chris meek 1

Busy couple of days - outer wing panels sorted and attached, its surprising just how big this is! 🤣

Spent the day fitting the flaps and making up the engine nacelle formers - total weight is now 3.4lbs, hopefully still on target for around 10lbs total weight…

So it turns out that sheeting the centre section didn’t take as long as I expected! A couple of hours last night and top is sheeted, flaps made up and ready to finish off/hinge this morning. Then it’s on to the engine nacelles ready to fit..

Thanks - found it fun!

I sourced a 3d printed pilot roughly the right size off of Ebau once painted an obligatory ‘in the office’ photo was needed! Tbh I enjoyed the painting process and he’s not too shabby looking for a first effort. started on the wing centre section - seems ok apart from ribs 1 to 5 needed the rear spar slots either put in, or re positioned - not sure if there’s a fault in the file at the cutters but in all honesty it’s a minor issue that’s easily solved. Unfortunately I’m back at work for a few days so nothing more will be done until next week now.. hopefully get the top sheeting sorted on the centre section.

No, too small on mine as well - I need to try carving a plug and making my own, I want the navigators cupola to be the later shape as well. Still it’s another skill to learn!

Just a quick mention- I’m not a ‘builder’ - prior to this I’ve only built a galaxy models magician, top flite sea fury and dabbled with a Brian Taylor mosquito (gave up on that as too complicated at the time!). just want to show folk that with a bit of patience it’s possible to build something from a plan that even an inexperienced builder can be proud of. It may not win any awards at the nationals but I’m happy with it… I really like the brown paper method of covering - paper and all paints used (grey/blue/black/white) will have come to about £15 so it doesn’t break the bank!

Final piece done was to paint in the cockpit

Fuselage is at a point where I’ll leave it while I get on with the wings….

Haha yes, although now will find another one to do! 🤦‍♂️ plenty to choose from though…. yours looks really good though - how’s it fly?

This is what I’m thinking of at the moment….

Finished covering the fuselage and have painted the horizontal stabilisers. now to adding the white base for the invasion stripes… I’ve not decided which particular aircraft I want to replicate yet other than it will be a coastal command aircraft, but the invasion stripes will help with seeing what is basically a blue and grey aircraft against a blue/grey sky! I’ve been researching it and the invasion stripes in one form or another stayed on surviving aircraft from June well into October/November 1944 so I’ve lots to choose from.. 🤔

I’m happy with 2nd batch thanks. 👍

AUW should be 10lbs according to the plan.. I was starting to worry about weight so weighed the fuselage so far. I know it’s not covered, but under 1 1/2 lbs seems ok to me - hopefully the covering and paint won’t add masses of weight! Then I had to do the bit I’ve been dreading- cutting the fuselage for the wing to fit… doesn’t look as bad as I thought it might! it’s definitely looking like a Beaufighter to me now!

Finally got the lower sheeting fitted and shaped. Some lightweight filler on a couple of gaps still to sand but I’d say fuselage is just about finished!

Yeah I came close to it but in the end thought I’d try not to over complicate it for myself! Looks good with a retract though.

Now that’s all sorted I can get on with sheeting the lower fuselage- it’s starting to feel like the fuselage is nearly finished!

Looking at the plan it was a castoring tail wheel, but I’d rather it was steerable… there’s not much room at the back but a I was able to hook the tail wheel to the rudder pushrod.

More progress - little jobs done this week! Servo tray cut and fitted, elevator pushrod made up, elevator and rudder painted. I’m using the same techniques used on the fw190 and hawker tempest mass builds - brown paper covering and emulsion tester pots to paint! I don’t think it’ll be winning any awards for scale but as long as it flies and looks ‘close enough’ I’ll be happy!

Thanks Adrian - it looks better from a distance than it does up close! 🤣

It’s been just over two weeks into the build - so far the only hurdle to overcome was getting the thick fuselage sides to conform to fuselage former F2 - initially they weren’t having any of it but with patience and brushing plenty of Ammonia onto them I was able to get them to curve nicely around.

So I’ve finally gotten around to starting the build…. Tony Nijhuis Bristol Beaufighter. I’ve used the part kit and additional wood pack from Belair, ribs/formers etc all nicely cut and go together well!

Thanks much appreciated 👍

Richard I'd be interested in the tempest when it comes out. Sorry if I've missed it but what cost would it be? Thanks Chris

Hi Danny, I've been looking at a lot of the builds on rcsb, some amazing builds on there, I did look at lado actuators that were used on one of the builds but they were too pricey! I'm using the idea though to try and sort something similar, if my limited engineering skills allow it!