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 FlickrIt'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
