de Havilland's eyes in the sky
Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.
Even though the start of any new year and the announcement of the latest Airfix range launch creates such a huge amount of information to bring Workbench readers, sometimes the impending arrival of new kits into our warehouse can dictate something of a subject scheduling shuffle, which is where we find ourselves with this latest edition. With the Dambusters Lancaster B.III (Special) and Hawker Tempest kits already covered this year about to arrive in our warehouse imminently, a third impeding arrival sees us paying one final visit to a 2023 project we have already featured in the blog this year, but one which few will be against us re-visiting one final time prior to its release.
Our subject for this latest update is the magnificent de-Havilland Mosquito and our latest 1/72nd scale model kit tribute to it. Specifically, this update will be looking at one of the many specialist roles the Mosquito excelled at undertaking, that of high speed, high altitude airborne photographic platform, as this latest release includes additional parts to allow the Photo Reconnaissance PR.XVI variant of the aircraft to be modelled. Following our time honoured Workbench review format, we will be showcasing the beautiful box artwork produced to support the release of this new kit in all its glory, before moving on to discover the details behind both of the scheme/decal options included with this new kit. One of the most famous British aircraft of the Second World War is our subject for this latest blog, but one which wasn't just operated by the Royal Air Force during the conflict.
Flying furniture or aviation classic
A built model image featuring the B.XVI mark of the de Havilland Mosquito, the variant which gave rise to the development of the photo reconnaissance PR.XVI which is soon to join the 2023 Airfix kit range.
With its reputation as one of the most capable and ground-breaking fighting aeroplanes of the Second World War, it can be a little surprising to learn that the development of the de Havilland Mosquito did not exactly set the pulses of the Air Ministry racing at the time and more than this, their continual interference actually placed the entire project in real jeopardy. With proposals to build a new high speed bomber for the Royal Air Force before them, an aircraft which held the potential to be the fastest aircraft in service at that time, the Air Ministry appeared to be more concerned with not disrupting the production of existing aircraft types and such projects as building training aircraft and converting Tiger Moths to enable them to carry bombs, than obtaining a new high speed bomber.
Actually, that is not entirely fair, because at that time, Britain was preparing to fight for its very existence with the impending Battle of Britain dominating thinking at that time - basically, if Fighter Command weren't successful in repelling the Luftwaffe, there would be no need for a fast new bomber. Indeed, as well as their existing production commitments, de Havilland had contracts to produce propellers and to carry out repairs to more significantly damaged aircraft, which would include those destined to fight during the Battle of Britain. Thankfully, this interference and a succession of project rejections did not deter Geoffrey de Havilland and his design team, who were convinced that they could produce the fastest bomber aircraft the world had ever seen. Continuing to work on the new aircraft at their rural Salisbury Hall site, a secluded location just 4 miles from the main Hatfield complex, the DH 98 project (which would go on to be the Mosquito) started to take shape off the radar, so to speak, free from the attentions of interfering Air Ministry officials and free from the attentions of the Luftwaffe's intensifying bombing campaign against Britain.
One of the areas which concerned Ministry officials most was the potential pressure production of the proposed new aircraft would place on valuable war materials, raw materials which were desperately needed for the production of the latest stressed skin aircraft types, such as the Spitfire, which even then was viewed as something of an aviation talisman in protecting Britain from defeat. Geoffrey de Havilland had an ingenious idea to overcome these concerns and other than requiring two Rolls Royce Merlin engines for his new bomber, intended to use ‘non-strategic’ materials wherever possible, including the adoption of advanced wood laminate bonding processes in its construction. This actually created something of a fascinating aviation dichotomy, using traditional aircraft construction methods from a previous era of aviation to produce the most advanced and highly capable aircraft in the world at that time.
A computer rendered image of the new Mosquito PR.XVI kit, which has been produced from the design files created for this impressive kit.
