1/72 Highball Mossie

[Seabo14]

So, for my first build on WIM, I thought I'd build a project I've wanted to do for ages, a Highball Mossie.

I'll be using an Airfix NF.XIX/J.30, and Airfix Annual No.6's article on a conversion (I'm too cheap for both the Tamiya and Paragon kit, since they'd come to about £50 -postage  , whilst I picked both of those up for a grand total of £6.50 ). According to Scalemates, this is a rather old kit, the original moulds dating back to 1957! Basic backstory is that the AI radar used in NF.XIX's was usable to detect ships as well, so this is a kind of FB Highball. I'm in the process of writing a full backstory at the moment, so expect initial pics and that to be up soonish. Please leave any comments or opinions!

A quick look over the sprues reveals a rather nice bull-nose, but the NF parts seem to be very limited-run looking... e.g lots of sinkmarks, and very rough-textured plastic. I'll likely bin the decals, they're very out of register, and the colours seem a bit off. I'm leaning towards a delayed Operation Sealion scenario, with this launching an attack on a Schnellboot perhaps. If this isn't outlandish enough, I'm picturing late/post war FAA colours, from our favourite whiffy carrier, Habbakuk! 

Seabo14

[PR19_Kit]

According to Scalemates, this is a rather old kit, the original moulds dating back to 1957!

IIRC (and I was there at the time.......  ) it was Airfix's first twin engined kit, and came in a much larger plastic bag than the smaller ones they'd produced before.

[JayBee]

According to Scalemates, this is a rather old kit, the original moulds dating back to 1957!

IIRC (and I was there at the time.......  ) it was Airfix's first twin engined kit, and came in a much larger plastic bag than the smaller ones they'd produced before.

Absolutely correct Kit. It was the first of the series 2 kits, and if my memory serves it cost 3/- (three shillings Sterling, or 15pence in current terms, compared to the series 1 kits, which at that time cost 2/- (10pence).
The kits were in polythene bags with glossy paper headers, which if you removed the staples carefully and un-folded the headers gave you the instruction sheet.
The headers also had a hole punched through the centre top so that the kits could be hung on wire stands in your local Woolworths.


Ah happy days.

[Captain Canada]

Very cool. Love the Mossie so this will be one to watch !

[Seabo14]

Ok, I haven't had access to the camera today, so I decided to crack on with the backstory. Get ready for a very over-thought whif 

General backstory-
In summer 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, the Germans were losing. Their Bf109's could only match the performance of the RAF's fighters. When Hitler realised this, the search for a new fighter was begun. The Heinkel He 176 was rushed into service, turning the tide swiftly in Germany's favour. On the 15th September, the first invasion barges set off. The weather was clear, with a small amount of concealing fog (according to Alfred Price's brilliant Spitfire). Britain rushed into action, and within a week, due in part to the incredible effectiveness of Operation Banquet, the invading forces were repelled. The Germans, hungry for revenge, immediately prepared another attack. Complications in Africa and Norway (this will be expanded on in later Whifs) meant the invasion was delayed until early 1944. The Americans, tied up in the war in the Pacific, (which now included Russia due to the diversion of attacks to Britain) could not help in Overlord, so this was quietly and indefinitely postponed. This, Germany thought, would be a perfect opportunity for invasion. In late May, 1944, a new invasion force, consisting of mainly barges still, but complemented by specially modified S-100s, and supported by Tirpitz, Bismarck, and Graf Zeppelin, landed on British beaches. With their new jet aircraft and naval power, Germany easily pushed through the weakened British Army, half of which was overseas. London was put quickly under siege, while invading forces reached Basingstoke and Cambridge. The front then reached a stalemate, continuing until 1946, when British jets helped to begin a liberating push.

Highball backstory-
In late 1943, Britain, winning on all fronts, put much funding into the Habbakuk project, anticipating another invasion. They were commissioned as the Commanders class. The first of these 2000ft monsters, HMS Wellington, was launched in Portsmouth, in April 1944. Highball was being quickly developed as a possible weapon to outfit the carriers with, with the first squadron being equipped in January 1944. They moved aboard when 'Nosey' (old nickname for Wellington) was launched. As it happened, Wellington was stationed just off of the Suffolk coast, when news of the incoming forces reached them. The Mosquitos were quickly scrambled, and reached the forces just in time to do some damage. Highball's first operational use managed to sink 2 destroyers, 4 Schnellboots, and severely damage 1 cruiser. Their 20mm cannon also damaged countless barges, with only one Mosquito being downed. Highball was found to be a very versatile weapon. If it was spun clockwise, it would fall like a normal bomb, but would roll rather than bounce. (That part is really true, for Upkeep and Highball) These 'Bowling' missions were very effective against enemy tanks. Highball was used by the RAF and FAA in all theatres, beating even Upkeep in fame.

