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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

1/32 Revell Bristol Beaufighter build


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Hey all

 Well here I go again another challenging build. I'm going to try and build the old Revell Bristol Beaufighter using as many aftermarket items as I can find for it.

 So here's what I have so far.

1)  Revell 1/32 Bristol Beaufighter kit # 04756   mk1F.   Going to convert it to mk V1c  RCAF. 

 2)  Revell 1/48 Bristol Beaufighter [ going to use    this to help on the 1/32 one]

3)  Model Monkey cockpit set.

4)  Model Monkey rear tail planes.

5)  Vector Bristol Hercules resin engines (2)

6)  Quickboost resin porcupine exhausts.

7)  Aviaeology decal set of RCAF Beaufighter.         TF.Xs of 404 squadron - early to late 1944.

8)  Brengun models British landing lights,intake,      grills and gun site.

     Model Monkey is supposed to be working on the rear observer/gunner's station but nothing as of yet.

Ron G 

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Hey all

 Here are some pictures of what I have for this build

20200320_165254.jpg1/32 Revell kit

20200320_165451.jpg1/48 Revell kit 

20200320_181620.jpgreference book

So here's where I'm at so far on the build.

20200320_165652.jpg

20200320_165722.jpgfuselage fits together pretty good. No warps.

20200320_165903.jpgModel Monkey cockpit set in lower wing center section.

20200320_165956.jpgclose up of cockpit set.

20200320_170059.jpgview from underneath showing pilot entrance hatch. Had to modify this to line up with the Model Monkey cockpit.

20200320_170145.jpgview showing hatch sitting in place, loosely.

20200320_170233.jpgview showing hatch in the open position.

20200320_170428.jpgview of fuselage and lower wing with cockpit set in place, loosely.

20200320_170657.jpgthere is alot more stuff that goes in here. 

Here are pictures of the rest of the M.M. cockpit set.

20200320_171511.jpglots of small pieces. This set is very delicate and tricky to remove from all the 3D printed support structures. I lost the brake lever on the control column :wallbash:but I may be able to scratch one up.

20200320_171614.jpginstrument panel and rudder pedals. 

Well that's it for know,  next I will show the engines and exhausts.

  I checked in my Tamiya Mosquito kit and found that the main wheels are a good fit for this Beaufighter. So now I have to go on Ebay and see if I can round up aset from another kit.

Ron G 

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Hey guys

 Thanks for the comments. It's definitely a challenge, no cockpit or observer details raised panel lines no rivet detail, no wheel well detail wrong canopy and observer/gunner canopy, etc. 

  I started some work on the engines, the kit engines are ok but I think the Vector resin engines are much better. The challenging part is creating from scratch the inner area of the exhaust cowl ring and the exhaust pipes from the cylinders to the ring, YIKES! Here are some pictures.

 

20200320_173636.jpgfront view of the kit engine.

20200320_173618.jpgrear view of the kit engine.

20200320_173931.jpgfront view of the Vector resin Hercules engine. Much better detail of the front gear case. I cut off the resin prop shaft, thought it was too brittle. I made a new one out of brass tubing, and ran it through the center of the engine. Had to add a 1/16" (.0625") spacer to the rear to get the engine to sit in the right place.

20200320_173828.jpgrear view of engine showing the spacer.

20200320_174150.jpgresin engine on the left, kit engine on the right.

20200320_174718.jpgkit engine, cowl and prop.

20200320_175301.jpgkit cowl ring with resin engine. I made a circle out of plastic card to hold engine in the nacelle. I'll show a picture later forgot to take one, oopps! 

20200320_175426.jpgresin engine with prop. It looks off because it is just sitting together not finally attached yet.

20200320_180901.jpgthis is the whole thing temporarily assembled to show what it will look like.

20200320_180928.jpgview of the Quickboost porcupine exhaust. Need to add the two pipes in the front of the cowl ring (they were used to bring cool air onto the exhaust) also the pipes coming out of the rear of the porcupine exhaust that go into the nacelle (these lead to the heating pipe in the cockpit. They were only connected to the interior on the starboard side but were on the port side too.

These pictures are of the rear tail planes from  Model Monkey. They are the latter version that were increased to 20 feet 5 inches, and giving them a dihedral of 12.5 degrees.

20200320_171012.jpg

20200320_171129.jpgthese are really nice and will help turn this beast into a proper Beaufighter. Well that's it for know I'll have more later, but now it's time to get back to work.

Ron G 

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Hey guys 

Just a small update, some work on the nacelles and exhausts.

aCFEGXV.jpgview of the actual Beaufighter exhaust showing cockpit heater pipes.

