Scale aviation modeller international

Beaufighter TF.X (Test Shot)

First look at Revell 1/48 Beaufighter TF.X (Test Shot)

I

will start by giving my

normal disclaimer about

previewing a test shot, this

is not the finished article and

is not injected in production

quality plastic so you may see a

few sink marks and incomplete

engraving that will be missing or

replaced on the production kit.

My first thoughts on opening

the box were that Revell had

supplied me with two kits in error.

I know the Beaufighter was a

large aircraft but this kit at first

look contains almost twice as

much plastic as the Tamiya kit.

But I soon realised why this

kit is very well detailed, where

Tamiya only supplied the cockpit

Revell have detailed the whole of

the fuselage using 19 separate parts

plus some very nice detail on the

inside of the fuselage halves. They

have also supplied the options

for positioning the pilots escape

hatch and navigators blister in

the open position as well as the

crew entry hatch on the lower

fuselage so you will at least get a

chance to see all that lovely detail.

Another reason for the large

part counts is the large number

of optional parts that have been

supplied. Our example contained

three styles of noses, the original

bull nose, bull nose with a strike

camera and a thimble nose. The

laps can be positioned extended

or retracted and all the control

surfaces are positionable, adding

some animation to your model.

During the production run there

were a number of changes made

to the tail. The tailfin is supplied

with or without the extended fin

fillet that was added to improve

directional control. But Revell

have also supplied two complete

tail surfaces with dihedral and a

choice of early or late elevators.

Late production Beaufighters had

a tailplane with reduced surface

area to improve their balance,

and Revell have supplied both

styles, a first I think in any scale.

On most kits the wings are

assembled conventionally but on

this kit Revell have supplied the

whole of the lower wing as one

large piece, which automatically

sets the dihedral on the wings at

EXCLUSIVE!

40 • JULY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

FIRST LOOK!

040-45-FirstLooks-0718.indd 40 11/06/2018 13:58