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1/72 Bristol Blenheim IV


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In for a penny, in for a pound! If it is ok, I am piggybacking this build along with one on Facebook, as the kit ticks two boxes. It is the 1980's boxing, and i have Falcon replacement canopies, Xtradecals and Airwaves PE to try to improve things.

IMG_20180727_192354

 

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My other half got me a job lot of kits off gumtree last Christmas and one of these was in it. Kinda wish i hadn't sold most of them (including this one).

 

great addition to the gb! 👍

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Love this kit - I built one many years ago with as many guns as possible and with the Free French transfers, just like the box art. Wrong colour, apparently. Lovely to see this making an appearance.

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I've build this kit twice over. Once as a normal Blenheim IV and then I got a bit carried away and tried to convert it into a Beaufort. I was about 12 at the time and believe me, it looked horrible! Look forward to what you can do with this one and we promise not to kill you until you at least have a crack at those Clear-Vax canopies, that'll be the big test I'm sure!! 

 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave  

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I don’t know why I should like this kit, but I do. I built one last year and it was fun.

 

If you have the canopy set that’s the biggest single improvement you can make. Number 2 on my list would be to reshape the fin and rudder. Any photos or plans will give you an idea (except the plans from “Aircraft of the Fighting Powers”, which is where I suspect the wrong shape got started).

 

The Airwaves brass seat doesn’t look half bad. If you put a shelf in front of the instrument panel down to the nose it will be pretty much spot on for a Mk IV.

 

Regards,

Adrian

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14 hours ago, rafalbert said:

Taken from the Airwaves PE set for the Frog MK1 (so no idea of the accuracy) but it should liven up the cockpit a tad.

IMG_20180801_193334

 

 

Liking that!!!!! 👍

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cracking on now, a bit of PE, plastic card and kit parts and the cockpit is looking better. Shame the throttle quadrant is on the wrong side 😳. Ho hum.

IMG_20180812_144014

 

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2 hours ago, rafalbert said:

Cracking on now, a bit of PE, plastic card and kit parts and the cockpit is looking better. Shame the throttle quadrant is on the wrong side 😳. Ho hum.

IMG_20180812_144014

 

What do you mean " Shame the throttle quadrant is on the wrong side "? It looks to be in the proper location.

 

 

Chris

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3 hours ago, rafalbert said:

Chris, every picture I have seen of a Blenheim IV cockpit shows the quadrant as being in the middle. The PE I have is for the Mk1, which is on the left.

 

Were these wartime images or pictures of modern restorations? Most, if not all restorations are based on Canadian-built Bolingbrokes that had the throttles and pitch controls moved to a right side pedestal.

 

This is a Mk.IV cockpit:

 

44001280361_83faee6021_b.jpg

 

 

Chris

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Ok, cockpit done and following further research Chris is quite correct, the cockpit is the correct way around (thanks Chris!). I notice that I need to touch up the nav's seat a little, but the fuselage is now closed up and it looks a little better than the original office. Not a great picture though.

IMG_20180818_161036

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

A bit more work done; I have reshaped the rudder using the new Airfix kit as a guide. I had never realised that the old kit' rudder was so skinny! Anyway, it looks a bit better, and just a little more blending will sort it.

 

2018-09-08_03-35-38

 

IMG_20180908_152659__01

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

After a bit of a hiatus, we have made progress. All rivets removed, panel lines rescribed (checked the finish on the starboard wing with primer), wings and tailplanes attached, nacelles tidied and attached, vax canopy attached. Now a hell of a lot of filling and shaping to do.

 

IMG_20180929_202610__01

 

 

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Well, having primed the old girl I realise how much work I still need to do. The fit of parts is definitely not great.....

 

IMG_20181007_184104

 

I doubt I will finish before the deadline but will endeavour to get it done asap.

Edited by rafalbert
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