Tomas Enerdal

Another pic of L6670/UQ ?: and arm (Higher resolution on IWM page here.) IWM Pic no CM 285, again taken by H Hensser. Note stenciling near (open) escape hatch and arm of someone standing on the wing at right. How inspiring and informative such pics are, gun mount details, stenciling, amount of overspray between colours and the dirt/dust on the surface. The proper stenciling indicates a repaint at a MU, no hasty field repaint at unit level.

When looking in the early Blenheim Camouflage & Markings 7 (Ducimus) and others, A & B patterns are mentioned. The B pattern is a mirror image of the A pattern, but the colours are not transposed. UQ-D is painted in the A pattern (as is Duxford's L6739 in post #32 above) . Now, the patterns darker colour in the pic of UQ-D is the A patterns Dark Earth, indicating that the green has been repainted with either Light Earth (probably) or Mid Stone (possibly). Can the low contrast between the color be simply because the plane is worn and dirty? Or is UQ-D still in DG & DE with the colours transposed? That could lead to the pattern being a (rare) example of the "C" pattern. I have not studied Blenheims patterns enough yet to know if Blenheims were painted in C and D patterns. The rudder is interesting, it is also painted in the A pattern, but the darker color of the rudder is here the A patterns Dark Green, indicating that it is a replacement rudder. Either in A pattern with DG/DE or C pattern with "desert colours" DE/LE. The fresher colours of the rudder indicating fresher paint or fall of light, or both. That mountain in the background is bordering the "Valley of Fairy Tales" at Paramythia allright, dating the pic to Feb-April '41. The starboard wing underside is light, with an A roundel near the tip. Agree, the starboard engine underside of the cowling looks dark in the pic above. Other pics were taken at the same time, however. One such pic is shown in Blenheims over Greece and Crete 1940-1941/Brian Cull. in that pic the underside of the starboard engine cowling is as light as the engine gondola behind it. My guess is ME blue undersides. Surviving SAAF samples indicating either FS35190 or FS35450. (My own recipe is suggested in post #28 above.) A pity that Airfix is suggesting red for the Squadron codes in their forthcoming kit. My guess is Medium Sea Gray. Replacements do exist in 1/72 and 1/48, however

Dear All, First of all, thanks for all the responses and help! As usual I have learnt, and got inspired a lot. After some searching I have found this pic at IWM, shown earlier, but much smaller, by Tony in this tread: (an even better resolution can be seen at the IWM page, here ) Look at that car in the background, seems identical with the one in my first post. The photographer in all three pics is the same, H Hensser. The pic’s no is CM292, the ones in my first post is CM288 and CM290. I wonder if there are more in the same series at IWM? How does one find out? (I haven’t learnt how to make specific searches at the IWM’s page) The pic’s caption is interesting, stating that it shows Bish’s return from Corfu where he was forced to land due to flak damage on November 24th 1940. According to a reference (Wings over Olympus, Wisdom) he returned a week later, i.e. around December 1st. L6670 later became the plane of choice for the Squadron CO. Note also the DTD stenciling on the wing leading edge! Indicating that it was done in some proper paint shop, not in the field. I did also find the proper Paul Lucas Colour Conundrums in Scale Aircraft Modelling; -May 2016/vol38 no 3 for ME Blue -June 2016/vol38 no 4 for Middle East confusion Early Middle East colours are discussed in detail, well worth looking up. So my UQ L6670 will end up in Dark Earth/Light Earth uppers with ME Blue unders. My interpretation of ME Blue will be RAF Azure lightened with some warmer Light blue (I will use 35622) I will possibly add a little Dark Sea gray to tone it down a little, and to get it just a tad darker than the Light Earth. Looking above on the nose and at the 2nd pic in my first post, close to the fuselage roundel, on can see that the underside colour is a little darker than the lighter upper colour. Tomas Note1; Parts for the Vokes sand filter is included in the kit, part no 17, 23 & 24. Note 2: One of the marking alternatives in the next Airfix 1/48 Blenheim is 211 Sq. UQ-D as illustrated/discussed in the tread above. Note 3: The Mk.IX bomb sight can be seen protruding from the bottom glazing in the pic above. It is not included in the Blenheim If kit, but a very nice resin one is made by Neomega/Vector, see here.

