Work has now started on the cockpit, which, overall, will be the biggest area of improvement, apart from correcting the profile of the engine nacelles to wings joints, and the nose area. The parts provided in the kit are very basic representations of the actual aircraft and, with the original kit canopy, would look passable if used as provided - just !
PIC 1. These are the kit parts for the main cockpit components, comprising the main floor and wing spar 'shelf' and, on the left, the radio shelf and 'radios'. The latter bear no resemblance to any equipment fit in any version of the Mosquito, and I think are basically scaled-up from the old Monogram (Revell) 1/48th scale kit from the 1960s. This area will be totally scratch built later.
PIC 2. This is what is provided as the pilot's seat, and navigator's back armour, loosely dry-fitted for the photo. The back armour will be modified and part scratch-built, as explained later, and the pilot's seat, and the 'box' it sits on, will be discarded, with a new seat frame, seat and correctly shaped back armour being scratch-built.
PIC 3. First stage in modification was to remove the 'box' for the pilot's seat. The resulting hole was later plated over with plastic card.
PICS 4 and 5. The hole is now plated, and the first stage of the seat mounting frame has been added from plastic tube. The navigator's seat 'cushion' has been filed flat, and covered with plastic card, roughly cut to shape. This will be filed when fully set, and then covered with thin foil and textured. The back armour has had the top section removed, and the moulded seat harness filed off, as well as being thinned at the edges. The padded back cushion will be added later, from Milliput.
The top section of armour plate was hinged, to fold down aft, and incorporated a small, armoured glass porthole and a handle, used to pull it upright. This will be made from plastic card and clear sheet, and added later, once the new radio shelf is installed, and the harness anchor points added at this time also.
That's all for now, but I hope to post another update soon. Thanks once again for your continued interest.