Re: [AIR] Mosquitos in USAAF service

So does that mean I can make an F-8 from the 1/72 scale Tamiya B Mk.IV?

And what about the NF;30 of the 12th AAF in 1945???
Michel Philippe
"Mark Schynert" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@news4.west.earthlink.net...

For that I think you need the old Matchbox kit! That had the parts to make either the NF.30 or the Mk.16. If you want info on the various models of the Mosquito and how to model them I would recommend getting a copy of "The deHavilland Mosquito", a Modeller's data file by Richard A. Franks, published by SAM Publications. ISBN 0-9533465-0-1 160 pages, softcover, there are some errors in R.A. Carauna's 3 view drawings in the back but the wealth of info in the modeller's guide section and the detail photos and drawings from old tech manual's make it very worthwhile to acquire.
Bill Shuey

Lately they've been almost paranoid about internet theft of their drawings so I wouldn't be surprised if the errors were intentional. I understand the need to protect copyrights but it's wandering into a situation where no one can trust their drawings' accuracy.
Bill Banaszak, MFE

Thanks for all your help but I'm still confused. Can anybody tell me if the F-8 was externally identical to either the FB Mk. VI or B Mk. IV as depicted by the 1/72 scale Tamiya kits?

Okay, to clarify: The F-8 ought to be almost identical externally to a Tamiya B.IV, since Tamiya didn't do a B.IV series I (there were only ten built). What I can't say, never having seen a picture of an F-8, is whether it had camera ports and where they were. It's pretty easy to convert a B.IV to a P.R.IV (Squadron "In Action" #127 has a drawing that shows camera positions for P.R. I and IV). If the F-8 follows the same pattern,there you are. Absent evidence to the contrary, that's how I'd do it.
Mark Schynert

Thanks, Mark!

Apart from the PRII's, the Mosquito PR variants were related to the Bomber marks, complete with glazed nose. The PR IV's were all converted B IV's, for instance.
According to Martin Bowman's "Mosquito Photo-Reconnaisance Units of World War 2" (Osprey Combat Aircraft 13) and Richard A. Franks' "The SAM Modellers Datafile 1 : The De Havilland Mosquito", the USAAF operated both PR XVI and F-8 marks. The F-8's were converted from Canadian -produced bombers, B VII's and B XX's. Both of these had single-stage Merlins, and would conform to the B IV outline.
The Osprey book has one colour plate of an F-8, and shows it in the Day Fighter scheme, nominally Dark Green and Ocean Grey with Medium Sea Gray undersides. However, as a Canadian production machine, it is possible that the colours are Olive Drab, Sea Gray and Light Gray!
There is one difficulty: Franks says that the F-8's had their cameras installed in the nose, but doesn't give a drawing to show where the camera ports were. None of my other references throw any light on this, and all report that the F-8 was unpopular with the USAAF and was quickly replaced by PR XVI's - which have two-stage Merlins.
To sum up, the F-8 would be like a B IV in outline. The location of the camera ports in the nose is the only unknown.

Thanks, Alan! This was very helpful in clearing up my confusion.

Glad I could be useful. I am a big fan of the Mosquito, and have the 1/48 Tamiya kits in the stash, to be joined by the new Airfix Mk XVI very soon (along with mumble mumble other 1/48 and 1/72 examples). The B IV is being built as a PR IV in PRU blue, to better show off the beautiful shape of the airframe. Ah! De Havilland!
The Osprey book has a whole chapter on Mosquitos in USAAF service, and gets on to the PR XVI on page one out of ten. All of the illustrations of PR XVI's with stars-and-bars show them in PRU blue, sometimes with invasion stripes, red tails, or even red-and-white striped fins (to distinguish them from Me 410's apparantly). It would be a good book to get your local library to find for you. ISBN 1-85532-891-7 on my copy.