Bristol Beaufort Mk I, Malta 1942, Frog/Novo (reshaped) 1/72

[JWM]

Thank you Philp for this hint - I did not know this book yet.

Cheers

J-W

[blueliner]

That's a wonderful job on that old Frog kit.

I second the recommendation of Ralph Barker's Torpedo Bomber.

[JWM]

Thank you Bluliner for comment

The second recommendation for book made me to google it - I know now the cover and price

[Graham Boak]

Look also for the works "Not Peace But a Sword" and "Torpedo Leader" by Patrick Gibbs, leading Beaufort pilot and commander.

The two Med. Blues have been fairly widely claimed for use on maritime aircraft in the Middle East: Ian Huntley spoke of Albacores; Beauforts and Baltimores were so described; and even some USAAF B-25s operating in a naval role. However only the 55 Sq Blenheim has been directly confirmed, as a hack aircraft, by "Mac" McKennaugh from the unit (later Tempest pilot and stalwart of IPMS UK). Sadly the one colour picture of a Beaufort on Malta appears to show the usual Temperate Sea Scheme, if with Azure Blue underside.

[JWM]

Thank you Graham for your comment. I have doubts - in first post I mentioned "...when they were painted in two Mediterranean Blue camo, as some expertes belive".... I agree - this is not sure, that they were actually painted like this. But still this could be like that. BTW - are there any written testimonies, not only colour photos?

Regards

J-W

[JWM]

Hi

I made some "google research" on Malta Beauforts. In the review of Special Hobby Beaufort here:

http://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/gb/attardbeaufort.htm

there is discussion of camo question, among that there is said:

"....This makes it difficult to discern from tropical camouflage of stone and earth. I have seen colour photo of Beaufort Mk1 of 217 Sq serial No L9878. ( see SAM14/11) which is definitely a temperate scheme but in the same issue there is a side view of Beaufort 1 serial No L9965/T which is indicated as being finished in dark and light Mediterranean blue. Also came across a photo of a 217 Sq Beaufort DD984 suggesting it was in a special Malta scheme of dark green and light stone"....

This review is signed "June 2009" and I made my Beaufort L9965/T in winter 1995/96 - likely January 96.

Kind regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

[Graham Boak]

No direct written testimonies, just comments made in passing. It is probably 30 years or more since I first saw a reference to Beauforts in the blues, and I've no idea where that was - but as you've seen it keeps being passed around. Ian Huntley wrote in Scale Aircraft Modelling about a painting he'd seen at Fairey's of Albacores in the desert, but the photos I've seen since don't seem to show anything other than standard. One problem is that the scheme is so unusual that there's no knowledge of any hint that might be drawn, however doubtfully, from b&w photos. Not that there are a lot of photos of Beauforts in the Med.

I think you can legitimately doubt any comment about "special Malta schemes" that used Mid Stone. Malta was repainting Spitfires to cover the Mid Stone, and specifically instructed that none be delivered in the desert colours. Which held for a couple of deliveries, anyway. The combination of Dark Green and Mid Stone was issued by the Air Ministry in 1941 as an official tropical scheme, but it was by accident and was rapidly replaced by the better-known colours.

[JWM]

Malta was repainting Spitfires to cover the Mid Stone, and specifically instructed that none be delivered in the desert colours.

That is clear - desert camo was too contrasting with Med Sea saphire waters, machine could be spotted for several miles for sure...

Thank you for comment

J-W