scale scratchbuilt Mosquito NF 13

1
March 5, 2017
The picture in front of the model shows the real Mosquito Night Fighter and it's crew. Pilot Everett E. Hermanson DFC and Navigator Douglas Hamm DFC, RCAF 409 Squadron.
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March 5, 2017
All scratchbuilt including the props, landing gear, wheels and canopy.
3
March 5, 2017
The whole airframe is hand carved from styrofoam, except for the tail surfaces, which are balsa!
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March 5, 2017
5
March 5, 2017
6
March 7, 2017
This is a photo of the real Mosquito HK425, KP-D on Dec. 24/44 at their base in France. On a mission the night of the 23rd, they were hit by flak at low altitude, but made it home. Good flying and luck all in one! Even the tailwheel tire was punctured.
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March 7, 2017
Pilot and Navigator get their first look at the damage. They landed at about 2am and decided to have a look in the morning. Lucky boys! Doug told me there was a hole in one propeller blade as well!
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March 7, 2017
Their crew chief surveys the damage. Notice the heavy frost on the wings, tail and fuselage, being melted by the just rising sun! Chief wrote the message in the frost with his finger!
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March 7, 2017
F/O Ev Hermanson DFC (left) and F/L Doug Hamm DFC, the crew of KP-D standing by their mount before a mission.
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March 7, 2017
Here is the fuselage construction. He laminated it from four pieces to give it strength. The canopy section was cut out later and a full cockpit was fabricated, including Pilot's Notes and parachute packs.
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March 7, 2017
A side view of the fuselage blank before sanding.
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March 7, 2017
The canopy mould for the vacuforming machine.
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March 7, 2017
From the left, the canopy mockup, the finished canopy, the mould and a spare canopy before cutting it out.
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March 7, 2017
This shows where the spruce wing spar was installed. You can see the light coloured line showing the position. The wing was one piece from tip to tip after glueing it up. The canopy mockup is in place so he can determine where to cut for the cockpit.
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March 7, 2017
After seeing this picture, I recalled him saying that the foam would not work for the tail components, so they were made from balsa. The wing spar is visible at the tip.
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March 7, 2017
Here is Clarke during the airbrushing of the markings. The model was finished in 1998, when he was 75 years old!

Kommentit

5 March 2017, 20:45

gorby
Amazing model and a very unusual material. If the wings are Styrofoam, do they have any reinforcement to stop them sagging?

6 March 2017, 15:44

Norm Sheppard
He did reinforce the structure but I don't recall the method. I am searching through his archive photos to see if there are any taken during the build. Even the main wheels are carved from foam! It is an extremely light model. I know that he used brass and aluminium tubing in several areas for strength. If I find some photos, I'll post them here.

6 March 2017, 15:57

Spanjaard
what a beautiful model. thanks for sharing. this is real modelling in my opinion. completely from scratch, respect and admiration!

7 March 2017, 10:26

Norm Sheppard
Last night I found some photos of the Mossie during construction. Will post them later today.

7 March 2017, 17:41

Norm Sheppard
Take a look at the real wartime photos of this Mossie I posted too.

7 March 2017, 18:09

gorby
Interesting photos Norm.

7 March 2017, 18:58

Spanjaard
great pictures!

7 March 2017, 21:52

Gary Brantley
That is so cool Norm. 🙂
Thanks for taking us on a very interesting scale modeling journey! 👍

8 March 2017, 00:00

Norm Sheppard
It was so neat to be a part of it all too. I'll be posting more in the days to come.

8 March 2017, 01:06

Alec K
Wow, amazing. Scratchbuilders just build on an entirely higher level. You dad was a master! Thanks for sharing.

8 March 2017, 02:40

gorby
The construction photos are remarkable, so thanks for posting Norm. It looks like your dad is spraying the markings freehand, is that the case?

8 March 2017, 07:11

Norm Sheppard
That is a posed picture, he had made a set of masks for the markings, I remember seeing them in the basement.

8 March 2017, 07:57

Spanjaard
wow, i did not realized that big it really is until the last picture. thanks for shaing Norm. amazing work.

8 March 2017, 21:51

Norm Sheppard
It really hits you when you see it beside a person. That's a big airplane. Wingspan is 65 inches!!!

8 March 2017, 23:20

Album info

Built by Clarke Sheppard, this model is carved from pink structural foam. It was very difficult to produce and then paint, and he said he would never do another model this way. But it turned out spectacular! This model is now hanging in the Don McClure Aviation Gallery in the Romeo Leblanc International Airport in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada.

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