Kyrre Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I so wanted to build a Beau for the Telford contest and started the Hasegawa kit towards the end of October. After an evening's painting and assembly I realised I was way too busy to finish anything - and put it aside. Well, last monday I found out I just haaad to bring something new to Telford and picked up the kit again. Got it primed in the morning then in a couple of hours through the day I got the paint on. Mostly Xtracrylic paint in several layers. NV175 was most likely a converted thimble nose Beau and therefore it would have had distinctly darker fin fillet, strike camera fairing and thimble nose. In addition to the various blotches of fresh paint so common on Coastal Command aircraft. Tuesday evening was spent decaling with some decals from the kits, some from various sheets and the lettering from a 1:48 Phantasy Printshop 30 inch sheet. The letters were too wide so they were pinched by cutting them vertically in two and then I slid the two halves closer to one another once on the model. No measuring, just Eyeball Mk I. The I suffix was used by 489 Sqn to denote thimble nose machines. Wednesday I only got a few things done while my wife opened a bottle of red wine, so the Thursday evening was spent getting the wheels and various fixtures in place. Friday I was off for Telford with the model packed up with blue tac in a sallad bowl. Forgot the instructions on the kitchen bench so I had to get an SK-class approval by Martin the Secretary. Pleased to say I got a Commended for my efforts. 10 hours work I'd say. And the third 1:72 Beaufighter finished for the collection. 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entlim Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Nice thimble nosed jobbie, Kyrre! Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalguru Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Its- a -veeerrry - nice - a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 veeeery......... striking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyrre Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 Thanks guys, Did this particular a/c see in action over Norway? I haven't gone through all my refs on the Beau but I should think that this one saw action along with all of the others. Whether it actually flew with a torpedo in Norway is more uncertain, while many times on the Norwegian coast 489 Sqn would act as escort/flak suppression seeing as they never flew with rockets. I'll be adding a frangible stabilizing wing for the torpedo now that I'm done with the contest. SK class meant I couldn't add anything but seatbelts and antennae. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Thomson Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Hey hey hey. As you know, we have had several discussions about Dallachy, Kyrre. My sources say that 489 Sqn (and 144 Sqn) was converting from torpedos to rockets at the time of Black Friday. I am not sure when the "thimble and spine" Beaus came into service, but I would think they were pretty late. Do you have a time period for the model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary West Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 she's a dirty but excellent Beau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 excellent Beau! Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyrre Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 (edited) Thanks all Hey hey hey. As you know, we have had several discussions about Dallachy, Kyrre. My sources say that 489 Sqn (and 144 Sqn) was converting from torpedos to rockets at the time of Black Friday. I am not sure when the "thimble and spine" Beaus came into service, but I would think they were pretty late. Do you have a time period for the model? Yup. We're talking late late late war '45, april/may '45. A well known pic (shown under) of 489 Sqn Beaus show these machines with torpedos on May 5 '45. It was only 144 Sqn that converted to rockets. In addition one of my refs, can't remember which, claim that two 489 Sqn Beaus were on a twin ship "rover" with torpedos along the Norwegian coastline in IIRC March or April '45. To my knowledge 489 and 254 Sqns never converted to rockets. Three pics to prove it, though disregards the captions/pic titles, they're not correct. Notice lack of rocket rails on this 254 sqn machine as well Edit: Another thing about thimbles. According to Bevan Davidson, whose father (or was it uncle) served with 489 Sqn, said that the first thimbles arrived in February. This fits in with the one of the 404 Sqn Beaus shot down on Feb 9, marked EO*Q1, serialled RD*** (Don't have refs at hand, have to return to social life) K Edited November 16, 2007 by Kyrre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takamota Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I like that a lot... Not had a go at a Beau! will need to pick one up after seeing that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousER99 Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Kyrre Beautiful model!! I do have one question though. I am NO Beaufighter expert but werent the collectors on the cowliings copper or bronze?? I am just curious. Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Awesome build, looks great. