Airfix 1/24 DH Mosquito - Part Two, Cockpit

The cockpit build followed the instructions. The following improvements were made over the standard build

1. Representation of melamine floorboards.
2. Use of the Airscale Instrument panel
3. Seat cushion changed
4. Installation of RB Productions Sutton Harnesses
5. Scratchbuilt Engine Control Rods
6. Navigator seat supports
7. Fuel cock panel
8. Control column cables
9. Elevator Rod
10. Rudder wires

The references show a red,brown melamine foot board at the pilots position. This is represented in the kit but the instructions recommend painting this cockpit green.. To improve this I took my smallest drill bit .014" and drilled representation of screw heads around the outer edge. I used Games Workshop Dark Flesh as the paint colour and then painted the screw heads Chain mail silver.

I didn't like the seat cushions in the kit so I figured my pilot had come up with his own set up consisting of an old cushion in the seat well. The RB Production seat belts were a joy to put together and look terrific.

When it came to the instrument panel I was impressed with the kit provided part. In the end I installed the Airscale panel but really this was because I had it, Frankly the Airfix rendition is very good. In the picture below you can see the Airfix component on the left and the Airscale transfer on the right.

Behind the seats run the engine control rods. These are not present in the kit at all and I felt they should be so I made a scratch version of them from rod and card. Once installed behind the seat they can be seen from above and from the front so I think they are a worthwhile addition. Similarly the supports for the Navigator seat back were added to provide more clutter.

While at the Navigator station I added a small piece of card with two red buttons to represent the fuel cocks that were to the Navigators left hand side mounted on the seat back. They can just be seen in the picture above.

I have seen in another persons build where they cut the control column in order to remount it slightly leaning to the left. I did this as swell as removing the two moulded cables and replacing them with lead wire. In addition I used masking tape to represent the bindings that can be seen in reference photos on the column handle. (Looking at the photo they need a little more glue)

Extending out of the front of the control column and reaching back under the pilots seat is the elevator control rod. This is absent in the kit but easily represented with a piece of plastic rod.

The final mod to the cockpit area will be the addition of wires from the rudder pedals to the pulley under the pilots seat. I haven't done this yet as I plan to do it just before I button up the fuselage.

So that's the cockpit. I'm currently working on the fuselage halves which includes painting the cockpit walls and mounting the various instruments. This will be done as per the instructions so the next shots of the model should be of a closed up fuselage.

One final note here. There are a lot of mould ejector pin markings on this model. All of them are being handled with Mr Surfacer and various sanding sticks. No magic there just tedious work but it needs to be done as many of them would be clearly visible in the finished model.