After seeing Frank
Dargies’ beautiful Mosquito finished
in PRU Blue and based at RAF Benson, I thought you might like to see another one
that was done over sixty years ago.
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My Mother was at Benson during
WWII and says that there was a man there, whom she believes was a civilian
employee, who enjoyed whittling models in his spare time. She asked him if he
could make her a Mosquito, and this was the result. Crude by today’s
standards, but he captured the lines nicely, and the paint seems a good match.
Perhaps he used the real thing? As you can see it’s taken a few knocks over
the years, but as a young boy I really couldn’t resist playing with it! The
warping of the prop discs seems to have occurred recently, I guess the lifetime
of that era’s plastic is just about up. And there were no decals in those
days, details such as roundels, fin flashes, and wingtip lights were hand
painted.
Last year the Toronto Aerospace
Museum http://www.torontoaerospacemuseum.com/ held
a Mosquito symposium, and for the occasion my Father obtained a trophy display
case to enclose the model. (Both my parents, in their 80's, are working
members of the museum). Several participants were quite enthralled by this
historical item, and had their photos taken with it. Today it was my Mother’s
turn to have her picture taken with this treasure which has been enjoyed by
three generations of Baileys so far. If you visit the Toronto Aerospace Museum
ask if 'The Muffin Lady' is there that day and say hello!
Dave
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