Now I guess I have to follow that up with a good build 

Stay tuned!

Seabo14

[Seabo14]

Right, I think it's time for a build update!

I take it anyone interested in this build will have at least seen the Airfix Mossie basic sprues, so I've only posted the NF.XIX/J.30 bits. They're in a different colour plastic to the rest of the kit, using up extra stock maybe? as mentioned before, lots of sinkmarks on the sprue itself, but luckily not so much on the parts. As per most earlier Airfix kits, the props have a small-ish sinkmark on their rear, but other than that the only problem is a slightly pebbly texture, mostly on the 'bullnose'. Nothing to be worried about though, a coat of paint should fix it. This pic also shows the nose-less and bomb-bay-less fuselage as it is now.


Also, here's the plans from the annual, highly recommended for anyone wishing to build a highball mossie from the Airfix kit, costing approx. 6% of the paragon kit on Ebay!



Also, I forgot to mention, this is my first conversion, so don't be to hard on the finished result I'm beginning work on the cockpit now, which will involve a bit of modification to the I.P. and pilots.

Seabo14

[RAFF-35]

Fantastic back story  can't wait for this one to be finished 

[PR19_Kit]

Absolutely correct Kit. It was the first of the series 2 kits, and if my memory serves it cost 3/- (three shillings Sterling, or 15pence in current terms, compared to the series 1 kits, which at that time cost 2/- (10pence).
The kits were in polythene bags with glossy paper headers, which if you removed the staples carefully and un-folded the headers gave you the instruction sheet.
The headers also had a hole punched through the centre top so that the kits could be hung on wire stands in your local Woolworths.

My Hawker Hart kit, as mentioned in the Old Kits GB thread, still looks exactly like that, complete with punched hole. 

[TheChronicOne]

Go for the gusto, bud!!   Looks to me like you're well on your way to stardom at the ol' WIM boards here.

Great write-up.   

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Some years ago I met a pilot who was in 618 Squadron RAF in 1945, training to use Highball against the Japanese Fleet in Tokyo Bay. He said that their bold commander felt that the best form of attack was to fly directly towards the big, angry target ship, drop one weapon, then go round and repeat to make sure of a sinking. Apparently the other pilots felt that one approach was quite enough, and come the day might have had "digit trouble".

[sandiego89]

Welcome seabo- always great to have new members submitting builds!

-Dave

[The Wooksta!]

The Airfix NF Mosquito kit dates from 1973ish, not the earlier tooling.

[Seabo14]

Thanks for all the support! I guess now i'll have to follow that backstory up with a half decent build  the pilots are all done, but I'm running a little low on Hu78, so I may make a start on the wings.

The Airfix NF Mosquito kit dates from 1973ish, not the earlier tooling.

I just had a look, and that would seem to be true. The strange thing is that, although the new moulds were tooled then, they continued to use the old tool throughout the late 70s and 80s, only resurrecting the new one in 1989..? Luckily, 1973 still counts as an 'old build'.  I was kinda wondering why the pilots were supposedly better than most offerings at that time *cough* Dh88 *cough*.

[Seabo14]

So, some actual build progress. I found a fairly new pot of 78 lying around, so I've done a fair bit of the cockpit. The I.P has been paint-converted into a radar-equipped version, while that eyepatch thing the bomb aimer's wearing is a ring aperture sight, the kind the highball tests where carried out using.


Here's it all together in the 'tub', with a nacelle behind it. Reminds me of the old matchbox multi-colour kits!


I've run into a little dilemma though. After carving away the bomb bay, I realised I had to take away the gun bay section as well. The 20mms would look a bit silly with no breach, so I don't know what to do. I'm thinking one exposed barrel, stolen from the 303 barrels, and put in the tsetse plate. Any ideas? I don't think I'll do any external stores, but I may change my mind and add the long range tanks.

This is when the fun starts! Highball stuff's up next, seems to be fairly simple, although I'm having trouble locating some Highball sized beads, but luckily they're added last.

Opinions and criticisms are always welcome,

Seabo14

[NARSES2]

Nice work on those old crew figures. They should probably be drawing their pensions by now not flying Mossies