Revell Mosquito DK333 Questions

[VolkerR.]

Hi,

I have just started Revell`s Mosquito in 1/48 and decided to finish it as DK333 (HS F). I am no expert on british aircraft, so here are my questions:

The callout for paint is given as a mix of Revell paints. What would be the correct Ocean Grey and Dark Green for the upper side?

Were the outer wing tanks as displayed on the box art drop tanks or were they fixed? I would like to build the aircraft without these tanks for the better look.

 

Volker

 

[stever219]

Ocean Grey is ne of those colours that it’s not always possible to tie down precisely; initially it was referred to in some circles as Olive Grey due to its slightly greenish hue.  Like Sky its introduction immediately generated supply problems and many squadrons had to mix their own, using seven parts Medium Sea Grey to one part Night.  Obviously this led to numerous variations in hue so, unless you can find a true colour image of DK333 you should be relatively safe using any of the commercially available Ocean Greys, although I’ve found the Humbrol iteration, 106, a little lacking in the green hue.

 

As for the under wing tanks they were, IIRC, jettisonable and not a permanent fixture, being used when mission requirements dictated. 

[Troy Smith]

2 hours ago, stever219 said:

 Like Sky its introduction immediately generated supply problems and many squadrons had to mix their own, using seven parts Medium Sea Grey to one part Night.  Obviously this led to numerous variations in hue so, unless you can find a true colour image of DK333 you should be relatively safe using any of the commercially available Ocean Greys, although I’ve found the Humbrol iteration, 106, a little lacking in the green hue.

DK333 was one of 50 Mosquitos built between April and September 1942.    Day Fight Scheme/Ocean Grey was introduced in August 1941,  so I'd be very surprised  if was painted in anything other than Ocean Grey at the factory.

These are Mk.IV's from the DZ*** batch, Sep 42 to July 43,   

Mosquito's by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

Mosquito B mk V's       1943. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

Mosquito line-up by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Note the Ocean Grey spinners, and burnt off paint on the exhaust shrouds, 

Ocean Grey next to Dark Green tends to mask the subtle green tint in Ocean Grey. 

 

Sadly there are plenty of 'Ocean Grey' and other basic RAF colour model paints that are not very good, especially in acrylics.   

@VolkerR.  you may want to say what paints you like using or can get. 

 

Are you interested in any tweaks for the Revell kit?

 

sticking DK333 into google got this, so it had been painted black on the underside, and so it seem had the spinners

 

 

a slightly bigger shot answered a question as if the nose glazing was overpainted

 

 

from https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235050505-mosquito-mkiv-dz319-painted-over-canopy/

 

 

 

[Graham Boak]

This isn't going to change the advice given above, but the history may be slightly murkier than suggested.

 

A slight jump in assumptions there, Troy.  The question however is not when the Day Fighter Scheme (DFS) was introduced for Fighter Command but when it was applied to Mosquitos.  The Mosquito was in service for over a year before these publicity photographs were taken, and Paul Lucas did venture into the murky worlds of rare available photos, AM and DH records in search of just how they were painted before this.  This is described in the Guideline booklet.   He could not find definitive evidence, nor (IIRC) come up with a date from which they were definitely in DFS.  Logically there will be a dated memo to that effect.  So there is some doubt about the initial service colours of the DK series.  To avoid going anywhere near that matter, the question would be knowing that DK333 was painted (or repainted) after DFS is confirmed.  I would suggest that the likeliest answer is DFS, before the Night underside as applied..

[VolkerR.]

I am slowly progressing. This kit and I will never be friends...

Next question comes up: Wheel wells aluminium or painted in another colour?

 

Volker

[Lawzer]

On 20/05/2022 at 12:01, VolkerR. said:

I am slowly progressing. This kit and I will never be friends...

Next question comes up: Wheel wells aluminium or painted in another colour?

 

Volker

Interior green I believe (or at least that's what I've done with all the mosquito's I've built).