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All the Blenheim questions you want to ask here


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Tim, don't forget that the Duxford Blenheim is actually an original Blenheim Mk I nose fitted to a Bolingbroke airframe. The air gunner's hatch featuring a glazed panel would indeed seem a standard fit but for the Boly, not the Blenheim. I would agree that a Blenheim hatch should be solid.

Also of note is that the hatch on the Boly is hinged on the starboard side whereas on the Blenheim it is hinged on the port side. The Blenheim has a small entry ladder on the starboard (in)side which they did away with on the Boly.

Moving forward to the sliding roof panel that gives access to the cockpit, on the Boly this has a widthwise glazing bar in the middle which I have never seen on any Blenheim photos.

Your question re part of the noze glazing is answered as follows in the Valiant Airframe Album Nr 5 covering the Blenheim : "With the front glazing it seems that from the Type 142M the lower panel on the port side was usually blanked off, mainly because no one used it to look through and all you can see through it is the back of the instrument panel." As to whether it was effectively blanked off with alloy sheet or simply painted over I cannot tell you.

That said and thinking away the few Boly details she did look gorgeous at Legends, didn't she :) ?

Cheers,

Walter

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New question: The antenna wire, running from the mast till the tip of the fixed part of the fin, has a lead in the middle of it, going down to and into the fuselage. On photos and profiles it is very clear where this wire is situated. However I have been unable to figure out where it enters the fuselage seen from the top; fuselage centerline, vertically under the antenna wire, or well on the starboard side of the fuselage? Can anybody shed some light on this? TIA

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New question: The antenna wire, running from the mast till the tip of the fixed part of the fin, has a lead in the middle of it, going down to and into the fuselage. On photos and profiles it is very clear where this wire is situated. However I have been unable to figure out where it enters the fuselage seen from the top; fuselage centerline, vertically under the antenna wire, or well on the starboard side of the fuselage? Can anybody shed some light on this? TIA

Sten, allow me to point to a thread I started some years ago on the subject of Blenheim aerials:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234908037-blenheim-aerials/?hl=%2Bblenheim+%2Baerial

The questions I put forward then have in meantime been answered by the way, the thingy on top of the aerial mast is an ice guard alright and what I called the secondary aerial serves the TR9D radio set.

The fuselage entry point for the main aerial appears to be dead centre as is seen in below photo (internet find, reproduced for research purposes only) :

large%2026.jpg

The semi-circular "thing" in front of the insulator is also an ice guard.

Hope this is of help to you.

Cheers,

Walter

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Thank you Walter, exactly what I was looking for - and a bit more too.

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Tim, don't forget that the Duxford Blenheim is actually an original Blenheim Mk I nose fitted to a Bolingbroke airframe. The air gunner's hatch featuring a glazed panel would indeed seem a standard fit but for the Boly, not the Blenheim. I would agree that a Blenheim hatch should be solid.

Hi Walter,

Finnish-built Blenheims had two narrow windows on this hatch.

Cheers,

AaCee

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I'm building an Airfix Blenheim IVF for the Battle of Britain GB, and looking at the undercarriage, and I'm struggling to find a good reference for the brake line arrangement.

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good references?

Thanks

Karl

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I'm building an Airfix Blenheim IVF for the Battle of Britain GB, and looking at the undercarriage, and I'm struggling to find a good reference for the brake line arrangement.

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good references?

Thanks

Karl

Try right here in the Walkaround section:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/71773-bristol-blenheim-bollingbroke/

cheers,

Jason

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  • 2 weeks later...

A Blenheim question, but perhaps a bit beyond the scope of this thread, so apologies if it's in the wrong place.

Disaster has struck my build of the new Airfix Blenheim. I've managed to ruin both of the red "UQ" squadron code decals from the 1/72 Xtradecal Blenheim sheet. I wonder if anyone who has this sheet and isn't using the "UQ" codes would be interested in selling or trading these.

Thanks very much.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

I’m looking for some help on the subject of the Blenheim IV’s that were in service with 5 AOS (Air Observer School) at RAF Jurby in the Isle of Man during the period from October 1941 to May 1942.

Specifically, the unit code, any information on the colour scheme(s) adopted, armament, and any modifications to the standard mark IV.

In case you’re wondering why, my dad did his navigation training at 5 AOS before transferring to 10 OTU as a Bomb Aimer. I’m aiming to build representations of the various aircraft types he flew in during his time in Bomber Command, getting as close as I can to specific serial numbers, unit codes and call signs where the information’s available.

Unfortunately, Dad never saw his wartime flying log after he returned from POW camp, and didn’t find out until too late that it would still have been held by the RAF until the unclaimed ones were destroyed round about 1960.

All I’ve been able to find for 5 AOS is the record of Z6350’s accident on 21 December 1941, but as that happened during Dad’s time at Jurby it would do for my Blenheim which would then serve as my tribute to the lost crew.

Can anyone out there help at all? I realise that this might be a little obscure.

Cheers,

Richard

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Below is a photo of Z5970 of 5 AOS found on the IWM site. The colours would be standard Blenheim colours IE, green/dark earth top sides and Sky undersides. Unless I'm mistaken the aircraft appears to be fitted with a gun pack. I hope find this useful. :)


large.jpg?action=e&cat=photographs


Edited by DCRanger
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  • 1 year later...

Hopefully this is the right place to post my question.  I've not found an answer elsewhere yet!

