Bristol Beaufort and Beaufreighter

[ysi_maniac]

IMO High Planes used Frog's molds.

I may be wrong after all.

[ysi_maniac]

What if Bristol managed to produce a 4 engined heavy bomber based on Beaufort?

The BEAUFORTRESS.

[NARSES2]

That's fascinating 

[KiwiZac]

I want one! But a DAP-built one with P&Ws...

[ysi_maniac]

Unarmed Beaufort ready to perform tasks like liason, medevac, and similar.

[NARSES2]

  

[The Wooksta!]

Quite a few had the turret removed and the area plated over.

[ysi_maniac]

Single seat fighter torpedo bomber Beaufort

[NARSES2]

I like that 

[Weaver]

Random Whiff idea: how about a Beaufort carrying a what-if early British air-to-surface missile, something like the German Hs 293 or Fritz X or the US Bat or Kazon(?) weapons? It would seem ideal since it has the oddball bomb bay with narrow extensions fore and aft for a semi-recessed torpedo.

[The Wooksta!]

I'd go with something with both a higher performance and more ground clearance - Mosquito, Buckingham or perhaps Brigand.  Mosquito was used in trials.

[Weaver]

So, due to Airfix's generosity/desperation/overstocking (take your pick), I now have three Beauforts, and only one What-If idea for them. So what should I do with the other two? (Note: "give one to me" is not the answer I'm looking for...).

My idea is a "Super Beaufort" with Beaufighter wings and engines, and a Defiant four-gun turret. It may or may not get some sort of early air-to-surface missile if I can concoct something.

The donor Beaufighter would get the Beaufort wings & engines, and be presented as a very early prototype, possibly with a twin-fin setup.

The donor Defiant would get a single swivel gun, wing guns, Sptifire-style wing-mounted radiator/oil cooler and a dive-bombing crutch on the centreline ( a Divefiant, if you will...). It might also get skis and Finnish markings.

[kitbasher]

Ooops!  For 'Divefiant' I read 'Deviant'.

As for your 'spare' Beaufort, why not simply turn into a European theatre RAF transport (as the Aussies did) - wartime equivalent/precursor of the post-war Buckingham?

Alternatively, do the wing/engine swap and repurpose the Beaufort as a tactical bomber with 2 Gp in lieu of Venturas?

[Mossie]

You could use two to create a four engined bomber, serious bashing. Use the centre fuselage from one as an extension plug and the inner wings and engines to make a four engined wing. Pretty much like Carlos's Beaufortress above.

[Mossie]

My idea is a "Super Beaufort" with Beaufighter wings and engines, and a Defiant four-gun turret. It may or may not get some sort of early air-to-surface missile if I can concoct something.

For a different look, you could use Merlins from a Beaufort II. CMK do a couple of conversions that simply replace the inner wing section, assuming they fit the Beaufort okay.