Special Hobby – SH72508 – DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk.XXX “Night Predator”

Description:

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a British WWII de Havilland Mosquito night fighter aircraft.

The de Havilland Mosquito was one of the most versatile aircraft of World War II, and its night fighter versions were among the most successful and feared of their kind. Built primarily of wood, which earned it the nickname “Wooden Wonder,” the Mosquito combined exceptional speed, range, and agility, allowing it to outpace many contemporary fighters and bombers. Its night fighter role emerged in 1942, when the RAF sought a fast, radar-equipped aircraft to intercept German bombers and night intruders.

The early night fighter versions, such as the Mosquito NF Mk.II, were equipped with AI Mk.IV radar, which enabled crews to detect and engage enemy aircraft in total darkness. Later variants, like the NF Mk.XII and NF Mk.XIII, received more advanced centimetric radar sets (AI Mk.VIII), housed in the characteristic “thimble” nose, improving detection range and accuracy. These aircraft were armed with a powerful combination of four 20 mm Hispano cannons in the belly and four .303 Browning machine guns in the nose, making them formidable interceptors capable of delivering devastating firepower in a single pass.

The Mosquito excelled in countering the Luftwaffe’s night bombing campaigns and later proved invaluable in defending against V-1 flying bombs and night-fighter variants of the German Me 262 jet. Its speed and climb rate allowed it to engage targets with minimal warning, while its radar gave RAF crews a decisive advantage in night operations. It also served as an intruder, conducting offensive patrols over enemy airfields to ambush German bombers as they returned from missions.

This is a new tooled kit in 2025, released together with Special Hobby – SH72452 – DH. Mosquito PR Mk.XVI “Long-Range Reconnaissance”. Straight kit without PE, resin or 3D printed parts, just plastic parts with and excellent work on clear parts.

Decal sheet include a very generous six different markings, including late war 1944-1945 markings, with some RAF, RAAF and one U.S. Air Force Night Fighters squadron marking (416th Night Fighter Squadron) and a post-war Belgian marking.