Beaufort A9-13 Restoration Updates

A few more pics to kick off the week. This was all completed today

Rear UC leg was scrubbed down and cleaned, and now coated in primer.

And the painting continues on the frame. Really coming together now !

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Cheers

Yep that’s Bristol green…Looks same hue as what we use.. 🙂

I just finished the Kickstarter email, some great progress! Thanks for sharing, Ewan. Which reminds me, I have to find a model kit of a Beaufort to build as -13!

Quick update pic as promised. The painting part is very challenging in such small spaces, but we got an excellent colour match, and have left the lower skins off so the internals can be painted properly.

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Thanks Errol ! I had no idea we were being interviewed along with the Sandbar and P61 guys. But hopefully that gives other projects some insight and ideas to work on different methods of fundraising, always happy to offer whatever advice I can 🙂

Must do some new updates this week – we are painting !

Ewan, great to hear you on the Canvas Wings episode on crowdfunded restorations!

https://soundcloud.com/abc_radio/sets/canvaswings-with-david-white
Episode 7, 28th June.

I love following progress on this, thanks to contributing to the project the Beaufort has really captured my imagination. I’m looking at getting a model kit to finish as A9-13 on display – bring on the updates!

Thanks Mark – The fin in the container does not have the Rhino Horn section on the top as a Beaufort should do, hence the Beaufighter ID. So we probably have a bit more work to do yet – but at any rate thats down the track 🙂 !

I think you will find the rhino horn and larger area fin is a later Australian mod introduced after the mark V model, (although later retrospectfully fitted as a mod to those early examples) and that the earlier Bristol and original DAP Beaufort fin is very similiar to the Beaufighter fin as I understood from Ralph and A9-13’s previous owner Monty Armstrong, hence the acquisition of that fin.

I think we have the remains of two under cupola aft facing turrets, one via Ralph and one with A9-13, this simply replaces the solid escape hatch in the lower floor of the nose and is a simple installation, other than reproducing a complete one from the remains we have.

The other issue is the deletion of the two forward facing gun gimbles on the nose of A9-150 as A9-13 did not have these.

Nothing that cant be done over time with a good plan and resources.

Its great to see such rapid progress on this significant airframe, having been in storage for nearly 20+ years.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

I keep looking for a ‘Like’ button. DOH!

Thanks Mark – The fin in the container does not have the Rhino Horn section on the top as a Beaufort should do, hence the Beaufighter ID. So we probably have a bit more work to do yet – but at any rate thats down the track 🙂 For now we will get the sternframe finished and presented to the community, then start moving the next sections forward. Be nice to have it looking good soon !

Top quality work – which bit is next? Fin?

The fin is already restored, care of Ralph Cusack and his team who had used it as a pattern for their own restoration while A9-13 was stored with them by the previous owner.

(In the container with the Centre-Section I believe Ewan – smiles)

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Top quality work – which bit is next? Fin?

At this point the next section to tackle will be the centre fuse frame. We figure that it would be good to get all the fuse sections complete first and have a straight line to work from (if you get what I mean) We do have a couple of tailfins though, but we think the one that originally arrived with A9-13 is in fact Beaufighter, must get it out and have a look. And of course we have to paint the sternframe now, that should happen shortly but there are DC-3 and Wirraway works in the queue right now.

The other thing that we will need to do of course is paint the nose section of 150 as well after conducting a full inspection and works sheet for parts that need attention. The nose frame of 210 will be retired to storage for a while and we also need to assess how, if at all, we modify the nose of 150 to include the gun under the front.

Cheers

Please don’t apologise for the frequency of updates! This is a great thread with some super work, so well done and keep it up!

Top quality work – which bit is next? Fin?

Looking good – must wander up the road and have a look.

Pretty pretty pretty.
Brilliant !
Thanks Ewan

Sorry for the volume of updates, guess we are doing a lot of work !

After all the scrubbing and hard work done by Bradley and Ashley Briggs, the sternframe has gone into full primer, the bulkhead secured in place and we think it looks pretty fine right now ! Two replacement ribs are being fitted today towards the rear – not an easy thing as we found out, but then that should complete the main works on this section

Pictures of course 🙂

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Until next update !

Hi All,
Bellarine, Many thanks for the info update via the link. :eagerness:
Excellent news all-round on the Beaufort restorations and the possibility of having an airworthy Beaufighter even if it is down under keep up guys all the excellent work you will be rewarded with your faith. :eagerness:

Geoff.

Looking great! Keep on scrubbing and spraying! :applause:

What a brilliant attitude to restoration, and some amazing work to boot. Thanks for the updates Ewan, and I really relish seeing this progress!