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Showing results for tags 'Blenheim IV'.
Found 8 results
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I’m looking for information on Bolingbroke turrets, specifically information for the twin Browning turrets. Does anyone have drawings, diagrams etc for the turret, guns, installation etc. Photos clearly showing the guns and internal turret configuration would also be great (I have most of the easily accessible IWM etc photos already). Thanks in advance!
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Hi everyone, My first entry for this GB (I'm planning at least two if time permits) will be the Airfix Blenheim Mk.IV (using Eduard photo-etch and canopy masks, and an AML camouflage mask). I built one of these last year for the Battle of Britain Group Build in Bomber Command colours. This time I'll be focusing on a Coastal Command machine from the same era. I'm yet to decide on a particular aircraft to represent but almost certainly one from 53 Sqn or 59 Sqn, which undertook coastal patrols, night raids on occupied ports, and daring daytime shipping strikes. Along the way if there's interest I'll relate the details of the raids the Coastal Command aircraft participated in during the Battle of Britain. As I already have several aircraft on the go (Bf109s for another ongoing Group Build), I'll delay getting started on this one until my workbench has a bit more room - probably mid July. Thanks for looking! Matt -
Hi all, I've been super excited about this group build for a while, and even more excited when I saw that the rules were going to allow Bomber Command aircraft on anti-invasion operations! So, inspired by Larry Donnelly's excellent book "The Other Few", my plan for my first entry in this group build is to build an Airfix Blenheim as one from the many Blenheim squadrons that made nightly raids on the "invasion ports" - the ports on the French coast in which large numbers of barges were building as the Germans prepared for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. Here's the kit and a few extras I've bought so far: I've been trawling through Operations Record Books (ORBs) from the National Archives for some time (another hobby of mine) on this subject. Interestingly one of my findings is that one of the aircraft depicted in the kit's decals (R3816 "OM-J" of 107 Squadron) participated in four successful attacks on the invasion ports (Calais three times and Boulogne once), and went on to fly operationally until mid 1941. I may go with this for simplicity, or another aircraft - I'll reveal that in a few days - and I'll add in some bits of history about "The Other Few" and excerpts from the ORBs throughout the build to show one of the perhaps lesser known parts of the Battle of Britain as I go. I'm really looking forward to the start of the group build in a few days! Matt
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I'm about to dive into my1/48 Classic Airframes Blenheim Mk IV, and I'm wondering, has anyone come up with a good way to add the teardrop blisters on the canopy side windows that are missing in the kit (other than vacuforming new side windows)? Other than that issue, and the missing triangular window on the windscreen, are there any other issues that may arise with that kit? Thanks, Colin
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I've scratchbuilt the twin Browning .303 installation for my Classic Airframes Blenheim IV.f. The guns are cut down .303's from an ICM Spitfire (cut down because the barrels should be 24", and overall length should be 40" and ICM's are way to long), the shells are Aber photo etch, the rest is scratched from plasticard and strip, scrap brass sheet and wire. hope you like ...
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I have read in multiple places (books and this very site) that some Blenheim IV's wearing TSS but painted with night or black undersides. Now, does any photographic evidence exist of this? I have MANY photos and without getting into the whole debate of colour recognition in B&W photos, none i have show categorically the TSS and Black schemes. Does anyone know where (if they exist) any photos can be found? Thanks in advance!
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I finished this last night; the new-tool Airfix Blenheim IV representing V6028 GBoD which was the aircraft flown by Acting Wing Commander Hughie Idwal Edwards on 04 July 1941 in the low-level raid on Bremen for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The kit is a nicely complex but pleasantly easy build so long as you go carefully and do plenty of test-fitting before you commit to glue. The join of the forward fuselage/cockpit to the rear fuselage and wings did not present any problems; I may just have been lucky but it worked first time and gave no hint that it could be troublesome - the bomb-bay interior however did not fit well at the rear join and would have needed work had I left the bomb-doors open. The kit includes both types of 'under-chin' turret for bomber variants as well as a full bomb-load as per the Mk.I kit, however it does not include the later modified bulged side windows for the pilot and navigator so you will need to consider your options if that is a major issue to you, or just do what I did and stick your fingers in your ears and loudly say "Lalalala I can't heeeaar you" if anyone mentions it. The kit was built OOB apart from the replacement of the exhausts, air intakes and fuel dump pipes with those from the Barracuda resin set (I really just wanted to see what they are like and for the record they are lovely) and the addition of an EZ-Line aerial wire. Other points - I have painted the navigation lights red and green when in fact they were red and green bulbs with clear covers. I don't even care. I also accidentally gave this one aircraft the exhaust staining of a whole squadron, then compounded it by trying to cover it up. I care a bit more about that because it is just embarrassing, but short of not posting pictures of the underside (which is not a bad idea now I come to think of it) there is little point in my trying to hide it. The paints used were Phoenix Precision Paints Interior Grey-Green, Dark Earth, Dark Green and Sky and various other bits and bobs for the detail painting. The decals were from the Airfix Victoria Cross Icons set and were fairly good though not quite up to the standard of the decals in the current boxing. Cheers, Stew- 31 replies
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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
