404 Squadron Beaufighter, June 6, 1944.
This is my 404 (Buffalo) Squadron, RCAF, Beaufighter, as it would have appeared on the morning of D-Day.
While Coastal Command would usually have used semi-armor piercing warheads, on this day they had the 60lb warheads for Flak suppression, and still carried the 'Universal' bomb racks on the belly.
This is the Tamiya kit (1/48) with a huge list of corrections/additions/mods. It's painted with Tamiya acrylics, weathered with oils, and pastels, and Aviaeology's 'AOD48002m RCAF Beaufighters in Coastal Command' decals.
Hope you like,
Colin
Corrections/mods:
Engines -
- added actuating rod for oil coolers (through vanes)
- added oil cooler exit vents
- added exhaust stacks on engine
- added cowl braces on engine, and reinforcing plates on exhaust collector
- replaced 'hedgehog' exhausts, added cockpit heater pipes from exhaust (both sides)
Interior -
- blanked off wing root scallops inside, added ribs and stringers
- added pilots entry braces (fore and aft) and grab handles, radio boxes
- added wiring, equipment, gauges etc. after of pilot seat
- added throttles, fuel cock control, instrument flood lights, switch boxes, instruments and many small parts to pilot's position
- opened bulkhead door
- added Observers ammo box and ammo belt (left hand side), cartridge bag, Observers radios and equipment
- Observers blister - added framework and inner structure
- added pilots canopy r/h escape hatch release, overhead hatch latches and handles
Airframe -
- corrected oversized, untapered elevators
- corrected trim tab and servo tab rods (should be on bottom of elevators)
- reduced left wing gun access panel size and missing screws (only 2 guns)
- corrected right wing gun panel scribing (center panel lines and screws missing)
- plugged gun openings
- removed battle damage patches both wings
- covered landing light for rocket equipped aircraft
- kit nav lights replaced with clear acrylic, drilled for nav light bulbs
- rearward facing nav lights replaced with tube lights (one or both depending on aircraft)
- eliminated incorrect panel lines, added left wing oil tank access hatch, dingy hatch
- corrected fuel dump tubes in wheel wells (wrong)
- detailed rocket blast plate, detailed tubular rocket rails, added 60 lb rocket warheads, added pigtails and connectors
Additions: - left wing gun camera
- scoop missing below windshield
- 4 small hanger brackets and universal bomb racks
- gear door inner braces
- beam approach antennae and ID lights
- blister below observer's l/h side, round patch r/h side
- small fin ahead of obs. bubble
- strike camera cover on nose
- dingy release handle ahead of l/h stab
- fuel tank vent blisters (both sides) aft of canopy
- small scoop r/h side of nose
- trailing antennae mount
- extra shell eject ports and blisters for canon
- nose 'whisker' antennas
- added whip antenna
-
- 1. Corrected elevator on top of uncorrected untapered elevator
- 2. Trim and servo tab rods moved to bottom of elevator
-
- 1. 60 lb warheads robbed from Airfix Mosquito
- 2. Universal bomb shackles
That is a real beauty, Colin. Well done!
Beautiful! That's trophy quality work right there.
Well done, Colin (@tail-dragon). The list of improvements you made is exhaustive, and really makes a big difference in the kit
That's really nice. Some very serious work in modifications (remember folks, back in the 90s, Tamiya was focused on quantity in their competition with Hasegawa, and if you look at most of their kits from that era, quality of accuracy took a back seat to quantity - that's a different subject than "buildability"). The result is really super. I like this a lot.
Beautiful build Colin. Your research and execution of the details is impeccable!
There is truth to saying that its all in the details. What I like about your build and article Colin, are the comparison photos of the real aircraft on the tarmac compared to your build. The final result, captures the look and feel, or the character of the real aircraft. The added details raises the kit above the threshold of being a plastic toy and brings it into what a museum would appreciate.
Good show.
Two thumbs up.
Frankly, looking at all these awesome build on imodeler can be frustrating at times. Like this one, it is just so good.
Very detailed work!
Wow! All that extra work has really paid off. Fantastic result! It’s a pity that all that interior detail gets buried but a superb model all the same.
Gorgeous build, and excellent photography. A Beaufighter is not a small aircraft as modeler's photos seem to depict... however, your headline photo gives your model every sense of true scale. That's partly due to the photography but also greatly influenced by the details, paint, and weathering. Well done!
Excellent build and amazing improvements, Colin!
Congratulations!
That’s a lovely Beaufighter, Colin, one of my favourite aircraft.
Definitely like this Beaufighter, Colin @tail-dragon
A perfect copy of the original aircraft, beautiful paint and weathering results.
Not to forget the amazing detailing.
One of the best Beaufighters I've seen...
Amazing work! A contest-winner, for sure!
That’s deserving of an academy award. Stunning!
Outstanding work on this Beau. Love it. One of my top five favorite WWII planes.
One of the best Beaufighter models I've seen.
What a pristine build, and all the added work really makes her pop! Beautifully done.
Wonderful work Colin. All your detail work is amazing & speaks volumes for your skills, patience, resourcefulness & eyesight, while the comparison photos are a masterstroke. Very,very well done!