History

Bristol gave their Beaufort torpedo bomber a new fuselage and in the process created one of the greatest heavy fighter/attack aircraft of the war. The Beaufighter was ideally suited for night interception, carrying the bulky AI radar which was then state of the art, and also for coastal strike duties. In this role, Beaufighters of the Banff Wing roamed the North Sea, making life difficult for Hitler's sailors.

First Impressions

Another of Aviaeology's detail-packed decal sets, this is sure to please fans of the RCAF and of Beaufighters in general. This is the thickest and most extensive Aviaeology set I've looked at. The usual placement instructions are complemented by scale drawings and photos of the rocket installations and tailplane variants.


Options offered on the sheet:
This sheet offers 12 different late-model Beaufighter TF.Xs of 404 Sqn, all from January - March of 1945.

• 1. NE339 EO U
  
• 2. NE669 EO A
  
• 3. NE686 EO T
  
• 4. NE825 EO G
  
• 5. NT916 EO S
  
• 6. NV177 EO Z
  
• 7. NV291 EO H
  
• 8. NV416 EO J
  
• 9. NV427 EO L
  
• 10. RD136 EO QI
  
• 11. RD421 EO V(3)
  
• 12. RD427 EO O
  

All aircraft are Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky, with variations on fading, patchiness and local repairs.

the decal sheet

The decals are offered on two sheets. The first includes one complete set of late war roundels plus nose art, squadron code letters and serial numbers. The second carries the remaining codes and serials. The decal film is very minimal, not extending into the centres of the letters and barely beyond the edges of the marking. Care must be taken not to fold or otherwise damage them when sliding them into place.

instructions

The instructions as mentioned above are extremely thorough. A general description of the Coastal Command "Special Duties Scheme A" fills the first page. 3 pages are devoted to the rocket installation on late Beaux, alternate tailplanes each complete with scale drawings, and a detailed listing of late Beau features.

Aviaeology goes to great lengths to avoid inferring marking details. Wherever possible, multiple photos of the given aircraft were consulted and presented in the instructions. Where markings are known to have varied over time, the variations are laid out in detail. The last page is a table listing the salient features of every subject in the sheet. There is a lot going on in these instructions. They absolutely must be studied very carefully in order not to miss important details.

Balancing the small print, the instructions are available from Aviaeology as a high-quality PDF file. If you buy the sheet through their website, you will automatically be e-mailed a copy. If you choose to support traditional hobby shops, you must request it through the e-mail address listed on an insert slip in the instructions. It's easy to miss so look carefully.

This decal was kindly provided for review by Aviaeology. All Aviaeology products are available for purchase through their website.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.