The bonded plywood and glue construction method of producing aircraft was perfected during the Great War, with this technology taken straight from the world of boat building. Featuring on such aircraft types as the German Albatros series of fighters and several successful Allied machines, de Havilland went back to this method of construction for his new aircraft, knowing it would endow the aircraft with great strength and also that modern bonding and moulding processes would allow for a highly streamlined design to be produced. The lamination process involved cross-graining sheets of wood veneer, in this case the finest Ecuadorian Balsa, with thin Birch ply, using strong glues to bond the layers together.
The shape of the fuselage was moulded over beautifully produced internal section mahogany master moulds, with the laminated sections laid over the mould, braced and heated to ensure it perfectly followed its shape. The surface of the mould itself had raised detail to mark were internal structural features would need to be fitted and as the fuselage was produced in two halves, just like a huge 1 to 1 scale Airfix kit, much of the internal fitting out work could be completed prior to the two halves coming together, something which greatly reduced manufacturing times. Concerned that the original mahogany moulds would not survive the rigors of mass production, de Havilland's later produced many concrete replicas of these moulds, which proved to be much more durable, if less appealing to look at.
Again using wood as the main method of construction, wings and other components of the new de Havilland speedster were manufactured at various sites around the country, but centred around towns with a reputation for producing fine furniture and had a workforce experienced in working with this traditional material. It was even said that a former piano factory was even employed in producing components for Mosquitos, something which is really rather fitting in view of the fact that the Mosquito would go on to be considered something of an aviation masterpiece in its own right. In summary, de Havilland's decision to use wood in the construction of his new high speed bomber proved inspirational. Not only did this decision keep him on the right side of the Air Ministry, it also allowed production to proceed at greater speeds than would have been possible with a new all metal design, allow him access to unrestricted material supplies and allow him to call on the services of a talented pool of tradespeople who were not currently involved in war work. Operationally, the extensive use of wood in the Mosquitos construction also gave the aircraft a significantly reduced radar signature, for when the Germans finally got their act together with regard to this detection technology.
The first release from this newly tooled kit was the B.XVI bomber version of this Mosquito variant, an aircraft which would also give rise to the unarmed PR.XVI Photo Reconnaissance version of the aircraft. The Mosquito proved to be one of the most adaptable aircraft types of the Second World War.
As the date for the first flight of the prototype DH 98 approached, the aircraft was taken by road from its Salisbury Hall home to a facility with runway access close to the Hatfield factory site and around three miles away from where it had been built. Once there, it underwent final checks, ran its engines and performed several taxiing trials in advance of the first flight. That historic occasion took place on 25th November 1940, with Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. and the controls and engine installation expert John Walker in the jump seat. Once their new aircraft was ready to be tested and subsequently displayed for Air Ministry officials, the decision to proceed with its development was fully justified, as de Havilland clearly had a winner on their hands. Possessing blistering performance and impressive handling characteristics, the Air Ministry immediately placed an order for 150 aircraft, but perhaps of even greater significance to the project, placed a ‘priority status’ production requirement on the new Mosquito. The fastest aircraft in the world at that time, the Mosquito would go on to prove something of an aviation phenomenon.
Although the de Havilland Company had developed their new aircraft as a high speed bomber, they were still having some difficulty convincing Bomber Command that this aircraft would be a significant upgrade on their existing capabilities. The head of the force at that time really didn't like the idea of sending an unarmed bomber over enemy territory, so the first official military specification for the de Havilland DH98 was for a photo-reconnaissance variant of the aircraft. Although the blistering performance of the aircraft would soon see it ordered to fulfil the role for which it was originally intended, the first Mosquitos to enter Royal Air Force service did so in a photo reconnaissance role. The Mosquito's greatest attribute was without doubt its speed and even though it was developed as a high-speed, unarmed bomber, the sheer fact it could outpace Luftwaffe fighter aircraft of the day made it an attractive proposition to those in the military charged with obtaining photographic intelligence of potential enemy targets. The second Mosquito prototype aircraft to undergo construction was a dedicated photo reconnaissance variant and indeed, the first Mosquito to be taken on charge by the RAF was a PR Mosquito variant, so vital was this work to the British war effort.
