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1/72 - Bristol Blenheim Mk.I & IVF by Airfix - released - new Mk.IV variant in September 2017


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While we´re on Airfix new beauiful bombers..... Very nice to see these long overdue RAF heavies seeing their well deserved light of the day..

However: The Airfix announced Halifax Mk.III in autumn.... Is it the case that it´s NOT a new/re-tooled kit, but the old best-forgotten 60´s kit ?

If yes, What´s the point ?

I hope I´m wrong but this is what I heard.

reg

Matt

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The Airfix announced Halifax Mk.III in autumn.... Is it the case that it´s NOT a new/re-tooled kit, but the old best-forgotten 60´s kit ?

If yes, What´s the point ?

To make money for Airfix perhaps?

It's a subject unique to Airfix for which there is presumably some demand. They've kept many their old subjects in production until they've had a new tool to replace them,

Cheers,

Bill.

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Indeed they have. This re-issue doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be a re-tool at some point in the future (not too distant, hopefully).

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There's a build of the Mk.I kit by Alan Price in the airfix magazine this month. Had a quick glance, looks very nice :)

Had a quick read of it in Smiths yeasterday. Impressed with the build but I would have liked a few more sprue shots. I'm curious to see if it could be back-dated to a Type 142 "Britain First" - I'd like to do a whiffed in service trainer version.

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To make money for Airfix perhaps?

It's a subject unique to Airfix for which there is presumably some demand. They've kept many their old subjects in production until they've had a new tool to replace them,

Cheers,

Bill.

I certainly agree that it is a subject unique to Airfix. As far as demand goes, well it's the only game in town if you want a Hercules engined Halifax. Like Matt, I was very disappointed to learn that it was yet another reissue!

Allan

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To make money for Airfix perhaps?

It's a subject unique to Airfix for which there is presumably some demand. They've kept many their old subjects in production until they've had a new tool to replace them,

Cheers,

Bill.

Yeah, I´m sure it´ll be a blockbuster selling in tens of thousands.. Especially as modelers have gotten used to, fed up with Airfix new nice recent releases and are longing for raised panel-lines, rivets the size of teacups and molded-whole-engines-in the cowling.......

Matt

Edited by Matt Kaeck
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Had a quick read of it in Smiths yeasterday. Impressed with the build but I would have liked a few more sprue shots. I'm curious to see if it could be back-dated to a Type 142 "Britain First" - I'd like to do a whiffed in service trainer version.

It *can* be, because anything *can* be done with enough work, but it's major, major surgery. Rather than use a new Airfix one for that I am more likely to try with my old Frog one: lots of lovely thick plastic to hack away at, and no anxiety about the inevitable loss of surface detailing. The whole fuselage of the 142 is much slimmer, for a start.

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It *can* be, because anything *can* be done with enough work, but it's major, major surgery. Rather than use a new Airfix one for that I am more likely to try with my old Frog one: lots of lovely thick plastic to hack away at, and no anxiety about the inevitable loss of surface detailing. The whole fuselage of the 142 is much slimmer, for a start.

The Major Thing that needs to be taken care of relates to the position of the wings. 'Britain First' was low wing rather that the Blenheim's mid wing arrangement.

Of course that would throw out the engine and undercarriage geometry and in any event it used Aquila radials rather than Mercuries.

So yes, possible but..........!

Trevor

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I've a pair of the Rugrat 'Britain First' kits to do the real thing anyway. I've had a hankering to do something more transport/trainer with Blenheim bits and a developed Britain First kind of fits the bill.

I've often looked at the Frog kit to do it (and I have a lot of cheaply bought Novo ones in the stash!), but the amount of work lowering the wings has always put me off - the way the Airfix kit is broken down makes it much easier.

The Type 142 prototype did have Mercuries - the Type 143 had the Aquila. Different nose section too.

I'd also like to know if I can get a Blenheim V out of the new Airfix one - the MPM one drove me up the wall.

Edited by The wooksta V2.0
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It's not just moving the wings - I believe you also have to narrow the fuselage (which raises the question of whether the wingspan is narrower than a Blenheim - can't remember offhand - and take a section out of it vertically. I think then that's the heavy lifting done, the rest is just detail work (which is conceptually easy enough, there's just a lot of it to do).

Edited by Work In Progress
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New releases have tended to be at the end of the month quoted: that may just be coincidence rather than policy.

The sprues show no hint of a Mk.V - if you abandoned your MPM one then perhaps enough parts can be salvaged to combine with a new Airfix kit?

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Blenheim Mk.I was out Friday on Airfix.com so should be with retailers from Monday;

http://www.airfix.com/catalog/product/view/id/595/

Yesterday my LMS told me he was told by Airfix not expect any of the new kits [blenheim, Mary Rose et al] for at least two more weeks, probably three to four. Considering he usually has the kits in asap and he's a straight-forward guy, never mislead me before I've got to believe him.

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Yesterday my LMS told me he was told by Airfix not expect any of the new kits [blenheim, Mary Rose et al] for at least two more weeks, probably three to four. Considering he usually has the kits in asap and he's a straight-forward guy, never mislead me before I've got to believe him.

Well they are all available from the website, maybe he's at the back of the delivery list for some reason :shrug:

Links;

Bristol Blenheim MkI Bomber 1:72 - A04016

http://www.airfix.com/catalog/product/view/id/595/

Mary Rose Starter Set 1:400 - A55114

http://www.airfix.com/mary-rose-starter-set-1-400.html

VW Beetle Starter Set 1:32 - A55207

http://www.airfix.com/vw-beetle-starter-set-1-32.html

Jaguar XKRGT 'Fantasy Scheme' Starter Set 1:32 - A55306

http://www.airfix.com/jaguar-xkrgt-fantasy-scheme-starter-set-1-32.html

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This inspired me to haul out my older Blenheims to move them on a little. What puzzles me is some of the MPM cockpit interior for the Mk.IV. I suppose I could easily wait for the Airfix Mk.IV for some enlightenment but does anyone know of available photos of the interior - I've looked through my references and been unable to find any.

I can't find the quote in this thread, but someone was suggesting that the MPM nacelles were more like Beaufighters: I can't agree there but the undercarriage legs are. Fortunately their chunkiness will be hidden by the barndoor. I'm not (yet) finding the troubles some people have had with the MPM, but maybe doing a little bit at a time with a year or so between each session helps. And perhaps working on an old Airfix /Frog hybrid Mk.I at the same time puts troubles into perspective a little.

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