RAF Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IF North Weald Airfield Essex Hobby Master HA2313 1/72

Highly detailed Hobby Master Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IF R2069 “ZK-A,” 25th Squadron, RAF, North Weald Airfield, Essex, September 1940 Item: HA2313 The Bristol Beaufighter was designed as a two-seat long-range fighter. To speed up production many parts of the older Bristol Beaufort were used. The tail, landing were equipped with airborne radar located in the nose for night-fighting. The Mk. IF was the initial production and fitted with four 20 mm cannons in the nose along with six 7.7 mm machine guns in the wings. There were a total of 553 of the IF version produced. No. 25 Squadron spent the first 3 years of WWII flying defensive patrols using the Bristol Blenheim which was proving to be too slow to intercept German bombers. New designs and better engines brought about the much quicker Bristol Beaufighter, replacing the Blenheim. No. 25 received their first Beaufighters in October 1940 and operated them until January 1943 when the ultimate night fighter, the de Havilland Mosquito began assuming the role. Beaufighter, ZK-A, serial R2059 was part of the first production batch of 50 Beaufighters.