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1/72 Bristols


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I recently returned from the IPMS Gloucester show with an addition to my ever growing collection of kits, and have decided that i need to get some model making mojo back. After placing my previous attempt at a short-run kit into a temporary (ahem, year long) hiatus i have decided to attack the stash. I will be using this thread to work through the largest contingent in the stash, aircraft produced by Bristol.

 

Having grown up not far from Filton, two grandparents who worked for Bristol prior to, during and after WWII and involved in projects from Beaufort's, through Sycamore's and onto Concorde, i grew up with a passion for all thing made by Bristol.

 

The Bristol contingent consists of:

Tamiya Beaufighter TFX - 1/48 - completed!

Airfix Beaufighter TFX - 1/72

Airfix Blenheim I (new) - 1/72

Airfix Blenheim I (new) 1/72

Airfix Blenheim I (old) - 1/72

Airfix Blenheim IVF - 1/72

HPM Beaufort - 1/72

Magna Models Buckmaster - 1/72 (WIP.....)

Valom Brigand - 1/72

 

So, despite the number of Blenheim i own, l have decided to start my Bristol odyssey with the Valom Brigand, which after reading a few other build threads looks to be... challenging.

 

Nothing i can't handle (famous last words)

 

So, obligatory sprue shots:

IMG_0749_zpsuoyya9tk.jpg

IMG_0748_zpsjvvma7jr.jpg

 

So, some nice photo etch, resin engines, no locating pins and vague instructions......

 

I will be building the kit as Brigand TF1 RH742, as seen here (which is the photo the box art is based on!)

 

Brigand%20RH742%20-%20003_zps2a5t4iog.jp

 

Okay, first things, assault the cockpit!

 

Photo etch controls, film dials and not quite correct seating to start... The Brigand was a 'three seater', the pilot got his own seat, the others had to share a bench seat, the kit supplies three seats. Generally though, the rest of the cockpit looks about right. So i will build the cockpit as per instructions except i need to scratch together a bench seat.

 

Control panel has raised detail that needs sanding flat prior to photo etch etc being place on top, so out with a file. Painted the panel and etch panel with Vallejo 'German Grey' which is a nice 'black' for this scale, then a quick drybrush over the photo etch panel with Vallejo 'Oily Steel'. Once that is done, the panel will go together and then i will look at the rest of the cockpit later!

 

 

 

 

 

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Throw away the bulkhead with the radios on.  It's complete fiction and by the looks of it is a reworked radio installation from a Ju 88.  The detail for the wing inside of the wheelbays is fine - for a Ju 388, as it's a lift from the Special Hobby Ju 388.  As it's not likely to be seen, may be best keeping it for a Ju 88 if you ever do one of those. There's an Fw 190 seat on the sprues too.

 

The wheels are way too thin, by about 2mm.  You'll need to shim them out with some plastic card. The wing trailing edges could do with thinning.  Fit around the engines isn't good, so some plastic card strips to guide bits into place will be handy.

 

Hope that helps.  

 

I didn't get very far with mine - actually, I've never had much luck with Brigands.  Got the Hallamvac one together and stalled with the u/c fit.  It got donated to a friend a decade or so back.  Then I was gifted another near complete one...

 

The Magna horror got to the same stage but actually got paint and some markings on it - I'll try and finish it and the companion Buckmaster (seen here:http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235020756-torpedo/) over the next fortnight once I've got my wheel mould sorted, although assembling the Magna u/c looks to be absolute patience testing cack.  The Elliott Brigand got sold off once I'd stripped out the white metal as I though it could be useful.  I was wrong, it wasn't.

 

Edited by The Wooksta!
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From experience the Magna Buckmaster is a pain also. The U/C is a massive pain to build, the cockpit a work of fiction and usual short-run resin issues.

 

I have access to a cut-away drawings and photos of a Brigand cockpit from the Bristol Collection (i.e. rusted and barely noticeable, but enough to get an idea). Having looked through previous build threads, a drawing i have for the Wheel well and U/C could well be the basis for a simple scratch build for that area. And i did notice the extra seat on the sprue.

 

I have the console together and painted. No glue used, simply a layer of gloss varnish on both sides of the clear film and sandwich it between the Photo etch and the plastic.

 

Next step is the cockpit and the unfathomable instructions, so i will be dry-fitting and attempting to build something resembling a Brigand cockpit, although i may well be searching the inter-web for additional interior images tonight...

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I'll shall watch this build with interest if you don't mind as I have one in the stash to build. I intend to build mine as RH749 which served with the Aerial Torpedo Development Unit at RNAS Culdrose in the 50's in memory of my late father who served with the unit. Good luck with the build.

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It looks good when it's together.  I've seen a few on various tables at shows so it is possible.  I have four in the stash - two TF1s and two B.1s.  I don't have the Valom Buckmaster, although it's on my wish list but I do have a trio of Buckinghams.  And a Magna one...  Somewhere.

 

May be an idea to steal a torpedo from the new Airfix Beaufighter.  I've done that to go on the Magna Brigand I want to try and finish in the next week or so.