For the first time, the Royal Air Force now had an aircraft with the performance, range and versatility to excel in the role of photo reconnaissance, with its ample internal storage allowing it to be equipped with a wide variety of the most sophisticated photographic equipment available. With Mosquito PR Mk.I aircraft joining RAF No.541 Squadron (No.1 PRU), enemy activities right across occupied Europe were now under the scrutiny of RAF Mosquitos and frustratingly for the Germans, the speed of the Mosquito meant there was little they could do about it. From providing naval intelligence, to photographing the results of the latest Bomber Command raids, photo reconnaissance Mosquitos would be kept incredibly busy for the remainder of the war and as each successive variant of the aircraft was introduced, so the capabilities of the Photo Reconnaissance Mosquitos increased still further.
Fly higher and fly faster
This magnificent new artwork has been produced to support the release of this second kit from our new 1/72nd scale de Havilland Mosquito tooling, and is a stunning representation of the lead scheme included with this appealing kit.
From the outset, the attributes of the Mosquito made it an ideal platform from which to obtain detailed photographic reconnaissance imagery, with its speed, larger size, effective range and additional crew member all making this a more suitable 'Spy in the sky' than a modified Spitfire. Despite this, even though the initial military prototype order was for a photo reconnaissance version of the new de Havilland twin, its first flight would be delayed because it would be needed following damage to the original prototype W4050, which was undergoing service trials at Boscombe Down. It was discovered that the tail wheel of this aircraft was faulty and resulted in increased stress forces being placed on the fuselage of the aircraft, stresses which would eventually result in a structural failure. Nevertheless, when the Photo Reconnaissance prototype did take to the air, it would be the only one of the three prototypes to later be used operationally, as it was handed over to the Photographic Development Unit (PDU). It would later go on to be one of the nine PR Mosquitos based at RAF Benson with the PDU and No.1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.
During these early stages of the war, the work of the PR Mosquitos was absolutely vital and crews would be kept extremely busy flying sorties for all branches of the military, covering targets across the length and breadth of Europe. It is interesting to note that of the required attributes a successful photo reconnaissance aircraft must possess, the only one Air Ministry officials were concerned about with the Mosquito was speed and as a result, wanted to see how the aircraft would perform against their current aviation jewel in the crown, the Spitfire. They arranged to conduct performance trials between an early PR Mosquito and the Spitfire of the moment, the Mk.V, to see if the Mosquito could get close to matching the Spitfire's speed, however, it didn't take long for them to get their answer. During these trials, it was the Spitfire which was left in the wake of the Mosquito at most, if not all altitudes tested and any lingering doubts they may have had about the operational effectiveness of their new 'Eye in the sky' were quickly dispelled.
The crews engaged in performing those early Mosquito reconnaissance sorties were quite pioneering, as they were flying these specialised missions faster, at higher altitudes and over greater distances than they had ever been flown previously, so their debriefs were not only vital to understanding the images they brought back, but also directing the future of Britain's wartime airborne reconnaissance operations. With great demands being placed on their expertise, they were given every opportunity to perfect their art, as pictures of everything from potential bombing targets in Europe to the whereabouts of the Kriegsmarine's warships were required and the better they got at securing these images, the more sorties they were given.
As it transpired, Photo Reconnaissance Mosquitos were rarely on the ground and particularly on good weather days, no sooner had the cameras been removed from the aircraft and the engines cooled down that the same crew or another from the same unit would be lining up on the runway, heading off to secure another selection of vital intelligence imagery. Aircraft would often be required to undertake several sorties a day and with the development of incredibly powerful flash units and the use of flash bombs, also even at night. With the continued development of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine and new variants of the Mosquito subsequently entering service, the capabilities of the Photo Reconnaissance Mosquitos continually improved, with all of Europe now coming under the prying gaze of their cameras and how the Germans hated them.