20200322_145840.jpgview showing Quickboost exhaust with scratch built heater pipe going into nacelle.

20200322_150012.jpganother view of pipe going into nacelle.

20200322_145544.jpgview of the two intake cooling pipes on cowl exhaust ring.

20200322_145403.jpgclose up view of the two pipes. All for now be back when I get more done.

Ron G 

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Hey all

 Another small update on modifying the kit canopy from a MK. 1f to a MK. V1c not easy but I think it's doable. Here are some pictures.

20200324_142736.jpgthis view shows the 1/32 Revell Beaufighter MK. 1f on the left and the 1/48 Revel Beau MK. TF. X on the right.

20200324_143104.jpgview of 1/48 Beaufighter canopy in place.

20200324_143024.jpgview of 1/32 Beaufighter canopy in place. I'm going to sand off all of the raised framing and redo it with evergreen plastic strip. Wish me luck. If it don't work I'll be looking for a replacement :X::hsmack::construction:

Ron G 

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I'm back

 Some more update pictures.

20200324_153852.jpgview through the starboard side of canopy at Model Monkey cockpit.

20200324_153837.jpgview through port side of canopy at Model Monkey cockpit.

20200324_153810.jpgview looking aft through the canopy at Model Monkey cockpit. It still needs more polishing, but I think it's going to work out. Now all I have to do is figure out how to do the rear observer/gunner's bubble...Yikes. :hsmack::X:

Ron G l

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2 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

Some crazy work here Ron, I like it ! :)

Just trying to keep up with you...lol:unworthy: I'm working on the wheel wells right know, and boy did Revell get these wrong! Way to shallow, the floor, I guess you would call it, needs to move in to the nacelle about an 1/8th of an inch! That's a scale 4". :o:blink:  So I'm making all new pieces for the wheel wells, trying to match the 1/48 scale ones I have from Revell, they are alot more complicated made up of 6 pieces. This is going to take a while.

Ron G 

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I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed seeing this build. My own father died when I was 5 or so, and one of a handful of clear memories I have of him is building the 1/72 Airfix-kit of the torpedo armed "Beaufighter" ("Beaufort?") variant. I got confused about the instructions, and stuck it on the top wing hard by the nacelle, and was inconsolable, I imagine, at getting it wrong. I can remembers him working with me for hours to remove to the torpedo and remedy the damage with files and sandpaper...

I did RTFM more carefully after that, but it's a fond memory all the same. I can also clearly remember the 1:72 Airfix "Lanc" which to me was HUGE, that I received one birthday or Christmas shortly thereafter. Probably chosen for the lack of torpedoes:lol:

Incidentally, the "collector ring" is called a "Townend ring", which is different to a normal exhaust collector ring, in that it has an additional aerodynamic shroud surrounding the collector ring, through which cold air is ram-fed. This serves to flame-damp at night, quietens the engine note and heats the faces of the cowl otherwise vulnerable to impact icing. It also provides some drag advantages, and assists cooling of the cylinders. It's a very clever bit of kit. On model instructions, it's often suggested to paint it bronze, but actually it should be an alloy colour with increasing heat discolouration towards bronze brass and blue shades as you move away from the leading and trailing edges of the ring towards the center line. At the lead and trailing edges of the Townend, the metal is rivetted, double thickness, and therefore tends not to heat discolour to the same degree.

(Examined a real, HOT one, on the Royal Navies Swordfish when it dropped into the airfield I was flying from one afternoon.)

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Hey Fidd88

 I know it's not supposed to be painted bronze/copper because its actually metal, I believe it is stainless steel but not sure. Here is a picture of what you are talking about.

imageproxy.jpegthis shows the early cowl ring on the left with out the baffle and with on the right.

Beau Engine.jpgview showing the exhaust pipes going from cylinders to the cowl ring.

OPWP5Se.jpginside view of the cowl "townend" ring. Thanks for the input.

Ron G 

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1 hour ago, Fidd88 said:

the torpedo armed "Beaufighter" ("Beaufort?") variant

I think those were called Torbeau. Great story about building with your dad. 

40 minutes ago, CrankyCrafstman said:

view showing the exhaust pipes going from cylinders to the cowl ring.

Ron, any idea how they connected the Townend ring to the exhaust pipes? Just wondering as it doesn't look like it would be easy. 

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Hey Bir

 If you look closely at the picture of the inside of the ring you can see a flange attached to the pipe stubs coming out of the ring with two holes in each one. There are 14 of them. In the picture looking into the cowl ring you can see the pipes that go from the cylinders to the ring, there are two different types 7 of each that also have a flange that matches the ones on the rings pipe stubs. They are bolted together I assume with a gasket between them.

Ron G 

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