Revell 1/32 Beaufighter Mk IF - Build

Music - Beethoven 8th Symphony OP.93 - Allegretto scherzando
Beethoven 5th Symphony OP.-67 - Andate con moto
Model - Revell 1/32 Beaufighter Mk.IF
Details - Not a model of a specific aircraft, more of a homage to different aspects of the Beau based in Malta with torpedo. Not historically correct.
Issues - The canopy and bubble glass became fogged after a long time in the window where I built the kit and therefore I vacuum formed a bubble glass at a later date. The fogging was my fault and not the kit.
Corrections included cannon elipses under the nose corrected, rear cannon shell exit holes made, wheel wells made internal using platic card, brake pipes added on both landing gear, wing intakes re-worked to include thinner veins on circular leading edge intakes and top leading edge exit ports re-manufactured from thin plastic.
Bullet proof nose shield added using plastic card sheet.
Front engine supports added using plastic card sheet.
The torpedo was made from a wooden spatula I had knocking around the kitchen with photoetch brass prop I hand cut and built. I also added a wooden air rudder using plastic card after research.
The dihedral seemed acute and when I researched found it was too acute and so I lowered it.
My first time riveting and at first was a success until I painted and the 2 weeks of riveting became very quickly obsolete as all the rivets were filled and lost in the spraying stage.
All the panel lines were originally external and using them as a guide I re-paneled the model using a micro saw.
Landing lights were made using clear plastic off cuts from the clear plastic sprue included.
The aerial was made from aluminium sheet in order to be stronger than plastic in case of accidental knocking.
All the decals were treated with a wash to knock back the brightness.
The stand was made from perspex heated to bend. The torpedo fixing was copper wire (UK standard electrical wire) CA glued to the torp and epoxy resined inside the fuselage to hold the weight and a single screw hole drilled through the torpedo and stand to hold the model.
Painting - I mixed my own colours throughout using Malta references. I tried to achieve a dusted desert weathered effect with oil stains ,exhaust stains and cordite effect using powder sealed with hairspray and oil paint for oil stains. Tyres were spun in a dremel and painted whilst spinning to create a circular effect of sand and dirt.
Conclusion - I loved this kit. I believe there is no other 1/32 scale Beau out there and this kit is a big beauty. Lots of things you can do to get this kit as you want it and I am sure there are folks out there that can make it a real show stopper with more work and knowledge. Especially considering this kit is quite an old kit ( I think it is 1973 tooling when I would have been 8 years old) if you don't mind taking your time and researching you can make this kit a gem.
There were no real issues in the build that a bit of filler, work and know how couldn't fix bearing in mind that the work you put in is all part of the fun building getting it as you want.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

That's a tasty Beau! Great weathering!

[@lewistaylor1965]

All in the name of fun!...Another issue I had was the canopies going foggy really badly...I left the model in the window through the day as I was building it and I noticed it after a while...DOH!...I actually built a small vacuum former with the vacuum cleaner and the rear bubble canopy is the fruit of my work...Shame about the main canopy...Big thanks Dave...

[@andyh5586]

Nice one Lew. A great Aeroplane and a super job depicting it. (Vamps)