Bristol Beaufighter - Airfix or Matchbox?

[alex]

Hello,

since Revell is about to release a repop of Matchbox' Beaufighter TF Mk. X, I just wonder which is the better kit - Airfix or Matchbox. Anyone of you built one of them? What are the good points, what the bad ones?

Alex

[AnonymousAA74]

I never built the Airfix one but I remember the Matchbox one well, and seem to remember it was a good build, but with the usual Matchbox faults, such as furrow width panel lines, unless my alzheimers is kicking in.

[Dave Fleming]

I'm tempted to say 'neither, they are both as bad as each other!!'

Airfix one is very 60s Airfix, and always looked too small to me. The Matchbox one is better, but if I remember the cowls had too tapered sides.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Hello,

since Revell is about to release a repop of Matchbox' Beaufighter TF Mk. X, I just wonder which is the better kit - Airfix or Matchbox. Anyone of you built one of them? What are the good points, what the bad ones?

I built the Matchbox one many years ago. I have the Airfix one in the stash at the moment. I would say that the Matchbox/Revell one is by far the better choice. Nevertheless, you have to realise that the Matchbox kit has some very crude surface detail which will need to be filled and rescribed.

The best choice would be the Hasegawa kit, if you can find it at a non-ludicrous price.

[AnonymousA667]

No contest really, if you're picking one to build then the Matchbox kit wins. Both kits lack interiors, the Airfix cowlings/engines are hideous, whilst the Matchbox cowling fronts need opening up a bit. The Matchbox outline shapes are much better and you can either ignore the trenches or fill and re-scribe. Plenty of scope for detailing the cockpit, or you could throw some resin at it. Of course, if you do the Matchbox the only option is with thimble nose and dorsal fillet. Curiously I seem to remember that the Matchbox kit lacks the observers gun and associated transparency that will need to be borrowed from another kit. I think these are pretty well standard for a TFX.

I remember the cowls had too tapered sides.

They're not at all bad, but any one piece cowling is going to have some draw angle on it so that it comes out of the mould.

peebeep

[alex]

OK, thanks. I will get the Revell kit when it hits the shelves!

Alex

[Enzo the Magnificent]

the Airfix cowlings/engines are hideous

peebeep... you're a master of understatement!

[Heraldcoupe]

I'm pretty certain that all of the pre-Hasegawa Beaufighters have undersized cowls. The Beaufighter was originally intended to have the same (much smaller) engines as the Beaufort. Before the Beaufighter was ever manufactured, it was realised that more powerful engines would in fact be necessary, so that aspect was revised. The earlier drawings however survived, and later found their way to the kitmakers.....

Or so the story goes,

Cheers,

Bill.

[Test Graham]

It is worth pointing out that the Hasegawa kit is also ludicrously superior to both kits, and to the so-far unmentioned Frog one. As indeed it should be, given the date of tooling. Worth every extra penny.

If you are insistent on Airfix or Matchbox, in years gone by people would use Halifax cowlings slightly modified as much finer alternatives. Very little draw angle - although the front is too open to permit tooling of the engine front. Coil a bit of Microstrip inside the lip to reduce the effect.

[The wooksta V2.0]

The props always seemed too thin on the Matchbox kit too. Even from the box, it builds into a reasonable Beaufighter. The engines could be replaced with Aeroclub ones. Did it one of mine and it makes a world of difference.

[theplasticsurgeon]

Here is a Matchbox Beaufighter that I built in 1988. Fix those engines in sirmly, mine are now loose.

I've built an Airfix Beau, even longer ago. and seen one more recently. The engines are absolutely dreadful.

If I ever do another - I'll find a Hasegawa kit.

[thx6667]

Built the Airfix reissue back in 97/98 and it was creaking considerably back then.

I'd go Matchbox - no rivets, better fit, interesting variant and... its Matchbox!

Edited July 26, 2009 by Jonathan Mock

[rossm]

The Airfix fuselage is a bit undernourished, the engines are a (bad) joke and the oil coolers are too small. It's only advantage is that it gives you tailplanes the right size for the horizontal ones on a Mk1, although you need to remove the dihedral ! It also is the donor of choice for the Magna Mk2 conversion which removes the problem of the engines and makes a reasonable model. For a reasonably priced model from the box I'd go Matchbox but if you start to think about adding Aeroclub engines, Aires interior... then i) take more water with it and ii) pay out £25 for the Hasegawa version!

