Hi guys.

Skip bombing, torpedos, rockets, strafing, dive-bombing, mine-laying I don't care if they threw empty beer bottles out the window as long as it was active anti-shipping !!

I found some information HERE for you Mark, but I haven't had time to read right through it.

Cheers, D

Thanks guys. Somewhere in the original thread, I internalized a couple of guidelines.

It had to be a type that actively served in an anti shipping role. Using a Bf-110 was nixed because even if it had been test flown with a torpedo, it had never flown in combat that way.

I also recall that we had to show it's teeth. Couldn't just build a TBM, you needed to open the bomb-bay and show the torpedo.

I know it's not a torpedo only campaign It's just that this seemed to offer a good way to show an anti shipping A/C with it's teeth bared.

So based on Damian's excerpts, a torpedo toting PBJ doesn't qualify, it wasn't used in combat. But, I think if I go ahead and open the bomb bay (replace the doors with AM) and strap a few 500 lb bombs in the bay, I should be good to go.

I swear I had that book, just can't find where I hid it.

Thanks Damian oh man do i have ta stop :-) ok maybe i slow down a little for ya heres little update , most of interior is nearly done an the tin fish has a home.




still turret to build and install on floor plus little more weathering but should nearly have it closed up by sunday night since i finally got a weekend off work ,all dis work cuttin into me play time
cheers,
Graham

Just so everyone knows I'm not cheating, I'll post the picture now. However, I won't be able to get to it for a little while.

I'm supposed to be "retired", and in the Philippines with my wife right now. Alas, the warm, white sands of Philippine beaches will have to wait until January. There's still work to be done here.

So, on my spare time I'll try and get to these models. Perhaps, I bit off more than I can chew, though, with this campaign running along with the P-51, the civilian, and an Albatros. Thats four models at the same time. Away more than I'm used to.

Here it is



The models already started look wonderful. How can you people build so fast? And do such a lovely job, to boot?

Guy

Greetings everyone,

It seems like I never have enough time or quiet these days but I'll make the attempt at something a little different, here it is.



Anti-Sub Patrol OS2U Kingfishers of VS-44 based at Catco Field, Dutch West Indies, November 1942

All the best,
Brian

Brian, interesting photo there. Kingfishers with landing gear is not a common site.

Bob

Great to see you here Brian, and thanks for joining in.

As Bob said. Kingfishers with wheels, not commonly seen and they look sort of out of place

What kit are you going to use ? I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

Cheers, D

Greetings Bob and Damien,

I have a Monogram Kingfisher in my stash. The box is pretty well beat up so it would be good thing to build the kit. I will replace the 100lb bombs with 325 lb Depth bombs from Accurate Miniatures accessories. Someone used to do a aftermarket cockpit for this kit (I can't remember whom) but that has to be long out of production.
I suspect in the near future that Revel/mongram will probably re-release this kit as they have many others from that era. The more I think about it this is going to be a fun build!

All the best,
Brian

Brian, I can remember when this kit first came out, it was a hot item and still is. I wait to see your build progess and especially the camo/scheme that you put her in.

Bob

Graham,

Nice progress on your Avenger, look forward to seeing more.

Brian,

Great pic on the wheeled Kingfisher, some years ago AeroMaster did a set of decals for the Kingfisher, which had a wheeled version.

Jesper,

A couple of pix for you on the thimble nosed Beau.




Hope these help and I have a couple of books to go through for others

thanks Rob yeh she getting there , i thought i better take some pics of the fuse walls, glad i did i dry fitted it all and ya cant see squat when its together LOL makes ya wonder why we bother doin the little things huh but least i know its there whether you can see it or not.



only got some little details to make, arrestor hok and paint the turret then i can close it up.
probably be next weekend for that.
cheers,
Graham

I've got a couple of Kingfishers in the stash, IIRC, the Airfix 1/72 has a gear option. If I ever get to it, I want to build it that way. I also have the 1/48 Mono kit, it might replace a childhood memory, but this one came with brass!

Very nice detail work Graham, looking good ! As you said, you know the detail work is in there and that's what counts.

Just make sure you leave those torpedo bay doors open, we need to see that fish in your completed build mate !

Cheers, D

roger that D they will be open, as a matter of interest looknig at the instructions it looks like you cant close em since the linkage is open but with them closed you'd see less of whats in there anyway i think im going to fold one wing and leave the other extended mostly so it takes up less space its a fair size aircraft after all.
cheers,
Graham

Brian,

I went threw all my old AeroMaster pic and found the refs on the Kingfisher if your interested in a couple of the 'wheeled' schemes.






Hope these are of some help.

Greetings Rob,

Thank you for the reference pictures. I forgot about the Neutrality Patrol that was in effect before Pearl Harbor. I might consider that paint scheme if I can locate a picture of land based aircraft as well. More "Research"

All the best,
Brian

Thanks for the pictures on the Beaufighters, Rob.

The lower gun openings are faired over on the trials machine, but this also seems to be the case on the other machine.(?) Was this common practice to add tape or similar to cover the openings to keep out moisture, dirt etc. until the guns where fired?

The gun fairings are covered on my example and I am not sure if I should drill open the gun fairings.

Can't speak to RAF practices but I've seen photos of American planes with tape over the guns before takeoff. It would keep water, dust, sand mud and the like out. I guess the first round would clear the tape and any tracer rounds would burn off the rest.

Jesper,

The blast tubes of the 20mm's were tapped over with a canvas patch, pre cut too fit the fuselage and in most cases the dope used was a redish brown or even a redish orange colour, it was a common sight for pre flight re armarment.

Mark,

Your right with the first round piercing the fabric and the muzzle flash would burn the remainder off.

Hope this helps a little.

I had the idea of building the Mk VIc Beau test fitted with the 40mm's and maybe I might find a bit of time during this campaign too actually build it.

Thanks for the info, Rob and Mark. I will paint the cover red brown. A little more progress on my Beau.

More to follow.

Jesper,

This is from an old Cutting Edge decal sheet for the Beaufighter, that I have taken a pic of the 20mm blast tube canvas template.


Hope this helps a little.

Helps a lot, Rob. I appreciate it very much. You are turning into the Aeroscale Beaufighter expert

I am kind of losing faith in the instructions as I have already found some obvious mistakes.

The instructions indicate that the radar dome should be black which seems not to be the case in any of the photos I have seen.

Also the rockets are indicated to be white. This also seems wrong as the rockets seem to be a dark colour in photos (Black, Grey, Green?)

Jesper,

Your welcome and glad to help out in some way.

In regard to the rockets, overall black would be the norm, as for the green referred to in the instruction which is Bronze Green. I'd be more incline to go with the overall black as that seems to be the colour in my ref's for that time period.

A good job so far on the old Matchbox offering.

Greetings everyone,

While doing some more searching i found this photo of another land based Kingfisher.



All the best,
Brian

Brian, nice photo that you have there, can you imagine how boring it was to fly over all of that water and just look down for the entire time I remember those days over the Atlantic just bored out of my skull but I wager it was more dangerous in Alaska/Bering straight with weather changing without any notice (it would come up and bite you where the sun dont shine) and the cold!!!!!

Bob