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Thomson Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 (edited) Thanks for clearing that up Kyrre. It will be useful for "you know what".... My understanding was that the location of many targets at that stage in the was led to the use of the torpedo being phased out, hence the conversion to rockets. The lack of rails could be that they were simply flak suppression, cannon armed machines. Any thoughts on that? Did you notice the fin flash style on P6-L1? I am NO Beaufighter expert but werent the collectors on the cowliings copper or bronze?? Check the pics Mike. Most Beaus has the rings painted dark grey, almost black. I feel it was some form of heat resistant paint, which weathered rather badly. Edited November 16, 2007 by Len Thomson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyrre Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 (edited) Check the pics Mike. Most Beaus has the rings painted dark grey, almost black. I feel it was some form of heat resistant paint, which weathered rather badly. Indeed. And this pic will certainly bug you, Mike. Light grey (?) paint on this one and on this you see the paint chipping off. It's probably burnt copper underneath. As for cannon/gun armament I agree wholeheartedly, Len. It seems this was the norm throughout the Dallachy period. 489 (and rocketless 235/248 sqn mossies) would tag along on raids along the coast, but would only be armed with guns for flak suppression. It seems they stopped using bombs after the D-day period at Langham, though I have no definite dates when they removed the bomb rails. As for the fin flash style it was used on some machine, possibly quite a few, but definitely on all. It seems the white stripe follows the rudder hinge line. (Edit: Just noticed that the fin flash is not askew on P6-L1. But I wonder if the broad white stripe is simply a typical effect seen in many black and white photographs. The white ring in the C-roundel will very often seem too wide as well.) Edited November 16, 2007 by Kyrre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdxtnt Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Lovely model Kyrre And some great photographs too guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 BEAUTIFULLY Modeled......GORGROUS....Excellent reference Photos too..... Thank you Kyrre... Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Excellent Beau Kyrre! Looks really, really good. Congrats on picking up a commended at the show too! Well done. Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 10 hours work?? What the flippin 'eck do your models look like when you spend some time on them??!! That's a really nice build, well deserving of a commended, if not more! Thanks for a great reference thread too! I wish Hase would re-release the Beaus - I searched high & low in Telford & couldn't find one (& been watching e-bay for months & there hasn't even been one on there!). I bet someone will now say there was a stand at SMW with dozens of them........!! Great model Kyrre Keef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels49 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Beautious Beau Kyrre, after seeing what you can do with a camera; I truly believe you could turn a sow's ear into a bloody silk purse. I guess for you there is no such thing as a bad subject, when it comes to photography that is. Very nice work both model and piccie . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyrre Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 Cheers all. As for Beaufighters at Telford there was apparently one for sale - for a short while. I have a stash of about 7 left so I'm not in a rush to buy any new ones. Having said that they're some of the best kits Hasegawa has released - especially the ones with the white metal exhausts. Having scratchbuilt two sets of exhausts before I know what a pain in the bottom they are to do. These days you can get lovely Quickboost sets as well. Keef, If I spend too much time on a model I lose interest. So it's vital for me to have a deadline in the form of an article submission or a contest. Otherwise they normally end up in the hall of shame. And believe me, we're talking a hall here... Getting close to the date I tend to get very organized in my head and just open tin after tin of paint so I can get it all done with as little effort as possible. Of course doing most paintjobs with acrylics help. It also helps to have gotten rid of most of my AMS when it comes to certain subjects. I'm all for the "if it looks right it is right" way of thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 I'm all for the "if it looks right it is right" way of thinking. And there's a lot to be said for that! I think much the same, but my builds still take about ten times as long.... !!!! Keef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Beauty!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousAA72 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Very nice K, I'd say the commended award was well deserved - nice one!! (You can't have enough Beaufighters- especially thimbled nosed versions!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 I missed this the first time around but have just come across it now,.....what a beautiful Beaufighter,.....you`ve done a great job! Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal JMW Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Fantastic beau !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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