1/72 Frog Torbeau

by Paolo De Sanctis

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First flown in 1939, the Beaufighter entered in service with the RAF in 1940, beginning as night fighter, equipped with the first A.I. radar.  Later she was used as intruder and long-range day fighter; by 1943 the T.F. X version was in service with Coastal Command.The T.F. X version was the last variant to be produced in great number and had the striking power of the torpedo-bomber and she quickly rendered other previous models obsolete. By the end of the war over 5,000 Beaufighters were built and used in Europe, Middle and Far East as well.  In Burma theatre, Japanese nicknamed her as “whispering death”.

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THE MODEL   Some years ago I bought the famous Airfix “dogfight-Doubles” series box of the Beaufighter & Me.109G-6. Later I was presented with a brand new Frog Beaufighter Mk.21 kit, which was far better than the Airfix counterpart.  So I decided to combine the two boxes building the Frog Beaufighter and the Airfix Bf.109, displaying them in the supplied base.  Firstly I converted the Beaufighter 21 back to the T.F. X one by removing the gyro-compass little hump on the front top of the nose and fairing over the hole with a bit of plasticard.  Once filled and sanded off carefully, I decided to add some details in the cockpit, like the instrument panel, ecc.  Great care was paid to the engines, far better than those of the Airfix kit. The same I can say for the propellers. Two “crew” (pilot & observer) were added in the cockpit, with a new gun for the latter. The kit was added with some external belly details although the torpedo was not included. I wanted a 236° Sqn. machine loaded with rockets for a strike-anti shipping sortie and so I glued the rocket-rails under the wings. The colour used, all in the Humbrol range were H.32 for “Extra Dark Sea-Grey 36099 and H.90 for Sky Type ‘S’ 34424.I’used the Airfix decals sheet and a dark brown ink to rescribe some lines. Final steps were to spray the entire model with Humbrol satin cote and the applications of stains and engine’ smokes with pastels. Normally the kit is standing on the little and beautiful transparent Airfix display stand, but, occasionally I put it in the opposite “dogfight-double” type provided with the related box, along with the Messerschmitt. This last kit, quite good, was built straight from the box except for the improved propeller blades and the instrument panel in its little cockpit. Colours, ever in the Humbrol range, are RLM 74/75/76, being for me H. 32, H.125 and 127 respectively. 

I hope you’ll like this little work!

Paolo De Sanctis

Photos and text © by Paolo De Sanctis