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The Merlin Beaufighter had some 450 examples produced, with both straight and angled horizontal tail, High Planes has some nice decal sets for black, green/grey FAA Beaus, and even a post war NMF bird, yet there are no injected kits oob in any scale. Even finding decent profiles or photos other than the same 4 repeated on the web is a real challenge.

1. What is the best reference resource for Merlin Beaus?

2. What other major WWII combat aircraft had that many variants produced without any injected kits of said version?

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I'm going to bump this once!

Really?

Nobody can recommend ANY references for Merlin engined Beaufighters?

I can find volumes on Japanese and German WHIF'S and prototypes but nothing on an aircraft of which over 450 were produced?

Speechless.

Anyway, I recently purchased an old 1/48 conversion set that Mike West was selling on Hyperscale (thanks Mike) and already hacked up a nice new Tamiya Beaufighter. I am going to build the top one on this decal sheet:

http://www.hiplanes.com/new/images/D4811COV_large.gif

Can anyone tell me any more information about this aircraft, where to find photos, etc.?

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Can anyone tell me any more information about this aircraft, where to find photos, etc.?

I find it very appealing as well (and have a nice looking vac in my stash to reflect this.) However (besides a vague plan to attend an RAeS lecture on 'Bristol Aircraft at War' and ask the speaker) the only refs I have are pictures of R2270 and R2061 in the (very good) Victor Bingham book. Sorry, and welcome any other responses you get.

Patrick

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The Merlin Beaufighter had some 450 examples produced, with both straight and angled horizontal tail, High Planes has some nice decal sets for black, green/grey FAA Beaus, and even a post war NMF bird, yet there are no injected kits oob in any scale. Even finding decent profiles or photos other than the same 4 repeated on the web is a real challenge.

1. What is the best reference resource for Merlin Beaus?

2. What other major WWII combat aircraft had that many variants produced without any injected kits of said version?

Hello and WELCOME...jfgesquire

I found this link and if you click on the contents you will see more ..like the engine, the varinats ,including the Merlin and others...

http://wapedia.mobi/en/Bristol_Beaufighter

You eill have to click on the content title "variants" and you ill see the one you want etc..Hope it helps.

HOLMES

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I'm no expert... I did find this list of squadrons that used the Mk.II:

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapo..._squadrons.html

I also read a blurb that the MerlinXX version was to prevent a loss of production if the existing engines should run low, but this never happened and the MerlinXX version actually performed worse.

Then I saw the time frames of its use. I would suggest that in late 1941 and through 1942 that the RAF needed every bit of power they could. This was a time where they were using every obsolete plane possible just to keep the fighting pressure on the Luftwaffe.

However, this is also the time where German planes and designs ruled the skies. 109Fs, 109Gs, 190As... The heavy bombing had not yet begun to drive them back over German home lands yet. They were still winning the battles (but losing the war) and the RAF couldn't afford to put planes into the fight with less power.

Meaning I infer that the MerlinXX Mk.IIs were pulled from duty or bypassed totally with later models as soon as possible, the remainder perhaps being used as trainers, or recycled, or scrapped, or simply lost.

A half-educated guess, but it seems to fit on the available scarcity of any reference to the Merlin-powered-Beau on the Internet.

EDIT: P.S. Just because (from ww2aircraft.net):

b2866fe9657370de0b2637df1965ce86.jpg

Edited by Mark M.
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Thanks, guys.

Unfortunately, I've already seen all that info.

Interestingly, many sources state that the Beaufighter VI was the first to get the tailplanes with the dihedral, but it was actually a result of the poor performance at low speed of the Merlin Beaus that the tailplane was first fitted, and that picture is proof that the II had them.

There is also a Pilot's Notes available on the web for the Mk II. In it is a discussion about poor low speed handling.

http://www.amazon.com/Bristol-Beaufighter-...4603635-2386908

Yet, that picture you posted is the ONLY picture of a Merlin Beau with angled tailplanes I have ever seen (I have seen it on the web before).

I would love to know what the panel line differences were on the wing top as a result of the smaller nacelle. I would also love to know what the wheel well looked like. I would also love to know, by serial number, which planes got needle or paddle props, internal, external, or external/shrouded exhaust stubs, and dihedral tailplanes. There were many used by the Fleet Air Arm, in Greens and Greys, but there are NO photographs of those, only Night Black? 450 were produced!!!! There were even a few aces that flew the II!

Wow.

I am about to order the HighPlanes decals, maybe it will include ne'er before seen references. Anything else I should order from High Planes while I'm at it?

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