The little known DeHavilland DH98 Mosquito FB(AW)44

[Pellson]

Origins
In 1949, the quite painful British exits from India and Palestine were all but completed. At the same time, new disturbances to peace erupted, first in Malaya but within a few years, British troopers were fighting in Korea, Egypt, Kenya and slightly later also in Cyprus and on the Arabian peninsula.
In Malaya, the RAF soon became heavily involved in ground attack missions, flying both regular attack missions on preplanned targets as well as close air support for army units entangled in combat with the communist insurgents. This worked fairly well during the daylight hours, but when the dark fell, the single seat Tempests and Spitfires employed in strafing found the CAS mission in particular rather troublesome to perform due to the absolute lack of references in the pitch black tropical night sky. In an attempt to alleviate the problem, a few radar equipped Beaufighters of no 84 sqn stepped in and despite the radar mainly contributed by helping the Beaufighters not hitting ground during strafing runs, it was soon found out that by some tweaking of the equipment, a primitive form of radar navigation could be established, significantly improving the time loitering over the target due to increased precision in finding the way home.  In October, Brigands of no 45 sqn started replacing the war weary Beaufighters, as a bonus also bringing more modern and efficient radar equipment to the theatre of operations.

In the summer of 1950, the North Korean assault on South Korea and the following UN intervention again saw British servicemen in the thick of it needing round the clock air support. While the RAF principally weren't supposed to participate in offensive operations, the Royal Army's experiences from Malaya prompted a change to this as the USAF couldn't be pushed to fly effective CAS missions at night.
However, the Brigands had by this time started to show some problems both with cannons and propellers why the deliveries of the aircraft had been limited to only two squadrons in Malaya and one in the Middle East, this effectively prohibiting the allocation of any Brigands to Korea. Instead, a flight of Mosquito night fighters quickly dispatched eastwards, on the way staying a fortnight at RAF Tengah where the Mosquitos flew together with the Brigands over Malaya in order to gain some experience in the new tactics. To further speed the conversion, a quick decision by local commanders meant that almost a third of the flight crews were switched between the squadrons, thereby ensuring actual practical experience immediately available in Korea.
The success was however not as immediate in Korea as in Malaya. Mainly, the Mosquito crews complained over the comparatively limited visibility from the cockpit of the Mossies as the pilots sat significantly lower in these aircraft than in the Bristol machines. This limited their possibilities to maintain visual contact with the target when maneuvering above the scene. Almost immediately learning of this, De Havilland very quickly rebuilt an NF XIX, totally redesigning the entire nose and the crew compartment. The pilot now sat on a raised seat placed on the aircrafts centerline instead of offset to the left and the new, longer but slightly more slender nose also sloped forward allowing the pilot better view of what was under the horizon in front of the aircraft. The radar operator/navigator was placed behind the pilot under a single piece canopy De Havilland elegantly sourced from Gloster who had serial production of it to use in their Meteor T7 trainer. Entrance to the cockpit was now via the hinged canopy, doing away with the crew door from earlier marks. These modifications necessitated removal of some fuel tanks originally placed behind the cockpit but at the time, this wasn't seen as prohibitive. This Mosquito, officially dubbed FB (AW) Mk 44 but rarely ever called anything but the shorter FB44, was extensively tested in the dark English skies during the winter 1950-51 revealing a generally pleasant behavior inherited from its predecessor. However, a small but annoying longitudinal instability caused by the new nose and glasshouse was evident, this being easily remedied by adding a fin strake as per the DH Hornet. The 20 mm cannons were kept approximately as they were as were the bomb bay and attachment lugs for RP:s and bombs on the wings. Given the relative ease of the rebuild and the availability of Mosquitos to convert, 31 more conversions from NF XIX:s commenced during the spring.

FB44 entering service
For several different reasons, only a small number of FB44:s actually reached Korea during 1951, organized into an unnumbered flight. The converted machines were immediately much appreciated by the by this time rather experienced local Mossie crews.
Instead, the no 39 sqn who were flying Mosquito NF36 at Kabrit, Egypt, tending to the evolving canal zone crisis, gained an extra flight equipped with the new FB44 and immediately added nocturnal ground attack to the squadron specialities. Also, no 55 sqn was reestablished with the FB44 at Deversoir as an allweather companion to no 249 sqn:s newly received Vampire FB5:s. During 1952, however, no 55 sqn saw itself moving to Eastleigh to hunt for the Mau-Mau.
At this theatre, the significantly larger area of operations motivated the reinstatement of the range from earlier marks of the Mosquito and soon, 100 gallon wing tip tanks substituted the pointy original wing tips, also leading to a somewhat shortened span which was found beneficiary to maneuverability at low altitudes by increasing the possible roll rate. Inevitably, the high altitude performance suffered but as there's very little CAS work to be performed above 10 000 ft, no one really cared.

