woody37 Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hi, can anyone shed any light on whether the hatch had a window in ? I know the restored one did, but don't know whether this was a standard fitment or a mod. None of the kits include a clear part. Any info appreciated I'm building a mk I and Iv incase it was something added later in the series Cheers, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I've just looked at about a dozen pictures of in-service Blenheims and Bolingbrokes which show the hatch, and there is no window in the hatch in any of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hi, Take a look in this. There are small windows if you look carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hiya Neil, I`ve been through my Blenheim photos and this is the best one that I could find showing the upper hatch, hope it helps; Cheers Tony O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hiya Neil, Me again,......I`ve attached a few more Blenheim pics here from my photo collection which may be of interest; And some taken at Duxford; Mk.I nose; Mk.IV; I hope these help, All the best Tony O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Tony O interesting pictures. About picture where turret is show, are the all components in place? It looks roomier than I though. BL-200 is missing almost all parts from that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Tony O interesting pictures. About picture where turret is show, are the all components in place? It looks roomier than I though. BL-200 is missing almost all parts from that area. Hello Vesa, I`m sorry I don`t know for sure but I agree with you that it looks roomier than I would have expected. Quite a few gunners were trapped when the cupola was retracted downwards, either while firing upwards or more usually when the aircraft overturned during a crash landing, so I think that the equipment for moving the turret cupola upwards and downwards has not been re fitted? Cheers Tony O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwallen1410 Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I wonder if BL-200 doesn't have a non standard gunners hatch (like the restored example). None of the pictures I have seen seem to show a window. Of course being a hatch it does have the annoying habit of being open in the majority of decent photos taken on the ground..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 One thing that can explain different hatches is that BL-200 is Mk.IV and plane above is Mk.I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwallen1410 Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 OM W is a Mk IV as well, BL-200 was I think built in 1944 and modified post war as well, so I wonder if the windows weren't added at this time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Yes modification is possible in BL-200 case. Blenheims were made mostly based on UK drawings at VL, so most likely the hatch should be same. When I next time visit in Finland I can take a look to technical log books of BL-200 if there is anything about modifications. Post war modifications were related to areal/mapping photographing and target tug usage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 Thanks guys, some great pictures. From what I can see, the likely hood is that period hatches never had windows, but restored examples seem to have them. I'm suspecting that they become available still some point in production. Not having to cut windows out would be nice !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hiya Neil, The hatches with windows were probably introduced in Canada on the Bolingbroke and this is where the majority of modern day `Blenheim' parts come from,.....Finland excepted! Cheers Tony O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) I would not treat a Finnish-built Blenheim as typical of those built in the UK, there were numerous differences including small side windows in the region above the bomb bay. Cheers, Bill. Edited October 21, 2013 by Heraldcoupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Not on this one http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/blenheim_IV_above.jpg or here Interesting scheme! http://www.finn.it/regia/immagini/stranieri/blenheim_catturato_pantelleria.jpg Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Cox Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Hi Neil, Here are some Blenheim hatch pictures for you; Photographed during 1941. Photographed during 1940. Photographed during 1940. Cheers, Daniel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 When you are looking pictures of FAF Blenheims it's good to remember that only part of those were made in Finland. BL-104 to BL-121 UK made variant Mk I BL-122 to BL 133 UK made variant Mk IV BL-134 to BL-145 UK made variant Mk I BL-146 to BL-160 FI made variant Mk.I BL-161 to BL-190 FI made variant Mk.I BL-196 to BL-205 FI made variant Mk.IV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 Being darn Larndan today, I popped into hendon as it would be rude not to. Got plenty of pics of the Blenheim whilst there. I know this was a Bolingbroke in its real life, but the hatch doesn't have any windows. Great day digesting and getting inspiration from some fantastic and rear aircraft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaCee26 Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 When you are looking pictures of FAF Blenheims it's good to remember that only part of those were made in Finland. BL-104 to BL-121 UK made variant Mk I BL-122 to BL 133 UK made variant Mk IV BL-134 to BL-145 UK made variant Mk I BL-146 to BL-160 FI made variant Mk.I BL-161 to BL-190 FI made variant Mk.I BL-196 to BL-205 FI made variant Mk.IV After browsing several Finnish books related to Blenheims it seems that Finnish-built planes had side and roof-hatch windows since new. Cheers, AaCee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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