****DONE: 1/32nd scale Beaufighter VIF, 46 Sqn RAF, Egypt 1943 Group Build

Totally spiffing looking work old boy! Carry on!

Thanks David. Just a pity that the engines themselves are ever so slightly over scale, or the engine bays under scale, as I couldn't fit some other very small bits, without looking 'wrong'.
Vic, I'm not into going all 'arty' - I keep that for the canvas!!!
EDIT:- I say, sorry old chap, missed your post! Thanks awfully old boy!

Looks the business Terry! 8)

Thanks Keith.
It's now getting much closer to the initial painting stage. The canopy has been modifled from the early style Mk1 to the later MkVI, and the roof hatch cut out. The locking arms and emergency release lever have been added to the starboard side canopy window, and the same will be done to the roof hatch, along with the sun blind and it's assocaited wire tracks, just before this is fitted, after the model has been virtually finished. A gunsight was sourced from the Hasegawa Spitfire kit, and mounted onto a bracket made from stretched sprue. The gunsight on the real aircraft was on a swinging bracket, but it just didn't look right swung off to starboard, so it's fitted in the 'firing' position. A bit of artistic licence here, as it has the later rectangular screen instead of the circular one, but there's a fair chance this could be correct anyway!
PICS 1 and 2 Show the canopy as provided, with work underway to remove the frame on the port side screen, and the frames on the two front quarter lights. These were carefully cut away, using a new blade in the scalpel, then sanded with fine wet and dry, used dry first, then wet.
PIC 3. The scratches were then polished out using 'T-Cut' (car body colour restorer), first rubbed in with a soft cloth, followed by more concentrated polishing using a cotton bud soaked in the polish. The canopy was then washed in a soapy solution, before being dry polished with a soft cloth. I'm happy to say the canopy is now clear and sparkling, and didn't require dipping in 'Klear' (Future) as I thought it might.
PIC 4. After the small, opening clear vision ports were scribed into the quarter lights, the top hatch was carefully removed with the aid of a razor saw.
PIC 5. The gunsight was mounted on its bracket, this being superglued into two small holes drilled into the top of the instrument panel. Sorry, but there's a bit of 'subject failure' in this shot - a black sight against a dark background, and I couldn't light it any other way I'm afraid, as flash was too strong at this range.
PIC 6. After the emergency release handle and its locking rods were attached to the lower starboard canopy frame, both of these made from thin stretched sprue, the internal framework was painted Cockpit Green and, when dry, the canopy was glued in to place. A small spot of poly cement was used at each corner, with a bead of PVA along the sills. More PVA was then run into the joints, which will be sealed when painted, with the exception of the lower joints on each side panel, which were removable. Note that some external re-touching of the framework is required in parts.
So, the next job is to mask all the neccessary areas, and then begin the painting. The detail work, and building items such as the entrance hatches and observers hatch will be done in between painting stages.
Thanks again for your very kind remarks, and with a bit of luck, I'll have some more pics in a day or so.

Lovely work Terry, the modifcations are invisible! The engine looks great in the background too 8)

looking real mate

I must get one of those cutting blades - your work is fabulous !

Marvelous!

Thanks very much Keith, Daniel and Jan. BTW Jan, I want the 'phone number of the new Judy in your avatar!!

Lovely work Terry, I'm riveted to this thread

Top shelf Terry!

Thanks very much Vic and Alex, it's appreciated.

Oh Dear! I've just noticed that I've dropped an enormous b*ll*ck!!
There was something still niggling me about the canopy, and I thought it had something to do with the shape of the windscreen and where it meets the upper frame. Well, I was right, and not only that, but the supplementary frames, between the windscreen and the sidescreen frames shouldn't be there either!
The kit is modelled as a very early Mk1, which had a totally different front canopy arrangement. This was later changed, to improve forward view, particularly between the ten o' clock and two o' clock quarters, and not only were the horizontal frames removed, but also the secondary vertical frames forming the 'quarter lights'. Additionally, the windscreen was widened, with its frame running all the way to the top of the 'hoop' formed by the front canopy frame!
So, a bit of a dillema. I could remove the offending frames, and the top, horizontal portion of the windscreen frame, and polish as before. But, the windscreen would still be the wrong shape and too narrow, and the now frameless quarter panels would be the wrong shape. Also, as the canopy is now rather fragile due to the removal of the roof panel, and just a tad brittle at the base of the windscreen due to the use of the 'T-Cut', there's a very good chance that removal, and further cutting, sanding and polishing could damage it beyond repair. It's also a bit late to make a master from which to mould a new canopy, as I would normally check and align the profile of the carved balsa block forming the male mould by placing it in the opening for the canopy which, of course, is now obstructed with the seat, control column, gunsight etc etc.!!
Hmm. I have a sneaking feeling that I'm just going to have to live with this! Had I realised earlier, I could have possibly modified the kit canopy into a passable later version, although any 'rivet counters' would probably still have noticed that the frontal curve would be about 3 degrees out! Ho hum - I'll have to give this problem careful thought, and I reckon it's at least a four pint problem!

Regardless...it still looks pretty damn good as is mate!

Agree with Wayne. Awesome job Terry.

Thanks for the compliments, and the vote of confidence guys!
What do you reckon, remove it and sand and polish, risking terminal damage, or live with it?
It's real b*gger, as I've tried to get everything else as accurate as possible for a MkVIF in North Africa!!
Your opinions would be most welcome! Meanwhile, I'm classing this as a five pint and a couple of drams problem!!!

Airframes said:

What do you reckon, remove it and sand and polish, risking terminal damage, or live with it?

Click to expand...

I say live with it (especially if you are risking terminal damage). Only a very select few would even notice the problem, and everything else is just great.

Can't it just be one that's still waiting to get its canopy swapped....being that this specific airframe was out and about in combat when the change came?

Hmm. Two good answers there. Let me finish this sixth pint and third dram whilst I bink athout dis fer awhizzle. Ish 'ill be sack boon.....

That was my dram!





....and give me back my 25 year old Laphroaig!





Leave those young lassies alone!!




Terry!!!!