The original artwork which features on the box presentation of the first release from this new tooling, an aircraft which was the bomber variant of the Mosquito XVI and a kit which is currently still available.
To assist crews in better dealing with the rigors of prolonged exposure to operating at high altitudes, the design team at de Havillands developed the B.Mk XVI variant of the Mosquito, an aircraft which featured a pressurised cockpit in addition to a host of other improvements. A variant which also featured the latest incarnation of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, it was of obvious interest to photographic reconnaissance units and when combined with its additional fuel carrying capacity in this role, was arguably the most effective photographic reconnaissance platform of the entire war. It would become the most heavily produced of all the PR Mosquitos with 435 aircraft produced from November 1943 onwards and in the months leading up to the D-Day landings, would prove vital in providing detailed imagery of enemy occupied Europe and delivering real time weather information for bomber units about to embark on their latest raid.
Able to fly higher, faster and over greater distances than ever before, these latest reconnaissance Mosquitoes could go almost anywhere and see everything the Germans didn't want the Allies to see, actually driving some of their most secret projects underground. Even then, the PR Mosquitos photographed the rail access and entrances to these underground factories and took evidence of their findings back to waiting intelligence officers in the UK. These reconnaissance Mosquitos were so hated by the Germans that dedicated Luftwaffe units were established specifically to stop Mosquito reconnaissance incursions, however, it wasn't until the introduction of rocket and jet powered aircraft that they had much hope of success on a regular basis. Even at that stage, Mosquito crews were more than capable of evading interception and continued to bring home their vital tactical imagery.
This most capable variant of the PR Mosquito would see service in every theatre of war during WWII and not just in the hands of the Royal Air Force. They would also be used by Australian, South African and American units and we are delighted to confirm that two of these operators are represented in the scheme/decal options accompanying what will only be the second release from our new 1/72nd scale Mosquito tooling.
Let's take a closer look at the details behind both of these new Mosquito PR.XVI scheme options.
This unit was initially formed as No.1 Survey Flight in December 1940 and tasked with operating photographic reconnaissance flights in Italian East Africa. At that time, these fledgling operations were flown using a twin engined British Aircraft B.A.IV Double Eagle aircraft, a pre-war utility monoplane which had been requisitioned from an aerial surveying company. The unit would later be renamed No.60 (PR) Squadron and operated as a component of the Desert Air Force, at first using Martin Maryland medium bomber aircraft, but later trading these for its successor, the Martin Baltimore. In February 1943, the work of No.60 Squadron was seen as being so vital that following the personal intervention of Field Marshall Montgomery, they received Mosquito photo reconnaissance aircraft, providing him with the intelligence he needed to finally push Axis forces out of North Africa.
With the North African campaign effectively over by May 1943, No.60 Squadron moved to a new base at San Severo in Italy, from which date, their Mosquitos would fly wide ranging photographic reconnaissance missions across the entire Mediterranean region and into central Europe, providing vital information in the operations which would pave the way for the D-Day landings. During their time at San Severo, they shared the base with several USAAF units, many of whom were also engaged in undertaking reconnaissance intelligence flights. In fact, the base became something of a centre for information gathering during this stage of the war, in part due to the influence of a young scientist. Harold Edgerton developed an ingenious high powered flash gun system which worked in conjunction with the photographic equipment carried by reconnaissance aircraft. Synchronised to fire with the shutter release of the camera, this system produced pictures of incredible clarity, whilst allowing the aircraft to operate at much higher altitudes than usually was the case and therefore out of the range of enemy anti-aircraft fire. The result of this was that aircraft operating from San Severo could do so with relative impunity from enemy interference, meaning that within their area of operation, a vast collection of detailed intelligence imagery was gathered.
