Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I think I must have Attention Deficit Disorder or something, because I was thinking I would take a break from modelling for a couple of weeks until the start of the French Fancies GB; however less than a week later I find that I am bored (and I used to work in Insurance so believe me I know bored when I see it)... So I thought I'd make a start on something I had been meaning to do for a while, and combine the decals from the Airfix VC Winners set with the new-tool Airfix Blenheim IV to represent the aircraft flown by Acting Wing Commander Hughie Edwards on the Bremen Raid on 4 July 1941 for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Here's the basic kit; labelled as a IVF (the fighter version) but it contains all the parts you would need to make the bomber variants too: I also got some aftermarket goodies which I accumulated over the last few months, the Peewit canopy masks being the most recent I think: Here are the decals from the Airfix VC Winners set - Question: surely by July 1941 underwing roundels too? ... and so I started assembly, the Mk.I I built following the instructions and it turned out fine, but this time I am starting with the cockpit because construction starts with the cockpit, Airfix - these are the relevant components awaiting clean up and later on, paint: It's worth noting that if you intend to build a bomber with either of the under-chin turrets, these are both supplied but you need to open a slot in the floor of the right-hand cockpit part. Cheers, Stew 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 My favourite British twin. I did the Mk1 last year. I found the best way to get all the fuselage sides lined up well is to glue them all together to make two single halves then bring them together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 My favourite British twin. I did the Mk1 last year. I found the best way to get all the fuselage sides lined up well is to glue them all together to make two single halves then bring them together. I've seen a few people have done it that way but I don't really see the need, I didn't have any issues with the fit of my Mk.I* and I hope to have the same good fortune this time round too Cheers, Stew * apart from the engine cowlings which were a bit of a pair of cows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I've seen a few people have done it that way but I don't really see the need, I didn't have any issues with the fit of my Mk.I* and I hope to have the same good fortune this time round too In any case, I'll follow along with this, I think, I have a fondness for the poor old Blenheim. I want to do an XI Squadron IV, the first allied aircraft to lay eyes on and attack the Japanese aircraft carriers of the Kido Butai. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtarget Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Stew, Don't you need a replacement canopy which has the bulbs for the pilot and nav or are you tackling this differently? The kits doesn't have them. Also isn't the framing different? Edited March 14, 2015 by Hardtarget 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 In any case, I'll follow along with this, I think, I have a fondness for the poor old Blenheim. I want to do an XI Squadron IV, the first allied aircraft to lay eyes on and attack the Japanese aircraft carriers of the Kido Butai. That was a slightly disturbing video PC but well-made, and visually arresting. Welcome along by the way, glad you can come Stew, Don't you need a replacement canopy which has the bulbs for the pilot and nav or are you tackling this differently? The kits doesn't have them. Also isn't the framing different? HT, there is currently no replacement canopy - (I can confirm that the Squadron vacform, which has the bulges, does not fit. The Falcon canopy, which I always thought was the same, has no bulges), so to answer your questions in order: Maybe, No, That's Right, and Yes, if indeed V6029 did have the bulged side windows, which is by no means certain as not all Blenheims had them though I have no idea what differentiates those that did from those that didn't. Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtarget Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) I have no idea what differentiates those that did from those that didn't. Cheers, Stew I think serial numbers and the batches they were delivered to squadrons. But im not sure if they were retro fitted (it would seem logical to do so) to AC on the field. So you would have to check whether the AC didn't have them. V6029 was built by Rootes Securities as a batch of 800 but I cant confirm if it was or was not fitted with bulbs. I'd make a little mould and use PVA then stick them on. You could use the old toolings window as the mould as well. Edited March 14, 2015 by Hardtarget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 I think serial numbers and the batches they were delivered to squadrons. But im not sure if they were retro fitted (it would seem logical to do so) to AC on the field. So you would have to check whether the AC didn't have them. V6029 was built by Rootes Securities as a batch of 800 but I cant confirm if it was or was not fitted with bulbs. I'd make a little mould and use PVA then stick them on. You could use the old toolings window as the mould as well. Yes, the trouble is with those side windows is that from most angles they are blocked from view by the engines, so it is often difficult or impossible to see if an aircraft is fitted with them or not. I agree that they might have been retro-fitted to aircraft that were not built with them fitted initially, but they might not and I think my chances of finding out for certain how V6029's side-windows were configured on 4 July 1941 are probably somewhere between slim and remote. I don't actually have the old-tool kit anyway, just the decals and painting/marking instructions for the aircraft from the VC set. Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Looking forwards to watching this Stu going off your recent Airfix production line 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I strongly believe, but there again I may be mistaken, that: 1- our good old planet is not going to stop girating if your Blenheim is built without the "bubbles" on the side windows (if Armageddon comes after I post this prose, I am innocent!) 2- As usual your model is going to be stunning... So, good luck and have fun! JR 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Looking forwards to watching this Stu going off your recent Airfix production line Thanks Neil, I hope it will be a fun and absorbing build, I really enjoyed the Mk.I I strongly believe, but there again I may be mistaken, that: 1- our good old planet is not going to stop girating if your Blenheim is built without the "bubbles" on the side windows (if Armageddon comes after I post this prose, I am innocent!) 