Mosquito XVIII, Airfix, 1/72, Old School 1973-style

[Matt Bacon]

Built in a bit of a blitz for our Classic British Kits SIG display at this year's Scale Model World (IPMS UK Nats), this is the 1973 "new-tool" Airfix Mosquito more or less straight out of the box. It's certainly better than the last one of these that I built, a mere 50 years ago. Of course, it's still the same version I built as a kid, with the BIIIGGGG GUN (a 2" anti tank cannon intended to deliver a one-shot kill of a U-boat) because why wouldn't you? I think it's actually still a pretty good kit, with the exception of a cockpit that definitely needs a bit extra added, if only the parcel shelf for the radio gear behind the crew.

On the off chance you didn't spend your childhood watching "633 Squadron" ? The Mosquito was the best British "multi-role combat aircraft" of WW2. Built mostly of plywood by furniture makers (who weren't in demand for the war effort like metalworkers or auto craftsmen) it strapped two Merlin engines into a sleek aerodynamic fuselage which was adapted for every type of fighting. It could carry more bombs to Berlin than a B-17, and outrun everything the Nazis could get in the air until the jet-powered Me262 came along. Originally an unarmed bomber that relied on speed rather than firepower to escape the opposition, it turned out that if you stuck 4 machine guns and four more cannon in the nose, it was a pretty good fighter. Keep the four cannon and put a radar up front and it was a ground-breaking night fighter, with the radar operator sitting right next to the pilot, unlike the Beaufighter or P-61. And this particular version was designed to make life pretty unpleasant for U-boats and enemy shipping, what with the machine guns, anti-U-boat cannon and a salvo of rockets under each wing. No wonder teenage (and nearly-60-year-old) me figured it was a "must-build"....

best,

M.

[shoopdog]

Great looking plane and I really like your camo. I’ve been struggling with mine and am wondering if you used a mask for the camo or free hand. Funny I just watched 633 Squadron last week.

[BlackSheep214]

Good job on an iconic Wooden Wonder of WW2. Yes, the Mossie was made of wood, not sheet metal.

Ive got the Tamiya Mossie in my stash.

Edited November 18, 2023 by BlackSheep214

[slusher]

Great plane!

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[stavanzer]

Fantastic Build!

I love the Mossie.