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Post by agalbraith on Apr 9, 2019 14:43:03 GMT 12
Hi all Well it has been many a year since I have put a build thread up on here. But this one is kinda special. The guys at the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society as you all know are doing amazing work with the Hudson, Friendship, Viscount etc and the subject of this build being Mosquito HR339. These chaps like many other volunteer organizations get very little revenue from anywhere and much of their own money is spent restoring these important pieces of history. HR339 needs your help, and that is the reason for this project. As you know the remains of HR339 (NZ2382) and TE758 (NZ2328) will be combined to represent the only known survivor of a 487 (NZ) Squadron Mosquito. As much original parts and equipment as possible from HR339 will be used in the restoration. There are no multi million dollar backers here, and this build is to help raise some much needed funds. You can of course donate on their Give a Little page here givealittle.co.nz/search?q=ferrymead+aeronautical+societyIf you want to follow the restoration of HR338, then here is their facebook page www.facebook.com/pg/NZMosquito/posts/?ref=notifAnyway, here we go. When my good friend Damon came down from Auckland to pack up his new AOP-6 Auster project he brought in from Canada, we got to talking about stuff and after visiting Ferrymead when he was here I said I would like to do something like this for the guys. He had a model he donated(thanks buddy)....and then it ment I had to get off my lazy backside and get to work! I was initially going to build it straight out of the box and paint her up as she appeard on Operation 'Clarion' and put it on Trade Me. Well more remarkable info came to light which confirmed how she actually looked and her scheme etc. Before long I have brought a ton of aftermarket for the model. The cockpit is almost complete, I have added an Eduard photoetch set in the cockpit. The correct Gee radio Navigation set up is almost finished which entailed stripping the old kit equipment out and scratchbuilding all new items. All new wiring and plumbing has been added and I am pleased with how it is all starting to look in there. The Gee unit has still yet to go in behind the pilots seat, I am still scratchbuilding one I will be opening the bomb bay but not the nose cannon bay (I want to actually finish it LOL), plus there will be a special extra that will come with the kit when it goes on Trade Me. I will announce that closer to the time. Lets see if we can help HR339! Cheers Anthony
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Apr 9, 2019 18:43:52 GMT 12
Nice one Ants, what a good initiative! If you are "pleased with how it is all starting to look" then, damn - I'm sure as hell gonna like it!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 9, 2019 20:32:16 GMT 12
Yes a great idea. I shared this to the WONZ Show Facebook page to help spread the word.
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 9, 2019 20:48:46 GMT 12
Thanks guys!, really appreciate the support as I am sure the Ferrymead crew are too.
I have just spent the evening reprofiling the kit spinners (very slightly too rounded)to be slightly more pointy. Probably not even noticeable to the casual observer. But the paddle blade props HR339 had fitted at 'Clarion' were too spoon shaped in the kit. I slightly squared the tips and gave a more even profile down the blade length which matched my measurements off an actual blade. The reason I had these measurements was because I helped Tamiya with the R&D of their 32nd kit along with Andy (Avspecs) and Kerry Carlyle. I knew these pages of notes would come in handy one day LOL.
Anyway, these changes really have improved the look of the propellers. The spinner was probably not worth doing, but the blades are a big improvement. I will photograph tomorrow as this daylight saving's is knocking this old fella about and I am heading to bed LOL.
Thanks again for your support
Anthony
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Post by ZacYates on Apr 10, 2019 0:47:21 GMT 12
Nice work Anthony, that cockpit's looking sharp. I'm excited to see the finished, "as she was" model. Very cool!
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 10, 2019 11:34:45 GMT 12
Thanks Zac, much appreciated buddy! Here is the corrected blades, I really should have posted a before and after, anyway... Shape improvement is more noticeable when on an angle. Port wing is mostly finished as well. Stbd wing is being worked on at the moment
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 10, 2019 12:12:27 GMT 12
Which kit is this Anthony? Tamiya?
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 10, 2019 12:53:54 GMT 12
Yes Dave, its the Tamiya kit. Pretty good kit really, considering it must be a few years old now...?
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 12, 2019 15:29:16 GMT 12
Would anyone have the 1/48 Nightfighter kit (#61075) as a spares ship? It appears to have the Gee unit on th 'K' sprue (part K1)as my first attempt looks awful....
Stbd wing and tailplanes pretty much done now
Got to try and finish painting the bomb bay so I can glue the fuse together. Will try and update over the weekend
Cheers Anthony
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Post by agile on Apr 12, 2019 21:59:59 GMT 12
It goes without saying that the HR339 team are thrilled and flattered that Ants is doing this for us. The end product will be something very special. Ants if it helps I can measure up the Gee boxes? I also have the drawings for the Gee scope mount, which is a tubular affair.
