Revell 1:48 Mosquito MK IV

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Fenlander

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Thanks Steve. I have seen a pic on the internet where the Mosquito was dark earth and green and I am just about convinced that the bomber, those two in the pics are fighters, would have been grey green. I was really wondering why the Bomber command stayed with earth/green and didn't go over to grey green like the rest. I assume that the Mosquito bombers would have come under bomber command as they were mainly used as pathfinders and special one off jobs. Given that, I just wondered why they were not painted the same as Lancasters. I really should just build the kits and not think about it lol.

Thanks for the tip re canopy masks Colin, they arrived in the post today and there is lots of them on a small sheet. O happy days lol
 

stona

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Hi Graham,the reason fighter command introduced the day fighter scheme,DFS, (grey/green uppers) had nothing to do with operating over the channel as is often said but was because the earlier brown/green scheme was beginning to be a liability at the increased altitude at which the fighters were operating. The DFS was seen as a compromise giving better camouflage at altitude whilst still affording protection on the ground.The grey,though considered a compromise, is not so daft on the ground as around RAF aerodromes of the time the aprons,taxiways and revetments were almost invariably concrete.

I have seen,but can't find,a 1941 document which specifically notes that the Mosquito will be finished in the new DFS.

The aircraft of bomber command operated largely at night where aerial camouflage comprised the black lower surface,the colour of the upper surfaces being irrelevant. All cats are grey in the dark! The dark earth and dark green upper surfaces were kept as they were considered to afford better protection on the ground,no compromise required.

Whether the Mosquito had grey/green or brown/green upper surface camouflage would make no difference at night whereas during daylight,at altitude,the grey/green would be advantageous.

I did find this.

"I believe that only the first few Mosquito bombers with the short nacelles were finished in the Dark Green Dark Earth sky scheme. These aircraft were called B MkIV series 1. I haven’t got my references with me but not too many were produced before production shifted to the long nacelle version B MkIV series 2. As far as I can ascertain these aircraft were all finished in the day-fighter scheme, including sky spinners and sky fuselage band. These original machines were allocated to 2 Group Bomber Command as day Bombers.

2 Group was subsequently transferred to Fighter Command but the Mosquito Bomber squadrons transferred to 8 Group and started to fly at night. The sky bands and spinners had by this time stopped being applied to the Bombers, but they remained in the day fighter scheme with some units applying black under surfaces."

I also found this.

"In early 1942 it was realised by the Air Ministry that as the Mosquito operated in many different roles many different camouflage schemes would be applied to them on the production lines of the factories. It was mooted that all Mosquitoes, whatever their operational function, should be finished on the production lines in overall MSG. The service camouflage schemes could then be applied to the aircraft after they left the production lines either at the factory or at ASUs (Aircraft Servicing Units). The suggestion was adopted on the 12th March 1942."

As a foot note it is interesting to see how Lufwaffe camouflage reflects the same themes. Bombers and transports were always in a green scheme for ground concealment. Fighters,by late 1941were in greys for altitude protection. Fighters operating on the eastern front,operating at lower altitudes,quickly revised their schemes to green and green/brown colours like the early British schemes. At the end of the war,when the air superiority of the allies made concealment on the ground vital,the Luftwaffe fighters adopted green,grey/green,and green/brown schemes.

Cheers

Steve
 
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F

Fenlander

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Once again Steve, you have excelled yourself and answered my ponderings perfectly. very informative and concise information. I will now do it Alclad chrome lol. Thanks a lot mate, don't know what we would do without you.
 
F

Fenlander

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As I have said in my GB thread, a poor show in the modelling work for the last few weeks, I just have not been able to get stuck in and I really need to get on with things. Once again my report says "Must try Harder"

A bit of an update on the Mosquito.

Don't know if it is me or the kit but there are times when I could just put it in the box and forget it (I really do think it is me and not the kit).

Anyway, I have the main wings on, just a little filler needed on the roots but not much, certainly no putty, either Mr Surfacer 500 or even thick paint will fill it. The way the engine come undercarriage bits fit to the wings ( I cannot remember the correct term) are a bit of an oddity. The kit comes with two merlins that can be displayed by cutting out the panels, there is no alternative open or closed on this kit. Everything is closed and if you want it open then you get the knife out. This goes for the wheel doors and the bomb bay as well as the engines.

The trouble is that the nacelles (that's the word I was looking for) are part separate and part wing moulding. They have to be 'formed into position, there is no real location tabs or points. This in itself is OK, but the nacelles are very thin (nicely done as well) and without the engine panels in place a tad wobbly, if you get my meaning. Also, the construction method is that you place on half of the nacelle on the wing and then build up the engine supports, the engine and the undercarriage legs before placing the second half of the shell on. Very odd and making painting almost impossible. So I have had to do a workaround and I have decided that I will only have one engine on display, leaving me with a very nice Merlin that I might try to fit into the old Airfix Hurricane model.

So, I have glued together one nacelle (can't stop using that word now I remember it) leaving it empty. The other, I have cut out the engine panels and glued the halves together with the rear undercarriage wall. I will now have to paint the interior colour on the undercarriage wells and the open engine section as well as the supports for the engine and firewall. When this is dry I will then have to glue the engine to it's supports and thread the the engine and firewall assembly into place, I have tried a dummy run of this and it looks possible. Once this is done, the completed nacelles will have to be fitted to the wings and pray that I can still get the undercarriage legs in afterwards. Then the cut out engine covers are going to go back on held by tape inside and blue tack so that the outside can be painted without affecting the engine. Same goes for the bomb bay doors and wheel well doors and the crew hatch. This will allow me to paint the damn thing on the outside.

