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Airfix 1/72 Blenheim Mk I


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Hi all,

I picked up this kit from my local model shop (about a 40 min drive <_<) I'm going to be building this OOB as I don't have any spare aftermarket parts at the moment. Before I start is there any glaring fitting issues that I should know about? It looks like one of Airfix's new tool kits so I'm hoping that it will be good :D:pilot: I'll be painting it with my newish collection of Vallejo Model Air (I just love those paints)

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Morning from Old South Wales, just completing this one, and you might consider the following::

The instructions would have you construct the cockpit tub and rear fuselage as separate sub assemblies. This will give a step above and below the leading edge of the wing that might be difficult to eradicate. I joined the cockpit sections to the rear fuselage halves before mating the halves together, which allowed me to minimise the gap.

Also I attached the engine covers to the exhaust ring before fitting over the engine, this should ensure that you have no gaps in the engine covers, but you might have to reduce the diameter of the engine is smidge as I did.

Apart from that and seat belts up the pointy end and a seat for the rear gunner mine was OOB and looks tidy

 

Strickers

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8 hours ago, HAMP man said:

Morning from Old South Wales, just completing this one, and you might consider the following::

The instructions would have you construct the cockpit tub and rear fuselage as separate sub assemblies. This will give a step above and below the leading edge of the wing that might be difficult to eradicate. I joined the cockpit sections to the rear fuselage halves before mating the halves together, which allowed me to minimise the gap.

Also I attached the engine covers to the exhaust ring before fitting over the engine, this should ensure that you have no gaps in the engine covers, but you might have to reduce the diameter of the engine is smidge as I did.

Apart from that and seat belts up the pointy end and a seat for the rear gunner mine was OOB and looks tidy

 

Strickers

Thanks for the really helpful advice mate! :D I'll keep that in mind when I start the build :)

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The above is sound advice, don't ask why I know.

Very new Airfix type model, sand and check every part, to help fit issues, front cockpit windows not the best fit, wing to fuselage fit not the best, shut bomb doors really bad fit, soft details, soft plastic not the best to work with.

It does seem, some Airfix kits come out of the moulds better than others, so you might have a good one.

I will watch this project with interest, I've seen some made to a high standard 😊

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4 hours ago, Gerrardandrews said:

The above is sound advice, don't ask why I know.

Very new Airfix type model, sand and check every part, to help fit issues, front cockpit windows not the best fit, wing to fuselage fit not the best, shut bomb doors really bad fit, soft details, soft plastic not the best to work with.

It does seem, some Airfix kits come out of the moulds better than others, so you might have a good one.

I will watch this project with interest, I've seen some made to a high standard 😊

Thanks for the advice! :D All this info is all very helpful :)

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Hi all,

I finally got around to assembling the cockpit and prepped them for RAF Interior Green. 

 

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I applied a dark wash in the cockpit

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I also masked the cockpit which took around an hour (I'm not great at masking unfortunately)

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I joined the two fuselage halves together which left a minimal join seam which will be sanded later down the line

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I added the wings to the fuselage which also left a gap in the wing roots which using @CedB's advice on my last build, the spitfire. I went out and bought some Vallejo Plastic Putty and some Tamiya superfine sand paper

 

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I'm not quite finished with the sanding yet though 

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That's looking very good 😊, like the way you handle the cockpit and glazing, very neat.

there is a bit of a gap when wings are joined up, towards the trailing edge, and you have sorted that.

if you have the bomb bay open, there a nasty gap in middle, bomb doors shut, fits not so good.

brilliant start, that's going together fast 😎

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Hi all,

Back again with another update, I forgot to take the photos of the priming stage and the black underside. I sprayed the dark earth on the upper side 

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I then masked of the areas for the dark green

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And heres a small diorama base i'm working on to display the Blenheim 

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I'm yet to take of the masking tape an blu tack :undecided:

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Morning from old South Wales

Nice job with the 'pit seams, and engine covers, better than mine! I chickened out on the canopy masking and bought my way with a Peewit mask set, very good by very fiddly. Just a thought, but the RAF decals supplied with the kit are for a Butterworth based aircraft, which if my O level geog hasn't failed me is east of Suez, so would the AckEmmas be attired in trop get up?

Just a thought....

Nice idea about the dio tho

Note to self...more grass

 

Regards Strickers

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

I know its been awhile since the last update but I have been away for a week and a bit. 

On 4/8/2017 at 10:38 PM, HAMP man said:

Just a thought, but the RAF decals supplied with the kit are for a Butterworth based aircraft, which if my O level geog hasn't failed me is east of Suez, so would the AckEmmas be attired in trop get up?

 

Regards Strickers

I had a look into it and it turns out that Butterworth is in Malaysia so I'm not sure it would be in trop attire or not? 

20170407_205719

I removed the masking and I think it turned out okayish a few areas to touch up on. I also hand painted the engine ring things gunmetal grey

20170407_205730

That's all for now, thanks for reading :) 

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3 hours ago, CamberrySauce said:

I had a look into it and it turns out that Butterworth is in Malaysia so I'm not sure it would be in trop attire or not? 

 

A few Blenheims in Malaya/Singapore/Burma wore desert camo but the vast majority (including the marking option in the kit) were in DE/DG over black.  Many, but not all, had the serial number repeated on the rudder (this in addition to the standard location on the rear fuselage).  Code letters were MSG. 

 

Great work on this kit.  You're making it look easy!

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