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Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - Printable Version

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Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - smuzz - 30-10-2013

I've had this excellent little airframe in a box for over a year - time to get it in the air.

We haven't had very many (... if any) Alfa models at our field. They're made by a small family-owned concern in the Czech Republic. Typical old-style electric designs, set up for brushed power-trains - they're made of shells of depron (or it looks like depron to me) covered with a plastic skin and painted. The surface is excellent, and it shows small panel lines and offers a really classy light-weight structure - but they're only small models, suitable for calm days and favourable conditions. They've got a whole range of models which we don't see offered by the other producers, if you're into war-birds. Only sold as air-frame kits, they require the builder to do a bit of work - no worries.

Here's their web-site: http://www.alfamodel.cz

The only problem with them is that the construction technique means that they're restricted to being small - say up to 1000mm wingspan. Currently, that's fine for me as I discovered last weekend that my FMS Trojan is a bit too much for me to handle with only one good arm at the moment. Getting it into and out of the car was a hassle.

So, to the Beaufighter - typical of Alfa to make a war-bird which is interesting and yet not offered by many other manufacturers. Here's a photograph of the parts (I don't own this photograph, it's the property of Mike Llewellyn but mine was the same before I started painting it - forgot to get a pic beforehand).

   

I got mine out and decided to paint it in a scheme which is close (as much as I can get it) to a machine from 455 Sqn RAAF which flew out of Leuchars in Scotland 1942-45, and was charged with anti-shipping operations. Here's a pic of one I found (author unknown, but I don't claim ownership).

   

I've only airbrushed the underside so far, and it's not a good match in colour for the picture above, but, ... life's short and I cant lose sleep over that.

I'll continue the build over the next couple of weeks and hopefully have a maiden happening before the end of November.

RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - Servo - 30-10-2013

Way to go Steve, I can't wait to see it fly.

RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - smuzz - 30-10-2013

I've got a better idea Kev - I'll get it all sorted out and you take it for a fly!

RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - Raptorfly - 30-10-2013

(30-10-2013, 11:22 AM)smuzz Wrote:  I've got a better idea Kev - I'll get it all sorted out and you take it for a fly!

Me too... I love twins....

RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - chrism - 30-10-2013

Hi Steve,
Great plane, very nice and I can't wait to see her finished. Will it be a belly lander or do you intent on using small retracts?

Can I ask where you get Alfa models from as I thought they went out of business?

Chris M

RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - smuzz - 30-10-2013

Cheers Chris - yes, it'll have retracts. There's a special retract kit available for it from Alfa which is an intricate little assembly made of plastic and carbon-fibre, and uses a standard servo. I'll put up some pics and a video when I get them assembled and tested.

I bought directly from the Alfa web-site in the Czech Republic and had them shipped out surface mail. It was a perfectly smooth and satisfactory arrangement.

RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - secant0give - 31-10-2013

Nice machine!!
I've always like the Beaufighter. The RAAF flew them in Africa

Here's some cini-gun footage of one strafing trucks, you can see the large rudder inputs used to aim the guns, the footage is a bit scratchy but the flying and gunnery is pretty skillfull!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTA7-83GFII

It'll be good to see it fly !!


RE: Alfa Models - Bristol Beaufighter - Steven - 01-11-2013

Looks nice, and 1 metre planes are convenient if you don't have a van, as I know now.

A pair of 1200kv Power 25 racers should sort her out nicely :P