The air inside was part of a closed loop connected to an air drier mounted in the nose on the port side.

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6 hours ago, fishplanebeer said:

Just a quick question, was the B.35 pressurised like the BXVI, or not like the BIX, ignoring the top blister/bulge?

 

Regards

Colin.

 

Yes the B.35 and PR.34(a) were pressurised also.

 

Your synopsis above is correct - you'll be very hard pressed to find a pressurised cockpit with teardrop blister side windows. However there were a few exceptions the other way round in terms of armoured windscreen types. Those never used teardrop side windows and were normally flat. The exceptions were variants such as the Mk.XVIII Tse Tse which, for example, had one blown side window on the Observer's side.

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Mod 1012, though I don't have a copy, deals with DE-pressurizing the B.35. So yes, the B.35 was designed to be pressurized but if mod 1012 was incorporated then obviously it no longer would be pressurized.

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If I can jump in with another observation of the new Airfix kits canopy. 

 

I thought that the rear rear section of the canopy should have the framing on the inside. I don’t have mine to hand right now but I’m sure that Airfix have moulded it onto the outside. Not a difficult fix with a sanding stick and a polish. 

 

Sorry if it’s been mentioned already. 

 

James

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1 hour ago, franky boy said:

If I can jump in with another observation of the new Airfix kits canopy. 

 

I thought that the rear rear section of the canopy should have the framing on the inside. I don’t have mine to hand right now but I’m sure that Airfix have moulded it onto the outside. Not a difficult fix with a sanding stick and a polish. 

 

Sorry if it’s been mentioned already. 

 

James

Yes, and the middle bar in the emergency escape hatch is internal as well. On the blister hatch it's offset to port, but on the plain hatch it should be central  -airfix have moulded it external and offset to port...

 

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