Mosquito: Tamiya 1:48 Mosquito FB VI, as the late Mr F E Smith put it: "with modifications" - as described in the original novel, a bomb-bay converted to take the maximum load of 4000lb (from Blackbird Models), two short-barreled 20mm cannon and two 0.303" Browning machine guns (barrels/muzzles from Master) in a solid nose - plus, as per the Corgi 1970s paperback, two-stage Merlins (from Brengun). As usual I've retained the HT- codes from the film and remembered to add the red stripe on the port engine nacelle used to determine the bomb-release point.
Standard 2 Group Bomber Command camouflage and individual code letter A (Sqn Ldr Grenville's aircraft: not much "operational" wear and no scoreboard as he had a new aircraft after writing off his first Mossie returning from destroying Gestapo HQ in Bergen). The serial is of an original batch FB VI for which I couldn't find any service details in a fairly quick internet search. If that doesn't seem odd considering how many were built, the first three I looked at from that batch were all photographed and others at least had units they served with listed. Main paints and gloss varnish were Tamiya rattle cans, matt varnish over the top of decals etc was The Army Painter Matt. Exhaust and gunsmoke all Tamiya pigments.
With the gear up for in-flight display pictures were a little more difficult than usual.
Bonus kit is Tamiya's Flakvierling 38 quadruple 20mm anti-aircraft weapon system very sensibly in 1:48 to match aircraft kits. Fed by magazines not belts this couldn't achieve its monstrous maximum rate of fire for more than a second or two and the usual mode of use was two diagonally opposed guns at a time while the other two were being reloaded. It does look scary though!
Eventually the Flakvierling will be in a fjord-level sangar with the Mossie skimming a cliff above it but I'm dithering between a home-built cliff and a nice big slab of slate at the moment. The latter would look good but weigh a lot for a shelf!
John
20240214 (1)_1-48_633_Squadron_Op_Vesuvius_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20240318 (5)_1-48_633_Squadron_Op_Vesuvius_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20240318 (6)_1-48_633_Squadron_Op_Vesuvius_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20240515 (16)_1-48_633_Squadron_Op_Vesuvius_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20240515 (17)_1-48_633_Squadron_Op_Vesuvius_Mosquito by John Dixon, on Flickr
20240124 (24)_1-48_Flakvierling_38 by John Dixon, on Flickr