Encore (Frog) Beaufort improvements help needed!

[phat trev]

Finally got myself an ex Frog Bristol Beaufort -Encore version- following a trip to Bristol (appropriate I felt)

Now I am wondering how to improve the model as everyone knows it is a pig but the basis is there.. I also have the new Airfix Beaufighter and Blenheim, unfortunately both have some parts missing!! so I cannot build them fully (must have slipped though the net of quality control?)

What parts might be useful and from what kit?

Any help would be greatly appreciated please

cheers!

PT

[johnd]

Tasman do/did vacform engine nacelles that replaced the inadequate kit ones.

I've not tried using them, though.

John.

[tempestfan]

A very visible and grateful area for improvement on the -fort are the engines which you could describe with any derogatory term. I never compared them but Frog may have used a standard radial engine when the kit was tooled as the ones in the Baltimore (and Oxford, and...) are just as abysmal. Don't think the Herculii from the Beau would help you though, as IIRC the Taurus was quite smaller all round.

[tonyot]

Hiya Trev,

You could use the undercarriage from the Beaufighter, plus the outer wings and tailplane if you so wish,......although the V shaped horizontal stabilisors will need to be cut down (along a panel line) to the straight configuration. The engines could probably be used if you can sand the bulges off the cowlings and go a bit further to narrow them down a bit more...... although they are Hercules engines they are still better than the old Frog ones! Props are OK too if you can cap them with a spinner. The seats from the Beaufighter can also be used along with the control column and parts of the cockpit which can be cut up and distributed around,..... the wing spars through the fuselage can also be used too.

From the Blenheim the Vickers gun can be utilised in the Frog kits turret and if you want to make a later variant the fuselage can be built up and the smaller Bristol turret from the Blenheim can be fitted to the Beaufort too. The cockpit area of the Blenheim can also be utilised in the Beaufort as it is basically the same.

Wheels,..... the spoked wheels of the Blenheim will probably be better for the Beaufort, combined with the undercarriage legs etc from the Beaufighter.

Canopy,...... I think that I have a spare vac formed canopy and gun turret glazing from a High Planes Beaufort which you can gladly have if I can find it. However could I please ask a favour and have your Airfix Beaufighter canopy in return,.....as I have a kit with a broken canopy.

Good luck with your model,

Cheers

Tony

[Graham Boak]

Does the Frog kit have the correct straight-tapered top to the fuselage behind the gun turret, improving the field of fire downwards? I don't recall it: if not that's a key point to add/improve.

I suspect that if the smaller turret was fitted then it would have had twin Brownings, like the Blenheim late fit, but it would affect the aircraft you wished to model.

[stevehnz]

One option with the engines would be to replace them with some after market/spares box P & W R-1830s as used in the Beaufort Ml IIs & Aussie production ones.

Steve.

[bristol boy]

_{Hi Phat Trev,}

_{I have the same kit and same plan as you, it was my next project but might let you show me the way!}

_{The main changes I planned were replacing the canopies with the Talisman vac ones, which I got from ebay but not from Australia so the postage was OK.}

_{The engine nacelles are completely the wrong shape and I'll scratch build replacements.}

[Ed Russell]

I don't know whether these are any use or not..... but now you know they exist.....

HBM72016...BRISTOL HERCULES/TAURUS REPLACEMENT ENGINE NACELLES.to replace airfix & frog beaufighter/beaufort engine nacelles...£6.00

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234996522-trade-172-hbm-resin-conversion-sets-for-airfix-124-scale-mustang-fw-190/

[Mike Starmer]

The rear decking behind the turret needs a drastic reduction. It was almost a thin spine nearest the turret and flat faced right back to the fin.