Full scheme details of this San Severo based No.60 Squadron South African Air Force Mosquito PR.XVI, a unit which made a grim photographic discovery following an intelligence flight made over central Europe.
One of the more disturbing aspects of the information gathered by No.60 Squadron PR Mosquitos during their time at San Severo was how one of their aircraft inadvertently obtained the first photographic evidence of the Nazi death camps which were operating in Europe. Sent to photograph what was thought to be a rubber production facility near the town of Oswiecim, what they actually came back with were pictures of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and when the pictures were analysed later by photographic interpreters, the full horror of what was happening at this complex was discovered.
Following the end of the war, No.60 Squadron would be pressed into service providing support for the accurate mapping of Greece, before finally returning home with their Mosquitos in late August 1945. They would continue flying their aircraft over the next few months until a fatal accident resulted in the immediate grounding of the entire fleet. It was discovered that the humid conditions in the country had adversely affected some of the Mosquitos wooden components and therefore they were no longer airworthy and immediately withdrawn.
Once USAAF operations from bases in England were in full swing, the American's admiration of the de Havilland Mosquito led to an official request for aircraft to be provided for their use. They were particularly looking for Mosquitos that could be used for reconnaissance, meteorological flights, bombing support sorties and night fighting duties, all roles at which the Mosquito excelled. Their eventual allocation would include 79 new Mosquito PR. Mk.XVI aircraft to supplement the 40 Canadian built F.8 photo reconnaissance variants already in service.
The operation of American Mosquitos in the PR role during WWII was fascinating, as they didn't simply use their Mosquitos for taking intelligence pictures. Assigned to the 653rd Bomb Squadron at AAF Station 376 Watton, two squadrons of these aircraft flew deep penetration missions into Germany using the additional fuel carrying capability offered by this variant and with only their speed and service ceiling for protection against enemy interception. Whilst the gathering of photographic intelligence information was always high on their priority list, the American Mosquitos took on several other roles, the most crucial and numerous of which were to fly meteorological reconnaissance flights deep into Germany, often in advance of specific raids, with these raids only given the green light after receiving the early morning report from the Watton based Mosquito flight. Weather reconnaissance missions undertaken prior to final target selection were referred to as 'Blue Stocking' missions.
Watton's 25th BG PR Mosquitos were also used to provide last minute weather condition reports over the intended target area, arriving slightly in advance of the bomber force and with the authority to change the target if conditions proved too poor to ensure good accuracy. Should the primary target be under heavy cloud, the Mosquito would move on to a secondary and subsequent targets until more favourable conditions were found, with the main bomber force dutifully following in their wake.
Scheme details of this USAAF operated Mosquito, aircraft which took on a variety of fascinating roles during the final months of the Second World War.
Other missions, known as 'Redtail' were command and observation flights, with the Mosquito carrying the raid commander over a particularly important target around 20 minutes prior to the arrival of the bomber force. Last minute instructions regarding target indication, weather and enemy activity could be relayed to the lead bomber, with the Mosquito clearing the area just prior to the first bombs dropping. After the bombers had left, the Mosquito would return to photograph the target area, so an accurate assessment of the raid's effectiveness could be made.
Other missions undertaken by American Mosquitos were 'Greypea' missions, which saw the dropping of 'chaff' to confuse German radar in advance of a raid, or by way of a diversionary tactic and 'Joker' missions, which was the use of M46 photo flash bombs to illuminate a target for photographic purposes. It was estimated that each of these units possessed something like 700 million candle power of illuminating strength.
By far the most clandestine of all American Mosquito missions towards the end of WWII were the Joan-Eleanor Project, or Red Stocking missions mounted in support of the Office of Strategic Service (OSS), who were essentially the forerunners of the CIA. This was a top secret operation to deliver highly trained agent operatives deep into enemy territory, all fluent German speakers and often German nationals with a hatred of the Nazi regime. Following a period of intensive training, the agent would be smuggled to a remote building on the outskirts of an airfield in England, with several (including Watton) used for this purpose, equipped with forged papers, money, a pistol, food, a map of their intended area of operation and the most vital piece of their equipment, a specially developed small radio transmitter. This radio had been developed in the US and operated on a shortwave frequency with a range of around 20 miles, but crucially, a frequency which it was unlikely German surveillance would be able to detect.
