Beaufighter Question

[aeroplanedriver]

My current build is a Tamiya Beau...I'm fitting it with rockets and have read that rocket armed Beaus had a sheet metal cover fitted over the landing light in the last wing to prevent damage from the rocket exhaust.  I can't see to find a pic of how this should look?  Crude thing riveting on or a formed cover resulting in a near-flush leading edge over the light.  Anyone ever seen this or a reference to this?

[AltcarBoB]

Looks like a flush fitted panel replacing the light.

[Work In Progress]

Just painting over gets you near enough.

n.b. I just grabbed this via Google Pictures, I have no sourcing information for it which authenticates it as original colour, but it is reliable for the absence of the leading-edge lamps

Edited June 8, 2020 by Work In Progress

[Graham Boak]

Interesting.  Full D-Day markings with the codes retained in the original positions.

[Tail-Dragon]

That's an excellent photo!  

[aeroplanedriver]

Great pic and info!  Thanks for posting that.  Clearly I don't have to be too worried about over weathering.  

[Simon]

As already said, that's a great photo and an excellent reference for weathering.

 

Is the (replacement?) nose on the foreground Beau in Extra Dark Sea Grey, and the lighter grey on the rest of the fuselage and engines is weathered and faded Extra Dark Sea Grey?

[Graham Boak]

Yes.  Although I have to say that the nose piece looks a little light... EDSG does fade rapidly.

[11bravo]

What a great picture.   Got anything similar showing Mosquitoes in that scheme?   What is the color on the underside?   Sky?

[Troy Smith]

8 minutes ago, 11bravo said:

What a great picture.   Got anything similar showing Mosquitoes in that scheme?   

Mosquito FB.VI, 1944. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Coastal Command Mosquito 1944. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Loading rockets   1945. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

 

8 minutes ago, 11bravo said:

What is the color on the underside?   Sky?

yes.

[Work In Progress]

It ought to be Sky and looks Sky against the white, albeit a grubby and washed-out Sky, you can see a bit of a hint of green in the greyness*. I suppose they must have painted round the squadron codes, there's no way that red is fresh. It was evidently done with a degree of care which ties in with the stripes being a neat job on that particular aeroplane, though not so much with the general state of the thing in other aspects!

 

(*if and only if this is an original WW2 colour photo and not one that's been colourised, to take account of Brewerjerry's doubt, posted below)

 

The whole thing seems to show the effects of living by the seaside in all weathers, possibly through a long harsh winter, and of I imagine lots of flying through salty spray and cloud. I can't particularly vouch for the photo, I just dredged it up from somewhere or other via Google Pictures when I was looking for a port wing to show the absence of leading-edge lamps. So make of it what you will, but it is kind of moody, isn't it?

 

It appears to be NE355, 404 Squadron, and here's an earlier pic pre invasion stripes, and according to the IWM it's here at Davidstow in Cornwall rather than Wick or Sumburgh.  Same loss of paint on the port side of the engine air intake. Note the de-icing paste smeared on the leading edge of the nearer aircraft.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126568

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Work In Progress

[brewerjerry]

9 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

Just painting over gets you near enough.

Hi

    Always liked the photo 👍😀

 

     As i understand it, 404Sqn whilst at Davidstowe moor airfield Cornwall

 

but i do wonder sometimes if it was 'colourized' 

 

 

https://www.alamy.com/english-bristol-beaufighter-mk-x-ne255ee-h-of-no-404-squadron-rcaf-at-raf-davidstow-moor-21-august-1944-canadian-forces-canadian-forces-image352372736.html

 

 

     cheers

        jerry

Edited June 8, 2020 by brewerjerry

[dogsbody]

From 404 Squadron, RCAF:

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[fubar57]

38 minutes ago, brewerjerry said:

Hi

    Always liked the photo 👍😀

 

     As i understand it, 404Sqn whilst at Davidstowe moor airfield Cornwall

 

but i do wonder sometimes if it was 'colourized' 

 

 

https://www.alamy.com/english-bristol-beaufighter-mk-x-ne255ee-h-of-no-404-squadron-rcaf-at-raf-davidstow-moor-21-august-1944-canadian-forces-canadian-forces-image352372736.html

 

 

     cheers

        jerry

Pretty meticulous job if it was. The little tiny door of the building in the back is painted grey

[Work In Progress]

55 minutes ago, brewerjerry said:

 

but i do wonder sometimes if it was 'colourized' 

