Mosquito B Mk IV - FINISHED - Revell - My next non-ship project

[Old Collingwood]

Thanks lou.    amazing how tight it was in the nose area.

 

OC.

[CDW]

My buddy was at a blues festival just a couple of months ago here in Florida, and ran across Kermit Weeks who was attending the same festival. He's really a cool, regular guy who is lucky enough to own and fly literally dozens of warbirds including the Mossie in these videos.

[CDW]

Considering how many warbirds Kermit Weeks owns, it's amazing his recall of all the control functions in the Mossie cockpit. And when you watch his videos, you'll notice he has this recall of every aircraft he owns which tells me he gets in a hella lot of flying time as well has having a great memory. These aircraft were fairly complex and each different type had their own peculiarities.

[lmagna]

6 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

amazing how tight it was in the nose area.

The nose area? More like the whole darn plane! Even the cockpit is too narrow for the crew to sit side-by-side. I think the staggered seat thing combined with the hatch in the foot area was pretty much unique to the Mosquito, but it did allow the same person access to the radio behind the pilot and the nose position in front without having to climb over or under the pilot! 

[Old Collingwood]

Hi all,     more progress today  in between cooking our sat  curry,    next stage  was to  construct the cockpit/cabin floor and  radio deck - these sit on top of the bomb bay,   so after  fitting these sections together - I painted the  radio ops leather cushion (for this I made up some semi brown colour)  then I painted  the floor and  and sections  the same green as the bomb bay, then a quick wash and  highlighted edges with flat alum paint dry brushed.

 

Also I took a pic of the PE  I brought  for it  (looks quite good).

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Little job for tomorrow  -  I need to doctor the stage I have done slightly  - firstly I will paint a section flat black, then create some pipework out of fuse wire  this will be pained alum, I will then add a few more details.

 

Here is a worked pic to show what I will be adding.

 

OC.

[SigEp Ziggy]

I'm only a six hour drive from Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Museum, one of these days....

[lmagna]

2 hours ago, SigEp Ziggy said:

I'm only a six hour drive from Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Museum, one of these days....

I'm only six minutes from Paul Allen's Heritage Museum, one of these days................😈

[SigEp Ziggy]

Let me know when you wanna go and I'll hop in my car!  Just check the hours open, so I can get there before it closes.

[Old Collingwood]

Hi all,   would you believe it I have spent 5 hours on this today  -  plan was to add some more piping  this I did using two thicknesses of fuse wire,  first one (thickest)  I placed along the upper section, then I added a couple of thinner pieces,   after  fitting these  I then turned my attention to the radio, this was made up  then painted nato black, I then picked out the details and added a bit of highlighting.

Next off was to work on the radio operators seat/back plate, this needed  reducing in height and straightening,  then  it was painted  (plate same colour as  floor/walls  and cushion a redish brown)    I finished off for today  by cutting out and fitting the pe  straps (fiddly little chaps)  I secured the top  then glued the assembly in place - then I pressed the  straps down onto the seat  with a dab of ca under the strap.

The ca straps are pre painted  so dont need painting  poss  just a bit of flat top coat to seal them.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

8 hours ago, SigEp Ziggy said:

Let me know when you wanna go and I'll hop in my car!  Just check the hours open, so I can get there before it closes.

Any day you want. Since I retired I no longer make schedules, I respond to them! My home and meal table is open to you and possibly you could get Bill to do a ride share and we could make it a party. Don't forget the Museum Of Flight in Seattle as well, If you are driving all that distance for one you should take the time to do both. Probably should not plan on both in the same day though. A lot to see. For that matter there is the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, I have not been there since they moved the display in 2012 or something, but the old building had a ton of really nice model ships that you could spend hours looking over and admiring. Then there is the Naval Undersea Museum that has both inside and outside displays of models, artifacts, and real ships. Also there is The Puget Sound Naval Museum, and of course not far away the Turner Joy, (DD-951). Again I have not seen those locations in a number of years but I suspect it would be another long day trying to fit them all in. But you do get a nice ferry ride out of the deal with possibly a killer whale sighting if you are lucky. I have seen them twice over the years, I seems like they like to shadow the ferry and look at the people sometimes.

