A brace of Mosquitos

[Enzo the Magnificent]

I have never built a two-stage Merlin Mosquito.  Likewise, I have never built a bomber Mosquito.   Time to put that right.

 

I shall be building the newish Airfix kit.  However, I couldn't make up my mind between the bomber and PR versions.  There is only one possible solution.  Build 'em both!   

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Rather than post my own poor sprue shots, let me direct you to the excellent reviews by Mike.

 

 

 

 

As you can see from Mike's sprue shots, the bomber aircraft has a sprue providing bulged bomb bay doors and some bombs to go in the bay, while the PR kit has a smaller sprue providing the relevant standard bomb bay doors.  The bomber version attracted some criticism as the doors are actually for a target tug conversion, which was the aircraft that the Airfix team initially measured.  I feel that is an easy fix.  Just sand off the bulges.

 

However, I fancy building a post-war aircraft with the weird H2S radar bulge, using the Freightdog conversion set.

 

 

As you can see, the Freightdog set provides standard bomb bay doors, so the problem mentioned above goes away.

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good evening Enzo

I will follow your build as I have the Airfix PRXVI in my stock and I consider building it for this Gb ...

Have fun

Best regards

Patrice

[vppelt68]

I have ordered the PR kit from Mrs. reini but for the Allied Twins GB - in 2024

[modelling minion]

1 hour ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

Build 'em both!   

Good to see you putting your money where your mouth is and following your own mantra.😁

Even though I build mostly in 1/48 these two kits are quite enticing so I shall pull up a chair and follow with interest if thats okay.

 

🇺🇦

[CliffB]

Welcome Enzo.  I'm looking forward to learning a little about post-war Mosquitos (about which I currently know nothing!).

[Enzo the Magnificent]

On 19/04/2023 at 07:06, CliffB said:

I'm looking forward to learning a little about post-war Mosquitos

 

If you wan to see a really bizarre one, search google for Mosquito TT39.

[CliffB]

8 hours ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

 

If you wan to see a really bizarre one, search google for Mosquito TT39.

 

I really wish I hadn't just done that 

[Marklo]

Nice, welcome Enzo good to see you taking your own advice  

[vppelt68]

May I ask will you be using the USAAF (B) decal option of the PR. Mk.XVI build ?

[Enzo the Magnificent]

25 minutes ago, vppelt68 said:

May I ask will you be using the USAAF (B) decal option of the PR. Mk.XVI build ?

 

No.  I will be building the box art option.

[vppelt68]

That's nice too, we don't get too many planes from Foggia airfield complex! In that case I'll verify my recently edited draft of a build plan and use the option B 🙂.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

7 minutes ago, vppelt68 said:

In that case I'll verify my recently edited draft of a build plan and use the option B 🙂.

Don't do that on my account.  There's plenty of room in the GB for similar builds.

[vppelt68]

25 minutes ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

Don't do that on my account.  There's plenty of room in the GB for similar builds.

Thanks, I know there is, but I really want to do the USAAF version 🙂

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

4 minutes ago, vppelt68 said:

 I really want to do the USAAF version 🙂

 

 

That sounds fair enough to me. 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

For the sprue shots of these kits, I think the best course of action is to refer you to the reviews on this site.

 

 

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

So let's get started.   These are the cockpit assemblies.  The upper one is for the B.XVI with H2S radar.  Freightdog provide a very nice resin instrument panel with the additional radar gear.  I have added seat harnesses from Eduard.

 

 

Ready to close up the fuselages.

 

 

Canopies fitted and masked.  The B.XVI has the nose glazing painted over with what looks like a camera installed poking through the glazing flat panel.  Freightdog provide a resin part to represent this.

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Nacelle interiors painted up.

 

 

Wings and nacelles assembled.  I have also assembled the undercarriage components using the wings as an assembly jig, as recommended in the Airfix instructions.

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Additional components fitted to the H2S aircraft.  This include the standard weapons bay doors (as opposed to the bilged ones included in the kit), an intake fitted to the starboard side of the fuselage, the H2S radome and a Monica tail warning radar installation fitted to the extreme tail.

 

 

Ready for main assembly.

 

 

Main assembly complete.  I applied a pre-primer coat of clear lacquer then the main primer coat from a rattle can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

The recce aircraft ready for assembly.

 

 

And primed as above.

 

[81-er]

Both looking very good, Enzo

 

James

[modelling minion]

Excellent work on both your Mossies Enzo, they look great. 

 

🇺🇦

[Enzo the Magnificent]

I sprayed the fin and bands on the PR aircraft with white primer from a rattle can.  Then I masked them off.

 

[Marklo]

Nice. I hate painting white but I haven’t had a lot of luck with rattlecans lately. I did manage to successfully spray AK white but also noted that it turns to gel when mixed with Tamiya paint  

Edited June 13, 2023 by Marklo

[modelling minion]

4 minutes ago, Marklo said:

Nice. I hate painting white but I haven’t had a lot of luck with rattlecans lately. I did manage to successfully spray AK white but also noted that it turns to gel when mixed with Tamiya paint  

I find that warming the paint by putting the can in warm water for 5 minutes (you could also just leave it outside in the sun at the minute!) thins the paint and helps it go on better.

 

🇺🇦