Beaufighter Mk. VIF in 1/72 scale?

[RainierHooker]

I have always wanted to do a model of a No. 27 Squadron Beaufighter...

 

Way back, my first overseas deployment as a Chinook flight engineer was as a part of the humanitarian relief effort in response to the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. My US Army unit shared living space, hangar space, and the mess hall, airfield, and missions with 27 Sqn for nearly five months during the fall and winter of 2005/06. We flew mixed formation missions from Rawalpindi up into the Himalayas every day and evenings were spent sharing tools and or holding dart or trivia tournaments. Now that I'm a retired old guy, I think it's time to build a few models honoring those wistful recollections.

 

I recently picked up "Beaufighters Over Burma" by David J. Innes, and I've decided to build a 27 Sqn Beaufighter Mk. VIF, such as those featured in the book. Here's an Imperial War Museum photo showing 27 Sqn Beaufighter Mk. VIF X8092 in March of 1943:

 

ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE FAR EAST, 1941-1945.. © IWM (CI 167) IWM Non Commercial License

 

Anyway, what does the hive-mind here at BritModeller think is the best way to skin this cat in 1/72 scale? It would appear that the only explicitly Mk. VI Beaufighter on the market is the Hasegawa offering, but that model has the later high-dihedral tail while as far as I can tell every 27 Sqn Beaufighter in my book shows the earlier flat tail'd Mk. VI. Should I start with an earlier-mark and convert it newer, or a later mark and backdate it? And for that matter, why the heck was 27 Sqn. using the night fighter variant of the Beaufighter anyway when they were largely used as low level ground attack and heavy fighters?

 

Seems like what was supposed to be a simple project has turned into something a bit more complicated. Of course, I tend toward such ill-advised ventures...

[Chuck1945]

If it were me, I would use the Airfix Kit with one of the after market flat dihedral tailplanes sets.
 

My cat is sitting on my lap right now so I can’t get up to pull the third volume of Bloody Shambles to check photos there. I know later Beau versions were also in SEAC, but have no knowledge of 27 Sqd usage.

[e8n2]

45 minutes ago, Chuck1945 said:

If it were me, I would use the Airfix Kit with one of the after market flat dihedral tailplanes sets.
 

My cat is sitting on my lap right now so I can’t get up to pull the third volume of Bloody Shambles to check photos there. I know later Beau versions were also in SEAC, but have no knowledge of 27 Sqd usage.

Well we know who the boss is in your house! 😉  Oh those felines!

Later,

Dave

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I took an Airfix Mk.X and back dated it to VIc status. I used the kits tail planes and sawed them partially. Once done I flattened them, filled the gaps with plastic strip and filler. The earlier cowling intakes are in the kit. Link is there in case you would like to take a look ? 
 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235094668-what-a-beau…-fighter/

Dennis

[RainierHooker]

Thanks guys. Looks like I’ll head to the shops and see if I can dig up an Airfix Beaufighter. I’ve got plenty of styrene and putty if that’s what it takes.

 

Now to the second part of the question, why was 27 Sqn using a night fighter variant as a day fighter-bomber, and what modifications did they make to them. In the aforementioned book, it says at least a few had cameras mounted in the nose. I assume this would be in place of any radar set. 

[KevinK]

I'm not sure that your assumption of the Mk VIF inherently being a night fighter variant is correct.

 

Beaufighter VI s were either C (Coastal) or F (Fighter). Both types were long-range fighters, the main difference being the VIF engine was optimised for high altitude and the VIC for low. It is true that (most?) home-based Mk VIFs were equipped as night fighters because that was the local need in 1942/3, but overseas units in the India/Burma theatre also needed the Mk VIF as a day fighter, mainly for the range but also because there weren't many other suitable types available.

 

It's also the case that the Far East was one of the lowest priority theatres of operations for equipment supply: it may have been that the Mk VIC would have been desired but not available due to Coastal Command's home-based needs - just a thought.

 

The other obvious type - the Mosquito - came much later to the Far East because - initially at least - there were serious problems with the glued structure in hot, high-humidity conditions.

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

27 Squadron reformed on 19 September 1942 with Beaufighter VI (it had fought in Malaya as a Blenheim fighter squadron) had, according to RAF Squadrons by Jefford,

Beaufighter VI November 1942 to July 1944,

Beaufighter X October 1943 to February 1946
Mosquito II April to June 1943,

Mosquito VI October 1943 to May 1944. 

Sentinal April 1945 to January 1946.
Squadron disbanded on 1 February 1946.

The Dihedral tail was on the VIc from at least late 1942.  No information on when fitted to the VIf, some fighter pilots preferred the flat tail.

 

The VIf was produced at Bristol Weston November 1941 to September 1942, Bristol Filton July 1942 to January 1944 and Rootes Stoke February 1943 to March 1944.  So introduction of the dihederal tail might vary between factories.

 

If you believe the British aircraft export report there were no Beaufighters exported for India until May 1943, any earlier would have had to come from the Middle East, transferred or redirected.

 

The 27 squadron history is online at the British Archives, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advanced-search

 

 

[MACALAIN]

You can use the Hobby 2000 kit, never mind the box, you have the flat and the V tail in the box.

It is the Hasegawa kit.

 

Alain

[Chuck1945]

The original (c.2015?) Airfix Beaufighter X includes markings for a 27 Sqd Beau from Burma, early-mid 1945.

[Graham Boak]

You can get the flat tail by cutting away the root extension on the dihedral tailplane/fuselage interface, although I'm not sure that this is the whole story..

 

The Beaufighter in the Far East was predominately used on the heavy fighter/ground attack role, particularly against river shipping,  although this was extended to coastal shipping too.  However the targets were far too small to waste torpedoes on.

 

The initial problem with Mosquitos in the Far East was less the humidity but faulty assembly on the Standard production line - the wing interiors were not properly located and glued.  There were other losses in the same time in UK-based night fighter units.  Can't blame the heat in the UK- maybe the humidity?

[dogsbody]

51 minutes ago, Chuck1945 said:

The original (c.2015?) Airfix Beaufighter X includes markings for a 27 Sqd Beau from Burma, early-mid 1945.

 

This one: https://www.super-hobby.com/products/Bristol-Beaufighter-Mk.X.html

 

 

 

Chris

[Gmat]

Beaufighters At War has a number of good photos of 27 Sqdn Beaus in the later scheme with the tail bands.

The good source for photos of 27 Sqdn Beaufighters is the David Innes book. But you have to combine text and photos to get a good aircraft letter and markings.

https://www.fireflybookstore.com/beaufighters-over-burma-no-27-squadron-raf-1942-45/

 

The squadron very late in the War (Apr 45) became tasked with Air Jungle Search and Rescue Duties. The dropped special containers either attached to the torpedo slings or from the exit hatch behind the pilot. The squadron split into three sections, the one remaining at Chiringa, another at Akyab and the third at Monywa/Meiktila. The squadron was allocated a Stinson L-5. The Squadron moved to Akyab in May 45 and continued in this role until V-J Day. They flew sea search and rescue missions and were on standby for urgent requests from the Army or RAF. This would be supply drop missions for units operating far beyond enemy lines, including V Force, E Force and Force 136. After the War 27 Sqdn was disbanded in Sept 45, but the order was quickly was counter-commanded and the squadron was moved to Mingaladon with a detachment in Java and another at Penang. The remaining aircraft in Mingaladon continued supply dropping missions for the Army which was involved in mopping up operations in the Shan States and in north east Burma along the China/Siam border. I believe they also flew Dakotas during this time period.

The top photo of Beaufighter Mk VIF is X8092 R taken at Agartala in Mar 43. David Innes flew M. He also flew a special mission with a beau with a camera in the nose. A photo of that installation is in Beaufighters At War. It's nickname was Chota Beau Dekko, or Little Bo Peep.

 

The Airfix kit is the most detailed, but in my eyes, the detailing is a bit soft such as the thick panel lines and how many of smaller parts are detailed. Not up to Arma or even then Hasegawa (1997) standards. The Hasegawa fuselage appears is too short and appears to be too narrow in height just before the tail plane.

[EwenS]

There were also two Beaufighter night fighter units in India/Burma between 1943 and 1945. 89 and 176.

 

http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/176_wwII.html

http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/89_wwII.html

 

Other Far East Beaufighter Strike units to look at are 22, 47, 177, 211, 217

[dogsbody]

Which 

On 19/03/2022 at 00:08, RainierHooker said:

. In the aforementioned book, it says at least a few had cameras mounted in the nose. I assume this would be in place of any radar set. 

 

Which particular nose camera do you think was fitted?

 

The gun camera like this:

 

 

 

 

 

The strike camera like this:

 

 

 

 

Or this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris