Revell 1:48 Mosquito MK IV

[Fenlander]

It has been a while since I did a build with pictures so I thought I would get back into it with this kit that I have been looking forward to starting for a while.

The 1:48 Mosquito will be the biggest kit I have built so far and my first multi engined WWII aircraft so lots of new things to learn.

The kit is marketed as Revell's 'New Tool' and was released in 2008 according to the sprues but 2009 according to the decals so it is relatively new. There are areas of amazing detail in the kit, the bomb bay and cockpit/bomb aimers position are superb looking. It also has some issues with the spinners coming in for most criticism as being too stubby and not streamlined enough. Also the undercarriage is described in reviews as 'short with thin wheels' so I think the best thing to do is throw the whole kit in the bin lol.

Thankfully, I am no rivet counter so if it looks like a Mosquito bomber at the end of the build, I will be happy.

The obligatory box and sprues.

There are two of these sprues, port and starboard. Note the alternate propellor blades

 

[AlanG]

Looks a lovely kit Graham. I was lookin at buying this kit until someone offered me a cheap Tamiya one instead that was to good to turn down. Will defo watch this build though.

 

[stona]

That looks really nice. It looks like a Mosquito to me too. With my new found interest in all things British I shall most certainly be along for the ride.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

I'm in for the ride to! I was looking at the Airfix one the other day, no the little one, and it looks pretty good to. Might be tempted as not the most expensive choice either. I did also get to look in the box of the big one. Dude its a beauty!!!

Looks like you got loads of windows to maske there Graham. A task I dont envy!

Ian M

 

[msm2]

I am in too,looks a great kit there Graham.

Tony..

 

[PJP]

Please do it!

One nearly fell off the shel;f into my hands on Sunday, as a replacement for the Airfix 1/24th jobbie, which I saw built at their factory shop.

Impressive. About a years work in that one!

Peterp

 

[Plastickitbasher]

ooooo looking good have fun with this one

 

[Fenlander]

Managed to get going on this today, done most of the work in the cockpit, just need to add the small side windows and it can be glued up into the front fuselage halves. Bit of a tight fit as there is so much in there. There is an option to leave open the floor hatch that becomes the floor in front of the navigator/bomb aimers position, not decided as yet as to which it will be.

The bomb bay is very well detailed and it does not do it justice in the picture.

The two basic Merlin engines are quite nice, may have to add a bit of detail if I decide to have them showing. Odd thing is that the bomb bay doors and the engine cowls have to be cut open if you do want to show all that detail.

As always, not a lot of the cockpit will be seen once buttoned up.

 

[Gomer Pyle]

Nice work, Graham! Your detail painting and dry-brushing is top-notch. I absolutely adore the Mosquito, much more than the "Spit" actually (hope I'm not being offensive to anyone or considered blasphemous ) It just has this Colin Chapman sort of quality to it, you know the whole simplicity idea, in terms of production, materials and breaking with dogma/paradigm. And it just outperformed all expectations. I would like to build one again (did a 1:72 one, when I was a kid).

Regarding the Revell kit itself; the flaws you mentioned wouldn't bother me much either, but looking at the sprues it seems like the two propellers have different type blades. Is that so, or is it just the angle of the picture?

/Daniel

 

[Fenlander]

Thanks for the comments Daniel. There are two types of propellor, the wide paddle type and the narrow type. The sprue in the pictures above is one of two identical sprues that come with the kit so there are four in total.

 

[colin m]

Graham, I've got this one, many times I've taken it out of the box and thought, soon.............but not just yet. However, I have discovered that canopy masks are available for the Revell mosquito. I'll be using one of these for mine ! Anyway, your work so far is amazing, any extras in there or is it all OOB ?

Regards

Colin M.....

 

[stona]

Veeeery nice. I shall sit back and watch this one and then maybe,you never know,more roundels.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

See Now thats a nice front office! very well done Graham.

(Nice touch blacking out the back ground).

Ian M

 

[Gomer Pyle]

Thanks for the comments Daniel. There are two types of propellor, the wide paddle type and the narrow type. The sprue in the pictures above is one of two identical sprues that come with the kit so there are four in total.

Achaaa, that explains the "missing" wheel and spinner!

 

[Fenlander]

Cheers guys, would love to see what you could do with this kit Steve. Colin, it is all OOB, I was going to add some wiring but it just doesn't need it. It would indeed Daniel lol.

 

[Plastickitbasher]

Lovely paint work and the dry brush detail work is great

 

[colin m]

I just wondered how this one is going ? I'm currently building a Revell kit which is actually on old matchbox mould and the fit is challenging ! I'm hoping your Revell is maybe a new moulding and so a good fit. Have you stuck anything big together yet ?

Regards

Colin M......

 

[Fenlander]

I have the fuselage together, pics later. This is a fairly new tool Revell kit Collin. Some of the older Matchbox kits were a bit troublesome but stick with it as you will get a good result if you take your time and work on it.

 

[Fenlander]

Bit of a dilema. I have been scouring the net (not always a good idea if you are not exactly sure what you are looking for) and I have found pictures of the Mosie bomber with black underside and sides but with dark green/dark earth camo, as on the Lancaster. I have also seen it in the kits colours of Grey/green camo with black sides and under. Given that I know that sometimes kit callouts are not always the best source of info, which would be right? This is 627 Sqn January 1944. Now i know that fighter command dropped the earth/green not long after the Bob but Bomber Command kept it through the war, never seen a Lancaster in green/Grey yet! Can anyone confirm that the black/dark Green/Ocean Grey is correct please?

 

[stona]

Graham as you no this isn't my area of expertise (educated guessing anyway) but by this time Mosquitoes were being produced in the DFS with grey/green upper surfaces and the black lower surface was an adjustment to that scheme. I'd be surprised to see dark earth/green upper surfaces at this time. In my limited references none of the Mossies seem to have this scheme.

My computer is mis-behaving but I've got everything on an external hard drive,I'm sure I remember saving some Mosquito related painting orders and if I did and if they are relevant I'll post them in the morning.

Cheers

Steve

I'm on my own computer now,hope it holds out! I couldn't find that document but found a few piccies. They are all definitely Ocean Grey/Dark Green over Black (Night). I found two piccies of 23Sqn. Mossies which I must have found on T'interweb which clearly show this. The only question would be the style of the demarcation.

Steve