DeHavilland Mosquito FB.VI

by Bob Aikens

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Tamiya's FB Mk.VI/NF Mk. II kit No. 62 first appeared in 1998, but since the mid 1990's Tamiya had been markedly enhancing the fit quality of their models. The Mosquito is a typical example - the fit of almost everything is great, and the 'ease-of-construction' engineering may be described as ridiculously ingenious.

The wing-fitting is a spar arrangement that lines up and nestles in so neatly that, if so desired, the fuselage and wings can be painted seperately and retro-joined at final assembly. The same nice hand-in-glove fit holds true for the nacelle to wing join-up, and the nacelles may be painted as seperate units. Modelers have come to accept this kind of stuff from Tamiya- but there is something truly wonderful about it. I'll call it 'Modular Concept Construction'; it's certainly not new-but formerly modelers always had to do this sort of thing for themselves (and I leave the esthetics and morals open for debate).

The only thing that stands out as being remotely 'complex' is the landing gear. As illustrated, it looks daunting, but it falls together like everything else.

So..., the only thing left is your paint job...I adhered slavishly to the painting instructions, going even so far as using the recommended Tamiya paints, which for my Banff Wing Mk.VI were XF-54 Dark Sea Grey and XF-55 Deck Tan.

The kit decals were used to make up NE-D RS625 of 143 Sqn Banff, Scotland 1944.

This kit was an entertaining and an instructive build...indeed I was almost able to forget how many $ Canadian it cost me. If you have this kit and haven't built it-do so at once. It will ease your troubled modeler's mind.

The backdrop in the photo below is actually the late-winter eastern shore of Nova Scotia as we winged our way to Newfoundland for an early April visit.

It has been transformed into an Adobe 7 fabrication of NE-D approaching the Scottish coastline.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2004 by Bob Aikens
Page Created 04 August, 2004
Last Updated 03 August, 2004

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