What a Beau… Fighter.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

So here is my entry Airfix’s 1/72 Beaufighter Mk.X, 

 

Still in the plastic bag so will get sprue shots later. Decals are kit or these (overall foliage green). 

 

Will most likely go RAAF. Im on a Aussie/Kiwi kick this year. Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 

 

Dennis

Edited June 16, 2021 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff Dennis

I think I've got an ancient version of this one somewhere, with invasion stripes.

That ANZAC GB has a lot to answer for.

Good luck with this one.

Cheers Pat 

[dogsbody]

Chair pulled up, Dennis.

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello everyone … so here are the sprue-shots, any idea which tail planes go on an RAAF Mk.XXI ? 
 

As you can see the kit has an option for two different sets of horizontal stabs.

 

Im guessing there is an early and late type ? The hedgehog exhausts are in the kit so. 

The destructions show one for this scheme. 

 

And the other type for this scheme. 

 

My first choice is the Mk.XXI below ⬇️ followed by the SEAC scheme ⬆️ And last up is the Banff scheme. I already have a Mossie in the Banff scheme and a Beau in the Foliage scheme. However the Beaufighter is from my rattle-can days and is a bit too light for me. 

 

 

The second scheme is an early flat stabbed mark, 1f or 1c ? Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts.

 

Dennis

[Rabbit Leader]

Nice choice Dennis, I have three of these kits however have not completed one as yet! Now there are a number of subtle differences between a Mk.X and XXI, so hopefully you can incorporate these if you decide to go that way. 

The obvious one is the Sperry Auto Pilot bulge in front of the windscreen. Mk.XXI's were also armed with 4 x wing MG's rather than the 6 x MG's (apologies for not listing calibre and type - MG's are not my strong suit) and the rear Observers blister is similar in shape to what's shown in that decal sheet, however has no framing (i.e - clear). I'm sure you can suitably modify the kit part to suit. As for which tail plane to use, from memory I'd say the earlier style shorter chord type as shown in the No. 144 Squadron above. 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[dogsbody]

According to Airfix's instructions, you want to use Part # C23 tailplane, the one with the rectangular inserts ( Parts D7 & D8 ).

Clear part F7 is the unframed canopy for the navigator.

 

 

 

Chris

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 hour ago, Rabbit Leader said:

The obvious one is the Sperry Auto Pilot bulge in front of the windscreen.

And that's the one thing not in the box, as you've discovered the canopy and correct tailplane are there. So looks like I may need to rethink my options. Maybe The Banff option as it has the Torpedo for a Tor-Beau plane. 
 

The aftermarket decal set has a couple of options along the Banff lines including one with Invasion stripes. 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Rabbit Leader]

12 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

And that's the one thing not in the box, as you've discovered the canopy and correct tailplane are there. So looks like I may need to rethink my options. Maybe The Banff option as it has the Torpedo for a Tor-Beau plane. 
The aftermarket decal set has a couple of options along the Banff lines including one with Invasion stripes. 

 

If you have a fetish for all things Australian, you could still make a No. 455 Squadron TF.X example straight OOB. Not sure what other decals are provided, however UB coded examples seem to be easily obtainable. 

Cheers and regards.. Dave (who would have also liked to have seen the AP part provided). 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

22 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

 

If you have a fetish for all things Australian, you could still make a No. 455 Squadron TF.X example straight OOB. Not sure what other decals are provided, however UB coded examples seem to be easily obtainable. 

Cheers and regards.. Dave (who would have also liked to have seen the AP part provided). 

 

Yes thats the other grey/sky one on my decal sheet. Their are two, that one snd a later version with the tail fillet and Pinocchio radome. I have neither the Radome or the fillet so it will need to be the two box decal schemes or 455. 

[rob85]

Great choice Dennis, don’t be disheartened by the lack of sperry auto pilot, you could see it as an opportunity to build your own 😃.

 

nice to have you along mate

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 hour ago, rob85 said:

Great choice Dennis, don’t be disheartened by the lack of sperry auto pilot, you could see it as an opportunity to build your own 😃.

 

nice to have you along mate

I wish but i don't think Im that talented at scratch-building compound curved items. Ive tried and failed before. I think I will save those decals for another kit in the future. 

[dogsbody]

High Planes has a conversion for the Airfix kit.

 

https://www.hpmhobbies.com/high-planes-dap-beaufighter-mk-21-set-for-airfix-2015-1-72/

 

 

 

Chris

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

39 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

High Planes has a conversion for the Airfix kit.

