Airfix “New Tool” Bristol Beaufort A04021 (1st WIP) ** FINISHED **

[tonyot]

5 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

You’re making great progress with these Beauforts Tony and I do say, I quite like these colour schemes. Now you mention DK Decals, by any chance have you been asked to assist with any up and coming Beaufort decal sheets? 
Cheers.. Dave 

Thanks Dave,.... quite a few `tweaks' left to do to tidy things up,.... but it was getting late! I do like the TSS with Azure Blue undersides, be it on a transport or a strike aircraft.

 

It was mentioned in conversation but unfortunately no,.... as far as I know nothing yet from DK Decals are the Beaufort. and I don`t know if anything is planned either. 

 

Cheers

           Tony

[2996 Victor]

11 hours ago, tonyot said:

***High Planes Beaufreighter***

Huh? ('scuse my ignorance ) All looking excellent, Tony, as is yours, Dave!

[stever219]

38 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

Huh? ('scuse my ignorance ) All looking excellent, Tony, as is yours, Dave!

Beaufurt freighter, a transport conversion of DAP-built Mk. VIIIs IIRC.

[tonyot]

7 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

Huh? ('scuse my ignorance ) All looking excellent, Tony, as is yours, Dave!

Cheers Mark,... LOL,.... as Stever says,..... yeah a DAP Beaufort Mk.IX,..... known as the Beaufreighter,..... it was a transport conversion.

[TheyJammedKenny!]

A Beaufreighter?  I never knew such a thing existed!  It probably transported top officials in relative discomfort, but at high speeds!

[Ed Russell]

2 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

It probably transported top officials in relative discomfort, but at high speeds!

Probably no worse than a contemporary Dakota! it could carry five passengers. Usual cargo was boxes but there are pictures of passengers disembarking. This one crashed, killing crew and all five passengers - 5 erks aboard as flight test ballast.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/AC0241

The most photographed one had exhortations to surrender in  Nip characters

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/Beaufort-A9-712

There is a kit

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/high-planes-models-72006-dap-bristol-beaufreighter-ix--244623#

 

[72modeler]

That's a handsome trio, Tony! The sunshades really add character- nice touch. The Beaufreighter is a new one to me, but looks like a very well done conversion. Can't wait to see the finished products...me, I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered kit- according to the Big H, it could be as late as June!

Mike

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Ed Russell said:

Probably no worse than a contemporary Dakota! it could carry five passengers. Usual cargo was boxes but there are pictures of passengers disembarking. This one crashed, killing crew and all five passengers - 5 erks aboard as flight test ballast.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/AC0241

The most photographed one had exhortations to surrender inJapanesecharacters

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/Beaufort-A9-712

There is a kit

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/high-planes-models-72006-dap-bristol-beaufreighter-ix--244623#

 

Thanks for the update Ed,..... very sad indeed. Cheers for the pics too,...... this one was new to me;

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/Beaufort-A9-712/Beaufreighter_A9_712_R_10_L_A_S_U_Piva_c_1945_via_Mike_Mirkovic

 

 

[tonyot]

46 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

That's a handsome trio, Tony! The sunshades really add character- nice touch. The Beaufreighter is a new one to me, but looks like a very well done conversion. Can't wait to see the finished products...me, I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered kit- according to the Big H, it could be as late as June!

Mike

Cheers Mike,..... glad you like the sunshades,..... dead easy to make too.  As Ed says,.... the Beaufreighter comes in kit form from High Planes,.... but it was a neat conversion of the real aircraft,.... it seems to have been a useful light transport and was also used for supply dropping to troops out in the field. 

Sorry to hear about your kits from the Big H,..... I believe they got a re stock recently. Jadlam Racing are worth a try too,..... and £20 per kit, knocking off a fiver.    

[dogsbody]

2 hours ago, 72modeler said:

...me, I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered kit- according to the Big H, it could be as late as June!

 

Yesterday morning, I got an email from Hannants, stating that this kit, that was on my Wish List, was available, so I quickly ordered one. 

How long it may take to get here is unknown, but at least it's been ordered.

