i got the tamiya 1/48 mosquito, Bomber Mk.IV version, im doing it up in nightfigher scheme, with doors and gear up, bomb bays closed ( i think planes look nicer that way, showing off detail aside).
my problem is this: the bay doors and gear doors were clsoed easily enough, but the tailwheel is showing a bit when gear is retracted, so i dont ahve a door to glue shut. tamiya didnt supply parts/instructions for how to build the tailwheel in the up position.
i havent trawled for refernce pictures yet , but im just thinking of how to build the wheel up in the well. i was thinking along the lines of stuffing putty in the well, and sticking the tailwheel assembly in, scratchbuilt or otherwise. this method is the only one that comes to mind, its also a very inelegant thing to do. any ideas / experience of how it oughtta be done ?
thanks !
First, where did you get references for a Mosquito Mk 4 as a nightfighter? That’s a new one to me. I did mine as a hybrid, one-off bird with cameras and two flash bombs. It has a question mark instead of a squadron identification letter since it was assigned to various squadrons as it was needed for last minute recce missions. I don’t know how a Mk 4 bomber, with no guns, could have been a fighter. But, stranger things have happened. As for your tailwheel, why not just cover over the hole? Or let it protrude a little, which is how it was in flight. The bottom 1/4 of the wheel stuck out when retracted.
And often, tail wheel doors were removed altogether in the field on this and other a/c in WW II.
The instructions for my Monogram version of the same bird explain how to put the tail gear up; I’ll try and scan that in tonight if I remember and send it to you. Why don’t you send me an email as a reminder? [:D]
oops [:P] its a night bomber. and i didnt find any references on google. (i wrote the post before searching) im not the kind of modeller who has to have everything totally accurate, i just want it looking sensible and pleasing. my specific problem is how to get the tailwheel to protrude. i think filling the hole with putty then pushing the tailwheel piece in is a bit crude. hopefully john can give me inspiration from monogram 
OK, now I see your problem. There is a small wheel well added to the tail wheel opening on this kit, which, while accurate, is not conducive to building the bird with the wheels up. You can either leave that crsescent shaped part out altogether, since the opening is small enough that it won’t show or, more preferred, you can take your trusty exacto and scut a rounded notch in the wheel well part that will fit around the tail wheel strut. That should allow you to retract it, leaving, as I said before, about 1/4 of the wheel exposed in flight.
Tom
ah ! so i basically just glue in the crescent shaped piece in, then cut out a suitably sized/orientated hole and VIOLA ! YAY ! thanks all ! {:D]
Word of caution… DON’T USE PUTTY for your intended purpose. I used some putty as nose weight in an F-16B a few years ago, and the ENTIRE nose cone distorted from the putty as it cured. Looked like someone had held a candle to the nose cone and melted it. It also says on the putty tube (at least, it does on Squadron’s putty tube, which I read AFTER the nose cone distorted): Not recommended for aircraft nose weight. So, I would assume that it would do the same thing to your Mosquito’s fuselage. Try using a bit of epoxy or superglue to hold the tail wheel in.
thanks for the heads up gary, but i think my best friend blue tack will save the day [:P]
I don’t know how often we have to make this reminder: Squadron putty, both green and white, are made specifically for plastic models. So, to make them stick to plastic, they are infused with the same solvent as airplane glue. It’s as though you took some, say, Bondo, and added liquid cement to it. So when you use a big glob of model airplane putty to fill a nose cone or other space, it’s gonna melt the devil out of that piece of plastic. 'Nuff said.