Beaufighter Mk.X RD253

[Wirbelwind]

So I've recently learnt that there have been many WW2 aircraft that were either built as one variant but then later converted to another variant, or ordered as one variant but switched to another variant at some point during construction. The end result is usually an aircraft with a bunch of externally visible oddities (e.g. patch panel and "bumps"). As a modeler, I try to capture as much as I can about every aircraft I model.

I've now got my eyes set on Beaufighter Mk.X RD253 for my next project. I've been looking around for information on this aircraft and found this document containing its history: Beaufighter-X-RD253.pdf. It's obvious that RD253 is an Mk.X, but the question I have is whether it was also ordered as an Mk.X. Does anyone know where I might be able to confirm this? Any bit of information is welcome, including educated guesses!

 

[nuuumannn]

It's obvious that RD253 is an Mk.X, but the question I have is whether it was also ordered as an Mk.X.

Max89, I think the first paragraph of the RAF Museum history will confirm that for you.

"Built as part of contract No.B65570 at the Bristol Aeroplane company's'
`Shadow' factory at Old Mixon, Weston-super-Mare, with Bristol
Hercules XVII engines. Part of a batch of 500 Beaufighter X aircraft built
at Weston Sep. 44 - Aug 45, serial nos. RD130 - RD867.

If you are thinking of configuration changes it received throughout its career, it depends entirely on at which period it is that you are going to build your model. When it rolled out of the factory it would have been a basic Mk.X configuration. How much difference there was when it arrived in Portugal is subjective and could be difficult to verify; it did go through 19 MU for confuguration before arriving in Portugal - it never actually saw active service with the RAF. It's also worth remembering that the RAF Museum's aircraft is made up of bits of other Beaufighters and is not entirely complete.

Out of interest's sake, take a look at my thread with close up images of RD253.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/wa...alkarounds-nuuumannn-36981-3.html#post1048172

 

[Wirbelwind]

Thank you for the shots, nuuumannn. This is actually the first time I've seen such detailed closeups of a Beaufighter, let alone the exact one I'm planning on modelling. Would you also happen to have any photos of it from 1944 or 1945? Since this is a late war Beaufighter, I'm trying to determine whether it came with a dorsal fin that wasn't refitted during restoration due to availability of parts.

Also, I know that the first paragraph of the history document confirms that RD253 was built as an Mk.X, but what I'm basically trying to confirm is whether it was also ordered as an Mk.X. I've tried searching for details on contract No.B65570 but unfortunately I haven't found anything except the following tidbit of information: Beaufighter X7706, an Mk.IF, was built to contract B65570/40. If I understand this correctly, this would mean that contract B65570 was not just for Mk.X's.