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Building Tony's Beaufighter


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Hi Lindsay,

The "fiddling" took a bit of time as the legs are home made and the wheels were fouling the wing sheeting and I had got a bit carried away with the planking of the nacelles plus that the only temp power supply I had was a old receiver pack which gave me about 2-3 cycles of the retracts per charge before being exhausted made it very frustrating but worth it.

Regards

Robert

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

It all seems to have come together very quickly, all bar some scale details that I want to have a go at, she is ready for covering.

What do think

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Elevator, hinges fitted and pinned.....

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.....and covered in Solatex.

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Cowls fitted

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Cowls are only pushed on for now

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dsc00226 (1024x683).jpg Tail wheel retracted.

I must admit that when I stood back to take the photos in the garden I felt a bit proud of myself smiley

Covering next and I was going to tissue and dope it but after my misfortune with my P40, I may well use Solatex for two reasons, firstly as above, though I have realised my mistake, and secondly I lost a month due to my plaster cast on my hand and that I can only paint in the garden due to the smell by order of my wife!!

Regards

Robert

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

Here's what I've bee upto since last time.

I have blown off the cobwebs from my lathe attachment for my drill and modified it to suit my needs.

This is the second time I've used the lathe attachment, the last time was to make a pair of cannons for my Cambrian MK IX Spitfire too many years ago to be exact.

Anyway, I started off with the oil coolers just outboard of the nacelles, easy really 10 mins and all done just to scribe into the wings. Then I glued together some balsa and purchased some brass bar and extended my lathe to 24"!!! There's something quite satisfying making a square into a round and in not too long I had made a torpedo shape and once with some ply cut to shape and placed at one end not bad at all. Mind you the drill did get rather hot.

Also, I made the air scoops for on top of the cowls. This is the point where things did not seem to add up. The air scoops were the same size yet when placed over the cowls one seemed to be bigger than the other after a while I removed both cowls and placed them on the bench side by side and one was 12mm shorter than the other. Here then I have to make a decision. 1. do I use the ones I've got or 2. order another set, I cannot return them as I've had these for several years. I'll have a think (look at the bank balance after service and MOT of my Vdub).

Not to forget I've added wing fillets not shown on the plan but on my 1/48th plane to be sanded down.

Some photossmiley

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400 x 45mm balsa, any guesses?

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Air scoop

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Oil cooler

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Lathe modification!!!

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Nose Cannon I cut out a section and added some 10mm block and drilled out for the recesses

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Wing fillets added

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Torpedo!

It needed something and this reminded me of the Airfix kits i built back in the 70's

That's all for now.

Next sand down the fillets and sort out how to support the torpedo plus a few other bits

Regards

Robert

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Robert, a torpedo carrying TFX (Torbeau) is a fantastic choice.

Have you read "The Strike Wings" by Roy Conyers Nesbit? It's all about the work done by the Special Anti-Shipping Squadrons, mostly from North Coates 1942-45. Most of this time they were flying Beaufighters and if there are any unsung heroes from WW2, they certainly qualify. Attacking enemy shipping at low level against heavy AA fire and frequently having to deal with fighter defences as well, their achievements were amazing and losses were heavy. They deserve far more recognition than they get.

If you haven't seen this book, it's a thrilling read and you will see a lot of helpful photographs. Published by HMSO.

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Thank's Tony, it's looking good.

Colin, No I haven't got the book, but I see that it is still available as second hand. thank you for the North Coates base, I've tracked a photo of a torbeau that does not have invasion strips.

Also, I have found out that the Beaufighter on display at Hendon was at RAF St Athan for restoration works back in the 1960's, I was unaware of that at the time as I only lived 10 miles away from the base but a little too young to appreciate what I had on my doorstep apart from the air displays, plus as an apprentice carpenter I worked at the base as a contractor at the outbreak of the Falklands conflict, I saw quite a bit of goings on but better not say anything, official secrets and all that...

Regards

Robert

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi All,

She's all but covered now, all the moving surfaces have been hinged and pinned and I have added the armour plating to the nose using a piece of 1/64 ply cut to shape and glued in position using balsaloc to the solartex .

All that fabulous weather but me back a bit plus summer hols away in sunny Cornwall.

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Outer panels covered

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Testing times covering the nose, not the best of times for my 20 year old covering iron to pack in.

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Pinning the hinges before covering the ailerons

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Tailfeathers hinged and pinned

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Aileron glued and pinned

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Sorry forgot the armour plating

All I need to do before painting is to work out how to position the torpedo and how to make the hold / drop mechanism before gluing the belly pan to the wing.

 

Thant's all for now

back soon

Regards

Robert

Edited By Robert Parker on 10/08/2014 17:03:19

Edited By Robert Parker on 10/08/2014 17:06:55

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  • 1 month later...

Hi All,

Painting has started after a couple of coats of primer filler rubbed down fine filling and primed I have painted to upper surfaces today

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I have bought a set of new cowls so that I have two the same size as one of the original ones was 10mm shorter than the other and would have been too close to the carb so 1 cowl is lagging a bit behind in the painting at the moment.

Hope to put another coat on over the weekend.

Thant's all for now

Regards

Robert

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Hi All,

Just a quick update.

I sprayed the second coat on the upper surfaces last Sunday it looks better for it, and this evening just managed to get a coat on the underside, this will also need a second coat as the primer is grinning through.dsc09979 (1024x683).jpg

That's all for now

Next I'll finish off the undersides add some detail and panel lines and dirty her up a little.

Does anyone know where I can get a 1/10th pilot from the waist up and RAF WWII?

Regards

Robert

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

I have managed to do some weathering today,

here are the results

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I drew the panel lines on with a fine deft tip pen and the weathering I airbrushrd on.

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In all I used 4 colours from a set I got on the wen for model trains, colours used smoke, soil, oil and rust

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The heat of the sun has made the covering to bubble a bit but I can sort that out

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Top side

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Finally I've opened out the landing lights still need to trim the opening and put the lens on

Next I hope to get out the Humbrol paints and paint my pilot, cockpit and wheelwells.

That's all for now

Regards

Robert

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