Airfix 1:24 Mosquito

[Makko]

Nice Hurricane and fascinating history, Roy. Thanks!

[Tony Skilton]

Makko,

If you Google "PZ474" images & photos you will get a deluge of photos, etc, of the most recent new-build DH 98 Mosquito to come out of the Avspecs hangar (Also Google 'AVSPECS') at Auckland, NZ. Also Google 'Mosquito Restorations' of Drury, Auckland - this is the company that builds the wooden wings & fuselages.

PZ474 is an original RNZAF FBVI Mossie the same as your model, has the rockets & rails, & is in the RAF Coastal Command colours as on the image on the end of your Airfix 1:24 scale box. This aircraft first flew again in January 2019 -it is the 3rd new Mosquito built by Avspecs since 2012, & I have seen them all flying now. The new wooden fuselages & wings are all built here in Auckland to original specs & drawings, but using epoxy resin glues developed for Americas Cup racing yachts as it is water-resistant, plus another few thousand brass wood screws over the WWII builds.

The latest rebuild was commissioned by Rod Lewis, a Texas oil billionaire - cost him $8m (& took 4 years), and he had to supply the donor aircraft, which was the ex-RNZAF wreck at Whiteman Airport in California. The aircraft is still operating on it's original Merlin engines, that were with the wreck when it came back to NZ!

Lewis recently sold it to a collector in Sacramento, California, where it is now based. The aircraft flew from San Antonio, Texas, up to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, last July for the big airshow, where it won the champion prize for best WWII restoration from the ashes (The Pheonix Award!). They take the rockets off for long-haul flying, & refit them for airshows & displays.

There are currently two more new Mosquitos being rebuilt here in Auckland, plus a brand new DH Hornet powered by 2 original Hornet 2,070 hp R-R Merlin 130 & 131 engines (Vmax=487 mph). Nothing is impossible down here - it just takes time & dollars.

I have dozens of photos of these first 3 Mosquitos (all are FBVI, but the next off the assembly line is a B35 model with 2-stage, 2-speed supercharged Merlins). Go to Youtube & type in NZ DH Mosquito Test Flights and the test flights are online.

Also in NZ, we have another time-capsule Mosquito that was purchased off the RNZAF in 1955 and stored on a farm, complete (Google 'NZ2336'). The owner died last year, also leaving 2 x ex-RNZAF P-40 Kittyhawks, a genuine RNZAF P-51 Mustang (the very last Mustang flown by the RNZAF!), an RNZAF Lockheed Hudson bomber with memorable operational history in Pacific operations, 2 x Harvards, a Tiger Moth that is untouched - still in original factory condition, DH Vampire engines & fuselage sections, Bristol radial engines, and many containers of spares that he purchased or acquired ex-airforce in the mid 1950's. All aircraft are required by the Smith family to remain in NZ. When opened, their cockpits were found to be totally intact & complete. The Mustang's wings were cut off outboard of the main gear, and the Mossie wings were cut off outboard of the engines, to enable transporting by trailer back in the mid 1950's. The Mossie is going into the Omaka Museum as a time-capsule machine, and will externally look ex-factory.

This Mosquito has only 80.35 hours on the airframe, 84.30 hours on the Stbd Merlin, and 27.10 hours on the Port Merlin (must have been changed out at some stage before sale). So, the airframe was flown UK to NZ, then straight into storage, as were many of the other 88 Mosquitos the RNZAF purchased at wars end! PZ474 - mentioned above, was the only Mosquito to escape from NZ intact, only to return 55 years later & be rebuilt to fly again, with the same engines it was built with!

The Mustang has already been returned to it's only operational base at Ohakea, and is now being totally stripped down & restored to flight by a chap who already owns an airworthy Spitfire Mk IX, Grumman Avenger, Harvard, and a DH Devon. I have seen photos inside the engine - still as it was after being inhibited by the air force 65 years ago - cam lobes & finger pads are unmarked - all engine openings were sealed - photos show everything in the cockpit is as it was for it's last flight across Cook Strait into storage before sale 65 years ago. 5 Other RNZAF Mustangs escaped from NZ after sale, and 4 of these are still currently flying (one crashed in the UK a couple of years back and the elderly rear-seat passenger died unfortunately)

One of my lads is an Air NZ pilot and often did the run from Auckland to London & return in the 777s before Air NZ cut the service earlier this year. One trip, the pilots took an excursion out to RAF Hendon museum while on lay-over, which resulted in my son bringing home the same Airfix 1:24 Scale DH 98 Mosquito model as yours. With 3 sons, I have built them plenty of models over the years when home on leave.
Still got a Vulcan (1:72), Mustang (1:24), and QE2 model to complete. Also a 1.6 m wingspan RC Trainer 40 waiting to fly. Being retired, they think I have plenty of spare time!

Have fun,

Skilly

[Makko]

Many thanks, Skilly! Fascinating details that I will have to investigate. I see a radio antenna cable whish is NOT shown in the kit! I have not fully closed it/finished it because I have been meaning (for months now) to have a photo shoot.

I am currently building a Felixstowe 2A flying boat (1:72) which I purchased in Ukraine. To be frank, it is a real challenge! Each engine is one kit, the fuselage and dazzle paint another, a cradle to take it from the water - Probably five or six kits in one. I have been putting off building the biwings (another kit intheir self) with the accompanying rigging. It will probably be finished in another few weeks. Then to another scale, at least 1:48 (storage space) as 1:72 is starting to prove too challenging.

Many thanks again for taking the time to write your very informative post!

Best Regards,
Dave