Airfix 1/72 Mosquito modified to PR.XVI

[72nd SQN]

So……. to the big modification. The flat PR.XVI belly. I kinda have a feeling that aftermarket conversions will be coming down the path, but I will make a few of these (RAAF and Fleet Air Arm) so will contemplate those at a later date. In the meantime, I started playing with the bomb-bay from a Tamiya B.IV and low and behold it is almost a perfect fit. You just need to raise it up with a strip of 20thou each side and voila ! 

 

 

The  gap you can see at the rear is filled by the rear bulkhead from the bomb-bay, there is a little bit of work lengthwise to adjust, but seriously not much in it.  I also drilled out the Camera ports in the rear fuselage and made a plastic card fairing for the gap left by not fitting the rear bomb-bay fairing (or TT fairing as it seems :)!).

 

Because Airfix make the front bomb-bay bulkhead as a single solid pice, its just a matter of hitting it with the file until it is flush with the front of the bomb bay doors.  I used the punch and die set to make some clear 10thou camera ports and then also some 5thou rings to go around and cover the joins, these will be sanded down later, to just leave a representation.  You will also notice that I rescribed the starboard rear hatch as its there on the kit, but not as well defined as it should be as well as well as the 3 ID lights which need to be added.

Masked off the clear camera ports and the conversion part of the kit is starting to shape up now. For those worried about what am I going to do with the rest of Tamiya B.IV, it is half way to being converted to a TT.39 and has it's own set of scratch built bomb-bay doors (I will also use the spare paddle props from the Tamiya kit as well on this kit)

 

Reference shot below of a set of PR.XVI bomb-bay doors being restored - thanks for tuning in ! cheers P

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by 72nd SQN

[Allan31]

Great stuff here 72nd SQN. I just got my Mossie the other night here in the US, can't wait to start.

Your little tweeks are perfect and will really make this kit shine. 

Following along, looking forward to colors !!

[Bedders]

Did you get any further with this?

 

J

[Tom R]

Can we have the next instalment please.

[bigbadbadge]

Crikey , missed this, before, sorry.  Wow what a model, the cockpit is phenomenal as is the mudguard work too and along with the other enhancements is going to make this a masterpiece.   Amazing work.

Chris