1/32 scale de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI (1 Viewer)

[Vic Balshaw]

Hello Vic and all -- Happy New Year ! I just thought I would comment on the yellow discs . I have seen them mentioned over the years on sites like this and in magazines and books . They denote to those concerned [ ground crew etc ] that the component is armour plate . A disc should really be on the head section of the pilots seat for the Mossie as well [ both sides actually ] . I have this kit too [ but not at hand ] and the discs should be on the wall between the Pilot and Nav and the nose gun section [ again both sides ] also . I have viewed a lot of pictures where the discs are visible and where they are not on the same component [ confusing ! ] But generally speaking it seems to me that the disc would be painted where it would easily be seen . Also it seems to be only on British [ design ] manufactured aircraft . Enjoy your Mossie build Vic

Many thanks for the confirmation. Interesting to note, the kit instructions only give one other place for these discs and that is on the bulkhead between the forward upper gun platform and the cockpit front.

 

[wozza]

Hello Vic ---- I think the position you mention is the one I mentioned -------- the wall between aircrew and the gun compartment [ disc both sides ] . I am not sure as to all the armour on a mossie , but being a high performance aircraft , I assume the [ armour ] weight would be kept to a minimum . Also the bomber version would be different again . [ I think from memory , pilots seat and navigator position ] . Just as an aside --- armour plate would have been used to some extant during WW1 , not sure about " interwar " , but the first I came across armour plate for WW2 was when the Hurricanes went to France and the ground crew and pilots were putting in " scrap " metal behind the pilots seat for some sought of protection . Hawkers were in a bit of a huff over this because of the effect on the Hurricanes center of gravity concerns --- sending a representative to France . As we can see from history -- armour plate became a standard fit for Hurricanes --- and of course for most all combat aircraft

 

[Crimea_River]

Armour plating on the Mosquito was liminal and typically .25 inch thick steel. The areas on the bomber were the pilot and navigator's back rest, and the half bulkhead below their seats, referred to as Bulkhead 2. Apart from that, there was armoured glass on the windscreen and that was it. As mentioned, the FB's had additional armour separating the forward gun compartment from the cockpit to offer further protection, something not possible on the bomber version given the need for access to the bomb sight in the nose.

 

[Engineman]

Must admit, the yellow circles in the interior are interesting. Does anyone have details of the instructions that specify why they are painted? Presumably, there is official info about this?
As far as being Gas-paint, I am reminded that WW2 Jeeps did have gas reactive paint on the bonnet (hood). As far as denoting armour plate, that seems unusual as well.

Eng

 

[fubar57]

E Engineman Post #4 has a link to the probable answer.... Yellow Dots in DH98 Mosquito Cockpit?

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far Vic!

 

[Engineman]

E Engineman Post #4 has a link to the probable answer.... Yellow Dots in DH98 Mosquito Cockpit?

Thanks. But, it is interesting that #4 in that says "To paint yellow markings on magnetic armour plates." But, in #8 it shows the specific specification of "demagnetised" !
Overall, it does seem to be related to the magnetic factor. However, I am bemused to contemplate the occasions that aircrew would be using a handheld compass and how that would be helped in such a small cockpit? I presume that Astro shots were made in the small dome at the rear and some sort of standard correction was used or, that the aircraft compass heading was used, which of course was a corrected "swung" aircraft instrument, either procedure negating the problem. Possibly, this was more to do with DAC (Dangerous Air Cargo) where strong magnetic items should not be moved close to the steel parts, but what would these be? Magneto's have strong magnets, but I doubt they would magnetise a steel plate. Possibly, the yellow circle indicated that the plate HAD been demagnetised, and was fit to be used in the cockpit? That would seem to me to be more likely. Mind you, the QA required to ensure that the material really was demagnetised before painting with a yellow circle sounds a nightmare. Still a strange business, you would think it would just have a small black stencil wording "DEMAGNETISED" on it, instead of a yellow circle.

Eng

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Lots of good info, thinking and a good debate folks. Lots going on family wise but I have managed to almost finish up the main part of the cockpit, the instructions take me to the upper gun platform, so here is where I'm at.

Various views of the cockpit. There has been a little extra wiring added for the radar scope (I think that is what it is).

This is just to show the extra detail behind the inst pane. I believe this wiring will be covered, but it was fun to have a go.

 

[fubar57]

Impressive, Vic. You should have lightly drawn a smiley face on one of those disks to see if anyone would notice

 

[SaparotRob]

I was going to write impressive but Fubar57 beat me to it.
That cockpit is the cat's pajamas!

 

[Grant Barr]

Wow Vic - great job on the cockpit!

 

[Airframes]

Looking good Vic.
By "radar scope" I presume you mean the receiver behind the pilot's seat. This is not a radar, but the indicator unit for the "Gee" navigational aid, which received and displayed pulses from land-based transmitters (in the UK), which were used in conjunction with "Gee" charts to aid in plotting a position along the grid lines on the chart.
Pic below shows part of what a chart looked like.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Terry, I was not sure what it was.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Vic!