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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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3 hours ago, CrankyCrafstman said:

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.

They're the chaps. Sorry I didn't mean to impugn your model-making, but you'd be amazed at how often it's wrong in the RC modelling world.

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I found these - admittedly colourised images off: https://www.facebook.com/colourbyRJM/

The first image: Leading Aircraftmen Norman Bond of Swindon and William Webb of Addington, Surrey, carry a rocket projectile to load under the wing of Bristol

Second
 image: Five Malta-based pilots sitting in front of two fighter aircraft at Luqa. Third and fourth from the left, respectively are, Wing Commander J K Buchanan, Commanding Officer of No. 272 Squadron RAF, and Wing Commander M M Stephens, leader of the Hal Far Fighter Wing, shortly before the end of his tour of operations. Behind them is Wing Commander P P Hanks' Supermarine Spitfire Mark VC, BR498 'PP-H', which he flew as leader of the Luqa Fighter Wing, parked in front of a Bristol Beaufighter of No. 272 Squadron RAF.

Third: Bristol Beaufighter TF Mark X, NE543 'UB-E', of No. 455 Squadron RAAF based at Langham, Norfolk, in low-level flight over the North Sea after firing off its rocket projectiles.

81623447_1059669224369926_4281185536221118464_o.jpg

90474282_1125783497758498_8624590129060642816_o.jpg

20604601_1261286483979715_5522823464630746092_n.png

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Watching this one with interest, Ron. The old Beau takes a LOT of work to bring it up to current standards. I did one about four years ago... it was prior to release of the Model Monkey cockpit - the build log is here:

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/65261-beaufighter-252-squadron-1942/&tab=comments#comment-850746

Those exhaust tubes from the engine to the collector ring are a bear. When all was said and done, it was difficult to see the added detail.

Good luck!

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The confusing thing is that each pipe into the townend ring is served by two cylinders, one a straight pipe, the other forking into it the adjacent cylinder. So I presume the cylinders have two exhaust ports per pot. 

Exhaust1.jpg

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40 minutes ago, Fidd88 said:

The confusing thing is that each pipe into the townend ring is served by two cylinders, one a straight pipe, the other forking into it the adjacent cylinder. So I presume the cylinders have two exhaust ports per pot. 

Exhaust1.jpg

Nice, but thats not from a Beaufighter, to many pipes.

Ron G 

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Correct. I think it's from a Wellington, probably a MkIII, as it's configured for the "Hercules" 14 cylinder sleeve-valved and double-banked, rather than the 9 cylinder "Pegasus". I'd be interested to know if the Pegasus also branches exhausts in the same way two into one.

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39 minutes ago, Fidd88 said:

Correct. I think it's from a Wellington, probably a MkIII, as it's configured for the "Hercules" 14 cylinder sleeve-valved and double-banked, rather than the 9 cylinder "Pegasus". I'd be interested to know if the Pegasus also branches exhausts in the same way two into one.

No. That branching is from front and back cylinder banks. Here's a Pegasus from a Fairey Swordfish...

1280px-Bristol-Pegasus.jpg

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Speaking of "townend rings" I've been working on mine here's where I'm at.

20200325_155038.jpgI took this piece of 1/8" thk. piece of plastic and made this.

20200325_155132.jpgthe beginnings of the "townend ring" view front to back.

20200325_155102.jpgview of the ring from the rear.

20200325_154956.jpgview showing the ring inside of the cowl with the 14 holes drilled out.

20200325_155019.jpganother view of the ring.

20200325_154912.jpgview of ring through the cowl.

20200325_154934.jpganother view of the ring through the cowl. I still have alot of work to do on this plus create all the exhaust pipes times two. :hsmack::construction:

.

Ron G 

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22 hours ago, Bill_S said:

No. That branching is from front and back cylinder banks. Here's a Pegasus from a Fairey Swordfish...

1280px-Bristol-Pegasus.jpg

We seem to be talking cross-purposes. A Pegasus is a single-banked 9 cylinder radial, a Hercules is a 14 cylinder double-banked. In the shot above, there are two exhaust ports per cylinder, so if a Pegasus, we'd expect 18 feeds into the Townend ring, an if a Hercules, only 14 (I think!) because they join the ports of the rear bank with those exiting the front bank of cylinders, before they enter the Townend ring.

Do you agree?

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1 hour ago, Fidd88 said:

We seem to be talking cross-purposes. A Pegasus is a single-banked 9 cylinder radial, a Hercules is a 14 cylinder double-banked. In the shot above, there are two exhaust ports per cylinder, so if a Pegasus, we'd expect 18 feeds into the Townend ring, an if a Hercules, only 14 (I think!) because they join the ports of the rear bank with those exiting the front bank of cylinders, before they enter the Townend ring.