Edited February 16, 2020 by lmagna

[SigEp Ziggy]

I have wanted to see all the museums you mentioned, my wife and I plan to spend a vacation in Seattle, but it never seems to happen.  If I ever make it happen, I would love to hang out with a fellow modeler and see you models and stash!

[Old Collingwood]

Next stage of work  will be  to fit the lap belts  then  give them a couple of coats of flat top coat, then I will construct/paint and fit the other piece of radio equipment - then an over all coat of top coat.

Then I will move onto the pilots chair  (a build in its own right)

 

OC.

[lmagna]

I take that as you are installing all of the seat belts that you are not going to add the crew?

[Old Collingwood]

4 minutes ago, lmagna said:

I take that as you are installing all of the seat belts that you are not going to add the crew?

I might get the crew  (seen an excellent maintenance set of RAF figures and  tools/ladders)   but not sure yet   - one of them could of course represent my dad   doing what he used to.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Found some  great video footage  -

 

 

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

More progress in the cockpit cabin,   I  fitted the lap belts (one of which  I let fall on the side)  afterwards I added  a couple of coats of topcoat,   next I made and painted/weathered the second radio device, this was also fitted with six  wiring  connections  coming out of the back and down to the  deck.

 

This was put aside  to let me work on the pilots chair - this was quite a fiddly little project made up of a few sections,  after assembly  there was a  square hole at the bottom of the seat area, so I cut out a piece of card  and glued it into place,  tomorrow  I will add the  different paint layers  before adding the straps.

 

OC.

[mtaylor]

Beautiful, OC.   I was reading (again) and by-perchance the article was about the Pacific theater of operation and the Mosi's.    Seems they had a rough time with the humidity and seams opening, warpage, bits falling off, etc.  The factory did some serious rework and fixed them so they wouldn't have the problems.

[Old Collingwood]

2 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Beautiful, OC.   I was reading (again) and by-perchance the article was about the Pacific theater of operation and the Mosi's.    Seems they had a rough time with the humidity and seams opening, warpage, bits falling off, etc.  The factory did some serious rework and fixed them so they wouldn't have the problems.

Yep they were tough old birds and a very interesting construction  almost an epoxy-wood mix.

 

I am part of an an organization  trying to  assemble  and fly a  Mosquito, I am very pally with there head engineer  kind of their number two, I basically  do loads and loads of  passing the word around  and  searching for backers/investors,      It will happen  - its too important  not to.

 

I have been asked if I will do a write up  about my late farther and his  work on mosquito's  - I will do this  it will be fitting  in memory of him and everyone else connected with this very fine plane.

 

OC.

[mtaylor]

Trying to build a flying Mosi?  I shudder think of what that entails.  Like where would you find two engines for it?  That sounds like a massive project.

[Old Collingwood]

Here it is  -

 

http://www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/

 

OC.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Old Collingwood

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the link, OC.  It's an interesting program.

[Old Collingwood]

1 minute ago, mtaylor said:

Thanks for the link, OC.  It's an interesting program.

Yep, they have a team of very professional  people  behind them including pilots  ready to step up,   but needs the financial  backing to make it happen.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Another good  day,   I  gave the pilots seat several thin coats of  green,   then I put some black on the arm rest  covers, then I set it aside  to dry for a bit  -

Next  I made a back seat cushion from card - this was cut to shape  then painted  the same colour as the  other cushions.

Then it was the pe  seat  belts  - these were again cut away starting  with the lap belts,  I attached them to the outside edges then bent them into the seat area,  then it was the turn of the shoulder belts,  this was pushed through a gap in the back plate  - then secured at the  bottom.

I then glued it in place.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Not much to report  just a bit of work on the front cockpit  area, after cleaning up the  edges  I noticed that there was two gaps  (reason unknown)  in the  entrance/escape way hatch, I decided to use two pieces of  wood stock  left over from my wood  gratings, they were glued in place with ca, then when set  I sanded/filed them flat with the surrounding hatchway frame.

Then I applied several thin coats of green  followed by painting the fittings/column  assembly  nato black.

 

It is just dry fitted for now.