Anyway a few pics of what is happening so far.
 

Ian M

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Looks like you are winning to me. Know what you mean about motivation. Some times I just look at things and think "I wonder if there is anything on the telly"?

Ian M
 
B

Bunkerbarge

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Lovely detail around the control surfaces on this model. I'd like to know how this stacks up against the Airfix 1/24th version and see if the Airfix one is worth the extra expense.
 
F

Fenlander

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Always difficult to establish if a kit is worth the money. The 1:24 Mosquito is very expensive by any standard but, it wants for nothing. From what I have seen of it, it is well worth it if you can afford it and have the space for it. I cannot afford it and I do not have the space for it so problem solved for me lol
 
F

Fenlander

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Just about managed to get the engine into the starboard nacelle and have it clamped up trying to blend it all into the wing. Was it worth the effort? Not sure as there is not a lot of engine showing lol.

Anyway, after studying the instructions for ages as I thought the exhausts looked decidedly odd pointing skyward, I have attached them as per the instructions (see pic in post 24 above). Since then after looking at some pictures, I now find they are upside down, damn those instructions, they definitely show them pointing up...... AHHHGGGG... Anyway, they are covered up with bubble covers so they could not be seen at night so if I cannot retrieve them to turn round, then they will not be seen........

Just off to bang my head against a brick wall for a bit pictures later :shoot:
 

stona

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Looks like it's coming along nicely Graham. Do the flame dampers still fit over the exhaust pipes? I know what you mean about instructions some of them should be called distractions!

Cheers

Steve
 
F

Fenlander

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\ said:
Do the flame dampers still fit over the exhaust pipes? Steve
They will Steve, by God they will. Anyway, I have managed to rip them out and put them back the right way up.... Having said that, looking at the parts for the dampers, they look no where near deep enough......... This kit will not beat me........
 

stona

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\ said:
They will Steve, by God they will......... This kit will not beat me........
That's the spirit Graham!

Cheers

Steve
 
F

Fenlander

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After much swearing and gnashing of teath I have finally dragged this one onto the end section of the production line. Nothing wrong with the kit, I have just had to get back into the groove so quite a bit done today.

Interesting point about colour and how it changes. The two pictures below were taken with the same camera, within seconds of each other and the same light source. Theye were loaded into Photoshop to resize only, no other changes were made. The only difference is that in the first pic the lamp was above the model. In the second, I brought the lamp in front of the model, between it and the camera to get more light in the engine compartment but look how different the grey looks.

Also, on the subject of paint, I may have mentioned before that I do not use a specific primer, I just tend to use whatever grey I have most of at the time. Well, in this instance I had a full bottle of Vallejo 'American Grey', not model air I hasten to add. So, in my usual way of working I mixed a batch with thinners, and I do not thing Vallejo likes Xtracrylix thinners, left a dark oily look on the surface of the paint in the cup but didn't appear to affect the painting. Flushed with success and a desire to keep going I decided then to spray the upper surface with Ocean Grey for the top surface camo. For this I used Xtracrylix RAF Ocean Grey mixed again with Xtracrylix thinners, no oily stuff on top this time. I then looked on in disbelief as it dried as you would need some kind of colour meter to see where the RAF Ocean Grey and the USA Grey from Vallejo crossed over, they are exactly the same lol. Hey ho.....

Anyway here she is ready for the masking for the green on top and them mask the lot off for the Night Black sides and undersides. As you can see in the second pic, I should not have bothered putting the Merlin in the nacelle, you just cannot see anything lol.
 
F

Fenlander

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Got the green sprayed on and she is all masked up for the black. Quite excited about this, so long as I don't mess it up, never done this scheme before. Should get the black on and picies tomorrow.
 

AlanG

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Lookin good so far Graham. Can't wait to see the colours after paint
 
F

Fenlander

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Well, nearly everything went to plan. Got it masked up after painting the green on and now have done the black. I have decided at this point to decal it up and get the fuselage ready before I remove the one piece hatches on the wheel wells and the bomb bay ready to slice them up. Then I have to try to build and fit the rather complex undercarriage which is designed to be in place by now making spraying near impossible. still, I am sure it will go in somehow.....

It looks a bit shiny as it has been sprayed with clear ready for the decals and the handling it still has to come to get the undercarriage finished. I have learned my lesson in handling a model too much with just paint on, soon ruins it.

So, all in all, coming on a treat now, the end is nearly in sight.
 
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backonthecase

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Very nice Graham, I too have had the bad experience with handling with just paint on! How's your T 34 in the background getting on?

Stuart
 
F

Fenlander

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That is the Tamiya one for the GB Stuart, not even started on the HobbyBoss one yet, I really need to get this out the way first.
 
F

Fenlander

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The Iwata Revolution CR from John's shop. I have always done my camo freehand other than on the Airfix ME109 which has to be a sharp edged splinter pattern. The soft edge is not to everyones taste but I like it. The Revolution CR comes with a .5mm needle/nozzle which makes it a bit tricky to get a tighter edge but I intend to get the .3mm set which should help.
 
B

backonthecase

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Do you thin the paint any more than normal. I've heard thin more and less pressure is the way to go

Stuart
 
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