On Heather's Workbench - kicking up a storm, the Airfix Bristol Beaufort

[Heather Kay]

I have so much paying work I need to do that I always feel guilty when I let myself indulge in my own interests. I always say each 1940 build will be a slow burn, fitted in as a reward for getting "day job" stuff done. We all know how that so often turns out! 

 

Feeling that I’ve been neglecting RAF Coastal Command for too long - please, don’t mention Bomber Command: I know I’ve been neglecting them as well, but they’re all so … BIG and space is currently limited in the display cabinet here - and having completed the Special Hobby Avro Anson recently, it felt right to pick another Coastal subject from the stash. My problem was I wanted something reasonably straightforward and not too big (cf. Bomber Command, et al). That pushed the Italeri Sunderland and Matchbox Stranraer right out of the frame from the off. The ancient Airfix Hudson probably either needs throwing away, or an awful lot of remedial work to correct errors, so that wasn’t likely either. As to the Saro Lerwick, well, that’s a vac form kit, and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for that!

 

That left the new tool Airfix Beaufort. And here we are.

 

 

 

Before getting stuck in, chopping parts out and gluing stuff together, some research was required. Choosing a suitable aircraft was also high on the list. The kit provides schemes for two aircraft, both dated to 1941. The Beaufort was a latecomer to service life, with a rocky development stage that meant it didn’t arrive with squadrons until April 1940. Happily, for the nerd in me, this meant I had quite the interesting choice of camouflage and markings.
 

As first delivered, planes were painted in standard Dark Earth/Dark Green disruptive camouflage, with aluminium undersides. Type A blue/white/red roundels were applied to fuselage, upper and lower wings, squadron codes in light grey, and no fin flashes. By the end of June, instructions from on high were to add a yellow ring to the fuselage roundels (Type A1), and swap the upper wings to the Type B blue/red style. Around this time, the undersides were to change to Sky, or Special Night, or sometimes Eau-de-Nil (which was short-lived and officially unofficial).

 

Choices, choices. I rather like the aluminium undersides, I must admit, and as luck would have it I found a No 22 Squadron profile with it as late as August 1940. It isn’t the aircraft in the kit markings, but I could stretch a point - or make my own markings. I have the technology, even if I don’t have the inclination right now. I guess that means I’m likely to build the model pretty much from the box, which isn’t a problem. 
 

Now, Beauforts were initially used for mine laying and bombing operations, only lately coming to their other main role as torpedo bomber. An underslung fish would be nice, so I find I’m really leaning to what comes in the box.

 

That's my decision made, then. Option A, 22 Squadron, N1016 OA-X, it is. Brown/green camo, Sky undersides. Only without the gun pod under the nose, no beam guns, and probably with only the single Vickers in the turret. Backdated a few months, if you will, from the version that tried to sink the Gneisenau in April 1941.

Quite when I’ll start remains to be seen. I’m sure it won’t be too long, though.

 

[Hamden]

 

I'll take a seat and watch you work your magic on this one if I may?

 

   Stay safe              Roger 

[Brandy]

Beer in hand, peanuts on order.

 

Ian

[fatalbert]

Oh wow,a Beaufort gets the Heather treatment ,this is gonna be good.😊

[Gondor44]

Another Heather build, I'm in.... interesting picture on the open page of the book above, Beau Fighter rather than a Beaufort.

 

Gondor

[Heather Kay]

19 minutes ago, Gondor44 said:

interesting picture on the open page of the book

It does throw you, but the caption sort of explains it. It’s how the Beaufort wings and rear fuselage were developed into the Beaufighter.

 

I need to correct myself. In my original post I claimed the Beaufort didn’t enter squadron service until April 1940. In fact, 22 Squadron got theirs in January.

[jackroadkill]

Ah, lovely; I really enjoyed building this kit immensely, and I hope you do too.  I'll look forward to seeing what you do with it, which will certainly be better than my efforts!

[TheBaron]

1940. That's all I needed to hear.

Good luck with this Heather.

[Heather Kay]

Wow! That’s some audience gathering! 
 

With luck, I might get a couple of evenings in the coming week where I can make a start on the build. I’m looking forward to it, I must say.

[Navy Bird]

I'm in, and I have a Doom Bar keg. Belly up!    

 

Having built the Special Hobby Beaufort in its Australian configuration, I'm really curious to see how the new Airfix compares.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[psdavidson]

I'll join in the crowd if you don't mind

 

/P

[AdrianMF]

I'm in. Looking forward to you wrestling with parts from several different kits and scratchbuilding for months having a ball building one of Airfix's nicest kits. I do like an "A" type roundel...

 

Regards, 

Adrian

[Heather Kay]

Cheers all. I don’t envisage any dramas with the build, at least unless I throw a spanner into the works!

 

I don’t plan to do sprue/runner shots. If you really want that, let me point you to the excellent build done by Dave, @Rabbit Leader.