 

Whifs might not be your bag, but 36 and 42 sqns were going to get the Brigand.  36 Sqn was reformed at Thorney Island on 1/10/46 by renumbering 248 Sqn (who were flying Mosquitos, including the FBXVIII and their markings are in the Airfix kit) and as they got at least one Buckmaster I (VA361) they may well have begun converting to Brigand TF1s before being disbanded on 15th October 1947.  I remember reading in one Bill Gunston tome that some TF.1s WERE issued to the RAF before being recalled. According to the Tony Buttler Warpaint, there were 18 production TF.1s - RH742-RH755, RH763, RH772, RH773 and RH796 with RH753-RH755 and RH796 being rebuilt as B.1s - so what happened to them?

 

I'm adding 36 Sqn codes to my Brigand soon and quite possibly a kill marking or two.

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Lovely photo ,and a great collection in the making!

Wooksta speaks the truth regarding radios, wheel wells, wheels and whatnot. I did the wheels on mine and got away with the wheel wells by painting them black. Not much to do about the cockpit though but the most of it cannot be seen under the greenhouse :-)

 

I need to tart up the pesky landing gear any day now and finish it...

I'll take a seat and watch with interest.

 

Oh, by the way - the plastic reacts very well with tamiya extra thin! No need to add guiding pins or tabs IMHO.

 

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Hi Muddyf,

Like deja vu! I grew up near Filton too and spent long summer holidays with the roar of Concorde engines being tested in the background. I've been building Bristol subjects for a few years, you may already have come across these;

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235018731-high-plains-dap-bristol-beaufreighter-mk-9/#comment-2671571

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235009809-a-bevy-of-bristols/#comment-2499061

I also have a WIP for an Airfix/Magna Freighter

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235016696-airfixmagna-bristol-freighter-mk-31/

 

Still awaiting their turn;

Airfix Blenheim IV old and new

Magna Type 146

MAC Scout

Bristol Racer vac

Bulldog x2

Chorozsky Type 118

Matchbox Beau

Frog Beau 21

Valom Brigand

May have forgotten a few but still want a T188, Belvedere...

 

Shall follow your Brigand and Blenheims with interest.

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I'm on the lookout for a decent Blenheim V kit, or a conversion set to complete the variants. I have my eyes on the Valom Buckingham and Bombay and really want a few Special Hobby Beaufort variants... Basically if it was made at Filton and had wings (or weird, big propellers on top) then im interested!

SWMBO thinks i may be 'obsessed', i beg to differ :lalala:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm sure I've an MPM Blenheim V* kicking about that I'm willing to dispose of and certainly a Buckingham.

 

*It's a real horror to build and they really got the u/c nacelles wrong as they should be more Beaufighter than Blenheim on the mk V.  Really wish someone would do a conversion for the Airfix kit...

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Progress is taking place. Slowly.

 

Much dry-fitting, referring to photos and general grumbling abound, but things are starting to take taking shape.

 

Cockpit starting to look a little more like a cockpit, although a lot of the photo-etch from the kit isn't getting fitted, most won't be visible and so is being saved for a later Blenheim build.

 

Im also working on the undercarriage and nacelles. These need a bit of work.

 

The wheels are FAR to small if built straight from the box...

 

IMG_0774_zps6t9qg9kh.jpg

 

A shim of card and things are looking a little better.

 

IMG_0775_zpsx1hzee3l.jpg

 

The U/C nacelles are bad. I am going to attempt to get the visible parts looking more like they should (based on a Beaufighter and the few cut-aways i can find)

 

If built from the box, they have an 'interesting' problem. They should be symmetrical, but receiving holes in different locations and a general 'scew-iffiness' about the tops of the U/C bays would mean the aircraft would have stood a little lob-sided....

IMG_0767_zpswb6fmtkt.jpg

 

So a few strips of plastic and other pieces should help a little, but the majority of it won't be visible once the U/C, doors etc are in place.

 

 

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The project is progressing nicely. A productive build session on Saturday night followed by Sunday morning prior to a Barbecue and several Thatchers Gold!

 

Anyway, whilst 'in the zone' working away i forgot to take any photos...

 

So here is the beast standing on its own two legs!

IMG_0778_zpsxfpdvzxb.jpg

 

Shortly after this image was taken the tail wheel decided to bend, thereby rendering the piece broken.. We can rebuild it! So a little surgery and bionic replacement was required (though not in the region of 6 million dollars, it cost me part of a paperclip). 

IMG_0780_zpsaulvnr49.jpg

 

In the end i didn't do a great deal of work in the nacelle, most of this is hidden.

 

The engines are nicely detailed and had a little work (although no cabling, im not quite at that stage of building aircraft yet, at least not in 1/72) and are ready to go into the cowlings and onto the nacelles.

Its starting to look like a plane!

 

Matt

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Looking good, I'd be tempted to dry brush those engines with silver to bring out some of the detail, I seem to recall they are quite good resin castings. I usually do it the other way round, paint them silver then black wash them.

Wheels are looking good!

 

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