2- As usual your model is going to be stunning... So, good luck and have fun! JR thank you Jean; I have two fears in respect of those windows - 1) trying to fit the bubbles and making a mess of the whole thing and 2) trying to fit the bubbles and succeeding beyond my wildest expectations; two days later someone posts a picture of V6029 on the actual raid in question, showing that it did not have bubble windows I will do my best with the having fun part, merci Jean Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtarget Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Yes, the trouble is with those side windows is that from most angles they are blocked from view by the engines, so it is often difficult or impossible to see if an aircraft is fitted with them or not. I agree that they might have been retro-fitted to aircraft that were not built with them fitted initially, but they might not and I think my chances of finding out for certain how V6029's side-windows were configured on 4 July 1941 are probably somewhere between slim and remote. I don't actually have the old-tool kit anyway, just the decals and painting/marking instructions for the aircraft from the VC set. Cheers, Stew Agreed it is very difficult from pic when on ground to ID the windows. I'm pushing as I want to know as well, as ive a load of schemes to do but am debating as to whether wait till the bomber version comes out hopefully with the new windows. I'll do some digging, but by '41 I would have thought they would have fitted the new type windows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Well it's your call HT, personally I'd rather build something and perhaps get a comparatively small part of it wrong than not build something because I was hoping to find something out about it at some undetermined point in the future. I used to be like that and it practically paralysed my mojo Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Although the whole of the Falcon canopy doesn't fit, can the bulged window be separated and replace the current Airfix part? Or indeed can the old Airfix part be used? I'll have to go digging in the spares box for I may have one of those myself. I agree that it is better to make the model than lose too much time worrying over smaller details, but if such a detail can be fairly easily corrected, then why not? Given the Vxxxx serial, I'd think it very unlikely not to have them. I suspect the world wouldn't stop girating - or even gyrating - if you put Merlins on your Blenheim. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Well you folks can do as you see fit, I am just going to build mine Cheers, Stew 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Well you folks can do as you see fit, I am just going to build mine And I'm going to watch you! If past experience is anything to go by I'll learn a lot, bubbles or no bubbles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalkeEins Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 me too.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Well it's your call HT, personally I'd rather build something and perhaps get a comparatively small part of it wrong than not build something because I was hoping to find something out about it at some undetermined point in the future. I used to be like that and it practically paralysed my mojo Cheers, Stew If in doubt, keep it simple! Life is too short to agonize about small details very few people know or care about!!! Just display your model so that the blasted engines hide the side of the cockpit! At the end of the day, just build your Blenheim... the way you want it built. JR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 And I'm going to watch you! If past experience is anything to go by I'll learn a lot, bubbles or no bubbles. Hey Ced, nice to see you, welcome me too.. Hey Neil, thanks, welcome If in doubt, keep it simple! Life is too short to agonize about small details very few people know or care about!!! Just display your model so that the blasted engines hide the side of the cockpit! At the end of the day, just build your Blenheim... the way you want it built. JR Thanks Jean, I would worry a bit more about the bubbles if I knew it was wrong, but to be honest unless someone can show me a picture of the aircraft in question on or before the day in question showing that the bubbles were there, I'm not going to do the work on the suspicion that it might be wrong not to. Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelglue Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hey there Stew, exciting to see you delve into another box. I always ponder the visual descriptions we see detailed in profiles and photographs. When there is an airframe I want to model, but maybe don't possess the nose art for, I tend to justify the omission of expected detail by assuming there were times when panels were replaced with spares. I think it is reasonable assume the same rationale in regard to the canopy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Sadly, if unsurprisingly, the bulged windows from the earlier Airfix kit do not fit. I found eight photos of 105 Sq Blenheims where something could be said about the canopy. Six of them were bulged. Two of them were apparently clear, with no sign of the central divider of the earlier type. None of them showed the earlier type, even though one of the bulged examples was an Lxxxx serial, which almost certainly will have been built without. A line up of 82 Sq in summer 1940 showed the earlier type, but there is are examples of bulged windows from the same period. 105 Sq will have formed at about this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Hey there Stew, exciting to see you delve into another box. I always ponder the visual descriptions we see detailed in profiles and photographs. When there is an airframe I want to model, but maybe don't possess the nose art for, I tend to justify the omission of expected detail by assuming there were times when panels were replaced with spares. I think it is reasonable assume the same rationale in regard to the canopy. Thanks MG, glad you could come along Sadly, if unsurprisingly, the bulged windows from the earlier Airfix kit do not fit... I thought that might be the case, as the Squadron canopy, which also didn't fit, was designed to fit the old-tool Blenheim. For those of you who might be genuinely concerned about this, I believe the first option in the kit-supplied decals would have the flat-panel windows as supplied in the kit, as the Ducimus Camouflage and Markings book has photographs of two of its contemporary squadron mates and both have the flat side panels. I'm not sure about the night-fighter option, the only pictures I have found of it were of a restored aircraft painted in these markings so that doesn't really prove anything, though the restored aircraft did have flat side-panel windows. For anything else it is up to you, but I would say just build it; if better or more conclusive information proves you wrong later, or if Airfix do release a later version of the Mk.IV with bulged windows... then decide how much it bothers you and if necessary buy a new one and build it again I got the interior sub-assemblies, er, assembled, and painted with a coat of Phoenix Precision Paints Interior Grey-Green: Looks a bit washed-out in this picture due to the light, but it's all good; hopefully today I will get the detail painting done and get the cockpit together Cheers, Stew 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawel Szczudlyk Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Another fine build i see Cheers Ps in some point in this year I will make one as well but for now I justs be watching. Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempestwulf Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 One day I'll get around to mine. The Blenheim is just one of those venerable aircraft that has the right kind of lines with the right amount of ruggedness. Currently I'm rescribing an Italeri He 111H-6 my late grandad gave me for Christmas 15 years ago. Alas, he is no longer with us which makes me sad, having died 10 years+ ago, but I finally feel I'm mature and skilled enough to do the kit justice. So first step is to rescribe the whole thing and bring it up to scratch. Sorry Stew, not trying to take over lol 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I think I'll tag along if that's OK. I'm currently away from the modelling room so this will be a kind of therapy and I'll learn something new for sure. I like that link to that website too, see I've learnt something new already. Duncan B 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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