SimonL Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) I made a start this weekend on my second Blenheim Mk 1. Again using Xtradecals sheet 72-202. This one will be completed as L6670 UQ-R 211 Sqn Menidi Greece 1940. This is the subject of a well known photograph:http://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force-_Operations_Over_Albania_and_in_Greece,_1940-1941._CM290.jpg The instructions indicate this aircraft as dark earth/mid-stone over either sky or light Mediterranean blue. In an earlier post in the RFI thread for my FAA Blenheim Mk 1, Tony O'Toole suggested on the basis of the photo that it could be azure, and so I am going to go with that. As a change to my earlier build, I am going to have the bomb bay open, flaps down, engine cowling gills open and the turret in the up position. I also have the issue of a broken canopy (from the previous build): An email to Airfix revealed that they currently have no spares :-( I think the break looks reasonably clean along a canopy frame so I am considering whether I can use the front part and try and make the sliding part from spare acetate or other clear plastic and model the top of the canopy open. Managed to get the main airframe together over the weekend, everything going together nicely. I made a start on the other bits and pieces. I am using Italeri Acryl paints for all of the outside paint scheme, a first for me, using flat dark earth, flat mid stone and flat azure. It goes on very nicely, thinned with a little water, with a minimum of brushstrokes and I am very happy with the finish on rudder and tail-planes. Masking of the canopy went OK, no sliced up fingers! The engine cowls went on OK (better than last time). I made a slight change to how I fixed them last time by gluing them in place without the engines present, and then wiggled them around a bit to minimise any gaps. I used tamiya acrylics for inside the cockpit (xf-71), the collector rings (my own mix, for which I forget what the recipe was) and the bombs (xf-4). Edited April 27, 2015 by SimonL 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Great start simon. Love the scheme choice, as ever I will pop in on this one! Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 looking good so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Looks like an interesting project..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbudde Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Will follow this one. Always liked the Blenheim, but only in its Mk. IV appearance. Have the old Airfix one, which looks good or steady after all. The new one is worth while looking at. I think, I will get one, to put them to a dual build and exchanging parts. Perhaps the new one as a Bolingbroke, because of the nacelles. Good looking so far! Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Looking good so far, shame about the canopy! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Well, had a bit of a back due to work commitments and quick trip back to the UK which has then become a bit of a mini slump :-( Starting back into it slowly by just playing with the cockpit a bit. Added some straps from masking tape and a few dots of colour. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 That interior is looking very smart Simon Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Very tidy Simon, looking good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 This looks very promising! Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Thanks guys, must admit it took me awhile to get it off the shelf. Little steps I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 That's some really nice detailing. Good to see you pick this up again. Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Slow but steady. Finished off the cockpit with a bit of a watercolour wash then started to assemble it. My last Blenheim had a slightly crooked front, so I thought I would try something a little different. Working from the front I VERY carefully painted along the edges of the transparencies with Tamiya extra thin cement Then brought them together carefully. I will wait for this to dry before gluing the back of the cockpit, but fingers crossed it looks like it's worked. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Cockpit section mated to main airframe. Much better fit this time compared to my last effort. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Ah, that's it Simon, it's coming together now Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Yep Stew, not quite got my mojo back but it's getting there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 That is really looking like a Blenheim now Liking how this is turning out Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) Ok, the stage I was rather scared of, dealing with broken canopy. First I carefully sawed off the back part of the canopy. Then very tentatively using a brush barely moistened with Tamiya extra thin cement I attached the canopy. There is a little chip, but nothing a bit of PVA won't deal with. Think I'll go and have lunch to let my hands stop shaking. Edited August 8, 2015 by SimonL 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Good save Simon Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Great save on the canopy! Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 What broken canopy??? That's a good tip about assembling the cowlings without the engines - thanks! Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Bravely done sir! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 And finally sometime to get back to it! Painted the interior colour on the canopy. Noted a few places around the canopy edge that looked a bit "gappy" so used a bit of PVA to smooth it out a bit, before another coat of the interior green. Then the first coat of the undersurface colour, Italeri Acryl Azure Blue. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Nice work looks like a Fab kit. I loved seeing one flying agian this year at Throckmorton fantastic aircraft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) Thanks Rob. Moving on, second brushed on coat of underside colour and then topside camouflage of mid-stone and dark earth (both Italeri Acryl). Went on nicely with the brush, thinning with a bit of water. The paint is a bit fragile when dry, so some minor removal of paint when the masking tape came off but easy to touch up. Edited September 2, 2015 by SimonL 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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