Jump to content

Airfix Blenheim 1


Recommended Posts

Hello All,

I know we are a bit overrun with Blenheim builds at the moment (I know, we are all just practising for the Beaufighter!) but here's some photos of my current build. Hopefully this will provide a slightly different slant, so I beg your forbearance...

I wanted to do a Blenheim 1F, with black and white undersides.

The ejector pin marks in the nacelles were actually quite easy to scrape off with a curved scalpel blade. One down, one to go:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_wheel_well_scraping_zp

The cockpit is a little gem:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_cockpit_painted_zpseop

I followed the route of assembling the fuselage, and then added the cockpit as an assembled unit without the canopy. I cut off the little inset windows at the back and added them separately. When you add the cockpit to the fuselage you realise how terribly cramped it is.

Airfix_Blenheim_1_cockpit_fitted_zpsfrgm

I've added some tape seat belts, stretched sprue slices for the instrument backs and some simple rudder pedals.

The undercarriage bay is well detailed, but I also added a speculative wing rib with lightening holes in it to fill the void down the wing:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_wheel_well_detail_zpsi

I didn't have much luck with getting the bomb bay together either. I think it's not entirely my fault:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_bomb_bay_woes_zpsurfgz

I glued the two halves of the cockpit transparency together before sticking it on:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_transparency_zps3uepwc

I pinched the rather nice gun pack from a Frog (Revell re-pop) Blenheim. I filled in the slots to make holes for the guns:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_Frog_gun_pack_zpspfnyq

I masked and painted the codes I wanted because I didn't have anything that quite looked right:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_code_painting_zpscfwbt

The codes come out a bit lumpy where the paint has pooled next to the tape, so you need to give it a gentle sanding with a fine finishing stick:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_codes_zpsnu3nvhcl.jpeg

Here's the codes against my chief reference photo and the Xtradecal codes set, in which the "A" is a bit narrow and the codes are pretty dark:

Airfix_Blenheim_1_code_comparison_zpsgu7

Ironically (is it ironic? isn't it ironic?? I blame Alanis Morrisette...) the old Frog kit comes with markings "WR-E" so it's close but no cigar. However, they are off-white and around 30 inches tall.

I used Xtradecals 32.5 inch "A" type roundels on the fuselage and 66.5 inch "B" type on the wings.

Early Blenheims arrived with 66.5 inch "A1" type roundels above the wings, and these got painted down to 47.5 inch "B" type, but in the absence of a photo, I decided that this was probably a later Blenheim delivered with 66.5 inch "B" type roundels from the factory. I stuck to Xtradecals for the wing roundels because the Airfix red looks a little light to me.

There are not serials, fin flashes or underwing roundels and apart from two W/T stencils below the starboard elevator, I can't see any other stencils on the photos, so decalling has been mercifully short!

Thanks for looking,
Adrian

Edited by AdrianMF
  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Adrian, great progress so far. The paint job is very neat. How long did it take since starting this build up to this point?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Joe!

Hello Adrian, great progress so far. The paint job is very neat. How long did it take since starting this build up to this point?

It's taken a while because it is tricky in some areas (fuselage/bomb bay, nose, cowlings, propellers) so you have to dry run and fettle to do as best you can. On the other hand, other bits of it (undercarriage, cockpit interior) are a joy to work with and fit really well.

Regards,

Adrian

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's taken a while because it is tricky in some areas (fuselage/bomb bay, nose, cowlings, propellers) so you have to dry run and fettle to do as best you can. On the other hand, other bits of it (undercarriage, cockpit interior) are a joy to work with and fit really well.

thanks for the info. I'll build one of these some day but my stash is too big now, and I decided to participate in GBs in order to force me to build a few of those kits...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent work Adrian...Really enjoying watching this one...I have one to build in the not too distant future...What were the big issues you came across and how did you resolve them?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found it much easier to add the main undercarriage legs before the wing halves are glued together - it doesn't create any problems (the lower wing section slides quite happily over them) and it saves faffing around trying to get them in afterwards.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone!

I listed the issues I found with the kit in one of the posts above, and I think the Admiral's suggestion of glueing the legs on first has, er, legs! I glued mine on later, having made sure I didn't painted the mating surface of the spar, but it would have been easier to glue them on before.

Another issue that crops up is that the instructions for the Mk1 do not tell you to remove the "blobs" between the retraction struts. I had previously left them on, going against all my engineering instincts, but the MkIV instructions tell you to remove them. Phew!

Airfix_New_Blenheim_undercarriage_zpspss

I'm sure it's easier to remove the blobs before it's all glued and painted, too.

Anyhow, it's finished. More pictures in RFI.

Airfix_New_Blenheim_port_rear_above_zpsf

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Looking great! The bomb bay is not the best fit, it looks like you have had the same issues as me.

Martin

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...