By: Eddie - 22nd October 2003 at 09:24
The power egg was developed for the Beaufighter, and was re-used on the Lancaster. That’s why the Lanc has a funny kink in the firewall on the outboard engines (as far as I know!).
I think a lot of Beau II’s were retrofitted with the dihedral tailplane. I know I’ve seen photos of them like that.
By: dhfan - 22nd October 2003 at 01:10
I thought I was the only nocturnal one around here.
Must admit I wasn’t thinking of the X, more the I so I agree about the tail. I’m sure I’ve read recently that it was an easy conversion as RR had already developed the power egg for another reason. I know which book it was in so I’ll have a look tomorrow, or rather, later.
By: Arabella-Cox - 22nd October 2003 at 00:59
Between the II and the X? Not major differences, no.
Main one was the tail section, which was the early type on the II, and on the X it had the tailplane dihedral and the dorsal fillet, both to aid stability as the X had uprated engines and the take off swing with an early type tail would have been a killer.
The wing centre section would also have had some differences, the Merlins on the II had completely different pickups to the Hercules on ‘normal’ Beaus, and I think the undercarriage mountings would have been different too. All housed in different shape nacelles too. Actually, now I think about it, there were quite a few differences.
But other than that, no, they were identical. 😀
By: dhfan - 22nd October 2003 at 00:47
Apart from the obvious, there’s no difference to the actual airframe, is there?
The engines were a power egg, with self-contained cooling. Serial numbers apart, the only thing I can think of is gauges reading coolant temperature rather than cylinder head temperature.
Have I missed something blindingly obvious?
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st October 2003 at 23:58
Well, they do say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Just think how bad I’d be if I’d got a lot! 😉
It had to be a TF X; partly because the placard says so 😀 , but mainly because the Israeli Air Force only officially (and even that’s debatable, given the story of their acquisition!) operated four Beaufighter TF X’s. The remains of a pair of Hercules engines identify it, along with the cannon tubes and prop hubs.
The Beaufighter II is much more of a mystery though. I can’t remember where I saw it mentioned, but I’d love to know if the mortal remains of a Beau II exist anywhere, other than the RAFM’s sectioned forward fuselage which we *think* might be from a II.
By: dhfan - 21st October 2003 at 21:58
I think that’s showing off, Steve. 🙂
I wouldn’t have been able to identify the aircraft, let alone the mark number!
By: DazDaMan - 21st October 2003 at 15:20
The Spitfire’s gonna win – whatever it is they’er up to! 😉 :p
By: thekyle - 21st October 2003 at 15:12
Originally posted by skythe
No recent ones, but …
Whoa that is a very cool pic!
“Old with new”:)
By: skythe - 21st October 2003 at 14:37
No recent ones, but …
and somewhere on the net is a better version of this picture but I don’t know where :
By: DazDaMan - 21st October 2003 at 14:30
Thanks 🙂
I’ll just keep waiting for the flying ones 😉
By: thekyle - 21st October 2003 at 14:23
Originally posted by DazDaMan
You don’t happen to know if there are any flying shots of the black Spitfire, do you?
Hmmm…
Not flying, but there it is.:)
By: DazDaMan - 21st October 2003 at 14:21
You don’t happen to know if there are any flying shots of the black Spitfire, do you?
That’s one of the ones I DON’T have on my screensaver at home!! 🙁
By: reinati - 21st October 2003 at 14:16
Looks really awesome! 😉
I wanna to visit there someday when Im goin to Israel next year or so 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th October 2003 at 00:15
That’s the one, thanks very much. Definately a TF X. Although there have been a few rumours over the years of the Israeli’s having substantial remains of a Beau II (Merlin engined version as opposed to Hercules).
Nice to see that they’ve managed to place the TF X remains on public view; engine parts, prop hubs, cannon tubes, seems like it’s just the steel parts that have survived, although that’s a fair old chunk in the middle which I can’t quite place. It’s not the underside of the centre section because there’s no crew entry hatch. Top side of an engine nacelle perhaps…?
By: thekyle - 19th October 2003 at 22:17
@ SteveYoung, is this the one you talked about?
Here.
By: thekyle - 19th October 2003 at 22:07
Originally posted by SteveYoung
Looks pretty impressive.Don’t suppose you managed to catch sight (or even better, take a photograph) of the remains of a Beaufighter which the Israeli Air Force Museum are rumoured to have did you?
I took a photograph of it.
I just uploaded it to WEBSHOTS, you’ll see it there soon (part 2).
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th October 2003 at 22:04
Looks pretty impressive.
Don’t suppose you managed to catch sight (or even better, take a photograph) of the remains of a Beaufighter which the Israeli Air Force Museum are rumoured to have did you?
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October 19, 2003 at 2:02 pm