In 1955, no 39 sqn had moved to Malta and then soon again to Cyprus and the unfolding crisis there. The squadron's Mosquito NF36 were now long gone, replaced by the Meteor NF13 but the FB44 flight lingered on until 1959, being intensely hated by the EOKA terrorists. In Kenya, no 55 sqn had by 1955 all but completed its tasks there and soon found themselves at Aden where they were to remain until 1960, keeping rather occupied by nocturnal raids in the Radfan. Also, noting the continuing success of the machine, the RAF in 1954 ordered a further 64 Mosquitos of different marks converted, equipping two dedicated army support squadrons in Germany until 1960. At this time, it had been found that for some reason, aircraft not sporting the flame damper exhausts in general had better availability rates than their more efficiently darkened comrades. Despite no technical evidence explaining this, the decision was made to during routine maintenance replacing all flame dampers with regular exhausts as an economy measure.

Modifications and modernisations
In April 1960, no 55 sqn was renumbered to become no 211 sqn as the older and more historically relevant no 55 was freed for the new V-bomber force, the number being taken up by a Victor unit at Honington. The "new" no 211 stayed on the Arabian peninsula with their FB44:s until the bitter end, among other things playing an important role in Operation Nutcracker in 1964. Following a short spell in out of the combat zone in Sharjah between 1967 and 1969, no 211 sqn were again thrown into battle in 1969, this time in the barren mountains of Dhofar. The activities here were to continue well into the seventies but already in 1967 a detachment was formed and dispatched to Vietnam in support of the ongoing insurgency there. However, the tropical humidity in this area of operations had a deteriorating effect on the mainly wooden Mosquito airframe why the detachment within a year and a half was returned to the Gulf having lost one aircraft to enemy fire and another written off as a result of a hard landing after a long nights work. No personnell was lost, the shot down aircrew being able to make a dead stick emergency landing in a rice paddy, afterwards being lifted out by US helicopters. Notwithstanding the air frame limitations in the South East Asian climate, the Vietnam experience led to some modifications being fitted throughout the remaining available fleet, most importantly an entirely new and much improved radar system allowing independent targeting of enemy vehicles and similar objects on the ground. Also, two small hardpoints were added on each outer wing, allowing a total of 1000 lb propelled ordnance to be carried. Internally, apart from some new instrumentation and a small HUD, lightweight SAAB-Folland ejection seats similar to those used in the Gnat were installed, much improving the survivability of crews finding themselves in dire straits.

In Dhofar, the RAF involvement was kept a quite close secret, most activities being performed in the name of the Sultanate and with Sultan of Oman Air Force markings on the aircraft. However, the Mossies, mostly operating in the protection of the dark arabian nights, were left in RAF colours. In the early seventies They were given a unique brown and grey wrap around scheme worn with type B roundels to further reduce their conspisciousness in the environment they were working in. At times, the Mosquitos were temporarily based in the field at makeshift airstrips very close to the ongoing fighting in order to facilitate very long duration loitering over the battlefield. Due to the aircrafts rugged construction, these tactics worked really well not causing any particular maintenance problems. All in all, only twelve Mosquitos were lost in Africa and the Middle East, the majority due to engine malfunctions, not really a big surprise considering the age and hours of the engines. Several more were scrapped when found worn out but as the RAF Germany squadrons exchanged their mounts for more modern equipment in the early sixties, the stock of already converted airframes were more than enough to keep the no 211 sqn well equipped throughout it's Arabian adventure.

The finale of the Wooden Wonder
At the final withdrawal of British personnel and equipment from the Omani conflict in 1976, the last 26 Mosquitos were brought home to UK in crates awaiting their final destiny. Surprisingly, they were found to be in remarkably good condition despite their age and very many hours in the air. For an unknown reason, they were neither scrapped nor otherwise disposed of, instead being stored in their transport crates and late in 1990, much to everyone's surprise, a flight of four was reassembled and serious consideration given to the possibility of flying covert CAS missions supporting the SAS regiments hunt for SCUD missiles in Iraq. To facilitate this, a lightweight FLIR was to be located in the forwardmost part of the bomb bay, protruding through the bay doors. Also, Night vision goggles and associated modifications of the instrumentation were considered.
Although in the end nothing came out of this, it still must be seen as a truly remarkable achievement for a weapon system originating in the early forties at all being discussed at such a late date in time.

