USAAF Beaufighter MkVIf

[JayW]

1 hour ago, Pete Fleischmann said:

remember that what makes a cannon a “cannon” is the fact that it shoots explosive shells.

 

Yeah, understood.  I was kinda going in the direction of deceleration forces associated with firing large guns at a rapid rate, and what that might mean for the F-16.  Your mention of rudder input doesn't surprise.  

 

I have also heard that the A-10's GAU-8A gatling gun decelerates the A-10 when fired.  

 

So the Beaufighter had Hispano's x 4.  As did the P-38 BTW (x1, to complement the M2's x4).  US version called the M2C I believe.

Edited January 21, 2023 by JayW

[easixpedro]

Ahem.

Back on topic.

 

That plywood floor is awesome. Looks just like the B-Hut floors in Afghanistan. Gunky and nasty.

Perfect.

I'm with Timmy!  that's some good armor modeling.

 

And guns are cool and all, but the most horrified I've every been in an a/c is doing night strafing. Pointing your nose down in the dark into the abyss is an unnatural act. Nope. Gives me schwetty palms just typing.

[fastterry]

Really nice work here Mr Fleischmann, just to up the gun anti, Australian DAP built Mk 21 Beaufighters had four 0.5" guns in the wings instead of the 0.303's. I have built a Mk X with scratch built interior (took me ages) but the other two I have in the stash will have Model Monkey bits. Keep up the good work.

 

TRF

[scvrobeson]

This looks like a fantastic build, but I don't think any of us should be surprised by that. Didn't realize that there was so much difference between the various boxings of the Revell Beau

 

 

Matt 

[fastterry]

My Mk X was built using the Rodella? boxing (produced in Mexico I think) which included the canopies, bull nose and late V tail as vacform bits. I added the fin fillet from card and used MDC rockets to make RD819 OB-F in the late light bomber camo of Medium Sea Grey over Black scheme. Aircraft was based out of Kuala Lumpur during the 'Malayan Emergency'. Revell kit is basically a Mk 1F.

 

TRF

[Pete Fleischmann]

2 hours ago, easixpedro said:

 

I'm with Timmy!  that's some good armor modeling.

 

welp..it’s definitely armor modeling. Not sure if it’s “good” armor modeling though 

[Pete Fleischmann]

2 minutes ago, fastterry said:

My Mk X was built using the Rodella? boxing (produced in Mexico I think) which included the canopies, bull nose and late V tail as vacform bits. I added the fin fillet from card and used MDC rockets to make RD819 OB-F in the late light bomber camo of Medium Sea Grey over Black scheme. Aircraft was based out of Kuala Lumpur during the 'Malayan Emergency'. Revell kit is basically a Mk 1F.

 

TRF

sounds very cool.

there was another boxing molded in black, besides the three I have-

 

P

[Pete Fleischmann]

3 hours ago, chuck540z3 said:

 

So cool Jay- and I've never heard of that mission before which is surprising, since I have watched just about every documentary on WWII ever made.

 

Splendid work continues on that cockpit Pete.  You are very talented.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Appreciate the kind words Chuck-

 

P

[Dpgsbody55]

On 1/13/2023 at 10:33 PM, Oldbaldguy said:

I’m not sure I could have flown a Beaufighter even when I was much nubiler than I am now.  Only the Brits would have designed an airplane that appears to require the pilot to wallow around in the mud to get to a hatch that opened into a confined space with little or nothing to grab onto, only to have to, once inside, squeeze over the carry through and past the seat back in order to finally sit down.  Or is there another way to board this thing because this seems pretty much impossible to me.  And how would you get out if everything suddenly stopped working - reverse the process and hope you have ten or fifteen minutes before being smitten by the countryside?  I gotta be missing something here.

 

Most crews loved the Beau as it's sturdy construction gave them a lot of protection, especially in a crash landing.  Getting in wasn't that much of a hassle, and it had escape hatches on the top sides, so again, less hassles.

 

 

 

If it did crash land, the pilot had two big radials in front of him to absorb initial impacts.  on those occassions when it broke up on crash landing, it tended to break into it's original components, so engines, tails wings etc all came apart at the mounting points.  Even the fuselage would break apart where the nose assembly joined to the main fuselage assembly, and it was not uncommon for Beaufighter crews to walk away from a completely destroyed plane

 

 

So while getting in might require a certain degree of fitness (no more than would be required to pass fitness requirements) it was a plane that would look after it's crew more than many others.  For example, a crash on take off for a fully loaded Mustang was not to be contemplated as the engine was likely to trap you in the wreck by the legs.  Many of the good looking planes of that era could be very dangerous places to be if you got into difficulty.  If I'd been flying in that war, I'd have been very happy to be in a Beau or P-47, both planes not overly represented in the LSP world, but both planes that made a major contribution to winning the war.  And both good looking planes, in their own pugnacious way too.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

Edited January 21, 2023 by Dpgsbody55

[Pete Fleischmann]

Hey all-

ammo magazines and radar gear is in..still needs weathering and a flat coat. Decals from the spares bin.

electrical cables from black Apoxie Sculpt.

 

cheers

Pete

[jenshb]

Masterful design work on the cockpit equalled by masterful painting and weathering.

 

 

[chrish]

Whooooo! Thats awesome!!

[Oldbaldguy]

Not to reopen a decades old debate, but maybe modeling is an art form after all.  At least in some cases.

[chuck540z3]

2 hours ago, Pete Fleischmann said:

Hey all-

ammo magazines and radar gear is in..still needs weathering and a flat coat. Decals from the spares bin.

electrical cables from black Apoxie Sculpt.

 

 

Apoxie Sculpt.  I just learned a new technique and it looks amazing!

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[LSP_Kevin]

Spectacular stuff, Pete!

 

Kev