 

https://www.hpmhobbies.com/high-planes-dap-beaufighter-mk-21-set-for-airfix-2015-1-72/

 

 

 

Chris

Nice but $ is my major issue right now, just spent most of my savings and monthly disability on the dog. 

[Greg Law]

I looked at doing an Australian Beau. Before I went for the Kiwi one. I felt there were too many changes needed. One of the harder ones for me was the clear cover over what I think is a loop aerial or something.  Located behind the cockpit. The one on my plane appears to be solid which is easy to scratch build.

[dogsbody]

10 hours ago, Greg Law said:

I looked at doing an Australian Beau. Before I went for the Kiwi one. I felt there were too many changes needed. One of the harder ones for me was the clear cover over what I think is a loop aerial or something.  Located behind the cockpit. The one on my plane appears to be solid which is easy to scratch build.

 

The Airfix kit comes with the parts for that DF loop and the clear cover. That solid part on the spine ( E10 ) is the camera. It was moved up there from the nose when the thimble-nose radar was fitted.

 

 

 

Chris

[Greg Law]

Thanks for the comment Chris.  Unfortunately my builds are 1/48. I believe the Airfix one is 1/72 

[dogsbody]

17 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

Thanks for the comment Chris.  Unfortunately my builds are 1/48. I believe the Airfix one is 1/72 

 

 

Oops! My bad! I was thinking only in 1/72 Airfix.

 

 

The 1/48 Tamiya Beau has those parts.

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Greg Law]

Yes you are right. I just found my Tamiya kit a few minutes ago. I will build it as an Australian Beau. Looks this year is going to be my year of the Beau. 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello everyone … Bit of a start tonight, I painted and glued the fuselage up. 
 

After this I glued the fuselage together. I don't like having to add the tail wheel this early, seems like a recipe for disaster. Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 
 

Dennis

[Greg Law]

Interesting progress you are about the same as mine.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello everyone… Well for good or bad Ive backdated my Beaufighter. Im trying to go for this plane. I believe its an early VI with the flat tailplane in TSS. I stand to be corrected. 

 

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Beaufighter/Malta/pages/Beaufighter-VIC-RAF-272Sqn-White-K-X8079-and-V-T5048-taken-over-Malta-IWM-CM5105.html

 

Here is what Ive done today. 
 

 

 

 

 

Please if anyone knows of other mods or ordnance load-outs I am all ears. Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 

 Dennis

[dogsbody]

That photo you posted did show some underwing bomb carriers. Are you going to add those?

 

 

 

Chris

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

That photo you posted did show some underwing bomb carriers. Are you going to add those?

 

 

 

Chris

I think I can steal a set from an Eduard spitfire? I don't think Beaufighters would have carried anything super heavy out under the wings would they ? You think the two bombs and a Torpedo or just the bombs ? Did Beaufighters carry drop tanks ever ? Or were they strictly internal fuel ? My apologies as I know very little other than the basics of Beaufighters. While we’re at it the strike camera in the nose the little square molded on the front, would that be there on a Mk.VI or would that have been mounted some where else. Airfix were nice enough to mold the earlier intakes for the engines on the sprue’s. Oddly enough though they've never issued an earlier Beaufighter kit that would’ve used them. I’m thinking they might be a holdover from the Blenheim. If Airfix re-used that sprue for this kit ? They're parts C5 & C6 and there is a set of two. 

[Graham Boak]

They wouldn't be carried with torpedo - think of the poor engines!   The Coastal Command Beaufighters had integral tanks under the wings which gave them adequate range for their operations.  Later on, possibly only postwar? - there was a large drop tank carried under the fuselage instead of the torpedo.  The bomber Beaufighters, not many, had two extra bomb carriers under the nose instead of the torpedo.   Hasegawa did present this option in one of their kits.  It may be possible that these were exchangeable with the torpedo carrier - but not a small job I suspect or they wouldn't have had a separate batch of aircraft built.  Yes, they are the standard RAF carriers as used on lots of types.

 

The Blenheim had single-row Mercury engines rather than the larger and more powerful twin-row Hercules on the Beaufighter.  There wouldn't have been any carry-over.  I would simply assume that one day Airfix will produce an earlier Beau - they have after all produced a Mk.II, if I'm not dreaming.  (Somebody called it a more attractive aircraft - glad I'm not on what he's on.)

[Rabbit Leader]

Really good progress Dennis and the chopped down horizontal tail planes have come up a treat. 
Cheers.. Dave