I was going to wait till I had the final product of this build, but with Derek sounding depressed about the overall output I thought I'd stick some interim pix up.
After my 633 Squadron film Mosquito build my wife asked what I was going to do next, thus giving me permission to do something.... enjoying the freedom of working in fiction I thought of a Boston from the first book, or a Battle or Blenheim from the RAF Museum's fictitious history of the squadron (a very sporting effort I think!) However, every kit I wanted to do had disappeared from production!
So I had a think about the book series and decided to do a winter camouflaged aircraft from Operation Valkyrie, with the detailed design based on the artwork on the classic paperback front and back cover spread of the original story. Back to Airfix's B/PR XVI which supplies among its huge range of stuff an FB VI fuselage and canopy: the copy I bought this time included a bullnose and louvred exhaust covers, which I reckon with aftermarket would allow build of everything except the PR1/Bomber conversion, NF XV and PR32 high-altitude aircraft, thimble nose nightfighters and the hideous Royal Navy TT39. It has its limitations but what an adaptable kit!
I added aftermarket wheels, cannon and Browning barrels, resin 500 pounders and 3" AP rockets, the last being so fiddly that they took as long as the rest of the build.
So far I've got as far as the aircraft build including height-finding spotlights and rockets, camo as per Bomber Command Mosquitos and a bit of repaired damage appropriate to Sqn Ldr Harvey's D-Danny immediately prior to the main Op. I have still to add winter camo wash and produce a frozen lake diorama for it to sit in.
So far:
20170312 (2)_633_Squadron_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20170312 (5)_633_Squadron_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20170324 (14)_633_Squadron_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20170324 (15)_633_Squadron_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20170324 (16)_633_Squadron_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
It's a bit of fun, really, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. More when I get onto the winter whites, snow and ice.
John
1:48 Mosquito: 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie
-
- Posts: 3046
- Joined: Tue 28 Aug 2012, 6:57 pm
Re: 1:48 Mosquito: 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie
Looks real good. The finish on the camo work was done very well! Ohh you have me curious now with the "Winter Whites snow and Ice" comment. Maybe some winter camo in the future?
Re: 1:48 Mosquito: 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie
Another great build. I love your idea of bringing the squadron to life, so to speak. A Boston would be a great addition, definitely.
Loafer for Mr. Da Vinci.
-
- Posts: 3046
- Joined: Tue 28 Aug 2012, 6:57 pm
Re: 1:48 Mosquito: 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie
The Baron wrote:Another great build. I love your idea of bringing the squadron to life, so to speak. A Boston would be a great addition, definitely.
Thank you! Hopefully a re-release soon then.... In the meantime it will be a few weeks till I can make progress on this one but it is all planned out in my head.
Cheers
John
-
- Posts: 3046
- Joined: Tue 28 Aug 2012, 6:57 pm
Re: 1:48 Mosquito: 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie
A few weeks turned into about a year, for a number of reasons including, frankly , a touch of fear at venturing into the diorama base business. However, I eventually girded up the loins and had a bash - not least because I swore I would finish this as planned before starting on the Boston, which is in my possession and next up.
So here are a couple of shots of D-Danny, Squadron Leader Frank Harvey's 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie Mosquito parked on ice in the mouth of a frozen river on the Hardangervidda in Norway, early 1944.
20181231 (1)_633_Squadron_Op_Valkyrie_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20181231 (6)_633_Squadron_Op_Valkyrie_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
So here are a couple of shots of D-Danny, Squadron Leader Frank Harvey's 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie Mosquito parked on ice in the mouth of a frozen river on the Hardangervidda in Norway, early 1944.
20181231 (1)_633_Squadron_Op_Valkyrie_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20181231 (6)_633_Squadron_Op_Valkyrie_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
- Phantom 892
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Mon 04 Jun 2012, 11:02 am
Re: 1:48 Mosquito: 633 Squadron Operation Valkyrie
Very nice. Well done you