Did Mosquito mk vi fb have wires?

[Delanie]

This might be a strange question but I went to an IPMS show at the weekend and while I was there, I was talking to one of the exhibitors who had several aircraft with aerial wires/radar? one of which was a spitfire (not sure which mk) these wires went from the tailplanes to the fuselage just behind the wing root.

 

Now this got me wondering is my Tamiya fbmkVI missing these or something similar? 

 

I know the night fighter variant depicted has a 'mast' behind the cockpit from which a wire goes to the horizontal mast on the fin but did the FB variant have any as none of the reference images show the vertical mast and do not appear to be of sufficient quality to show the wire.

 

I did find footage of a New Zealand Mosquito on youtube flying with a vertical mast painted in similar markings and indeed wearing a very similar call sign, but I assume that to be a different type due to the age of the aircraft.

 

Anyone offer any definitive suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

Susanna

  

[andyf117]

Hi Susanna

 

Those particular wires on the Spitfire were IFF antennae, as fitted to early marks...

 

The antenna on the Mosquito varied between marks and over time - early FB Mk.VI had a fixed radio mast behind the cockpit, later ones had a whip antenna at the same position, and others fited with Gee had one in the rear of the canopy; there was also provision for a trailing aerial which was wound in and out by the navigator, through a tube-like projection on the lower starboard forward fuselage between the crew entry door and the bomb bay (visible in B Mk.IV pic below).

 

These No.487 (NZ) Squadron aircraft (enlargeable photos) do not have any visible antennae at all, so probably only had the trailing type fitted:

RAAF FB Mk.VI with fixed aerial mast, but no wire to the fin:

A B Mk.IV with the radio mast carrying a wire aerial to the fin - though the wire itself is not visible, the insulators at each end are:

 

PS: What IPMS show were you at?

Edited September 15, 2022 by andyf117

[Delanie]

Hi 

Thanks for the information that was really helpful, the images especially so since that is the version I built from the kit. Does the aerial you refer to come from the slim square cross section moulding under the roundel on the starboard side?

 

Just for reference do you have an idea what the horizontal probe attached to the fin is, I'm thinking a pitot tube of some description? 

 

With regard to the IPMS show I attended was the West Cornwall Show in Penzance, seeing some of the builds there really impressed me, I need to see if I can join the local branch.

 

 

[andyf117]

Hi

 

That's a strengthening strip on the starboard fuselage...

....the trailing aerial 'fairing' is the thing sticking out underneath in the B.Mk.IV photo...

....and yes, it's a pitot on the fin...

 

I was going to try to get to the show in Penzance, but didn't make it...