In Box Review of Frog 1/72nd Scale
Bristol Beaufighter Mk. 21 Anti-shipping Strike-fighter
Kit no. F291
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of 1971. I paid $2.75 for it back then.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of 1971. I paid $2.75 for it back then.
HISTORY:
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often referred to simply as the "Beau") is a multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the United Kingdom (UK).
It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort bomber. Upon its entry to service, the Beaufighter proved to be well suited to the night fighter role, for which the Royal Air Force (RAF) initially deployed the type as during the height of the Battle of Britain, in part due to its large size allowing it to accommodate both heavy armaments and early airborne interception radar without major performance penalties.
As its wartime service continued, the Beaufighter was applied to many different roles; receiving the monikers Rockbeau for its use as a rocket-armed ground attack aircraft, and Torbeau in its role as a torpedo bomber against Axis shipping, in which it came to replace the preceding Beaufort.
In later operations, it served mainly as a maritime strike/ground attack aircraft, RAF Coastal Command having operated the largest number of Beaufighters amongst all other commands at one point. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also heavily used the type in the maritime anti-shipping role, such as during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
The Beaufighter saw extensive service during the war with the RAF (59 squadrons), Fleet Air arm (15 squadrons), RAAF (seven squadrons), Royal Canadian Air Force (four squadrons), United States Army Air Forces (four squadrons), Royal New Zealand Air Force (two squadrons), South African Air Force (two squadrons) and Poskie Sily Powietrzne (Free Polish Air Force; one squadron). In addition, variants of the Beaufighter were also manufactured in Australia by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP); such aircraft are sometimes referred to by the name DAP Beaufighter.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Heavy fighter/ strike aircraft
Manufacturer: Bristol Aeroplane Company
First flight: 17 July 1939
Introduction into service: 27 July 1940
Retired: 1960 (Australia)
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force
Produced: May 1940 – 1946
Number built: 5,928
Developed from: Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often referred to simply as the "Beau") is a multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the United Kingdom (UK).
It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort bomber. Upon its entry to service, the Beaufighter proved to be well suited to the night fighter role, for which the Royal Air Force (RAF) initially deployed the type as during the height of the Battle of Britain, in part due to its large size allowing it to accommodate both heavy armaments and early airborne interception radar without major performance penalties.
As its wartime service continued, the Beaufighter was applied to many different roles; receiving the monikers Rockbeau for its use as a rocket-armed ground attack aircraft, and Torbeau in its role as a torpedo bomber against Axis shipping, in which it came to replace the preceding Beaufort.
In later operations, it served mainly as a maritime strike/ground attack aircraft, RAF Coastal Command having operated the largest number of Beaufighters amongst all other commands at one point. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also heavily used the type in the maritime anti-shipping role, such as during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
The Beaufighter saw extensive service during the war with the RAF (59 squadrons), Fleet Air arm (15 squadrons), RAAF (seven squadrons), Royal Canadian Air Force (four squadrons), United States Army Air Forces (four squadrons), Royal New Zealand Air Force (two squadrons), South African Air Force (two squadrons) and Poskie Sily Powietrzne (Free Polish Air Force; one squadron). In addition, variants of the Beaufighter were also manufactured in Australia by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP); such aircraft are sometimes referred to by the name DAP Beaufighter.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Heavy fighter/ strike aircraft
Manufacturer: Bristol Aeroplane Company
First flight: 17 July 1939
Introduction into service: 27 July 1940
Retired: 1960 (Australia)
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force
Produced: May 1940 – 1946
Number built: 5,928
Developed from: Bristol Beaufort
THE KIT:
Frog was a model company based in the UK that went out of business. Their molds went to the Novo model company in Russia, who has also gone out of business.
This kit comes in a tray and lid type box that was not shrink-wrapped. It was held shut with strips of tape.
The box art shows 2 Beaufighters attacking ships just offshore somewhere in the Pacific. I gather that because there are palm trees on the shore.
Both aircraft are overall matt foliage green. The Beaufighter in the foreground has a fuselage code in white of EH-Z (roundel). In smaller white letters there is AB-2 behind the fuselage code.
It is a Beaufighter Mk. 21 of 31 Squadron, 77 Wing, Dutch East Indies 1944.
The second Beaufighter is banking away and just showing its bottom.
One side panel lists features of the kit in 8 languages, including English, each labeled with a color illustration of the roundels or markings of the country that speaks those languages.
Features are: 68 parts, rockets, bombs and tropedo, under carraige up or down, decal sheet with marking for alternative versions shown on base of box, display stand. Wingspan of model is 9 5/8".
The other side panel shows the positions of the display stand can be posed in: taking off, in flight, diving and banking. It can be free standing or hung on a wall mounting.
There are 8 color box art illustrations around the 4 sides of the tray of other aircraft kits that Frog marketed: a Maryland 167 Reconnaissance Bomber, a Me-110C Night Fighter, a Sepecat Jaguar A2/T2, a Blenheim Mk. 1/1F Light Bomber, a Dornier 335 Night Fighter/Trainer, a Havoc Bomber, a Boston Mk. III Intruder, a Junkers Ju-88A-4 Fighter Bomber and a Beaufort Mk. II Torpedo Bomber.
