Flavio Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Hi all, I noted several Beau Mk VIs with a new framed top hood pilot's canopy. It seems a sort of sliding window, apparently not the same system used for the canvas sun screen. I was not able to identify this variation, when and where it was adopted, can you help me? Thank you very much. Flavio 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 What is the source of these photos? I'm curious about the " Newfoundland " on the last two. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don149 Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 It was the pilots emergency hatch when ditching or belly landing , also his entrance hatch when there was a torpedo slung . They don`t appear to have been fitted to early marks . Happy modelling . Don . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flavio Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 Hi Chris, here the sources I used: top left: booklet “Bristol Flyer – Aug 2020” top right: detail of photo at pag. 76 “Bristol Beaufigther” – Wingleader Photo archive nr.10 bottom left: IWM CH008353 bottom right: IWM CH008354. By the way, can you help me to identify the system visible in the hood canopy? Thank you Flavio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flavio Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 12 minutes ago, Don149 said: It was the pilots emergency hatch when ditching or belly landing , also his entrance hatch when there was a torpedo slung . They don`t appear to have been fitted to early marks . Happy modelling . Don . Thank you Don, do you know since when it was introduced on production lines? Flavio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don149 Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Sorry Flavio , I`m not able to answer your last question . Don . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 It is my understanding that the hinged top portion of the canopy was standard as an entry/escape hatch from the beginning, but photos of earlier machines do not show the sliding portion shown in the OP, which would be marginal for an escape hatch in any case, maybe for ventilation on the ground in tropical machines, would it have been operable while airborne? A quick rummage through google didn't bring up any photos that obviously had the sliding pane so it may not have been that common. Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewerjerry Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 (edited) 6 hours ago, dogsbody said: What is the source of these photos? I'm curious about the " Newfoundland " on the last two. Chris Hi 125 Sqn ? cheers jerry https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205448245 Edited January 6, 2022 by brewerjerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flavio Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 10 hours ago, stevehnz said: It is my understanding that the hinged top portion of the canopy was standard as an entry/escape hatch from the beginning, but photos of earlier machines do not show the sliding portion shown in the OP, which would be marginal for an escape hatch in any case, maybe for ventilation on the ground in tropical machines, would it have been operable while airborne? A quick rummage through google didn't bring up any photos that obviously had the sliding pane so it may not have been that common. Steve. Hi Steve, actually, according to the photo collection published in the book “Bristol Beaufigther MkI, MkII, MkVI” – Wingleader Photo archive nr.10, almost all the Beau Mk VIs were equipped with the top sliding screen. A close examination reveals this detail. I suspect this device was introduced with the Mk VI, and it was indeed very common, at least with this variant. Flavio 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Thanks Flavio, I'll look further. I don't have that particular reference, a bit spendy out here, but from what you say, something to look out for building one of these. Have you seen any evidence the Mk X had the sliding pane? Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flavio Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 1 hour ago, stevehnz said: Thanks Flavio, I'll look further. I don't have that particular reference, a bit spendy out here, but from what you say, something to look out for building one of these. Have you seen any evidence the Mk X had the sliding pane? Steve. Hi Steve, unfortunately Wingleader Photo Archive nr.10 doesn't cover Mk X type; I checked my other references , and at first sight it appears that Beau Mk Xs did not display such device. Some MkIIs did. Flavio 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Found another named one, on the IWM site: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205372587 And here's one with the different hood: Bristol Beaufighter Mark VIFs of No. 255 Squadron RAF, undergoing maintenance at sunset, at Setif Algeria. Here is a link to all the Wingleader Beaufighter photos, if you'd like to peruse through them: https://www.wingleader.co.uk/ww2images?limit=20&page=1&searchType=any&searchString=Beaufighter Chris 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewerjerry Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 On 1/5/2022 at 10:58 AM, Don149 said: It was the pilots emergency hatch when ditching or belly landing , also his entrance hatch when there was a torpedo slung . They don`t appear to have been fitted to early marks . Happy modelling . Don . Hi reminds me of that ww2 poem when a beau goes in ..... https://poetryarchive.org/poem/when-beau-goes/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnAndersen Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Reminds me of the description of the Beaus' characteristics: "Two engines, closely followed by an airplane" /Finn 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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