[rickshaw]

Interesting history.  However, we need photos!   

[Pellson]

I'm renovating the bloody thing as we speak. It's an old conversion and the first whiff I ever made, way back in the nineties so a bit of TLC is desperately needed.

*******

However, in the mean time, here goes the build story:
Many years ago, I found myself at a very small kitchen table contemplating the not very impressive Airfix Mosquito. Some period earlier, I'd found a Matchbox Meteor on a bargain sale and noticed while fiddling around with the pieces for the NF14 that I actually would get not only the extra canopy left over, but the entire adapter piece towards the fuselage as well as the fin assembly minus the stabilators. Now, my first thought was to create an meteor F8 by slaughtering an Airfix F.III and grafting the new fin on the Airfix fuselage. However (as I still wanted the NF14), I soon realized that I needed not only new engines for the F8 but also an entirely new forward fuselage. Thus, the entire project got shelved and the two Meteors were looking gloomily in me from the stash.

Enter the Mossie. Having found myself increasingly fascinated by the post-war RAF rather than the WW2 period, I had come to wonder what I would do with those kits not really fitting in my main period of interest, among them this Mossie. Searching the then much more limited internet soon gave that the Mosquito indeed were active in RAF until 1950, but mostly so in glassnosed versions. Also, the low, framed cockpit canopy of the Mossie looked distinctly WW2 which I found quite boring.
Anyhow, for some reason, I took out the canopy frame piece from the NF Meteor and ended up with noticing that it without too much mucking about actually would fit on top of the Mossie. Digging out the canopy as well, holding one piece behind the other, a much more timeless Mosquito appeared - and a new whiffer was born.

So off I went, constructing an entirely new cockpit tub adapted to the framed Meteor canopy made from old credit card plastic. Using a metal saw and whatever modelling knife at hand, I cut out the body of the Mossie to attach the canopy adapter and the result was awesome, at least for that period oin my modelling. Anyway, the wall was now broken and an eternal sea of opportunities lay ahead.

The next challenge was the Mossie nose. Firstly, the rather square upper cross section in front of the old canopy matched badly to my new fuselage and secondly - it didnt look right. I promptly raided man spares bin, finding the discarded Meteor F.III. A quick cut and some filler and the nose problem was soon solved.

Having gotten so far, a new house move came up, family issues arose and for lack of better description - life took me away from modelling for a few years. When I rediscovered the hobby in the early twentyfirst century, I one day googled for info on Meteors just as a pastime and came upon Mr Spackmans absolutely fantastic Meteor PR19. And from there, the rest is history. I haven't however really bothered to do anything like that write-up until now, probably having too much time on my hands during the season holidays. And since you are all out there, beware, there'll be more fiction coming your way every now and then. I do have had a Meteor FB(AW)18 project going for quite some years now (recognise the NF14 remnants, anyone?) and also a thin wing Javelin alternative. Not very official drawing lookalike, but as we all know, that thing drawn wasn't good enought to fly anyway..

*******

Finally, I really need to express my gratefulness to Mr Spackman whose absolutely lovely PR19 story I've come across quite a few times in different situations and contexts, several of them having it accepted as the full truth and nothing but the truth. Mr Spackmans example in creating what in my world is the ultimate whiffery has become a divine principle to my own - the "it could really have happened"-principle.

Now, back to the Humbrols and the FB44.

[NARSES2]

Looking forward to this 

[PR19_Kit]

Finally, I really need to express my gratefulness to Mr Spackman whose absolutely lovely PR19 story I've come across quite a few times in different situations and contexts, several of them having it accepted as the full truth and nothing but the truth. Mr Spackmans example in creating what in my world is the ultimate whiffery has become a divine principle to my own - the "it could really have happened"-principle.

[Blush mode]

I'm suitably flattered, thank you, but all I did was fine-tune an idea in my head by dint of digging deep enough to find enough real facts to weave into my story to make it LOOK as if it was real. It took more time to do that than to build the model!

Thanks again.

[/Blush mode]

[Pellson]

Dear hobby. Long time, no see. Working really only is tolerable as it pays your costs, dear pastime..

Anyhow. Having finally gotten down to painting a bit, I realize that the scheme chosen is rather dark. I'm considering a strip and repaint in dark green/sea grey as per 1970:s european scheme instead of this "dark desert" scheme. Or perhaps the old sandstone/dark earth scheme instead, but that's somewhat transporty..
What do you think?

[RussC]

Very nice create on this one. Que the theme by Ron Goodwin for 633 Sqn.