Bristol Beaufighter TF.X by Airfix

Kelly Wellington
So, I'm sitting around waiting for the umpteenth coat of yellow on Mavis' leading edge to dry, I finally broke out the Beaufighter kit. I understand that the Beau, and later, the Mosquito, were critical part of checkmating the German Condors, which could outrun everything else the Brits were putting up to cramp their style.

That reminds me...It's about time for that Condor.

Roy McKenzie
This is going to be good. look forward to your progress.

Kelly Wellington
Heh..."Cockpit detail". Ain't happening here. Bench seats for both pilot and navigator/gunner. Still, the cockpit went medium green and the figures got a uniform color close to 'RAF blue'.

Engines are rudimenatry, too. Molded right into the cowls as facia plates. Despite the existing picture of the 'white Beau' having all white engine cowls, I decided to do the burnt bronze on the leading surfaces of the radial cowls.

The 'gun' is comic. It looks like some kind of Buck Rogers fantasy raygun.

I suspect I'll have to do a blue gray over sky version, too, just to get the comparison. It seems to be quite a 'quick build' and the kit is inexpensive.

Kelly Wellington
Rattle-can white. My first spray-painting task.

Kelly Wellington
Okay...Today I completed attaching the rockets. It is now ready for the whole Future routine and I need advice.
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If I am going to utilize a wash, or a pen, to bring out the molded surface details, when should I do that? Before applying a coat of Future, or after? Before or after application of the decals? My usual end process is: 1. Future, 2. Apply decals, 3. Second coat of future, 4. Dullcoat. When should wash application happen?

I tried this once, with my Airfix Petlyakov Pe-2 kit and did not like the result. I hear since that, rather than apply all over and wipe clean, I should focus application to specific tooled features.

Also, I'm hand-painting, rather than spray. I get the impression that washes are alternatives to airbrushing the panel lines. Is the correct?

Kelly Wellington
Now with decals and Dullcote. I have take liberties with accuracy in putting on the insignia. I was given two options, both utilizing the 'sky' colors. One of them was North Coates, which is the Beau station which initially trialled the 'white Beau' look in mid-1942. The only photo I've seen has no insignia letters on the side...but it also has all white engine cowls. So, I used the North Coates craft's letters but dropped one and instead of applying three letters forward of the fuselage roundel, and used just two letters, one on each side of the roundel (as was done with the other example. I also think Coastal Command used sea gray letters, rather than red, but red was all that was provided. This is normally where I end my projects; I'm not sure the I should undertake applying washes or not.

Gordon Sørensen
Looks great Kelly!
The only picture I have seen of a 'white' beaufighter didn't have any squadron codes at all...
I have only started doing panel lines on my models, and I used a pen, before I Futured it. If you are doing a wash, I have read you do that after the Future coat...that way, if you have any problems, you can correct it with disrupting the underlying paintwork...

Holger Kranich
Not bad what you made outta this grandfather of kits!

Kelly Wellington
Thanks! The next Beau will be a 'Torbeau' in Strike Groups colours! I'm still thinking of using this to do some panel line highlight experimentation....but I've still got to overcome my reluctance to smudge all that pretty, clean white.