**** DONE: GB-46 1/72 Mosquito Mk VI - WW2 Eastern Front/ Twin Engine A/C, Transport and Gliders

[PlasticHero]

Username: PlasticHero
First Name: Alan
Category: Intermediate
Scale 1/72
Manufacturer Hasegawa Mosquito Mk VI
Extras: Xtradecal X72195 70th D-Day Anniversary Pt2

Well this is the plan; but the Mossie is the largest model I've built in 30 years and first with 2 props. The Bat is tiny so should be real quick. But what is that lurking in the background? With a center bomb bay, it has to have 2 engines. Could this maniac be trying for a HAT TRICK??? Only time (and wife's patience)((and admin approval)) will tell.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Can't tell what the third thing is so am in no position to judge. Looking forward to the other two.

 

[PlasticHero]

I have 2 choices of markings; TH-M of 418 Sqn or SB-V of 464. The latter aircraft was part of the raid on the Amiens Prison in February 1944 and is the one I pick.
Operation Jericho: Mosquito Raid on Amiens Prison - Warfare History Network
It crashed on 1/18/45.
Accident de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk VI MM403, 18 Jan 1945

A close look at this picture (thanks fubar57) and the decal sheet seems at odds. I'm pretty sure I can see a color change in the open area of the B, and the colors seem reversed. Xtradecal vs EagleCals

vs

I'm going to have to think long and hard on how to mask the stripes before I put on decals but still make it look like the stripes are painted by hand over the markings.

The rest of the sheet X72195 are various D-Day markings for Beaufighter, DC-3, Horsa,Stirling and Mitchell. If anyone is interested, PM me what your choice is and I'll send that part of the remaining decal sheet to you. (USA please) First response will get that particular aircraft. Here is a link to see what is available.
Xtradecal Aircraft decals - X72195 | Hannants

My daughter is staying with me and was interested in why the plane had the stripes. One thing leads to another about markings, and she is blown away that New Zealand aircraft have a kiwi in their roundel.

 

[fubar57]

PM sent Alan

 

[Crimea_River]

Here's am underside shot to go with your side pic:

 

[T Bolt]

Nice to see a Mosquito

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wayne Little]

Sweet.

 

[nsmekanik]

Could be interesting, a method that I found worked well for doing the stripes is to first mask and paint them on, then after the masks come off, take a flat brush and using your favorite thinned paint, go over the stripes. This will give the brush strokes without needing a 6"layer to get the coverage, at the end of the stripe you can 'feather' the edge, and when doing the black you can create that trade mark uneven edge.

 

[Airframes]

Good choice.
Yes, the profile shown at left has the colours reversed, compared to the photo, which is, of course, correct.
Note that if you are doing the model as used in the Amiens raid, the the AEAF stripes would not be present.

 

[PlasticHero]

Ah, time for color choice. According to the instructions it should be

The aircraft will be painted as the photo, as if in January 1945 in honor of the last crew, F/Lt Murray and McKenzie.

The colors were clipped from tamiya paint charts that I found here:
Blog / Tamiya USA

 

[fubar57]

Looks good to me. The top three are new colours Tamiya released a few years ago. I sent them an email last year if they were thinking about releasing more colour so that we could avoid mixing and they replied that they are releasing new colours all the time. I would sure like to see these "new" colours. If you want to go nuts with colours....
Tamiya 80371,XF71 / #74925e Hex Color Code Schemes & Paints

 

[Crimea_River]

Geo posted while I was typing so pardon any duplication.

Tamiya have very few paints that match the exact colour chips for British aircraft. The exceptions are, fortunately for you, the 3 main camo colours which they produced when they released their 1/32 Spitfire IX. That said, I have the RAF Dark Green (2) as XF-81, not XF-70. XF-70 is a much darker green for the IJN. The Ocean Grey and Medium Sea Grey numbers are correct.

Now, Tamiya's Sky XF-21 is too dark in my opinion. My formula is more like 3 parts XF-21 mixed with 2 parts white XF-2.

Similarly, the interior green is in the ballpark but also too dark. My preference for that is 1 part XF5 + 3 parts XF21 + 1 part XF65

 

[A4K]

Great choice Alan! (Not sure about the 'F-19' though... it was made when the F-117 was still 'secret', so is actually nothing like the real aircraft)

 

[PlasticHero]

Well, I think that I have looked at over 100 sites for this question and what I have come to conclude is there is no "right" answer. Crimea_River I have a paint chart from TamiyaUSA and it's names are not the same as the bottles. XF-70 on the chart is Dark Green 2, on a bottle Dark Green (IJN). Chips of the same Tamiya paint from different sites don't match when compared in Photoshop. Scans of period paint charts don't match. "Offical RAF Colors" don't match. Darn you all, I've put more effort into this paper then anything I did in college. After careful consideration, I'm changing the Dark Green to XF-81. It "looks good", more of a land green and is a nice contrast to Ocean Grey since the aircraft flew over both.

 

[fubar57]

I went through your list too fast and in total agreement with Andy. The correct colour would be XF81. Not sure if you are aware of this site, good for checking colors.
Paint4Models - Model Paint - The Ultimate Model Paint Conversion Chart

 

[fubar57]

Forgot about this site for colours. Resources - The World Wars Not perfect but this and the above are good starting points.

​

Accurate colour chips are the way to go. I can't vouch for the accuracy but Iliad Designs makes a lot of charts AIRCRAFT COLOUR CHARTS Some images seen or bought here...

ILIAD DESIGN AIRCRAFT COLOUR CHARTS

 

[le_steph40]

Nice choice

 

[PlasticHero]

First paint, interior green. The dry fitting of parts of the Hasagawa show that they fit almost as well as the Tamiya, but with a little less detail and ejector pin marks. I used this as a guide to what it should look like.

Of course mine will look nothing like this.

It's hard to see the detail on the upper parts which are the Jasc Bat glider and they are very well made. There are no pin marks and the tool maker really stretched and put seatbelts on the glider seat. I added paper for the Mossie seats. The stick looks like it has a leather boot around the bottom.