The Ukrainian company brings into action previously unused parts – and fresh decals – with its new 1/48 Bristol Beaufort Mk.Ia kit.
Fans of RAF World War Two aircraft in 1/48 scale were cock-a-hoop when ICM released its all-new Beaufort Mk.I
late last year. Now, the firm is making more of the mouldings by reissuing the product as a Mk Ia (item 48311).… this time with decals for four new colour schemes. Besides these, it introduces components that remained unused in the first boxing.
They include tropical air filters, a different dorsal turret with twin .50 cal Browning machine-guns (instead of the Mk.I’s Vickers K guns), and twin .50 cals in the nose, which also relies on different glazing. On that note, ICM has also provided alternative masking templates for the different nose transparency.
The RAF liveries tally with the employment of tropical air filters, representing airframes operating in sunnier climes during World War Two. As you’d expect, the desert scheme of Dark Earth and Middle Stone over Azure Blue features (two airframes, one with ‘India White’ South East Asia Command national insigna), but other camouflage tones comprise Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey over Azure Blue, and Dark/Light Mediterranean Blue with Azure Blue under-surfaces. The airframes are:
• DD959/Q, 217 Squadron, Malta, 1942
• L9965/T, unit unknown, Mediterranean Theatre, 1942
• DX157 SNAKE, unknown unit, possibly Indian Ocean region, spring 1944
• EK979/35, RAF training unit, Bilbais, Egypt, 1944
As usual, ICM quotes its own paint colour names from its own range, which often differ from official nomenclature. As with last year’s Mk.I release, though, ICM’s Mk.Ia is a sizeable product offering plenty of high-quality detail, including superb engines and torpedo armament. It costs £52.60 via UK importer Hannants
