vppelt68 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) Finally! I´ve been expecting this to start so thanks Mish, Enzo Matrix and Col! Here´s the opener - a little text but some pictures! Here´s what I got for this adventure! The main prize; a genuine Frog Beaufort kit! The second one is another Frog Beau, this time a -fighter. I will try to finish these two kits with the help of another pair of kits: The Beau from down under; the prettiest kit of these four but must donate it´s engines to the Beaufort :-( Another Beaufort, from... where? Former USSR? I bought this as the canopies of the original Frog kit were shot; actually these aren´t much better. Can you see the flash, by the way? An organ doner but this time the loss is minimal... Can you smell the age of this piece of paper? Actually, I can! Here´s the other side. I won´t scan the Encore `Fort or the Aussie Beaufighter instructions as I don´t intend to build those kits :-) The Beaufighter instructions were larger than my scanner could take but here´s a hint at what they look like. Now it´s time to finally get some sleep, it´s GMT +3 hours here so good night. I even managed to wear out our 12 weeks old kitten while adding these pics so I could really catch some sleep tonight! Been some short nights thanks to her! Regards, V-P Edited December 16, 2013 by vppelt68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Beaufighters! Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Ooh, nice collection, this will be an intereting thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonD Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I love those Beaufort instructions, which essentially say "Cement all parts together in numerical order"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Good luck with your Beau! It'll be interesting to compare your technique to mine. Will you be 'accurising' or doing an old time build like mine? Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 Thanks Max and the same to your build! Please don´t compare - I´m not a Modeller, just the boy who built kits 30+ years ago and then re-invented this about two years ago after an air show. So I guess my build plan should best be decribed as a nostalgia build. For the decals I will probably get the Xtradecal Battle for Malta- set. Maybe these kit variants aren´t exactly correct but who cares if I don´t care? I will definitely not scratchbuild any interiors or scribe any panel lines ( that I can´t). The Encore kit does have etched aerials that I might use, or not. To be honest, I still don´t know if I should just paint the insides of the Beaufort glazing solid since there´s nothing to see through those "clear" parts anyway! Oh, and these will be built legs up, of course! Regards, V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I´m not a Modeller, just the boy who built kits 30+ years ago and then re-invented this about two years ago after an air show. Sounds like a modeller to me... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 (edited) One more thing; the Beaufort was a torpedo bomber. The Frog kit is "somewhat lacking" in this so I will cut open and box the bomb bay and add a torpedo from the Beaufighter kit. It´ll be nice to have the display stand poking from the torpedo if the c.o.g doesn´t allow it to be fixed behind it... Oh and I have references! The Aeroplane Monthly had in their May 2007 issue 19 pages of the Beaufort, here´s the title page and I hope this serves just as their back issues advertisement :-) Edited September 11, 2013 by vppelt68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Another pair that I will follow closely. The older Beaufighter it's the first time I see it, I've built the more recent release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 I'll try to get some comparison pics of the kits if anyone's interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 ...I´m not a Modeller, just the boy who built kits 30+ years ago and then re-invented this about two years ago after an air show... Sounds like a modeller to me... Sounds like the vast majority of us here to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 Last night I put both Beaufighter kits´ sprues in one box and did some comparison. Apart from different shade of grey plastic the kits are almost identical and the major parts are interchangable. The later kit has the autopilot bulge in the nose, separate part for torpedo "bay" (acts as a spin-a-prop battery cover too?) and a pair of bombs + racks in sprues where the original kit has straight tailplanes. You know how Matchbox those wings looked with different colour upper and lower parts :-) Maybe I should build both Beaufighters and do one of them unpainted and mix some parts? The Beauforts.... sigh. The 1963 Frog kit looks buildabe, the later Encore Frogspawn not. I need its "clear" parts I bought it for, as the originals are in pieces. The rest was bagged and put deep, deep, deep back to stash... If I need spare parts I might have to dig it up again but when the Frog Fort is finished I will definitely throw the Encore one in thrashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Right, I´m airborne with my Beaufighters, yes I shall try to do them both and the Beaufort too. I don´t need the -fighter engine cowlings for the -fort anymore so off I am with three Bristol Beaus. Takeoff today with the -fighter pair, first some puttying of the few fuselage sink marks and some strengthening for the second kits' nose as I intend to shave off the autogyro housing (no autopilots in Malta -42). As you can see I´ve taken this build the Matchbox way - I´ll mix as much dark and light grey kits as possible :-) Oh those dear childhood memories, although I´ve never built a Beaufighter before! Here´s some Matchboxed Frog kit wings that I´ll use Airfix painting guide with - Britmodelling enough, the Finnish way? I´ve built these wings further without painting bits and pieces than is reasonable but I just loved the way those two colour parts fell together. They have been easy kits to build, at least so far... The flash in the original kit is non-existent and minimal in the second edition, but some locating holes have been omitted in the newer version. Well I have a drill bit, no problem. Next: paint, but not tonight. Regards, V-P Edited September 29, 2013 by vppelt68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Good going. Are the flaps and ailerons on the Beau the same as mine? Someone only half modified the mould so there was one separate flap and aileron! Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 Nope, mine are solid in both kits. And the trailing "edge" thickness... Scale foot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Oh oh oh a Beaufort, in that box it's a collector's item Can't understand why airfix never made one themselves, anyway I have a great book "Beaufort Special" by Bruce Robertson, loads of pictures, info etc let me know if you need anything, I can scan and email. With you all the way I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 The production line is rolling :-) Let´s first take a look at the wing and powerplant department: Those wheel well doors are heavily armoured! Detail painting + wheels will be done later. I just want to bash these together quickly! The fit is something many modern kit manufacturers would be proud to achieve, but of course with todays 3D tech it´s impossible... hooray Frog! The original version had a very solid and straight fuselage, whereas the latter kit with its belly opening was somewhat warped. The interior section and good clamping corrected and solved this problem easily. In the kits I had just one pair of straight tailplanes and two with dihedral. Now I have straights in both kits as I modified a pair using scissors and a knife to remove a few mm and the slant from the root - and have a pair of intact dihedrals left should something go wrong! Oh, the pair with the better fit is the modified one :-) I´m very pleased with how Frog plastic reacts to Humbrol Liquid Poly. They join fast and feel solid. Just soak both sides heavily with the glue and let set for some seconds before butting the parts together. Starting to look like Beaufighters, or not? Next some filling and sanding. I need to remove the bulge too. Do you like the Matchbox look with two tones? Somebody (Enzo?) compared Airfix and Matchbox outer wing dihedrals. Here´s the Frog one pictured just for someone wiser than me to tell how Frog fares in that competition. Regards, V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Anything Beaufighter-shaped grabs my attention and these two are coming on well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 Next stop: paintshop. Time to dust some old hairy sticks and stir those Humbrol enamel cans :-) These will wear something mostly in common but something so different to each other. Can´t wait to see the effect. V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Looking good and you are shaming me into picking mine up again. Yours look as if the wing/fuselage it is ok. Mine isn't...............I'll post pix later. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) The production line is rolling :-) Let´s first take a look at the wing and powerplant department: Those wheel well doors are heavily armoured! Detail painting + wheels will be done later. I just want to bash these together quickly! The fit is something many modern kit manufacturers would be proud to achieve, but of course with todays 3D tech it´s impossible... hooray Frog! The original version had a very solid and straight fuselage, whereas the latter kit with its belly opening was somewhat warped. The interior section and good clamping corrected and solved this problem easily. In the kits I had just one pair of straight tailplanes and two with dihedral. Now I have straights in both kits as I modified a pair using scissors and a knife to remove a few mm and the slant from the root - and have a pair of intact dihedrals left should something go wrong! Oh, the pair with the better fit is the modified one :-) I´m very pleased with how Frog plastic reacts to Humbrol Liquid Poly. They join fast and feel solid. Just soak both sides heavily with the glue and let set for some seconds before butting the parts together. Starting to look like Beaufighters, or not? Next some filling and sanding. I need to remove the bulge too. Do you like the Matchbox look with two tones? Somebody (Enzo?) compared Airfix and Matchbox outer wing dihedrals. Here´s the Frog one pictured just for someone wiser than me to tell how Frog fares in that competition. Regards, V-P I don't claim to be wiser, but I think that dihedral looks fine. Much less than the Matchbox one. [Edit] Sorry! I should also have said: good progress and the Beaus are looking great! [End Edit] regards, Martin Edited October 9, 2013 by mike romeo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I'm envious of your excellent fit. See here....... Incidentally are your pilots offset?! Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 I too did some filling and sanding with the wing to fuselage fit but that was minimal, barely visible in this picture. It looked better before that than after, anyway I guess my kits are very old and from early production, when the molds were fresh. The later Mk kit indeed has its pilot a mm or two offset to starboard. The interior piece must be a tad narrow and as I have glued it to the starboard fuselage side the slack appears on the port side. Trevor, good luck and just do it! maybe Airfix will give us all a new Beau (and the Do 17 Z) if we get these oldies done. Last night I realized I could, and should, have used the slanted tailplanes with both kits. ****! V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 Hi, just a quick single photo update. Bellies painted, see ya later! V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlemaster Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Wish i had done my two Do217's together as a production line . Looking good together. looks like Frog could have squeezed another kit out of all the plastic used in the gear bay doors . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts