Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Whilst waiting for some glues and paints of annoying unrewarding fiddly bits to dry on other stuff, I have started the next aeroplane for the work bench. This is Tamiya's aging Beaufighter with a few tweaks here and there, and I plan to model it on RD136, one of a small batch of Weston built aircraft which retained the Hercules XVII but received the Mk.XII wing and the Mod T361 tailplanes and enlarged elevators. It also sported a Lockheed tailwheel. First up was to attempt to improve on the "fishbelly" appearance of the Tamiya kit. I did this with 3 saw-cuts per side, and whilst both sides were marked out with a scriber and the lines washed with black paint, I cut and glued one side at a time retaining the other as an alignment reference. As a confession - I did this on a TLAR basis, and removed 2mm of depth at that second panel line from the tail. This is how it went back together compared to the unmolested other side The second side was hacked up to match and the centreline seam taped to help ensure it would all go together in the end (Yes, I know, I'll have to fettle the nav's internal compartment pieces) A trial assembly shows a more Beaufighterish outline, which will do. Time to tidy up the joins etc. I hope this turns out nice! Whilst the filler on that dries, I've started an Italeri boxing of Accurate Miniatures' B-25 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom216 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 A neat little fix there for a problem I never knew about. Looking good! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimea River Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 My thoughts exactly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share Posted September 28, 2019 Hi folks, Apparently I did a better job on one side than the other. It's almost there now though, but as evidenced, one side has much more feathered out filler than the other There's a low spot still apparent which has just had what's hopefully its last dab of filler then I can rescribe the lost panel lines Thanks for looking in! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 It's time I got on with this. It was supposed to be a quick build and it's sat in a box for half a year already... The fuselage was left thus: I airbrushed a light grey enamel on just to see what I really had. As evidenced, this was absolutely nowhere near good enough! Out with Infini Model's nuclear grade 220 grit hard sanding sticks to remove plastic where there are clear high points. This was later smoothed down with a 600 grit stick, then a 1000 grit sanding sponge each iteration. Leading to: Another shoot of grey reveals that most of the basic mismatch has now gone, but there's still a visible line where I cut it. The Squadron green putty is softer than plastic so even with hard sanding sticks it will always disappear at a quicker rate than the plastic. Some Mr Surfacer 1000 was employed to fill the remaining depression where the cut line was. After another sanding we have this, which for a quick build I think shall do. I think the cut'n'shut was worth the work since the Beau looks pretty good in profile now. That brings us to tonight. The interior has been loosely painted in Interior Grey-Green, dark washed using a linseed oil based wash slightly thinned with our naptha. The panel is just light black with the kit decals and has the instrument faces 'glazed' with Clearfix. The two halves are glued together and is drying. I shall now head to the discussion part of the forum to ask about Mk.XII wings... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said: It's time I got on with this. It was supposed to be a quick build and it's sat in a box for half a year already... At least you've given the filler time to harden off and settle Edited April 20, 2020 by Col. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted April 25, 2020 Author Share Posted April 25, 2020 I've made the blisters over the Mk.XII wing's fuel feeds which hopped up and over the main spar. I'm also adjusting the wingtips to represent a Mk.XII wing. The rear lenses are filled and faired in, to be painted over and hidden in due course, whilst to represent the smaller navigation light lenses I made saw cuts most of the way down the lense such that I could paint silver down the cut line to give the lense the appearance of being smaller. I took the opportunity to drill them out and tint to represent the bulbs. Once the glue is dry on these they'll be cleaned up, faired in and polished. You may notice I have sawn out the root and tip ends of the ailerons too. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted April 25, 2020 Author Share Posted April 25, 2020 This is now all glued together. I cut slots and fitted small pieces of brass tubes for the elevator hinges. Here's how the tailplanes fit on the kit. I'd hoped for better, but it's not too bad. I've certainly paid more for a lot worse in the past... At least they're square though! Thanks for looking in 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Clever work on the tip lights Jamie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 The Beaufighter is now ready for exterior painting 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 RD136 wasn't brand new when lost, and Extra Dark Sea Grey is well known for fading quite quickly due to chalking as a principle mechanism, often displacing a blue appearance. The weathering I will do will darken this model, so I have started by diluting Extra Dark Sea Grey with some blue-grey to give me a base to start from. Here's the result compared to the pure original: This was given the salt treatment, blown over with a darker tint closer to the original ESDG, then blended after that with a slightly lighter mix heavily thinned. These aircraft were seen to show darker smears from various liquids such as the windscreen anti-icing, petrol, engine oil, hydraulic oil and so on, so as said above it will start to turn darker again soon. I neglected to take any photos but the Sky underneath was also cut with light grey for this one. