46 BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER M k.X
W
hen Airfix announced
its new-tool Beaufighter
Mk.X, modellers across
the country rejoiced. At
last, a modern kit of this Bristol
classic was to be widely available...
and at a sensible price. The new
example, with 120 parts spread
across four runners, and a fifthfor transparencies, shared nothing
with the 1958 original. Pleasingly,
the parts presented a smoother
surface finish than other recent
releases, with fine panel line
representation. Detail-wise the
parts looked simple yet effective,
and very much in keeping with
other new-tool kits from Airfix.Interior delights
Construction began with the
fuselage floor, complete with
wing spars, on which the cockpit
and observer’s areas were to be
built. The thoughtful inclusion
of tabs and slots made sure that
spar alignment was a non-issue.
All parts were added before any
painting took place, as pretty
much everything was to be
Interior Green. Tamiya XF-71
Cockpit Green was used here, with
a neutral brown wash added before
details were picked out. Since
no decals were available for this
build, the plain instrument panel
was a problem. Luckily, Airfix's
decal designer came to the rescue,
and provided a sample image of
the decal sheet. This was printed
to an appropriate size, which
allowed the panel to be cut out
and attached to the plastic part
with white glue. Due to the large
and very clear cockpit canopy,
seatbelts were necessary and a setof the new fabric-style belts from
Eduard (item no.73025) fitted
easily. Not wanting to leave the
rear seat bare, small strips were
cut from the edging of the set to
give the impression of belts.
Cementing the fuselage halves
together was easy, as the fit was
impeccable. Cyanoacrylate (CA)
was used as both adhesive andROCKET QUEEN
MODEL SPEC
Bristol Beaufighter
Mk.X
By: Airfix
Stock Code: A04019
Scale: 1/72
Price: £14.99
Available from:
Airfix, http://www.airfix.com46 BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER Mk.X
ROCKET QUEEN
easily. Not wanting to leave the
rear seat bare, small strips were
cut from the edging of the set to
give the impression of belts.
Cementing the fuselage halves
together was easy, as the fit was
impeccable. Cyanoacrylate (CA)
was used as both adhesive andBristol Beaufighter
A04019
£14.99
Airfix, http://www.airfix.comThe adequately detailed interior was built from relatively few parts, although the
engineering was such that misalignment of the wing spars was nigh impossible.In tackling Airfix’s
latest test-shot,
Jen Wright is
blown away by a
Beaufighter
46-51_Beaufighter.CC.indd 46 19/03/2015 14:58