Beaufighter: why isn't the rear observer position usable?

[_RAAF_Smouch]

Originally Posted by _RAAF_Firestorm

The Australian contingent of this community would greatly appreciate the modelling and inclusion of the rear observer's seat on the Beau. The blind spot which it currently suffers is not realistic considering the observer would have warned of incoming threats.

I believe that within this sim, the actual tasks of the observer are secondary to that of his providing realistic situational awareness.

This request has been made to TD in the appropriate thread above a long time ago but we haven't heard anything since. We'd like to think it's on the long list of things still pending.

+1.

Well said Firestorm and the rest of the guys who have agreed with his post

[Igo kyu]

I am not talking about the Aussie Beaufighters when I say I want a 0.303, I know nothing about them, and am not an expert on Beaufighters in general. However, a gun firing backwards seems a useful idea, and apparently they were present in some British Beaufighters. There's a picture of what's said to be a Mk VIC showing a what appears to be a mg in the observer's position, at the top of page 29 of Fighting Aircraft of WW2 edited by Bill Gunston.

[David603]

777 Studios (The Rise of Flight devs), made the Beaufighter for Oleg, and among a number of other projects they made this...


...for the follow up to to Pacific Fighters, which was then cancelled because of the Grumman suing for copyright use business.

Since these assets still exist, they don't violate copyrights and 777 already made them available to modders, I'm sure they would let DT use them if DT asked.

Shame the same does not apply to the TBD Devastator 777 Studios also made

[_RAAF_Firestorm]

If as you say this work does not violate copyright and if it complies with the required modelling specifications established by 1C then that would be a positive step forward.

Lets hope TD are watching this thread with as much interest as the Aussies!

[777 Studios - Jason]

Hey guys,

To clear something up that was said in this forum. Google alerted me otherwise I don't post here. This external of the Beaufighter was built by my old partner Halfwit and myself for PF. Looking back it's not all that, but at the time is was very cool. I forget who did the cockpit, but that looks much better than the external.

Although I was involved in it's creation it was not a product of 777 Studios or built by the ROF team. Back then there was no 777 Studios, just the 777 AVG which was my old IL-2 squadron.

Just thought I'd clear that up. The ROF Team would kill me if I credited them with a model that is like 8 years old. LOL.

BTW I did give DT the TBD model we made. Although I am not sure why they have not added it in. I forgot what Mark told me held it up.

Jason

[_RAAF_Firestorm]

Thanks Jason, your feedback is invaluable, it sounds like this is indeed original work done for PF. Would you happen to know if the Beaufighter cockpit / gunner's seat model creator is still contactable and whether this model is able to be sent to TD?

Could anyone from TD comment here to clarify or advise status? Any official word would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

[WTE_Galway]

In addition RAAF serials A8-253 and A8-3 were modified to take 0.50 cal wing guns but it doesn't sound like these ever became operational.

[_RAAF_Firestorm]

Interesting, didn't know that. Were those to replace the 303's or additional to them?

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by _RAAF_Firestorm

Interesting, didn't know that. Were those to replace the 303's or additional to them?

Replace.

I am not a beaufighter expert and do not have any books or other references on the aussie Beaufighters so I am only going on web references.

The reference to the testbed planes is from ADF serials for DAP Beaufighters (A8 series):

http://www.adf-serials.com/2a8.shtml

Note that ADF serials also show quite a few Mk 21 as operational under Bristol Beaufighters (A19 series):

http://www.adf-serials.com/2a19.shtml

Further googling around revealed web sources generally classify the mk21 as having 0.50 cal wing guns not 0.303


Wikipedia says this:

Beaufighter Mk 21
The Australian-made DAP Beaufighter. Changes included Hercules CVII engines, four 20 mm cannon in the nose, four Browning .50 in (12.7 mm) in the wings and the capacity to carry eight 5 in (130 mm) High-Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVAR), two 250 lb (110 kg) bombs, two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs and one Mk 13 torpedo.

Which agrees with History of war. (http://www.historyofwar.org/articles..._variants.html)

Mk 21
Engine: Two Bristol Hercules VIII radial engines
Horsepower: 1,720
Speed: 323 mph
Ceiling: 26,500 feet
Range: 1,500 miles
Armament: Four 20mm cannon under the nose and four .50in Browning machine guns in the wings.

so both those references state 0.50 cal was fitted to the Mk 21

If a variant ever existed with 0.50 cal in the wings and a tail gun as well that would be a great plane to have ingame.

The other interesting variant is the mkV tested a Bolton Paul power turrent with 4 x 0.303 however only two of these were made.

[_RAAF_Firestorm]

Well from memory, the Beau Mk21 at Moorabbin Airport Museum has .303's in the wings, not .50 cals. I'm 99.9% sure about that. How interesting!