The method of operative delivery was by aircraft travelling at very high speed and at low altitude, so these flights were not for the faint hearted. Often conducted by a 25th BG Mosquito, the agent, wearing a thickly padded jump suit, was bundled into the aircraft's bomb bay, where they would lie for the majority of the flight. Immediately prior to the drop, the pilot would switch on a warning light in the bomb bay to tell the agent to attach his parachute fixed line and adopt a kneeling position for the drop. The aircraft would then reduce speed and at between 300 and 350 feet, the bomb bay doors would be opened and after two swings of an inflated parachute, the agent would hit the ground, hopefully not too heavily. After burying everything he didn't need, the agent was effectively a German citizen and could go about his vital work.
A first look at the full box artwork layout created to support what will be just the second release from this magnificent newly tooled kit.
The mission for these agents was to infiltrate their area of operation and gather intelligence which may be of use to the Allies as their forces advanced deeper into occupied Europe and onwards into Germany itself, right under the noses of the Germans. The information they gathered was relayed back to Allied intelligence experts using their small Joan-Eleanor transmitter at a pre-arranged time, usually in the evening. Waiting to receive their report was a specially trained operator huddled in the rear fuselage of a Mosquito orbiting in the night sky high above them, with his powerful radio set able to pick up the agent’s report, which was delivered in plain speech. This was central to the success of the system, as it was much quicker and therefore much safer for the agent on the ground and there was less chance the information could be misinterpreted by the radioman, who could simply ask for clarification if and when needed.
The radioman in the Mosquito was hunched in a small cabin section in the rear fuselage of the aircraft, with access gained through a small door which had been cut into the fuselage itself. He was equipped with a thick heated suit and could talk to the pilot via a rudimentary internal intercom, but was effectively completely in the hands of the pilot, with little hope of getting out if the aircraft got into difficulties. The normal operating height for receiving an agent transmission was 30,000ft and even though the additional fuel carrying capacity of these PR Mosquitos gave the aircraft impressive range, if a particular sortie took them deep into German airspace, they always had the option of diverting on to an Office of Strategic Service airfield in Italy, returning to England over the next few days and on to their next dangerous assignment.
The Mosquito was well liked by American pilots who came to rely on its speed, range, operating altitude and excellent manoeuvrability whilst conducting operations deep into enemy occupied Europe. An aircraft which was also relatively easy to fly, perhaps the attribute which impressed them most was the Mosquitos versatility and the fact that there didn't appear to be an aviation tasking that this magnificent aircraft couldn't take on - it truly was a Wooden Wonder.
Looking at you looking at us. The de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI was as attractive an aircraft as it was effective in operation and even though it was only introduced in the months leading up to D-Day, would be the most heavily produced of all the Photo Reconnaissance Mosquitos.
This hugely appealing addition to the 2023 Airfix range is almost upon us and as we have seen with two fascinating scheme descriptions above, there is so much more to these Photo Reconnaissance Mosquitos than initially meets the eye. It's definitely going to be an incredibly difficult task deciding which one to select for our own build and it might just be the more sensible option to make this our first dual build project of the year. Whatever your decision, the new de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI kit is not only a beautiful representation of this hugely popular aircraft type, but also effectively helps to tell the story of these prying Mosquitos which played such a vital role in securing victory for the Allies towards the end of the Second World War.
We are afraid that's all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back next Friday with more project development updates and the very latest Airfix kit exclusives. In the meantime, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and in particular, any thoughts and opinions you may have regarding our Workbench blog. If you would like to drop us a quick line, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com email for all correspondence.
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