The Wooksta's Mosquito Blog comments thread

[Gondor]

I can do the design work electronically, just printing yellow is an absolute pain.

Why not have a go at making a mask for the yellow which I am assuming is the border colour, add the mask, spray the yellow and then add your decal over the top? I know, it sounds far simpler that it would ever be to do.

GOndor

[The Wooksta!]

Simply because I utterly detest masking and this would be an absolute pain.  My skills on the Mac may be a tad rusty, but I know I could knock it up on screen far quicker than poncing about with tape, driving myself insane and potentially ruining a finish.

[zenrat]

Notwithstanding the usual issues (my eyes, screens, time, me being no expert etc) I would say that the blue paint visible in that picture looks more RAAF sky blue than RAF Azure.

This pic  (IMO, on my laptop, through my eyes, yadda yadda yadda etc) shows the difference between the two as i understand it (and yes I know it says "Sky Blue Azure" but it looks like Azure to me).

[The Wooksta!]

Couple of Australians have waded in on a similar thread on Britmodeller, one of whom has both examined paint of that vintage and also mixed it, and they are also convinced it's RAAF Sky Blue.

The important point is we have some confirmation of what it looked like.  Also proves that those claiming it was PRU are talking a right load of old Tottenham.  A steaming pile of Hotspur. And yes, that does mean Richard Franks.  Found yet more errors in one of his Mosquito datafiles.  I actually dread reading them if I'm looking for info - say, the radio fit on the PR32 (which is probably the same as the PR16 as the 32 was just a 16 lightened for high altitude work) - as I'll just find even more.  Yesterday it was the Highball stuff, when it only mentions the Oxtail mods and assumes that ALL the Highball Mosquitoes had the same modifications, when in fact it was largely a gradual process and then the Oxtail mods.

[Gondor]

Fascinating stuff

[zenrat]

Definitely NOT PRU Blue.

[kitbasher]

Definitely NOT PRU Blue.

Not at all.

[NARSES2]

Just gone through your latest Blog post re Mossies and all I'll say is ....wow, you've a lot of work on your hands.

Interesting to read about the High Ball one in the Malta scheme. As I said at Telford I'm seriously thinking of a Malta scheme one to go with my Beaufort. Might use an Airfix kit or maybe one of the Tamiya ones in the stash. My most recent purchase, the "new" Airfix boxing is scheduled for the Op Downfall GB.

Keep the enthusiasm going mate, some of it rubs off   

[NARSES2]

Photograph of that 47 Sqd Mossie is interesting for a number of reasons Lee.

Firstly it rreminds me just how "big" 60pdr rockets were.

Secondly I find that image of the aircraft behind interesting. I'd not realiised that without rails, the stubs were still there, Lawd knows why, I'm just thick I suppose. However could you have a Mossie with the rockets attached directly to the stubs ?

Thirdly. The image of the groundcrew is fascinating in that it reminds you just how "undernourished" some of our troops in the Far East were. The one on the right in particular reminds you of images of guys recently released from Japanese captivity at the War's end.

[The Wooksta!]

The one with just the stubs is the one I'm doing.

In theory, I don't see why no rail rockets couldn't be fitted to a Mosquito, but after the Indonesian conflict in the post war period, rockets were very rarely fitted to Mosquitoes anyway.  There's photos of 36 Sqn aircraft with them, but they disbanded in '47(?), shortly before they were due to be re-equipped with Brigand TF.1s

[NARSES2]

Cheers Lee 

[NARSES2]

Seat looks good Lee 

[The Wooksta!]

Ta.  The second one is done, just needs painting.

[Gondor]

Fascinating how far down the rabbit hole you are going with these Lee. That is not a complaint by the way. When I eventually get around to building my Airfix Mosquitoes, I am going to have to go through your thread to use as a reference source.

[The Wooksta!]

Single or two stage?  If the former, ditch or build them wheels up, because the fit and that u/c is horrible although I have a mould for a resin insert which is a 100% improvement on the kit, plus some radar noses.  The latter is fine as a 16 (although the bay door in the PR16 is lacking in any detail and really needs replacing) or a 35, and a reasonable basis for a PR32 or PR34 with additional resin add ons, but the u/c is frankly abysmal.  Barracuda is decent enough but Dunny on Britmodeller has done something better. 

Although Airfix gives the teardrop blister side panels as optional extras, they're no good, as the canopy is baked in as a 16 - it had heavier revised framing compared to the earlier marks.  For a IX, I'd advise the Tamiya B.IV with the Brengun (nee Attack Squadron) or Paragon two stage Merlins.  None of the other two stage Merlins are right - the DB/Airwaves is intended for the 1973 Airfix or Matchbox, CMK intended for the Hasegawa (which is a horrid kit and not worth the money) and the Pavla ones are a joke, being too short.