I have no sourcing information for it which authenticates it as original colour, which is why I said I couldn't vouch for it. Have gone back and made that clearer in my earlier posts to aid anyone who might come round this thread some time in the future

Edited June 8, 2020 by Work In Progress

[brewerjerry]

7 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

I have no sourcing information for it which authenticates it as original colour, which is why I said I couldn't vouch for it. Have gone back and made that clearer in my earlier posts to aid anyone who might come round this thread some time in the future

Hi

    No probs 👍

    in the past couple or so years, there are some really good photos that appear ‘colourized’

   i knew a guy who ‘colourized’ some whirlwind photos from B/W ones and they were really good 

 

   I never did ask how he did them or if it was a computer prog’  that did it 

 

   cheers

     jerry

[11bravo]

From the pic above, never heard of  "de-icing paste" before.     Would it have been used on Mosquitoes as well?  Might be a nice unique detail to replicate on my 303 Squadron Mossie.   Any idea what color this stuff was?

[aeroplanedriver]

5 minutes ago, 11bravo said:

From the pic above, never heard of  "de-icing paste" before.     Would it have been used on Mosquitoes as well?  Might be a nice unique detail to replicate on my 303 Squadron Mossie.   Any idea what color this stuff was?

It was called "Killfrost".  The company is still around and still make modern aviation anti-ice fluid. Heathrow use it as their standard Anti-Ice fluid.   I read a blurb about it long ago that I think said it had a yellowish/beige tinge.   

[dogsbody]

25 minutes ago, 11bravo said:

From the pic above, never heard of  "de-icing paste" before.     Would it have been used on Mosquitoes as well?  Might be a nice unique detail to replicate on my 303 Squadron Mossie.   Any idea what color this stuff was?

 

I'm not sure that is Kilfrost on that leading edge. It may well be, but I've never heard of or seen it used on aircraft that like the Beaufighter TF.X, flew at moderately low altitudes. A deep search is required!

 

 

Chris 

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    Going from memory

     i think i was told there was two types of paste one for preventing ice build up on acold morning before take off  ? 

  ( cliff top airfields could get cold ) 

 

  and one for preventing ice build up at higher level, long flights  ? 

 

 but i was told something a long time ago

 

   cheers

     jerry 

    

[fastterry]

Wow another fantastic photo I haven't seen before. A couple of things struck me straight away. No 'bronze' exhausts on this one and note how the port engine cooling gills are painted camo and the stbd ones are white. If you put this one in a contest make sure you take a copy of the photo along.

TRF

[dogsbody]

14 minutes ago, fastterry said:

Wow another fantastic photo I haven't seen before. A couple of things struck me straight away. No 'bronze' exhausts on this one and note how the port engine cooling gills are painted camo and the stbd ones are white. If you put this one in a contest make sure you take a copy of the photo along.

TRF

 

The exhaust collector rings have been painted over with a flat black paint, to cover any glow while flying in low light situations.

 

The starboard gill flaps are not painted white, but are un-painted metal. Look at other Bristol-powered aircraft and see how many have un-painted gills.

 

 

 

Chris

[fastterry]

I understand about the coating of the exhausts but the cooling gills being in NMF doesn't sound right. RAAF Beaufighters, particularly the Foliage Green ones, seem to have 'white' gills as a common feature. I thought it might be a heat coating as the light colour sure does compromise the camouflage. Just thinking out aloud.

TRF

[Work In Progress]

I believe Dogsbody is correct on both counts, the collector rings and the gills.  The gills may well be replacements

[Work In Progress]

9 hours ago, dogsbody said:

 

I'm not sure that is Kilfrost on that leading edge. It may well be, but I've never heard of or seen it used on aircraft that like the Beaufighter TF.X, flew at moderately low altitudes. A deep search is required!

 

 

Chris 

Not really. Airframe icing can occur at any height in a North Sea winter, and would not surprise me at any time of year under certain circs: the important point is the presence of moisture in the air and that can occur when you are descending from a transit cruise with a cold-soaked airframe into a warmer low level environment. I've had airframe impact icing from clouds and mist at low level, and coastal areas are very prone to mist and low cloud layers, so you can get it when dropping from a  higher level transit through an overcast or dropping down to low level at sea. If it is above zero degrees C at low level then eventually the airframe warms through enough for the ice to dissipate but it's better to take any available measures against it as it will definitely hurt performance.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Work In Progress