Edited July 4, 2009 by rossm

[John Thompson]

No one has mentioned the High Planes series of Beaufighters - how do they compare for accuracy? For ease of assembly I'm sure they're at the bottom of the list, but I had heard that they were very good for being accurate in shape and detail. Thanks!

John

[tornado64]

match box everytime i built 100's of kits as a child and the matchbox beaufighter was one of the memorable ones that stood out at the top of the pile i seem to remember it being a joy to build and standing out above other kits of the time in the mid-late 70's

people worry too much i feel about a mm here and a slightly wrong dimension / curve there than seeing it as a bigger picture and enjoying the build

it looks like a beaufighter to me and it is a nice build ( job done ! ) matchbox you were stars !!

[The wooksta V2.0]

The High Planes Beaufighters are fairly accurate and they do the whole family (inc. the Merlin ones and that one with the turret) but as they're limited run, it needs major cleanup and the fit is terrible. Which is true of most High Planes kits, challenging is probably the best description but they are worth it. I've their early Beaufighter mk1f somewhere. The decals are good and you usually get spare bits. Which is nice.

Actually, given the cost of the Hasegawa ones, I'd go with the Highplanes one. The Airfix one is best used for the decals, which are good and include full invasion striping. At least in the last one I got did.

Magna's Beaufighter II conversion is a bit of a dog tho.

[Dave Fleming]

No one has mentioned the High Planes series of Beaufighters - how do they compare for accuracy? For ease of assembly I'm sure they're at the bottom of the list, but I had heard that they were very good for being accurate in shape and detail. Thanks!

John

Probably the most accurate - even than the Hasegawa one.

[rossm]

Magna's Beaufighter II conversion is a bit of a dog tho.

I know it got a terrible review from Mike McEvoy in Scale Aircraft Modelling and Wooksta obviously doesn't like it much but I got on quite well with mine.

Ross

[bentwaters81tfw]

The Frog offering makes up quite well, if you can find one. It's a Mk 21, so you may want to take the hump off the nose.

[The wooksta V2.0]

I know it got a terrible review from Mike McEvoy in Scale Aircraft Modelling and Wooksta obviously doesn't like it much but I got on quite well with mine.

Ross

I've got mine together, it's just that resin was pretty awful and needed a fair amount of cleanup. The props are best slung out. A mate did one and replaced the engines with Lancaster cowlings. To be fair, it's not that bad, it just needs a little more work than one would expect.

[alex]

OK, got my Revell Beaufighter today. Looks like what I expected. I took some pictures, and will post them next week.

Alex

[Derwentsider]

I have the Hasegawa Beau VI in the stash,but I`ll be getting one of these Revell issues for pure nostalgia. The last one was built wheels-up and painted gloss blue.

Anyone wanting to build a `Firedog` Beaufighter could do worse,as I`ve never come across Hasegawa`s Mk.X.

It seems that these aircraft carried twin rocket rails and the observers position was fitted with a gun,so a bit of modifying will be needed. The Freightdog `Brits abroad Pt.2` has the decals,and as a bonus there are markings for the newly released Spitfire XIX and the Brigand B. Mk1 which you know you want when Valom release it

[The wooksta V2.0]

Tim, Quickboost do a resin nose and fillet to go on the Hasegawa Beau, which are direct copies of the Hasegawa bits. I might have a resin nose somewhere - I'll pass it along via Bob.

[Derwentsider]

Tim, Quickboost do a resin nose and fillet to go on the Hasegawa Beau, which are direct copies of the Hasegawa bits. I might have a resin nose somewhere - I'll pass it along via Bob.

Thanks for that Lee,I didn`t know about the Quickboost set. I was looking at the Airfix and Revell kits today. Apart from the engines,the Airfix kit wasn`t as bad as I remembered.

Looking at the Matchbox/Revell cockpit I think bunging the crew in to hide the armchairs would be a good idea if you don`t want to go to town.

[The wooksta V2.0]

Airwaves did a very full brass set to tart up the matchbox kit. I made do with some Aeroclub engines and a load of plastic card. Never finished it though!