 

I'm building the Airfix Blenheim Mk.I, using the kit decals for Squadron Leader Scarf's aircraft from No. 62 Squadron.  As I've started to prepare to mask the kit for painting, I've noticed that the pattern of the camouflage scheme on the instruction sheet differs from most of the photographs I've seen of other Mk.Is.  I know the "fine print" on the instruction sheet indicates the details of Scarf's aircraft were pieced together from available information, but can anyone confirm if the pattern shown is likely accurate or if Airfix is simply wrong in this aspect?

 

TIA for any assistance with this.

 

Kindest Regards,

 

Mark

Edited by Mark Joyce
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4 hours ago, Mark Joyce said:

Hopefully this is the right place to post my question.  I've not found an answer elsewhere yet!

 

I'm building the Airfix Blenheim Mk.I, using the kit decals for Squadron Leader Scarf's aircraft from No. 62 Squadron.  As I've started to prepare to mask the kit for painting, I've noticed that the pattern of the camouflage scheme on the instruction sheet differs from most of the photographs I've seen of other Mk.Is.  I know the "fine print" on the instruction sheet indicates the details of Scarf's aircraft were pieced together from available information, but can anyone confirm if the pattern shown is likely accurate or if Airfix is simply wrong in this aspect?

 

TIA for any assistance with this.

 

Kindest Regards,

 

Mark

 

Judging from an online image of the Airfix painting instructions, the camo pattern they provide seems to match quite closely to the scheme applied to Blenheim MkIs L6635 and L6669, both operated by 27 Sqn in Singapore and Malaya.  I'd therefore suggest that the Airfix scheme is as accurate as anyone will get regarding Scarf's machine. 

 

Cheers,
Mark

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  • 11 months later...

I have been searching over many places and no definitive answer can be made. What was the undersurface colour (or colours) of CBI-based Blenheim IVs?

Most of them (and Mk.Vs too) are portrayed and described as sporting Sky Type S undersurfaces (e.g. V8083, Z7783, Z9828, AZ942), although there are rumours about Azure (or even Light Mediterranean) Blue undersurfaces of several Mk.IVs in No.45, 60, 84 and 113 Sqn. (particularly the a/c flown there from the Middle East) and Sea Grey Medium on few Mk.Vs in late 1943. Are there any photos confirming existence of such aircraft or is this only a wishful thinking of modellers and skin designers?

Cheers

Michael

 

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4 hours ago, KRK4m said:

I have been searching over many places and no definitive answer can be made. What was the undersurface colour (or colours) of CBI-based Blenheim IVs?

Most of them (and Mk.Vs too) are portrayed and described as sporting Sky Type S undersurfaces (e.g. V8083, Z7783, Z9828, AZ942), although there are rumours about Azure (or even Light Mediterranean) Blue undersurfaces of several Mk.IVs in No.45, 60, 84 and 113 Sqn. (particularly the a/c flown there from the Middle East) and Sea Grey Medium on few Mk.Vs in late 1943. Are there any photos confirming existence of such aircraft or is this only a wishful thinking of modellers and skin designers?

Cheers

Michael

 

look here

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235020267-more-malayan-buffalo-blenheim-colour-thoughts/

 

Selwyn

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Yes, by Petersplanes but I'm not sure how widely available these were/are. Tailored for war gaming by the looks of it.

https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=Kits&q=petersplanes&fkTYPEGROUP[]=%22Bristol%20Blenheim%22

If anybody would produce a typical kit in the future, it might be someone like Mark I Models. They've released a family of Beaufighters not so long ago.

https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=Kits&q=1%2F144+bristol+beaufighter&fkCOMPNAME[]=%22Mark%20I%20Models%22&fkSCALE[]=%221:144%22&fkTYPEGROUP[]=%22Bristol%20Beaufighter%22
 

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Thank you, Selwyn, for your interest. However the Blenheims mentioned there were Mk.Is (and most of them fighters with rear fuselage band). 

My resume of the CBI theatre Blenheim IV colour scheme - as for today - is (correct me where I'm wrong):

1. In December 1941 in this area there was only one unit flying bomber Blenheim IVs - No.34 Squadron (codes EG). The a/c looked probably as they were delivered from the UK - TLS of DG/DE above and Sky Type S below, A1 fuselage roundels, A under and B over the wings

2. In next 3 months they were joined by 6 other units - No.11 (YH), No. 45 (OB), No.84 (VA), No.110 (VE) and No.113 (AD) transferred from the Middle East and No.60 (MU, formerly a fighter unit) withdrawn from Singapore. Some of the aircraft COULD operate in CBI still sporting the Desert Scheme of DE/MS over Azure, but the vast majority is portrayed in TLS over Azure with A1/A/B roundels as previously stated. 

3. In autumn 1942 No.84 and No.110 Squadrons replaced Blenheims with Vengeances, followed in the winter by No.45. Other two units (No.34 and 113) received Blenheim Vs. 

4. Blenheim Vs (supplied in TLS over Azure) have totally replaced the Mk.IVs within No.34 and No. 113 Sq. New variant has been pictured with three subsequent types of roundels - first the standard C1/A/B combination, then (early 1943) with the same but red areas overpainted white and finally (June-September 1943) with "India white" (close to Sky Blue)-centred small diameter ones.

5. In two remaining units (No.11 and No.60) Blenheim IVs soldiered on up to August 1943 when they've been replaced with Hurribombers. The question is whether the A1 roundels on Blenheim IVs were left unchanged or were they repainted in fashion similar to Mk.Vs (C1, then white centres, then small dia blue ones)?

6. As last Blenheims in CBI have been withdrawn from oprational units before 1944 both later camo changes (SGM undersides) and new markings (white bands around the wings and tails) don't apply here.

Cheers

Michael

 

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