 

 

 

Chris

[tonyot]

Another update,..... decal time!

 

Here I`m sorting out the decals for the 22 Sqn RAF aircraft based in Ceylon,.... the camouflage is washed out, but are those SEAC roundels the early blue and white or the later blue and light blue? The fin flash certainly looks blue and white and the roundels resemble the Fleet Air Arm style with a small white centre,..... remember the RN had a major base in Ceylon too and that included lots of aircraft. The High Planes roundels don`t look right,... and the fin flash looks too big,..... so I`ve decided upon the old Modeldecal sheet for blue/light blue roundels,..... but I have some Blue and White ones on stand by!  I have a feeling that the code `V' might be red,..... but I`ll stick with the one from the High Planes sheet as I do like that one,.... artistic licence and all of that,......I may even have taken a liberty with the underside colour in the nose area as it may run level with the bottom of the nose windows,..... but every other Ceylon based aircraft that I`ve seen had the standard style and I like that more! I don`t believe that it was overall light grey like some people say,..... the camouflage just looks washed out and sun bleached to me,.... there are traces of the camouflage visible in the right areas.

 

Next up is the 16 Sqn SAAF N.Africa based aircraft,..... I have liberated the Beaufighter decals from the DK Decals sheet,.... including the unit nose insignia of a charging Bull,.... but the upper wing roundels are a bt too big so I`ll look for some smaller B Types. The serial and code will come from the generic sheet folder. Here is the model with some artwork in the unit history `Path of Duty';

 

 

Cheers

            Tony

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by tonyot

[Rabbit Leader]

As always Tony, each of your updates illustrate great progress and I do like how both of these Beauforts are coming along.

I think leaving off the nose glazing for later is a good option and something to possibly consider on the next build. 

I'm visualising the SEAC Beaufort finished... and reckon this will look really lovely in those colours and roundels. It pays to have a large decal bank, doesn't it? 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

 

[tonyot]

9 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

As always Tony, each of your updates illustrate great progress and I do like how both of these Beauforts are coming along.

I think leaving off the nose glazing for later is a good option and something to possibly consider on the next build. 

I'm visualising the SEAC Beaufort finished... and reckon this will look really lovely in those colours and roundels. It pays to have a large decal bank, doesn't it? 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

 

Thanks Dave,.... yeah I`ve always fancied doing this particular SEAC one,.... so I do hope it turns out OK? I may have made a bit of a cock up with the camouflage pattern of the SAAF aircraft,...... I`m finding that many of the later N.Africa based Beaufort`s had a very different camouflage pattern than those used in the UK...... it is hard to pin it down though,..... the best view of it seems to be the famous colour photo taken on Malta with the Beaufort Mk.II seen almost head on inside its revetment.  After copying and blowing up a photo of the one that I was going to represent,..... the pattern can just be made out and I`ve got it wrong! I was thrown off by a shadow and some touch up painting where a code was covered over and replaced,..... ah well!

Yeah I`ve built up quite a large decal bank over the years,..... but I still struggle to find what I want!

Cheers

           Tony,  

[Rabbit Leader]

5 minutes ago, tonyot said:

Yeah I`ve built up quite a large decal bank over the years,..... but I still struggle to find what I want!

And never a truer word has been spoken!! 

[72modeler]

11 hours ago, dogsbody said:

12 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Yesterday morning, I got an email from Hannants, stating that this kit, that was on my Wish List, was available,

 

Chris,

 

That's a weird system they have! I've had a Beaufort pre-ordered for quite a while, and when I checked their site Friday, like I do every week to see the new listings, they showed Beauforts were in stock! I removed my back ordered kit, and put it in my cart, and now I have one on the way! Seems like they would just have notified me my pre-ordered kit was available and ready for shipping. Oh, well. (Truth be told, I bet they made @tonyot cough up one of his kits out of the case lot he's sitting on; if I find a hairy stick in  the box, the secret will have been revealed!)  

Mike

 

Now, if HPM will hurry up and release their Mk VIII conversion...

