Too long since posting any progress. Issues with missing parts on the Mosquito is going to have to shelve it for awhile, so in its place I will continue on with the Tamiya Beaufighter, the 2nd kit in the series, which is the night fighter variant.

Moulded in black not the more typical medium or light grey plastic. It has been awhile since building the first kit but I don't see any difference from the first kit when it comes to parts.. After popping the lid all the contents are intact in the box.

Typical Tamiya instruction booklet, color callouts referring to available Tamiya paints and recommended mixes. And assembly lay out.

Decals for 2 RAF Night fighters

A flyer is also included for Tamiya Lacquer paints

An Eduard's canopy masking set.

Sprue A includes the center lower fuselage, lower wing panels and main gear bays. And the lower outer wing halves.

Nice details, fine and not deep panel lines. No flash. The lower panels will need to have the holes opened if you want to mount any rockets.

Next is sprue B, the upper wing halves, and horizontal tails with the "V" design, shame that a straight tail Beau option was never offered on any of the Tamiya kits. Only as a mod in resin. Revell has finally offered a straight tail Beaufighter with that option. Yay!

The stabs are molded in upper and lower halves again in the "V" tail configuration. Elevators are molded in neutral position, need to cut if you wish to display down.

Next sprue contains the fuselage halves, main cabin floor and flight deck. Nose cones, Interior bulkheads and components

The single place cockpit contains the side consoles with some decent details. But overall one of the few critics of this model is the lack of interior details. Just enough, but it could use a bit more.

The rear compartment floor should have a bit more, though it would be difficult to see even with the upper bubble glass.

The bulkheads with some decent details.

2 type of nose cones are provided, thimble and the standard let say roman nose?

The instrument panel and rear gauges are well defined. Decals are provided for these or good for detail painting.

Nice fine stringer details to highlight within the fuselage halves.

The tail rudder assembly is a separate part that attaches to the fuselage. Again the rudder and vertical tail are moulded in each half and if you choose to display the rudder deflected either way, it would need to be cut off.

The next sprue is one of 2 that contains, the landing gear, one propeller of 2, engine cowling, wheels. and engine.

The engines have adequate details. Details will be enhanced after painting and griming them up a bit.

Nice wheel set, may go with a resin set but up in the air with that.

The 2 versions have the longer hedge hog exhausts and will use these. Details are good here as well.

The prop and engine cowling are well detailed. Correct prop, The cowlings which is one thing that Tamiya does have the stubs attached in 3 places around the cowl to clean up when it's removed from the sprue.

Finally the poly caps for the prop, one of the best ideas which Hasegawa has started to do as well. Also the clear parts as usual are excellent and crystal clear.

Next some pre painting and gets this party started.
More to follow

This will be a great build, Chuck @uscusn
Detailing looks very nice on the sprues and you will definitely make great use of them.
To me this black plastic color is not so easy to process.
Will absolutely follow this thread.

This session I will pre-paint the interior components. Using Mission Models RAF Interior Grey/Green/

Painting the wheel well bays. Flight deck and rear cabin floor & fuselage halves.

The Grey/green covers well, the black is a great background color to add depth to the interior stringers. Interior of the crew access doors and seats.

The cockpit and rear cabin is one piece. Tamiya with some good detail on the floor in the rear cabin. Still it could look a bit more busy.

Finally the wheel bays in the lower center wing section.

Next to start actual assembly.

More to follow.

The front and rear bulkheads again with good details despite that not much will be seen once the fuselage is assembled.

The control column, the rear seat pedestal and rudder pedals.

3 additional images. Click to enlarge.

Looks great, Chuck @uscusn
The coverage of the interior color is very good.

Getting started in the cockpit.

First with the instrument panel/ The kit provides a nice base panel to either apply a decal or detail painting. But I will use Eduards panel provided in their zoom set.

Details sanded off before apply the PE 2 stage process. Starting with the dials and gauge overlay/

Will let that set and start on the flight deck.

First to install the rear seat pedestal.

Next the forward bulkhead.

The rudder pedals are then attached to the IP.

Now to removed the raised details on the LH side console. The RH side will just have details added to the existing details.'

The PE details are then attached to the consoles. The IP is also attached as well.

The control column is then attached in place.

Next to complete the rest of the interior.

More to follow.

What a beautiful interior, Chuck @uscusn
The pipe is adding a lot to the already detailed interior.

Good choice for a build, Chuck (@uscusn). The cockpit looks awesome. I feel like I need to jump in and crank the engines. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

The halves are mated so now time to work on the tail.

The rudder assy is made of a separate 2 piece affair.

An excellent fit into the rear of the fuselage.

Next to assemble the wings.
The wings are upper and lower halves.

Fit again is excellent.

Next to assemble the center wing panel.

The center wing panel will also fill the center of the fuselage and engine/wheel bay nacelles. The interior of the wells are Interior Grey Green.

The forward crew access door is installed and will be in the closed position.

Then the lower panel with the wings are assembled.

The wing to fuselage fit is excellent here as well.

The wings are now attached, forgot how quickly the Beaufighter builds once the interior is installed. And she ain't a small plane neither.

Before installing the glass. There is plenty of room in the cockpit and the rear seat to attach the seat harnesses.

Next to assemble the engines, more to follow.