1/32 De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Tamiya 60326

The “Wooden Wonder” makes an appearance in highly impressive 1/32 scale! That was the nickname given to the De Havilland Mosquito series of aircraft, an ingenious and beautiful design which saw the versatile airplane made almost entirely of wood. By the late 1930s, when design work on the Mosquito started, metal was the overwhelmingly favored medium. However, the Mosquito’s designer foresaw that metal would become a precious resource in the probable war ahead; what was more, his highly lightweight wooden aircraft would be able to outrun heavier metal opponents. Constructed mainly from balsa wood sandwiched between sheets of birch, the Mosquito was originally designed as a weaponless bomber; once the armed forces and designers realized that the aircraft could withstand enemy fire even if it was caught, a number of variants were produced.

The FB Mk.VI debuted in the Spring of 1943: this fighter-bomber variant packed four 7.7mm machine guns in the nose, plus four powerful 20mm auto cannons and the ability to mount four 500lb bombs. Its outstanding speed and range ensured that the FB Mk.VI was used in a range of missions, including raids on important targets and infrastructure in the German homeland. It is often said that, until the advent of the Messerschmitt Me262, the German Luftwaffe did not have an adequate response to the “Mossie”.

• Highly-detailed cockpit, plus depiction of four machine guns complete with ammo cases and belts.
• Paintable tires use assembly tread sections and capture compression caused by plane weight.
• Choose open or closed bomb bay. 20mm auto cannons and two 500lb bomb parts are found inside.
• Tail wheel mud guard and strut are depicted. Left and right sides of horizontal stabilizer are part of the same piece, as on the actual aircraft.
• The kit includes parts to recreate propellers with the early variant slim line blades, or wider paddle type blades.
• Detailed 4-piece engine cowling offers a selection of standard or longer intake-fitted tropical filter parts.
• The Merlin engines are breathtakingly recreated, including depictions of the supercharger. Just like on the real Mosquito, the engine mount and landing gear struts are integrated.
• The model can be assembled with exhausts uncovered or covered