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 The aircraft now has an identity. There are still stencil decals to apply. Joy. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted July 5, 2020 Share Posted July 5, 2020 Very nice work indeed, great work on the airframe and paint. What a lovely model. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted July 5, 2020 Share Posted July 5, 2020 Looking great - I’ve got a Tamiya Beau mkIV on the way, so I’ll be interested to see if the saggy belly syndrome affects it. I’ll watch this build, if you don’t mind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 On 7/5/2020 at 12:17 PM, jackroadkill said: Looking great - I’ve got a Tamiya Beau mkIV on the way, so I’ll be interested to see if the saggy belly syndrome affects it. I’ll watch this build, if you don’t mind. The fuselage parts are the same in all the Tamiya Beaufighters, so it'll be the same issue if it bothers you, and equally the fix is valid also should you fancy a go A little progress to report. I kinda need to start painting engines, undercarriage legs and all that sort of stuff. I need the Lockheed tailwheel for this particular airframe. Most of the Dallachy Beaufighters showed evidence of fabric patches on the cannons, the wing fillets etc stuck on with red dope so I should study the Avieology photographs to see if any are visible on RD136. I've been a bit heavy handed with the clay wash (by Flory) which I've tried for the first time. I'll have to do more to make that stand out less... 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Very nice indeed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Sorry to hassle you, Jamie, but what did you use to cut the fuselage? I'm just wondering if it's a saw or scalpel job. Thanks, JRK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 2 hours ago, jackroadkill said: Sorry to hassle you, Jamie, but what did you use to cut the fuselage? I'm just wondering if it's a saw or scalpel job. Thanks, JRK For this sort of thing my two go-to tools are an Olfa cutter scriber tool for things I can't get a saw cut started, and a CMK Razor saw for those I can. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 17 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said: For this sort of thing my two go-to tools are an Olfa cutter scriber tool for things I can't get a saw cut started, and a CMK Razor saw for those I can. Thanks very much - that's very helpful. I'll stop hijacking your thread now, honest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 Thread hijacking is a state of mind, and mine isn't inclined to see discussion as a hijack Ask or comment away - that's what the forum's for in my opinion 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 I realised the wheels in this kit are unweighted, and found myself greatly lamenting Ultracast's decision not to supply to trade any more hence I haven't got any I can take from stock. Wanting to just get this done rather than ordering/waiting/spending more again I just did it the cheapskate's way and weighted the wheels using a cigarette lighter. I realised I hadn't painted the rocket rails so they're not added yet and hence it's not actually finished. Also, I've just been gently reminded that there shouldn't be any wing guns - what a snafu! I'll get rid of those! Look at those frigging wing guns saying "Ha ha you smug git - thought you had the wings sorted when you caught the blisters and that landing light didn't you?". They'll have to go... And don't forget about me! 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 While you're painting the rocket rails, you may also want to re-paint the prop hubs. These were black, the same as the prop blades. Sometimes the front dome was painted in other colours, but not bright shiny metal/silver. This is looking great so for. I've always liked the Beau. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 18, 2020 Author Share Posted July 18, 2020 Right then, bloody rivet counters etc etc... Time to sort this mess out! Firstly the guns - these appear to be doped over with fabric with flats visible where the holes are in the metal. Painting over the fabric appears to have differing levels of precision: 404 Sqn aircraft 144 Sqn aircraft 404 Sqn again 328 Sqn in Italy And just because I'd never seen this before, a Beaufighter Mk.IV used for flight testing a pair of Griffons. I wonder how that went...? Anyway, there's now some filler in the leading edges to plug them up, followed by some careful sanding later. The kit's 25lb 3in rockets are cleaned up and assembled ready for painting. The propeller hubs can get done at some opportunity when I have black out again, which will likely be quite soon. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted July 19, 2020 Author Share Posted July 19, 2020 I think I've now corrected the worst of my errors on this one, so cautiously suggest that it may, in effect, most uncharacteristically, be finished. And we know what that means - it's time for a new build thread! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Yeah! That's it. Nicely done, Jamie. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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