Yes, 212 Squadron ORB is a much visited page. And what a great page it is! Lots of information and, especially inspiration. Tonyot: thanks for the pic where Bish is standing in the hatch of L6670 UQ-R. I have seen that pic cropped before. Note how identical the collector rings look with the IWM pic. The very light coloured car in the background indicates that the pics vere taken at the same time.

My idea is that the light underside color must be a very early one. They had been repainted in it before hostilities had begun in north africa in june ’40. (Not even sky had been established then?) I read that 211 being the first RAF unit to hit the Italians. Then they were in action until sent to Greece/Menidi in nov. ’40 where they went into action again. I suppose that the pics of L6670 were taken then. Menidi has been identified as the location. When reading about 211 sq history i simply cannot find a slot where they could have been repainted in ”modern” colors. The first reference I looked in was Britain Alone/Paul Lucas. I have to look through his ”color conundrum” series i SAM, any idea of approx. when it appeared?

Other Blenheims in Greece have non-red codes, 84 sq, 30sq, UQ-D of 211sq. A colored b/w pic of VT-G on the rear of the book Blenheims over Greece and Crete 1940-1941 has red codes, the same pic in b/w in the pic section in the same book shows non-red codes, however.

I doubt azure blue, it had not been invented or approved in late ‘40; the 211 sq had not yet left for the hidden Paramythia walley. The pics above were taken at Menidi. Even if it did exist, I doubt that the squadron did repaint in the middle of intense operations from greek bases..

Thought about filters, and monocromatic film as well. But the shades on the fuselage roundels seem to be in balance: blue darkest, then red, yellow just a little lighter than the white. Agree about the codes, medium sea gray I believe. But again, the codes are in the same hue as the roundel center...

Dear all, Im planning for the paint of a 211 Sq Blenheim. The plane is L6670 UQ, while flying from Greece in late '40-early '41. At least two well known IWM pics exist: (if you look directly at IWM, the resolution is slightly better, here, and here.) Now 211 got their Blenheims in the summer of 1939, while already stationed in Egypt. (At that time they had Dark Green/Dark Earth uppers w/ black undersides and white serials under wings) When fighting with the Italians started they had received a light camouflage color on top and light undersides. As far as I have understood it so far, BS Light Stone had barely began to be used that early, I suppose it was Light Earth. From the pattern in the pics above, the dark color would then be Dark Earth. When 211 squadron had moved to Greece (1940) and was already busy bombing the Italians in Albania, Azure Blue was still being tested and had not yet been approved. UQ/L6670 has been illustrated rather often. Now Dark Earth/Mid Stone/Azure Blue is often (uncritically) mentioned in painting instructions, references, kits but also decal sheets. This out of pure habit, it seems... Light Mediterranean Blue has also been mentioned as a possible underside color, but it is rather too dark IMHO. Has there been shed any more light/any recent findings in this field that I'm not aware of? Any help appreciated! TIA, Tomas Enerdal

TIA! Due to the frameless rear edge of the real canopy, there are fewer aircraft models that really needs a vacform replacement. Airfix hasn't done a bad job, but the rear edge doesn't look right to me. If you plan to pose it open, I suppose the most critical issue is the width. Tomas

Mounted on Swedish F.50 (i.e a Swedish F.4) Ain't she pretty! Slightly worn and not too Clean, with remnants of white exercise markings on the wing tips and rear fuselage (as in the Airfix kit)

If you don't any spare, detailed Brownings lying around, I can heartily reccomend GasPatch; here. You have to add ammo (also available from GasPatch) mounting, handgrip and spent case bag. But I'm simply awestruck with what you can do with CAD and resin these days. No need for brass barrels anymore. (No affiliation with GasPatch)

Dear All, -Has anyone checked the fit of the Falcon/Squadron 1/48 Hawker Hunter Canopy (meant for the Academy kit) on the Airfix kit? -The Airfix kit does not seem to contain any Gun deflectors. Has any After Market manufacturer made, or announced any such yet? TIA, Tomas Enerdal

Hi Bluearcher, Found a Review here. I also remember seeing a Review in a Magazine somewhere (SAM?) will look further.

I cannot but agree. This is a beautifully executed kit, pics of the parts can be seen on pages 1 and 3 in this tread. Not only beautifully detailed and cast, but also astonishingly accurate in shape and all its details. I've studied original Junkers drawings in Swedish archives and looked at the only remaining original plane in the Swedish Air Force Museum.