The bottom of the tray has two 3-views of schemes.
Frog was a model company based in the UK that went out of business. Their molds went to the Novo model company in Russia, who has also gone out of business.
This kit comes in a tray and lid type box that was not shrink-wrapped. It was held shut with strips of tape.
The box art shows 2 Beaufighters attacking ships just offshore somewhere in the Pacific. I gather that because there are palm trees on the shore.
Both aircraft are overall matt foliage green. The Beaufighter in the foreground has a fuselage code in white of EH-Z (roundel). In smaller white letters there is AB-2 behind the fuselage code.
It is a Beaufighter Mk. 21 of 31 Squadron, 77 Wing, Dutch East Indies 1944.
The second Beaufighter is banking away and just showing its bottom.
One side panel lists features of the kit in 8 languages, including English, each labeled with a color illustration of the roundels or markings of the country that speaks those languages.
Features are: 68 parts, rockets, bombs and tropedo, under carraige up or down, decal sheet with marking for alternative versions shown on base of box, display stand. Wingspan of model is 9 5/8".
The other side panel shows the positions of the display stand can be posed in: taking off, in flight, diving and banking. It can be free standing or hung on a wall mounting.
There are 8 color box art illustrations around the 4 sides of the tray of other aircraft kits that Frog marketed: a Maryland 167 Reconnaissance Bomber, a Me-110C Night Fighter, a Sepecat Jaguar A2/T2, a Blenheim Mk. 1/1F Light Bomber, a Dornier 335 Night Fighter/Trainer, a Havoc Bomber, a Boston Mk. III Intruder, a Junkers Ju-88A-4 Fighter Bomber and a Beaufort Mk. II Torpedo Bomber.
The bottom of the tray has two 3-views of schemes.
1. The box art scheme. Already described above. However the 3 view shows that the nose has Macksville II in white on its side.
2. A Mk. 21 of 22 Squadron, RAAF, Sanga Sanga, Phillipines, late 1944.
1. The box art scheme. Already described above. However the 3 view shows that the nose has Macksville II in white on its side.
2. A Mk. 21 of 22 Squadron, RAAF, Sanga Sanga, Phillipines, late 1944.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 5 medium-grey trees, medium-grey individual wing halves, a medium blue tree, a clear tree, decal sheet and instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet printed on both sides in 15" x 8 1/2" page format.
The face side of the sheet has the display stand assembly instructions, 10 TOP MODEL TIPS with illustrations of how to do those tips, the history of the Beaufort in 8 languages, including English, international assembly symbol explanations and 6 assembly steps.
The reverse side of the instructions continues with a grand total of 13 assembly steps and a customer service coupon to mail to Revex Ltd. in the UK for any sssistance with the kit.
The sheet is folded several times to fit the box.
The 1st medium-grey tree holds: exhuast pipes, a fuselage half, bombs, crew figures, an elevator half (8 parts)
This kit contains 5 medium-grey trees, medium-grey individual wing halves, a medium blue tree, a clear tree, decal sheet and instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet printed on both sides in 15" x 8 1/2" page format.
The face side of the sheet has the display stand assembly instructions, 10 TOP MODEL TIPS with illustrations of how to do those tips, the history of the Beaufort in 8 languages, including English, international assembly symbol explanations and 6 assembly steps.
The reverse side of the instructions continues with a grand total of 13 assembly steps and a customer service coupon to mail to Revex Ltd. in the UK for any sssistance with the kit.
The sheet is folded several times to fit the box.
The 1st medium-grey tree holds: exhuast pipes, a fuselage half, bombs, crew figures, an elevator half (8 parts)
The 2nd medium-grey tree holds: cowlings, other fuselage half, bulkhead, and elevator half etc. (10 parts)
The 3rd medium-grey tree holds: main wheel halves, torpedo, machine guns, propeller, landing gear doors etc. (17 parts)
The 4th medium-grey tree holds: rockets, landing gear legs and struts, cockpit floor, propeller, tail wheel, propeller shafts, air scoops, main wheel halves etc. (24 parts)
The 5th medium-grey tree holds: the lower fuselage panel, bulkheads (5 parts). These parts are loose and also contain one of the elevator halves.
Next are the 4 medium-grey wing halves.
The clear tree holds cockpit windows (3 parts)
The medium-blue tree holds the display stand parts (3 parts)
There is a self-adhesing foam square included to use to mount the stand on the wall if you choose.
There is a self-adhesing foam square included to use to mount the stand on the wall if you choose.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
No part tree illustrations are in the instructions and trees are not alphabetized. There are part number tabs next to the parts on the trees though.
This is a nice older kit.
Recommended.
I have 2 other Beaufighter kits of different versions.
Recommended.
I have 2 other Beaufighter kits of different versions.
I bought my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business.