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Airfix 1/72 Blenheim Mk.I


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After reviewing some Blenheim Mk.IF PE sets (yet to be published on HyperScale) I thought it would be an interesting challenge to try them out. I have a flaps set, external detail set (much of it for the wheel wells) and a cockpit set. This gave me a good subject choice to join in with a 1/72 Light Bomber Group Build running on HyperScale.

Anyway, the first job was to re-shape the engine nacelles, and once that worked see if I could assemble the flaps set. If I got past these two hurdles I would be in the GB. Here's where I'm at:

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The PE sets I'm using:

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Edited by Kiwikitbasher
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Is this the Mk 1F that I've been waiting for Airfix to release for about 6 months, or the Mk 1 that has been out for a year a so? I have the 1F marked with Hannants to be advised of when it's in stock but haven't heard from them....

Ian

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Is this the Mk 1F that I've been waiting for Airfix to release for about 6 months, or the Mk 1 that has been out for a year a so? I have the 1F marked with Hannants to be advised of when it's in stock but haven't heard from them....

Ian

Hi ian,

It's the Mk.I bomber, although the Eduard PE sets I'm using are all titled as being for the Mk.IF; although the only unique Mk.IF I could find were NF.I radar antennae in the external details set. OF course all other aspects of the PE sets are equally suitable for the bomber and probably named Mk.IF by Eduard for pure marketing reasons to tie in with the new Airfix release.

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There's a serious amount of metal going down on that airframe. Great stuff on an aircraft I've always had considerable affection for.

Tony

So far it's all been fairly easy. Attaching the flaps will be tricky though. Also, the external detail set has heaps of little inspection hatches etc to glue to the surface, I think they may well be far too prominent, but will test one or two first and paint them to see.

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Plodding along, I decided to cut away the kit's cockpit details as instructed by Eduard and add all the plain PE parts before painting the interior grey-green. So things will look a bit incomplete as Eduard supplies a lot of details that are pre-coloured that have yet to be added.

I briefly contemplated fitting the cockpit halves to their respective fuselage sections, but instead chose to stick with Aifix's assembly sequence where a complete cockpit is added to the already joined rear 80% of the fuselage. This seemed to make more sense with all that I would be adding to the cockpit.

I chose to add the clear parts before painting the interior to ensure I got a first-rate fit and join, it should be easy enough to mask before I spray the interior colour.

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Folding the handle for the Vickers K-gun ammo drum was the trickiest task.

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I also added the under-wing inspection hatches to see how they looked. I think they are thin enough to make their addition worthwhile. There are also several for the upper wing inboard of the nacelles and quite a few around the rear fuselage still to fit.

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Very nice so far. I'm still waiting on the night-fighter but it's useful to see how much of the PE is worth getting -I've already got the interior, plus Barracuda resin wheels, intakes, and exhausts, and Master Barrel guns - I do like those wheel wells.....all I need now is the kit!

Ian

Edited by limeypilot
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Very nice so far. I'm still waiting on the night-fighter but it's useful to see how much of the PE is worth getting -I've already got the interior, plus Barracuda resin wheels, intakes, and exhausts, and Master Barrel guns - I do like those wheel wells.....all I need now is the kit!

Ian

Why wait? The parts, apart from the decals, for the Mk1f are in the MkIVf box. You'll have to build the MkIV as a bomber or source some Browning barrels. Xtradecal do a sheet with MkI fighters and MkIV bombers.

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Superb work so far, wish I had some photo etch to detail my Beaufort like that.

May I ask what glue you used to attach your clear parts to the main fuselage as it all looks such a clean join with not so much mess, it looks like a good bond?

I use Formula 560, just wondering if you were using the same?

Martin

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Superb work so far, wish I had some photo etch to detail my Beaufort like that.

May I ask what glue you used to attach your clear parts to the main fuselage as it all looks such a clean join with not so much mess, it looks like a good bond?

I use Formula 560, just wondering if you were using the same?

Martin

Thanks Martin,

I just used Tamiya Extra Thin (green screw top).

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I decided I should add some representation of the instruments and wiring protruding out the back of the instrument panel,and some of the rudder bar mechanism it mimics but does not exactly copy the real thing by any stretch. I also laid down a base coat of the interior colour, it's not as green as in the images, and I plan to mist on some lighter more-grey green coats, before a shadow wash and final dry-brushing.

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There's some awkward detail painting to do in the wheel wells, notably the oil tanks buried deep below the front spar.

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Just need to spray with matte varnish to tone everything in, plus repaint the shiny u/c struts with matte aluminium if the matte varnish doesn't work. It all looks a bit better when not so magnified!

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Edited by Kiwikitbasher
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Stunning work, Mark! I've almost finished my copy of the kit as the airworthy Duxford example. That PE is beautiful, but when I saw you'd done wiring...heck, man! Are you mad?! Bravo.

Thanks Zac,

I've made a bit more progress and must post some more images. Have you posted your build? Whereabouts in Godzone are you? I'm in East Auckland.

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Hawera, South Taranaki. Nothing of the Blenheim posted yet but I may do an RFI post...

I used to visit Egmont Tyre Service in Hawera when I was representing Bandag, who were the agents for Michelin tyres in NZ at the time, a bit over 20 years ago.

Edited by Kiwikitbasher
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