Tamiya 1/32 DeHavilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI (60326) IN DEPTH Review 

David R Lentz, Columbus, Ohio, USA (Thursday, 11 July, 2024) Mr. Oxley, what a joy to watch your video presentation! Well, if a bit wistful: I lack the means for direct participation (that is a long story!). My life is quite difficult, so I take my pleasures here, watching kit build videos. At each change of the sprues do my eyes widen in wonder and awe, and my forehead furrow in poignant sorrow. At every step you bring forth marvels to astound the spirit of Mr. De Havilland and-well, whomever had invented the Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engine. As for that, I see the parts to build the two engines, in themselves works of art genuinely of merit for public display! Indeed, a diorama I would consider (had I the means) to dramatise the ground crew preparing an engine swap-out; that is, showing one cowl and nacelle housing removed to expose that engine, revealing it to be in dire need of repair. Servicing, cleaning. Immediately to one side, set upon a borrowed trolley would be a new one, bearers having broken away its crate, to show it pristine and ready. To achieve this, whilst avoiding undue expense (I do not know if anyone in the aftermarket offers a faithful duplicate in 1:32nd-scale of a resin or a 3D printed plastic Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engine; I assume ot to be of great expense), one could use the second of the kit’s two sub-assemblies as the replacement. From what little I know of such activities, and having no clear understanding as to how the cowl-nacelle arrangements would appear up close, my assumption is that one first would need to substitute the exhaust stacks of the second one with replacements of some sort. From what little I have read of this process, my inference is that one would make molds of the relevant parts (I must note that I have yet actually to use such methods to create any such modifications myself), from which to cast said substitutions, possibly including the upper quarter or so of the engine block to form a support and background. Alternately, one might acquire a length of strip stock of the breadth, length, and thickness sufficient to 1) hold in place said replacement exhaust stacks and 2) serve as a back-plate to blank any view within the cowl/nacelle. At 46:30, you at last come to it: the variant that long ago, even as a boy building Airfix’s 1:72nd-scale kit. had endeared me to the Wooden Wonder: the Mark IV light bomber. Being visibly thin for my height (181 cm, 52 kg), I am of little strength for fighting, though I am swift afoot; so, for all my life have I personally known the value of alacrity in the face of ample physique, especially given my own lack. This is one reason the Mosquito has a place in my heart. More recently had I built a few of Tamiya’s 1:48th-scale Mosquito light bomber kit (one as the RAF’s photo-reconnaissance variant in a medium blue; another as an aeroplane with its gear down upon a grassy airfield in the English countryside, much of its nose blasted away to reveal the Aires [Czech Republic] detail set of the bomb-aimer’s station, the pilot helping a rather injured bomb-aimer out of the bomber’s fuselage door to hasten across the verdant terrain), liking them immensely. I had thought that the main reason for this aircraft’s design was that its swiftness had necessitated no defensive armament; and since this additional reduction in weight enhanced even further its alacrity and range, I would have expected that the mark would have been earlier in the sequence. So, this puzzles me. Speaking (well, texting) of the Mosquito light bomber, I wonder if Tamiya will delight us with a 1:32nd-scale kit of the DH-98 Mark IV. Seeing in the line drawing illustrations of the kit’s instruction booklet, especially in Step 12 (round 55:00 of your video), that the designers also segmented the fuselage halves round a third of the length aft of the nose immediately behind the pilot’s seat, giving me reason to expect yet another iteration. Have you seen Airfix’s 1:24th-scale kit of the de Havilland DH-98 Mosquito RAF Fighter Bomber; 2) Supermarine’s Spitfire Mk IX RAF Fighter; and 3) the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat USN/RNFAA Carrier-Based Fighter. From what I visually could assess here in RU-vid, that look excellent. Of course, I could not determine the fit, that being a decidedly tactile matter. However, the kit builder of each (I do not recall with any certainty who he was) expressed his keen delight. In my reading, watching, sorting, wishing and dreaming, etc., online, I have encountered a few references you might find of interest. To simplify, I place them in a list: Hk (Hong Kong?) Models 01E016 1/32 de Havilland Mosquito Mk IX / XVI, New (Would this kit be a clone or rival of the Tamiya kit?) (Continued)

What an awesome looking kit! Quite breathtaking! A couple or so years ago, I built the 1/48 scale Tamiya Mk IV bomber/PR Mosquito and was amazed by the level of care detail that was put into it...I finished mine in the PRU blue scheme; I love it. I'd love the 32nd scale version too, but "where to put it" is the problem!! :-D

That's what I call a Premium Kit! Tamiya's always been my 'go-to' kit maker. Though not perfect, they're great for all ages and skill levels, and the instructions are usually excellent. To save shelf-space (for dioramas 😁?) maybe hang some aircraft from the ceiling, like when we were kids 😉. Or, should I say: "When We Were Two Little Boys." But, maybe you're too young to remember that 😁. You need to build this one! P.S. As a Canadian, there's one thing I can tell you -- those parts don't look like a Kayak, they look like a Dory -- it's the fuselage that looks like a Kayak -- Zoom! 😁.

Thats a monster kit. I don't think I'll ever be good enough to do it justice.

I built my own a couple of years ago now. After hearing all the 'top builders' banging on about ejector pin marks and how they need so much work so as not to spoil the finished model. I decided to build the mosquito leaving them as is just to see what difference if any was noticable. The model has so much detail and when painted and weathered you just cant notice them at all, unless pointed out. Your more than welcome to take a look. intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?f=531&t=19843

Does it come with a shed to store it in when you've finished it? I don't get it. What's the problem with "ejector pins"? Don't you get filler and sandpapers any more, or something?

How did they get shot down,was they taken by surprise because the mosquito was faster than the focke wolf.

There’s another guy that complains about the staples a lot too. I don’t really get it. I just open Tamiya bags like I open the heat sealed bags. With a knife at the other end from the staples. Problem solved.