Do you agree?

I believe you are correct Fidd88. 14 pipes on the townend ring connected to 14 dual pipes coming from the cylinders, of which there were two different types for the Hercules. The Pegasus had all 18 pipes, individually going to the ring. I'm no expert but I believe I'm correct.

Ron G 

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Hey all

 I did some work on the wheel bay doors. I still have along way to go on them, but here are some pictures to show how far I've gotten.

20200327_175441.jpgI found these on Bill S. build on LSP.

20200327_174252.jpghere are mine, I only have one pair started.

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view of my door inner side on top his inner door below.

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20200327_174201.jpg 

view of my outer door on top his outer door below.

20200327_175604.jpg

Well that's all for know. I'll be back with more soon.

Ron G 

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Hey all 

Some more work done. I'm jumping around on this to keep motivated. Here are some pictures.

20200329_172411.jpgI cut the fuselage lower portion from the lower inner wings. I also started on opening up the cannon ports, also the shell ejection shuts and I incresed the pilot hatch opening

20200329_172740.jpgthis is the reworked pilot hatch still need to do more work on this.

20200329_172710.jpgview of the inner surface of the inner flap.

20200329_172631.jpgview of the inner flap area need to do more work on these. Thats all for know I'm getting more work done on my models because of the COVD-19 shut down, I can't watch TV cause all you see is doom and gloom.

Ron G 

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Hey all

 Here's another update for you all. I've been working on the cannon ports and the pilot hatch. Here are some pictures.

20200330_163112.jpgview showing port side cannon ports in, filled and sanded. Starboard side cut out waiting for tubes to be installed.

20200330_163058.jpgview of cannon port tubes from the inside of the fuselage.

20200330_162916.jpgview showing cannon barrels temporarily installed. There hard to see but there in there.

20200330_163022.jpganother view showing the cannon ports with the guns installed.

20200330_172935.jpgview showing the cannon barrels. I made these from a piece of 1/16" dia. Brass tube, a piece of 1.2mm dia. Brass tube insde of the 1/16" tube and a piece of 0.9mm dia. Alum. Tube inside of that (last two are from Albion).

 I then cut them to the length I needed. I also used some 1/8" dia. Plastic tube from Evergreen cut to length, into this I inserted the brass tube assemblies with a portion sticking out to represent the cannon barrels. These slide down to the rear end of the 3/16" dia. Plastic tubes I used for the cannon ports. The 0.9mm tube was used because the inner diameter of it is the correct size for a 20.0mm cannon barrel in 1/32 scale.

20200330_174104.jpgview showing the 3/16" dia. Plastic tubes installed on the starboard side. These still need to be filled in and sanded.

20200330_174043.jpgview of the bottom of the fuselage showing the pilot hatch with the ladder area cut out and the foot step hole added. Well that's all for know time for dinner.

Ron G 

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Ok I got some more done. I brushed on a coat of Mr surfacer 1000 onto the lower fuselage, first coat before sanding. I purchased a few weeks ago the spurs with the wheels and tires from the Tamiya Mosquito off of Ebay. They are a almost perfect fit for the Beau. so I did some modifications to them to fit the Beaufighter landing gear to them.

  I decided to completely remake the wheel wells in order for them to look more like the real thing. I did this out of various thicknesses of plastic card stock. I had to move the wheel well floor up into the nacelle about 3/16" which posed a problem with the kit landing gear, so I made a 1/8" thick block out of plastic stock to fit between the landing gear and the new floor of the wheel well, bringing the landing gear back to the correct position. I  then cut out the center of the wheel well to create the actual wheel well. This I also made out of plastic card stock. So far I only have one partially done, but have the parts for the other one cut and ready. So here are some pictures for you to look over.

20200403_134319.jpglower fuselage with Mr surfacer 1000 applied.

20200403_132320.jpgouter side of Tamiya Mosquito wheel/tire. I colored it with a black and silver sharpie.

20200403_132146.jpginner side of Tamiya Mosquito wheel/tire.

20200403_131946.jpgthese are the main parts for the landing gear.

20200403_131931.jpganother view of landing gear.

20200403_132721.jpglanding gear temporarily mounted to the kit wheel well floor.

20200403_132629.jpgstraight on view of landing gear.

20200403_173210.jpgview looking forward into the port wheel well.

20200403_173142.jpgview looking aft into the port wheel well.

20200403_173117.jpgview of my scratch built wheel well floor on the left, kit part on the right for the starboard side.

20200403_173101.jpgview of insde of port lower nacelle.

20200403_173045.jpganother view of insde of port lower nacelle.

20200403_173519.jpgthis view shows the port wheel well with the landing gear and wheel assy. temporarily installed into the raised block I made. Well that's all for now be back soon with more updates.

Ron G 

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