1/72 Beaufighter Mk1 NF - Can I convert the Hasegawa Mk21?

[Jazzy Jase]

I'm reading an interesting book at the moment called Night Fighter Ace, by Tony Spooner. It's the story of WW2 ace Bob Braham. During his time with 29 squadron he flies Beaufighters.

I wish to build a (1/72) model of one of the Beaufighters he flew. I don't know much at all about Beaufighters, but I think I'm looking to build a Mk1 NF.

I've had a search around and it seems the best candidate for a kit is the 1/72 Hasegawa offering. With only the Mk21 kit currently available can anyone tell me what the differences are between this and the Mk1 and how much work it would be to convert this back to a Mk1?

The instructions for the Mk21 show that there are loads of pieces that are unused (including the radar antenna). Could it be that these are all the pieces for the various Mk's?

I'm assuming the greyed-out parts are provided with the kit but unused. Can anyone who has the kit confirm these parts are included?

Edited April 7, 2009 by Jazzy Jase

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Hiya - basically to back date to a MK 1 nightfighter you'll need the tailplanes with no dihedral, some prop spinners, some hedgehog exhausts, the earlier tailwheel and perhaps the cockpit canopy with the early framing. The mk 1 used the observers come that just a pure droplet shape with no other framing - and that seems to be there. I can see some of these bits on the instruction parts diagram, I think!

Biggest conversion will be the tailplanes - but its not that hard. Quickboost make the exhausts: http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=QB72101,

Aeroclub do the canopies: http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=ABC059

Hope thats of use

Jonners

[The wooksta V2.0]

A mate reviewed the Hasegawa Mk 1 some years back and concluded much the same thing. He did mention that the engines should have no blisters on them for the early version - can anyone confim this?

If the bits are greyed out, they're generally included. Hasegawa can be mean but not all the time. Their Lancasters have various bits greyed out on the sprues (such as the AGL and the tropical intakes which aren't in ANY of the options they've done so far) and they're included in all of the kits

Edited April 7, 2009 by The wooksta V2.0

[Jazzy Jase]

Thanks guys,

Having arrived home from work and looking through the Appendix's of the book, Bob Braham moved from 29 sqn to 141 Squadron and spent some time flying a Beaufighter Mk VI NF, serial number X8147.

I can find kit reviews of the VI, and it has the "V" shaped tailplanes, so perhaps that will be easier to build than the Mk1?

[The wooksta V2.0]

The Hasegawa Beaufighter should be fairly easy to build and the tailplanes look easy enough to shorten to convert back to the early flat tailplanes. However, a Beaufighter VIf should be doable straight from the box, albeit with aftermarket decals.

[Stuart Wilson]

Hi,

I have the MkI kit in the stash (will get round to it one day) and after a quick look in the box the only difference is the B sprue with the flat tailplanes instead of the C sprue in the Mk 21 kit (apart from a couple of extra things for the 21 like the bulge on the nose). I can't scan the instructions right now unfortunately.

Some late Mk1s did have the dehiedral tail mind you. It was the engines that made a Mk VI so check your references. There were also aircraft re-fit with it.

I don't know why Hasegawa don't re-issue the MkI as it seemed to be available for about a fortnight. I found mine in a shop in Florida that seemed to have every Hase Beau (including two MkIs) as late as 2006. Presumably the Americans don't want to build them.

Good luck with the build

Stuart Wilson

[Stuart Wilson]

Forgot to mention...

X8147 would have been an early VI and may have had the flat tail. I have PD decals sheet that includes markings for X8138 that state it had a flat tail and I think the more experienced pilots preferred them (the "V" tail increased stability but made the plane less manouveable).

Stuart Wilson

[AnonymousA667]

X8147 would have been an early VI and may have had the flat tail.

I have a photo of a Beau VI supposedly being flown by Braham and it has the flat tail planes. Unfortunately the photo has been 'got at' by the wartime censor, the codes being unreadable and the serial obliterated. OTOH I have a picture of V8324/RO+B, with 'Bambi' nose art, that most definitely has the dihedral tail planes and I think this is a Beau I. The whole question of dihedral/flat tail planes can only be resolved by photo references as there was quite a bit of retro-fitting once the dihedral tail was recognised as a fix for the stability problems.

peebeep

[The wooksta V2.0]

Highplanes do a Beaufighter Mk 1 but like all of their kits, it's not an easy build!

[John S]

Highplanes do a Beaufighter Mk 1 but like all of their kits, it's not an easy build!

Tell me about it I built their MKIIf what a right royal PITA. But when done it came out OK.

I had to scratch lots of the sticky out bits as they were not included in the kit.

John S

[Jazzy Jase]

I’ve placed an order for the Hasegawa mk21 kit as it was only £10 from HLJ.

The Hasegawa Beaufighter should be fairly easy to build and the tailplanes look easy enough to shorten to convert back to the early flat tailplanes. However, a Beaufighter VIf should be doable straight from the box, albeit with aftermarket decals.

Are the flat tailplanes smaller than the "v" tailplanes?

I have the MkI kit in the stash (will get round to it one day) and after a quick look in the box the only difference is the B sprue with the flat tailplanes instead of the C sprue in the Mk 21 kit (apart from a couple of extra things for the 21 like the bulge on the nose). I can't scan the instructions right now unfortunately.

Thanks for checking that out for me.

X8147 would have been an early VI and may have had the flat tail.

I have a photo of a Beau VI supposedly being flown by Braham and it has the flat tail planes. Unfortunately the photo has been 'got at' by the wartime censor, the codes being unreadable and the serial obliterated. OTOH I have a picture of V8324/RO+B, with 'Bambi' nose art, that most definitely has the dihedral tail planes and I think this is a Beau I. The whole question of dihedral/flat tail planes can only be resolved by photo references as there was quite a bit of retro-fitting once the dihedral tail was recognised as a fix for the stability problems.

I’ve seen the "Bambi" photo. Whether Bob flew this aircraft or not I don’t know.

Decals have been pretty tricky to find, but I’ve ordered a set that has 2 aircraft from 29 sqn. I’m just hoping they have them in stock.

The aircraft are: V8284/RO-L and V8324/RO-B (Bambi)

V8284 is one that Bob achieved a victory in, so that is the one I will build as long as I can straighten out the tailplanes.

[Christopher]

I did the Hasegawa MkVI as a Mk 1 and its an easy conversion. I bought the hi-planes kit and used the tailplanes provided. The bumps on the cowlings were easy to file off and I added Eduard etched brass to spice it up. Its a very nice kit.

[AnonymousA667]

'Bambi' is usually associated with Braham. I stand to be corrected but I recall reading somewhere that the tailplane components had the same true span, whether flat or dihedral.

peebeep