Airfix 1:24 Mosquito
 

After a long delay (operations, business trips, daughter starting Uni in Italy, Xmas, etc.), I finally recommenced work on the Airfix 1:24 Mosquito. Bluddy expensive to paint! Finally, it is coming together. Currently working on cannons, machine guns and bomb bay to get the underside finished......If anyone is interested! One crib that I have is the brittleness of the plastic, meaning that a lot of delicate pieces break before getting them off the sprue! Just more work, I suppose.

Hi Makko, well done on taking on a mammoth project.

Reference cutting small parts from the sprue, try cutting the sprue away with the part still attached, then carefully cut the excess plastic and remains of the attached sprue away from the component. It helps reduce any inherent tension in the moulded parts. Also try cutting small parts in a large clear plastic bag, it saves them from being devoured by the dreaded rug monster! A few of my models got finished minus an odd machine gun or pilot when I was a lad!
(There are several modelling forums online that could help with any other advice about this kit. It has generally received great reviews.)



Good luck with the build, keep us posted.

Regards,

Fabulous plane the old Mozzy. :)

Thanks, Guys! I will keep you abreast.

I have a pair of sprue cutters to take the pieces off, but the parts were already broken. I was mulling over eplacing the finer lines with wire but I decided to reglue then together and clean up.

The fit of the kit is, overall, very good, but the fuselage long seams not so.

Rgds.
Dave

Good lad, we'll make an engineer out of you yet :chuckle:

Manys a ship sailed from H&W with bits missing. Sammy tried welding inside a plastic beg but it kept melting. Rugs and carpets were in short supply on the shop floor but the spoilt brats in the Drawing Office were up to their oxters in Axminister.
Was the Mosquito a class of corvette?

Hot of the Press...…… Sunday Times, 08 March 2020. (Page 3).

Good News, Discovery Channel is showing a series called Shipwreck Secrets which includes a show about SS Justica.
The show had many highly, highly p ltantsd we wait with joyous anticipation, a few beers and a spicy pizza.
Highly, highly paid consultants, who were also very good looking.

Update: Sorry for the delay.

Kit in the final stages. The decals are APPALLING!!!! They break and fall off, even after liberal application of Decal Fix.

The crew door is 100% scratchbuilt - The cats lost the original that I had painted a night before and, after crawling over the entire house with a torch, I submitted!

I decided to glue the entire nose cone on as the cats had also lost an ammo belt and I couldn't be ar$ed to fabricate a new one.

A lot of the parts positions in the instructions are vague and, even at this late stage, I find that parts numbers are incorrect in the plans.

The nacelle covers are a lovely fit though!

I don't think that I will build again at such a large scale - so many hard worked details are lost!

The missiles comprise 24 separate parts and, potentially, 48 decals! I only applied the warhead loops (16 decals) and one "spot" on each tailfin (8x), total 24x decals.

The exhaust pipes represent four hours starboard engine engine and two hours port (experience!).

I have now ordered a new kit from Ukraine but, with COVID 19, who knows when it will arrive. I might fill in with an Airfix Sea Harrier or Lightning in the meantime.

Best Rgds.
Dave

More Photos. I will have to experiment with the exhaust wash and will probably finish this week.
Rgds.
Dave

Nice .... :thumb:

Looking good Dave, despite your many snags.

Don't worry about bits missing, even the original prototype at Salisbury Hall has patches and bodges!

Regards.

Scrub the last - All non-food/pharmacies closed by government order! I was hoping to buy from Yuppi's in Plaza Inn to encourage them to keep selling models.
Rgds.
Dave

Must have missed that, any idea when it will be shown again ?

A lot of the parts positions in the instructions are vague and, even at this late stage, I find that parts numbers are incorrect in the plans.


Hi Makka,


I may be teaching you to 'suck eggs' but I have always used photo references (from books & mags) as a back-up in case the kit instructions are vague or incorrect. I guess that the kit manufacturers can't always get everything right. An excellent job by the way.


Regards
Alan G

Thank you Alan for the compliment.

I tend not to have time to investigate as much as I would wish.

The origin of this project was that I had my eye on the kit due to the size. However, in Mexico, it cost more that 300 pounds! Checking on the net, it was not a preposterus mark up. Then, early last year, I was in Santiago de Chile and I had a bit of free time. I duly looked up "model kits" and found a HUGE hobby store (almost superstore) about 6 Km from the hotel. They had the kit at about 150 pounds!

My left knee was in very bad shape, I was on the midnight flight direct to Mexico City and, being summer in the southern hemisphere, was very hot. Well, you may as well wave a red rag at a bull!