 

Aside from a masking set for the glazing, I’m not going to add aftermarket. So often, with modern kits especially, swapping slightly chunky but more or less the right shape plastic for flat PE strikes me as gilding the lily somewhat. I shall restrict my internal endeavours to mild weathering and masking tape or foil belts. The latter brings me to ask if anyone can point me to a good reference for the pilot and navigator belt arrangements. I’d like to get things kind of the right size and shape if I can.

 

18 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

I do like an "A" type roundel...

Now you’ve done it. I was prepared to accept the kit markings for 22 Squadron late in 1940, but now I fancy a bash at an earlier incarnation. Aluminium underparts, Type A roundels and no fin flashes.

[Mr T]

Looking forward to seeing this build Heather. I can remember building (not very well) the Frog kit in about 1966-7. I have an old Ian Allan book with some interior shots if you are interested. 

[Samuraiwarrior]

Hi Heather, 

I'll join the others in following your build of the Beaufort if I may. 

Always keen to hear how you /others find kits and their pro's and con's along the way. 

Got a comfy seat and some light refreshments to hand, this I feel is gonna be good. 

Kevin 

[Heather Kay]

41 minutes ago, Mr T said:

I have an old Ian Allan book with some interior shots if you are interested. 

That would be handy. Even phone camera shots will be quite adequate. Thank you. When you get time, of course.

[Rabbit Leader]

Great to see you tackling this Beaufort kit Heather, I’m sure you’ll end up with a beautiful model once finished. From my experiences it’s a great kit but please take extra precaution lining up those Taurus engine parts before applying cement. 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[dogsbody]

Dang it! I'm late at the gate! Now I'll have to stand at the back of this crowd, so I'll be able to watch this.

 

Hey, down in front! 

 

 

Chris

[StephenCJ]

I gonna watch too.

Your builds are quite interesting.

Dogsbody get a stool and stand on it, you will see everything

[Heather Kay]

It seems to be getting crowded, but happily the room can accommodate an almost infinite gathering. Everyone will get a good view, too!

[perdu]

21 hours ago, Heather Kay said:

Now you’ve done it. I was prepared to accept the kit markings for 22 Squadron late in 1940, but now I fancy a bash at an earlier incarnation. Aluminium underparts, Type A roundels and no fin flashes.

Has to be done Heather so yes, I'm by the bar with Ian.

[Heather Kay]

I found an hour to put together the first few stages. A very pleasant hour it was, too. I’ve left the pilot seat out for now, because I’ve reached a point where it’s sensible to paint things. I might manage that tomorrow evening. Belts also need sorting, but I’m still seeking references there.

[Terry1954]

Drat, missed the start, but have snuck in next to Bill and Ian (at the bar of course).

 

This should be good, as I quite like the Beaufort. And I understand Airfix's latest is rather good.

 

Nice start on that core bit Heather, assume those are spars, very neat.

 

Terry

[Heather Kay]

Spars indeed, Terry. I suppose the interior detail naturally led the kit designer in that direction. I seem to recall the Whitley and Do17 kits are the same.
 

I have been full of cold this past 48 hours. It always staggers me just how much mucus a human face can produce when fighting off a cold virus. Ick.  Things began to abate somewhat today, so I felt able to deal with painting the interior parts of the Beaufort.

 

 

The clothes peg is holding the floor in alignment with the fuselage while the cement sets. The fuselage halves had developed a slight outward bow from the turret position backwards while in the box and on the shelf. All interior parts have been fitted now, and I found some photos online that sort of showed the pilot's area. That helped with picking out some switchgear, and arranging harnesses. @Mr T also sent over some very handy snaps, too. 
 

As to finish, I’ve gone for a bit scruffy, with some paint wear and general dirt build up. These planes often operated from grass airfields, so the crew would always be carting mud and filth into the machines. While I’m still considering whether to go for the early camo scheme, which would imply a relatively new airframe, it can still show some wear and tear from mine laying and bombing ops over the near Continent up to the French Armistice.

 

 

 

 

 

The WT position is nicely moulded, but will be almost entirely invisible. I contented myself with dry brushing some aluminium over the radio gear. Likewise, although a nice IP transfer is provided to lay over the moulded instrument panel, I felt a little dry brushing would be adequate. I’ve not bothered filling ejector pin marks, as most won’t be seen. There’s one in the starboard nose which might come back to bite me, so I may deal with that before closing everything up. 
 

Fit is very neat, and I have taken the usual precaution of scraping back paint where surfaces meet for glue. Oddly, the hardest parts to fit were the three porthole transparencies. Some careful cleaning of the fuselage holes was needed, and even then the clear parts aren’t flush. A bit disappointing, but there you go.

 

With all the fiddly interior bits pretty much complete now, it’s on to the main construction. Like the Anson I plan to brush paint this model, unless I opt for stencil mask markings. Something to ponder on for a few days.

[Pete in Lincs]

Nice work Heather, get well soon.