JWM Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) Hi Following my reshaped or converted Bristols, a series made out of Frog kits in 1996: Beaufort from Malta, Beaufighter Mk II F (Merlin engined), which I posted about a week ago I made today photos of my TF MkX - also converted (like Mk II) from Frog Mk XXI kit. I would like to share with you with those photos... Model was deeply changed - new larger cowlings, shortered nose and main canopy, new rear canopy, longer tail, radar, new tail wheel and some smaller additians/conversions were done here. I regred that in 1996 I was not convienced to engrave lines, remaining rised pannel separations.... Anyway - I hope you still can find it somhow interesting Markings are of RD351,QM.F of 254 Squadron RAF, 1944-45. Decals from drawer, not from Aeromaster set - what is funny, recently I bought this set when I needed some RAAF roundels... I ommited serial on bottom - I have doubts that in 1944 there it was already there, perhaps it was added after the VE day. Comments welcome Regards Jerzy-Wojtek Edited July 22, 2017 by JWM Switch to Flickr 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimHead23 Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Excellent conversion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Nice work with an old kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Cool, I like it a lot. The thimble radar nose piece looks right on this one too. Well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Great job on this ancient kit, well done, as Gregor said: Cool ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejboyd5 Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 How did you enlarge the cowlings? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Well done on a great looking conversion. I built the Novo one a few years ago and that was one the most lousy kits I've ever built, so my admiration for your work is all the greater! Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Another lovely build, Jerzy. Once there's a nice one on the market I'll thing I'll have to put one on the do-list! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 18, 2015 Author Share Posted April 18, 2015 Thank you Gentelmen for kind comments How did you enlarge the cowlings? Ususaly If I need to enlarge radius of cowling I do this in one of followin ways: 1.) Cut it once and add some let say 3 mm wide piece of plastic and form everything as cylindric (round) form with filler. Since "pi"=3.1415... it will enlarge the diameter for about 1 mm. 2. Cut the cowling in 3 or 4 places addind specers in each place and then make all things round agian 3. Use another cowling with right diameter from spare baox or (what I do recently) - made a resin copy of desired cowling 3. Wrap around cowling a piece of thin plastic card until you get right diameter. And use filler/sanding work. As far as I remeber here I made it this way. Thus, the fronts of cowlings are then made out of filler, mostly. And here I added small bulbs on cowling - they are made out of filler (Humbrol) also... Cheers J-W 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatboydim Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Yet another great build from you J-W. Very well done. Joe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Excellent work on that, J-W! That just may be my favourite version of the Beaufighter. Regards, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Alfonso Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 HI Jerzy!!! Once I have time and come here,I am surprised to find many new things and wonderful pics taken fromde masterworks of allmy friends, as sure this nice build was my attention focus since some 25 minutes ago. This nice work didn't need the engraving as the detail is an own character of each build and I personally think that it dosen't needed it, as look nicely resplendent. I wish I have had time and knowledge to when I have had enough free time do many wonderful masterpieces as you, but anyway, just feel happy that you have had ot and used both very very well to make our joy watching in this more sophisticated time how with patience and old school techniques make miracles of those old but wonderful kits no neglected by many modelers. Thank you very much for sharing, and for explaining the little tutorial about enlarging cowlings, very useful indeed, Cheers, Luis Alfonso 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 If you made the cowlings bigger, then what about the engines themselves? Surely they would needr replacing or rebuilding? For my FROG build I did many years ago, I was lucky enough to have the Aeroclub ones that I adapted to fit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 (edited) Thank you Joe, Jason, Luis Alfonso and Paul for comments If you made the cowlings bigger, then what about the engines themselves? Therefore I think I just wraped around cowlings to enlarge the outer diameter and used original readial engine insides. I do not remember exactly, but I have feeling that engines are moulded together with cowlings in Frog Beaufighter. Even today the aftermarket things are not widly available in my country (you may order them in Net surely, and in few shops but they are rather not lying on the shelvs of any model shop) and in 1996 it was not better for sure. Hence, I am relaying on home made techniques... Obviously, the aftermarket cowls are more reasonable choice. Cheers J-W Edited April 19, 2015 by JWM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Thats nice Jerzy, there are so many details about this build that just simply "work" for me. The colours, the patches around the guns, the tyres, pretty much the whole deal. A couple of points for the future, seeing as this was a while ago now, Bristol Hercules being sleeve valve didn't have the bumps on the cowl for the valve gear that Bristol Mercury & Pegasus engined aircraft often did, also, I think I'm right in saying that Beaus carried rockets or torpedos but never both, not that kit manufacturers ever tell you that. Thanks for sharing your collection with us, they're great. Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 Thank you Steve for your comment. I have this doubt, if the carrying torpedo exclude carrying rockets... I am also still not sure how the torpedo should be painted? - I have found somewhere Barracuda colour photo with such painted torpedo - I am not sure if it is not a colour for practice torpedos? However ragarding small bulbs on cowlings - the Hendon Beaufighter has them: http://www1.jcn.m-net.ne.jp/lightning/raf_museum_hendon/2007/a/bristol%20beaufighter_tfx.jpg and here (the TFX e with late tail) for example they are also: http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/bristolbeaufighter.cfm So appearently, despite the sleeve camshaft they are present....at least at two cases Best regards Jerzy-Wojtek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Oops, shows you what I know, I've not picked that out before. Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 Don't worry - - but with torpedo and rockets you are right. Cheers J-W 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Another great build J-W, wonderful scratch work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 Thank you Cookenbacher - I appreciete your comment Cheers J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 My favourite Beau version and scheme. Great work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejboyd5 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Great work on a Frog. It gives much satisfaction to turn the older kits into works of art that compete with the modern offerings. By the way, the references and drawings of 254 Squadron Beaufighters and RD351 models seem divided on the shape of the fin flash. What made you decide on the diagonal rather than the right angle orientation for the white stripe? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 Thank you Darby and Ejboyd for comments. Regarding skewed white in fin flash - generally I used following way of thinking with contraditions about details on different profiles of an airplane (if I do not have acces to photos) - if anything is a bit out of rules the author of profile have to learn about it directly, if it is following the rules - he could just guess it. So - I assumed that when somone made a profile of RD351 in which the unusual, skewed white strip on fin flash was presented, that means that there was some picture or writing testimony which suggested that. When on another profiles the fin flash is regular it COULD be just a result of author's assumption that fin flash was obeying rules. BTW -there is also another discrepancy in RD351 profiles - some presented it without radar, some with radar on nose. I did not found any photo of her - even now, when I made some google search before posting photos. Initially I made her withaout radar, and I added it later when I noticed, that the version withour radar is in strong minority... I would be greatful, if anybody who know anything about answers to those questions will tell it Cheers J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 (edited) Some Post-Scriptum... After a look around on BM and net in general I introduced some modification to model. Although I left torpedo and rockets on (maybe one day such configuration happend?) L made some paintwork on torpedo and added stabilizer. You were kind not to suggest me to correct the yellow top of the torpedo, which was practice AFAIK it now, anyway corrected looks like that: Cheers J-W Edited July 22, 2017 by JWM Switch to Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Nice, Jerzy! I have a soft spot for the old FROG kit - despite its faults - and you have made a lovely job of yours! regards, Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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