I am glad that I undertook the kit because there are a lot of subtle differences between small scale and large scale. Regarding the latter, the exorbitant amount of paint (and therein cost!) to successfully complete. I went with aerosol cans for the upper and lower surfaces.

BTW, I work with and am friendly with Tony Greenland's son who lives/works in Santiago. Any modellers who are into "ultra detail" armour models will immediately recognize the name! The mud on the tyre treads is a nod to Tony!

Best Regards,
Dave

The Mozzie is basically complete, but I need a photo - shoot as much detail will be lost forever when I box her up.

In the interim, I have built several smaller models and will include photos of all presently.

In the meantime, here is my 1:48 Mitsubishi M6A5 Reisen, completed on Saturday 08/06.

Rgds.
Dave

And, today, I completed a 1:72 Spitfire Mk.IX, RAF Sq.126, 1944.

I bought, on eBay a lot of nine kits for USD57, which was a bargain. Currently finishing a 1:48 Me-109 and have just started (one of my favourites) an Me-262 (1:48).

The downside is that paints are running low!

Rgds.
Dave

What I consider to be a small gem in the crown! An unusual model and, given that the decals were past their sell by date, a bit of a miracle (I had to use some from the spares box).

1:72 Heinkel He51A-1 biplane.

Many thanks to BOB WILSON for tips on rigging! It is stretched copper wire, glued with PVA and painted black.

Rgds.
Dave

Another gem from the USD57 "fire sale" - A 1:144 B17-G. Quite a change for me. The decals on this one were completely shot. I had to scrounge/invent from the spares box.

Rgds.
Dave

Great work Dave. Good to see that skills learned years ago haven't been wasted!

P.S. Where would we be without that box of spares and old decals? Also, as a suggestion, I use Microscale Industries decal solutions to help settle the decals on all surfaces. They make a product that works on old decals, "Liquid Decal Film," as well as solutions that fix decals and help settle them in tricky areas. The company manufactures in the USA, so you may be able to find them where you live.

Thanks Roy. I use Tamiya Mark Fix. It would appear that the kits were subjected to heat - A couple of the box ends are completely browned and the Me109 prop looked like it was off a crashlanded aircraft! On the Heinkel, I had to replace the crosses and used swastikas from a set that I bought from Hannants (UK). The B17 decals just turned to dust when they met the water - I was only able to save the wheel roundels. Thankfully, the Spit decals were good, although a little trying getting the smaller alerts/RT connection signs on! It keeps me busy and makes me happy..........!
Rgds.
Dave

BTW, you can tell the age of a kit by if there are swastikas included in the decals! Hence, my investment!
Rgds.
Dave

Thanks for the extra info Dave. Did you think of making a diorama of the Me109? With the bent prop you could have finished it as Oberleutnant Franz von Werra's plane that crashed near Marden, Kent in 1940. There are some well known images on the net, and Hannant's must still have some decals for his scheme! Even Airfix recently had this plane in 1:72 and 1:48 scales in von Werra's markings.

I remember building planes years ago without swastikas, Revell used to supply extra crosses for the fins in some kits. It's still a contentious subject, but historical accuracy is necessary I think.

This lockdown has given me the opportunity to get back to some kit bashing, and I'm nearly at the end of a project that has been hanging around for a few years. When it's complete I'll post some images. It's a Hawker Typhoon with the car door type cockpit in 1:48. Should be ready by the weekend.

I look forward to it, Roy!
Best Rgds.
Dave

Thanks Dave,

Here are some images of a Hurricane that I built for someone I know. There is a very poignant story attached to actual aircraft.

http://www.poeticexpressions.co.uk/b...ave-story-111/

Best regards.

Nice Hurricane and fascinating history, Roy. Thanks!

Makko,

If you Google "PZ474" images & photos you will get a deluge of photos, etc, of the most recent new-build DH 98 Mosquito to come out of the Avspecs hangar (Also Google 'AVSPECS') at Auckland, NZ. Also Google 'Mosquito Restorations' of Drury, Auckland - this is the company that builds the wooden wings & fuselages.

PZ474 is an original RNZAF FBVI Mossie the same as your model, has the rockets & rails, & is in the RAF Coastal Command colours as on the image on the end of your Airfix 1:24 scale box. This aircraft first flew again in January 2019 -it is the 3rd new Mosquito built by Avspecs since 2012, & I have seen them all flying now. The new wooden fuselages & wings are all built here in Auckland to original specs & drawings, but using epoxy resin glues developed for Americas Cup racing yachts as it is water-resistant, plus another few thousand brass wood screws over the WWII builds.

The latest rebuild was commissioned by Rod Lewis, a Texas oil billionaire - cost him $8m (& took 4 years), and he had to supply the donor aircraft, which was the ex-RNZAF wreck at Whiteman Airport in California. The aircraft is still operating on it's original Merlin engines, that were with the wreck when it came back to NZ!

Lewis recently sold it to a collector in Sacramento, California, where it is now based. The aircraft flew from San Antonio, Texas, up to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, last July for the big airshow, where it won the champion prize for best WWII restoration from the ashes (The Pheonix Award!). They take the rockets off for long-haul flying, & refit them for airshows & displays.

There are currently two more new Mosquitos being rebuilt here in Auckland, plus a brand new DH Hornet powered by 2 original Hornet 2,070 hp R-R Merlin 130 & 131 engines (Vmax=487 mph). Nothing is impossible down here - it just takes time & dollars.

I have dozens of photos of these first 3 Mosquitos (all are FBVI, but the next off the assembly line is a B35 model with 2-stage, 2-speed supercharged Merlins). Go to Youtube & type in NZ DH Mosquito Test Flights and the test flights are online.

Also in NZ, we have another time-capsule Mosquito that was purchased off the RNZAF in 1955 and stored on a farm, complete (Google 'NZ2336'). The owner died last year, also leaving 2 x ex-RNZAF P-40 Kittyhawks, a genuine RNZAF P-51 Mustang (the very last Mustang flown by the RNZAF!), an RNZAF Lockheed Hudson bomber with memorable operational history in Pacific operations, 2 x Harvards, a Tiger Moth that is untouched - still in original factory condition, DH Vampire engines & fuselage sections, Bristol radial engines, and many containers of spares that he purchased or acquired ex-airforce in the mid 1950's. All aircraft are required by the Smith family to remain in NZ. When opened, their cockpits were found to be totally intact & complete. The Mustang's wings were cut off outboard of the main gear, and the Mossie wings were cut off outboard of the engines, to enable transporting by trailer back in the mid 1950's. The Mossie is going into the Omaka Museum as a time-capsule machine, and will externally look ex-factory.

This Mosquito has only 80.35 hours on the airframe, 84.30 hours on the Stbd Merlin, and 27.10 hours on the Port Merlin (must have been changed out at some stage before sale). So, the airframe was flown UK to NZ, then straight into storage, as were many of the other 88 Mosquitos the RNZAF purchased at wars end! PZ474 - mentioned above, was the only Mosquito to escape from NZ intact, only to return 55 years later & be rebuilt to fly again, with the same engines it was built with!

The Mustang has already been returned to it's only operational base at Ohakea, and is now being totally stripped down & restored to flight by a chap who already owns an airworthy Spitfire Mk IX, Grumman Avenger, Harvard, and a DH Devon. I have seen photos inside the engine - still as it was after being inhibited by the air force 65 years ago - cam lobes & finger pads are unmarked - all engine openings were sealed - photos show everything in the cockpit is as it was for it's last flight across Cook Strait into storage before sale 65 years ago. 5 Other RNZAF Mustangs escaped from NZ after sale, and 4 of these are still currently flying (one crashed in the UK a couple of years back and the elderly rear-seat passenger died unfortunately)

One of my lads is an Air NZ pilot and often did the run from Auckland to London & return in the 777s before Air NZ cut the service earlier this year. One trip, the pilots took an excursion out to RAF Hendon museum while on lay-over, which resulted in my son bringing home the same Airfix 1:24 Scale DH 98 Mosquito model as yours. With 3 sons, I have built them plenty of models over the years when home on leave.
Still got a Vulcan (1:72), Mustang (1:24), and QE2 model to complete. Also a 1.6 m wingspan RC Trainer 40 waiting to fly. Being retired, they think I have plenty of spare time!

Have fun,

Skilly

Many thanks, Skilly! Fascinating details that I will have to investigate. I see a radio antenna cable whish is NOT shown in the kit! I have not fully closed it/finished it because I have been meaning (for months now) to have a photo shoot.

I am currently building a Felixstowe 2A flying boat (1:72) which I purchased in Ukraine. To be frank, it is a real challenge! Each engine is one kit, the fuselage and dazzle paint another, a cradle to take it from the water - Probably five or six kits in one. I have been putting off building the biwings (another kit intheir self) with the accompanying rigging. It will probably be finished in another few weeks. Then to another scale, at least 1:48 (storage space) as 1:72 is starting to prove too challenging.

Many thanks again for taking the time to write your very informative post!

Best Regards,
Dave