[MACALAIN]

1 hour ago, 72modeler said:

Chris,

 

That's a weird system they have! I've had a Beaufort pre-ordered for quite a while, and when I checked their site Friday, like I do every week to see the new listings, they showed Beauforts were in stock! I removed my back ordered kit, and put it in my cart, and now I have one on the way! Seems like they would just have notified me my pre-ordered kit was available and ready for shipping. Oh, well. (Truth be told, I bet they made @tonyot cough up one of his kits out of the case lot he's sitting on; if I find a hairy stick in  the box, the secret will have been revealed!)  

Mike

 

Now, if HPM will hurry up and release their Mk VIII conversion...

Big H nor Airfix still not exporting to Belgium......

 

Alain

[dogsbody]

3 hours ago, 72modeler said:

Chris,

 

That's a weird system they have! I've had a Beaufort pre-ordered for quite a while, and when I checked their site Friday, like I do every week to see the new listings, they showed Beauforts were in stock! I removed my back ordered kit, and put it in my cart, and now I have one on the way! Seems like they would just have notified me my pre-ordered kit was available and ready for shipping. Oh, well. (Truth be told, I bet they made @tonyot cough up one of his kits out of the case lot he's sitting on; if I find a hairy stick in  the box, the secret will have been revealed!)  

Mike

 

Now, if HPM will hurry up and release their Mk VIII conversion...

 

Not a lot has changed over in the old country. They're just not used to our new-fangled North American way of doing things. 

 

 

 

Chris

[alt-92]

4 hours ago, MACALAIN said:

Big H nor Airfix still not exporting to Belgium......

 

Alain

If you're fast, you can get 'em from AMS. 

[tonyot]

Another update on my models,..... I`ve got the decals on;

 

16 Sqn SAAF, DE111/N,.... ex 47 Sqn RAF, where it was coded V;

 

22 Sqn RAF, Ceylon,.... DW816/V.;

 

And an update on the High Planes Beaufort IX/ Beaufreighter refurb,.... just for interest;

 

 

Cheers

          Tony

 

[72modeler]

Beaucoup Beauforts!

Mike

[Chuck1945]

I’ve been lurking here since I too pre-ordered last fall, watching your progress and taking note of your suggestions, comments etc. Got my notification from Big H about three weeks ago and the kit arrived late last week. Now realizing that other than the Air Britain Beaufort File I have bugger all regarding references. One (of many) confusions is box the box art and your model use a silver-like color for the torpedo body, but the couple of photos I have seen indicate a dark color for both the body and warhead

[dogsbody]

3 hours ago, Chuck1945 said:

I’ve been lurking here since I too pre-ordered last fall, watching your progress and taking note of your suggestions, comments etc. Got my notification from Big H about three weeks ago and the kit arrived late last week. Now realizing that other than the Air Britain Beaufort File I have bugger all regarding references. One (of many) confusions is box the box art and your model use a silver-like color for the torpedo body, but the couple of photos I have seen indicate a dark color for both the body and warhead

 

What I have:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Chuck1945]

Thanks Chris. The torpedo pictured I saw in Beaufort File  was a very dark color. Those you show are definitely lighter body, dark warhead. In addition I tend to believe Terry’s research for the stuff Aviaeology does so that also supports a lighter colored body.

[tonyot]

A bit more `progression',..... got a watercolour wash onto the models, ready to remove with some kitchen roll;

 

 

And both Beauforts have had a bit of weathering added,....... seen here with some of the smaller parts comng together,...... I`m trying to sort out some Browning machine guns for the turret,.... using a High Planes turret as a refrerence,... I have some Aeroclub twin Brownings which I can modify. A set of Coastal Craft Vickers K Guns will be used for the beam positions on each aircraft,.... the torpedo and the exhaust rings still need to be painted yet;

 

22 Sqn RAF;

 

16 Sqn SAAF;

 

So almost done now,..... time to add the undercarriage, turrets etc,

Cheers

          Tony

 

[VT Red Sox Fan]

Tony, these are looking great--really like the decal/weathering finishes... best, Erwin