[Graham Boak]

Re the HBM cowlings: they can't be right for both Hercules and Taurus, as the Hercules is bigger and differently shaped. The Special Hobby group provide cowlings that are too large and unconvincingly shaped, both for the Taurus and P&W. Red Roo used to provide good replacement P&W cowlings but I don't think any are still available. I wonder if the old Airfix Beaufighter cowlings might do? Red Roo did do decent P&W cowlings but they are no longer available, I believe.

[tempestfan]

Weren't the Matchbox Beaufighter cowlings based on a three view which recycled Beaufort wings and (Taurus) engines, resulting in small slightly conical cowlings ? Which wouldn't help reusing your incomplete Airfix Beau, I admit.

[vppelt68]

I planned on doing the same thing but found out I'm not man enough to do it. Airfix customer dept told me then (maybe two years ago?) that their Lanc Hercules sprue would've cost me 10 pounds, shipped to Finland.

[bentwaters81tfw]

The Hercules is 6 inches greater in diameter than the Taurus. In 1/72 it's not worth the hassle. I will be using Beaufighter donor parts in my 1/32 version. I may need to file the cylinder heads a little to fit the cowlings.

[JWM]

About 20 years ago I made a scratch upgrate fo old Frog Beaufort. Actually even it was Novo kit in a kind of a dirty pink -pardon - a Provansal Rouge, if you like colour of plastic...

If you like to see here is my result - from the past...

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234979689-bristol-beaufort-mk-i-malta-1942-frognovo-reshaped-172/

My experience is similar to what was said above - the main problem is udercaridge (generally too small - I made it our of scratch), cowlings (also too small and too much cylindrical - I think I wrapped them around with plastic card and use a lot of filler and sanding to get right shape) but also propellers and enlarged tail. I made also a lot on improving glassed - for example on main canopy I loft only rouded top, and both side and front windows I made from a thin trasparent piece of styrene (4 pieces)...The turret was made of scratch

With spare Blenheim and Beaufighter it should go more straight forward - I wish a sucess

J-W

[MilneBay]

Having attempted to improve that kit I came to the conclusion the only really effective improvement is the sound of the unassembled plastic hitting the rubbish bin.

[stevehnz]

It can be made into a decent looking unit, whether or not I'd want to go to that amount of work is another story. Jays have vac form replacement canopies, engine cowls & injection wheels if one is keen enough.

Steve.

[phat trev]

Mine too has a canopy issue, the parts are not in the box Happy to send over some money in return for the vac form parts of you were willing to pass them on? Pm me. Cheers

Hiya Trev,

You could use the undercarriage from the Beaufighter, plus the outer wings and tailplane if you so wish,......although the V shaped horizontal stabilisors will need to be cut down (along a panel line) to the straight configuration. The engines could probably be used if you can sand the bulges off the cowlings and go a bit further to narrow them down a bit more...... although they are Hercules engines they are still better than the old Frog ones! Props are OK too if you can cap them with a spinner. The seats from the Beaufighter can also be used along with the control column and parts of the cockpit which can be cut up and distributed around,..... the wing spars through the fuselage can also be used too.

From the Blenheim the Vickers gun can be utilised in the Frog kits turret and if you want to make a later variant the fuselage can be built up and the smaller Bristol turret from the Blenheim can be fitted to the Beaufort too. The cockpit area of the Blenheim can also be utilised in the Beaufort as it is basically the same.

Wheels,..... the spoked wheels of the Blenheim will probably be better for the Beaufort, combined with the undercarriage legs etc from the Beaufighter.

Canopy,...... I think that I have a spare vac formed canopy and gun turret glazing from a High Planes Beaufort which you can gladly have if I can find it. However could I please ask a favour and have your Airfix Beaufighter canopy in return,.....as I have a kit with a broken canopy.

Good luck with your model,

Cheers

Tony

[stevehnz]

In a fit of enthusiasm after reading this thread, I bid on this on our local auction site. Pity it got a bit rich for me & probably would have gone richer with someone else to push the winner. All the same not to bad a price for basically two kits. C'mon Airfix.

Steve.