The de Havilland Mosquito

A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller
By Richard A. Franks
Published by SAM Publications

Reviewed by Will Riepl

For those who would like to know all there is to know about the Mosquito Fighter, this book is for you. The book is broken up into eight chapters from the initial concept to postwar operations. All the squadrons that flew the Mosquito are included in this book.

There are also several chapters on modeling and detailing the Mosquito. This is where this book really pays off with 17 pages of color detail shots of everything you would want to see. Everything from radio instruments to cameras, gun sights and bombsights to super detailing the engines and wheel wells is provided. There are 17 pages of TO drawings of the instruments for various Mk Mosquitos.

Moving on to building a Mosquito, this chapter includes all the kits of 1/32,1/48, 1/72 scales from Airfix to Revell. The only one missing is Monogram’s 1/48 scale kit. Are there some red faces over there?

There is a chapter on conversions in all the scales also. You will find detailed information on colors and markings for camouflage for night fighters, fighter-bombers, coastal command, PR Mosquitos. Included also are foreign production camouflage schemes, such as Canada, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, and many others.

The final pages of the book contain a modeler’s cross reference color chart, a kit listing, conversion accessories, and decals for the modeler.

In conclusion, this book contains all the information necessary for a beginning or a seasoned modeler or historian. If this is any indication of future publications, we should have something worth waiting for. Now we just need a dealer here in the U.S.!