Feature Article by Dave Coward
Take a look at: Summary, Gallery and PDF…
Aftermarket Extras:
Alley Cat Mosquito TR Mk.33 Sea Mosquito Conversion Set
Resin parts and photo-etched parts are included for the conversion. This is a really comprehensive conversion, with many optional items that can be fitted. Included is the unique nose radar and all the internal radar equipment, wing folds for both wings, new elevators, a Torpedo, RATOG packs, arrestor hook, new spinners and additional propellers to enable 4 bladed propellers to be assembled, new undercarriage struts (wire strengthened) and smaller radial ribbed tyres and other detail parts to make this unique version.
Masks are supplied (by Montex) to enable one of two aircraft to be modelled, masks are supplied for the canopy (internal and external). Some of the kit decals are required to complete the markings.
RRP £40 GBP
http://www.a2zeemodels.co.uk/mosquito-tr-mk33-sea-mosquito-conversion-set-5061-p.asp#
Background
To meet specification N.15/44 for a navalised Mosquito for Royal Navy use as a torpedo bomber, de Havilland produced a carrier-borne variant. A Mosquito FB.VI was modified as a prototype designated Sea Mosquito TR Mk 33 with folding wings, arrester hook, thimble nose radome, Merlin 25 engines with four-bladed propellers and a new oleo-pneumatic landing gear rather than the standard rubber-in-compression gear. An order for 100 TR.33s was placed although only 50 were built at Leavesden. Armament was four 20mm cannon, two 500 lb bombs in the bomb bay, (another two could be fitted under the wings) eight 60 lb rockets (four under each wing) and a standard torpedo under the fuselage. The first production TR.33 flew on 10 November 1945. This series was followed by six Sea Mosquito TR Mk 37s, which differed in having ASV Mk XIII radar instead of the TR.33’s AN/APS-6.
References used:
- Sam Publications Aviation Guide 2 – Mosquito FB VI – ISBN: 978-1-906959-08-1
- Model Data File – The De Havilland Mosquito – ISBN: 9533465-0-1
- Mosquito in Action Parts 1 and 2 – ISBN: 978-0897472852 / 978-0897473033
Construction
I`m not going to go to deeply into the general build in this review as this has been extensively covered in previous reviews by both Julian and myself of the kit from the box. What I will concentrate on is the use of the conversion kit and what needs to be done to the donor kit to get everything to fit.
So where do we start? Funny old thing the cockpit!! The basic cockpit comes straight from the box but with the addition of a radar screen and its associated controls that are located in front of the navigator. These bits come as resin parts in the conversion kit and the wiring is also provided in the kit as copper wire. The instructions show how to fit the parts by the use of photographs backed up with written instructions – all very simple but they are clear, concise and straightforward. The only other addition to the cockpit was the use of a set of RAF Sutton Harness Seatbelts from Model Design Construction. Otherwise the cockpit was from the box and was finished as described in the review I did of the basic Airfix kit. (Just a note for you eagled eyed readers out there – yes the pilot’s seat armoured back plate is the wrong way around!!! I did alter this later on when I discovered that the top of the plate interfered with the internal cockpit framing). The cockpit was fitted into the fuselage sides along with the bomb bay and cannons. I did very little work to the bomb bay interior and cannon assemblies as neither would be seen with the doors closed, I had no intension of wasting time and effort on areas that would never be seen again!! This version has a radar in the nose which replaces the four machines guns so again less building to do; the pile of unused bits is getting bigger. The resin nose itself fitted ok on the top but it needed a little persuasion to fit on the lower side. This also meant the lower cannon cover fit was poor so a reasonable amount of filler was needed here to getting everything to fit together.