 

OC.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Old Collingwood

[Old Collingwood]

Also  with  the Mosquito  society  I am involved with  - I was asked if I would do a write up  about my late farthers involvement  with Mosquitos  and other aircraft during the Second world War.

 

This is what I have come up with  and submited  for them to publish in there  publication.

 

OC.

 

                                                                                       My Farther and his Aircraft Work

 

This is a story about my farther and his involvement with military aircraft during his time-serving through the Second World War.
He was Called J.J and his service life started by enrolling in the FAA (Fleet Air Arm) he was allocated his posting to HMS Daedalus (Lee - On - Solent) to do his basic training in Airframes and Engines, during his time here, he was shown most aspects of maintenance and stripping down of the aircraft that started with the Fairey Swordfish and went on to the Seafire and also the Corsair.
Around this time the RAF was suffering with a shortage of front line workers, so this led to my farther being sent RAF West Mailing to undergo Deep maintenance training on Spitfires and Hurricanes, after a successful time here he then got his posting to Norfolk where he would spend the rest of his service life.
RAF Downham Market and Marham are the two bases where he undertook maintenance on the RAF bomber fleet, he was thrown in at the deep end due to a serious shortage of staff, I remember my farther telling me he was delighted to get his hands on the larger aircraft. He was given some short training on the types in service there - Lancasters, Wellingtons, Short Stirlings and my fathers favorite the Mosquito.
He told me a few stories at Downham one in particular involved a landing Lancaster that had been quite badly shot up during a raid over to Germany, the rear tail gunner had been hit - during the landing when the aircraft came to a halt on the runway, my farther ran over to the plane risked his own life as the plane was in flames as it had to land with no undercarriage, he ran to the rear of the plane and pulled the tail gunner out - getting burns him self in the process.
With his time on the Mosquito he used to tell me of the repairs he used to do - one minute doing wood repairs to parts of the aircraft, then the next mechanical repairs to the Merlin engines, he found the Mosquito a lot easier going than the Lancaster due to the hight (lack off) with the Mosquito (suited him as he was not all that tall). He used to say to me that the Merlin engines were so powerful, that they were always needing to have there mounting bolts and screws checked to make sure they had not worked loose. Also how during taxi under power men would have to sit on the tail to keep it from lifting and spinning the tail due to the power from the engines. It was amazing to hear stories from my dad of faster and faster speeds being recorded in the Mosquito - out pacing the Spitfire no doubt not best pleased for the Spitfire pilots, I think he recalls one particular Mosquito nearing 450mph in a dive (how true that is im not sure).
My farther was frequently servicing the RADS (Radiators) from the Mosquitos normally on the bench in the hangars as they tended to collect a lot of stuff from the speed they flew, this was time-consuming work but after doing one or two the rest were just like a production line.
My farther would sometimes find him self posted over to RAF Marham about 4 miles away, this was only for short periods no doubt because of his skills and experience, again the same kind of work went on here I understand they had two operational Mosquito squadrons running up to D Day, he said "you have never seen so many black and white bands being painted on aircraft".
He also mentioned the work done with the Bouncing Bomb - my farther told me about the trials done using a Mosquito to test the Bomb, as the trials were carried out in Scotland I am not sure if there was ever a visit to either Downham or Marham by that Bouncing Bomb conversion Mosquito.

My farther ended his Aircraft work just after the war and ended in Europe, as he was shipped over to Australia by boat to undertake the role of stripping down "Lend Lease" aircraft that were used during the Pacific wars, these aircraft (Fighters) were dismantled down to a crate size for shipping back over to Britain. He spent a couple of years in Australia before returning back to Britain to be Demobbed.

 

He loved the whole experience.

 

[mtaylor]

Nice article and a nice tribute to your father, OC.  

[Old Collingwood]

7 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Nice article and a nice tribute to your father, OC.  

Thanks mark,      I will  post the link when its Live.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

second that....great tribute and progress OC!   

[Ebomba]

OC , thank you for sharing this great story, started me  to think of my father , he was a final inspector in Stratford Ct on the Corsair met my mother there, Thanks again

 

Best,

 

Ed