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 16, 2019 17:30:58 GMT 12
Thanks Alex...might take you up on that! I should have those files scanned hopefully tonight. The Wifi wont pick up the scanner/printer. But Belynda is looking at it tonight for me...teenagers, cant do with them, cant do without them! Bomb bay, getting there Fuselage all buttoned up....but still a lot to do internally. Also the fin on the Tamiya kit is 1.5mm too tall. I fixed that also. I will take a pic and explain how I did it... Wings mostly cleaned up And those silly pesky rectangular wing location pins delt with and filled as they were not present on the real wing (lower inner wing mid chord) Still loads to go, but getting there and am really happy with it. Thanks for looking in as always Ants
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Apr 16, 2019 18:47:12 GMT 12
Class act!
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 17, 2019 16:41:58 GMT 12
Thanks JF! Ok, so as some of you may be aware, the fin on this 1/48 kit is slightly too tall. This really was an easy fix. I took the desired 1.5mm off the tip of the rudder and reprofiled it. Then I had to rub off most of the surface ribbing and the rudder is quite smooth in real life. I will add rib tapes later. Anyway, here is the modified fin Then the Monica/Rebecca/whatever (I cant remember at the mo) fairing under the tailcone just behind the tailwheel opening needed sorting. Its not just a matter of glueing the fairing on, it neens trimming back to a scalloped shape behind it, not just straight....make sense?? This might help I now have that all sanded up and the tailplanes attached. But with leaving for Omaka in the morning, I doubt much more will get done for a week As always thanks for looking in and I hope it is of some interest out there Cheers Ants
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Apr 17, 2019 18:40:23 GMT 12
Quote: "...I hope it is of some interest out there"
You bet!
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Post by baz62 on Apr 18, 2019 11:57:26 GMT 12
Great attention to detail Ants. It will be a worthy model of the real deal.
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Post by agile on Apr 18, 2019 13:13:08 GMT 12
I'll say, amazing attention to detail. It's actually the fairing for the 'Type F Equipment Transmitter', which is a humongous rearward facing lamp (looks like a period car headlamp but has a 200W bulb, like these) activated by a motorised flasher unit on the cockpit armour next to the Nav's feet. Quite what the purpose of this was, apart from attracting attention from night fighters isn't clear, but it seems to be a fairly common mod on Mossies. HR339 definitely has it, as does HJ711, and NZ2328 was at least fitted for it (wiring, switch, lamp, flasher bracket). It's all in the mod sheets (the mod includes an entire replacement tailcone from memory)!
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Post by agile on Apr 19, 2019 12:44:54 GMT 12
To illustrate my previous post, some photos of HJ711. firstly the F lamp: Then the flasher: In case it is of interest, here are a couple of pics of the Gee setup. This is the same boxes that we now have here. The colour of the paint on the fronts is a bit sus, but you get the idea. This is looking through the escape hatch in the canopy. The receiver is just visible in the bottom of the shot, the indicator to the left, and the flasher can be seen projecting from the armour below. A lot of the other details of this (NF11) aircraft are of course quite different to the FBVI, eg the placement of various items of equipment: This is looking through the entry hatch, with the Gee indicator in the foreground and the receiver behind: And this is with the indicator removed, to (kinda) show the relationship of the receiver to the wing deck: There is also a panel containing the master switch, destructor buttons and a couple of lamps associated with the Gee installation. I have never seen a photo or detail drawing of this (it would be great if one came out of the woodwork), so this diagram from the mod sheets is the best indication for where it goes ( it is the one below arrow 'E', seemingly on the cockpit wall level with the coaming, and above the Gee indicator): I hope this is useful for this build and any other Mossie modellers.
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 22, 2019 10:41:33 GMT 12
Hey Alex, thanks buddy! Aaah, the 'F' lamp and flasher...right you are. We have had exhaustive discussion about that in the past, I should have remembered. Better make sure I put that flasher unit in the cockpit now!
I got in very late last night, and I have collected your prop blade. Will drop it in on my next visit.
Cheers Ants
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 24, 2019 16:47:39 GMT 12
My initial plan was to just build it straight out of the box. But I still find myself ordering aftermarket bits... Anyway, more progress.... I have filled the 2 fuel vent access panels as these have a fabric patch over them, sorted the wingtips which were a terrible fit and a few other bits n bobs. Cheers Ants
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Post by agile on Apr 27, 2019 20:32:38 GMT 12
I got in very late last night, and I have collected your prop blade. Will drop it in on my next visit. Thanks a million to you, Belynda and onetime forumite Aaron for saving, storing and transporting that for us. With friends who casually ask you to move a 6 foot long prop blade half the length of the South Island, who needs enemies? The model is looking grouse too!
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