DaveyGair Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Here's an entry I did in the 'They also serve 2020' GB, which was what I would be building in the 'What you wouldn't want to go to war in' GB. Briefly, the Botha was built to the same specification as the Beaufort, a combined spec of a shore based torpedo bomber and land based general reconnaissance bomber. Despite passing Torpedo and mine-laying trials the Botha was a very difficult aircraft to fly and like most early war RAF types, underpowered. Despite this nearly 600 were built, most ending up in training units where losses mounted, due mainly to the poor all round vision it seems. I wanted to build one of these as I'm often attracted to lesser known types and obtained this PH resin kit from Hannants, it is currently still available. The build thread is shown on the link but generally it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Not for the beginner of course, and there is a lot of fettling to the parts required but the only things I added were carb intakes modified from an Airfix Beaufighter (the kit included two pairs of Volkes filters, used by some units near beaches), a lorenz beam antenna from the spares box and scratch built most of the cockpit. The undercarriage legs were moulded with steel rod inserts so are quite strong. You have to scratch build everything else and there is no positive location for them, they are made too long though. I don't know what the layout is like in the wheel bays so my twin hydraulic ram set-up is entirely fictitcious! The markings are for an aircraft based up the road from me at Tranwell airfield, RAF Morpeth. Used by 4 AGS training mainly Poles, they were soon exchanged for Avro Anson's due to the mentioned often fatal accidents. They were just knocked up and modified from the decal stash so aren't entirely spot-on, but when looking at photo's of Botha's they varied a lot in the style of roundels and codes. Critique and comment welcome. Davey. 38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Excellent work 👍 I must try a resin kit one of these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc72 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Very nice work! One might even say the original aircraft did not deserve to be represented as such a fine model. Just kidding... I am also often attracted by aircraft that are not remembered as brilliant designs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 While the Botha may not have won much acclaim in either form or function, this model is deserving of plenty of acclaim. Nice job Davey. Steve. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gisbod Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Never ceases to amaze me how many aircraft of the period pop up that I’d never heard of! Nice job. Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Didn't know that kit existed. Cracking job on a much unloved aircraft. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 51 minutes ago, Gisbod said: Never ceases to amaze me how many aircraft of the period pop up that I’d never heard of! Nice job. Guy Thanks Guy. I've only recently got to know about this aircraft, I think someone did a vac-form kit of one on here. Once reading about it I had to have one in my collection. It's worth tracking down the February 2013 edition of 'Aeroplane' magazine for its excellent article on the Botha, almost made me feel sorry for it! Davey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Great result, especially when I've saw how demanding it was in your build thread... Regards J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXANTOMCAT Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Something a bit different- lovely job well done 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BristolBlue Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Fabulous. A reconnaissance aircraft with appalling visibility! You have to wonder who Blackburn “knew” in the air ministry - so many duds. Stunning model thank you. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Lovely build on the Bothersome Botha, great work ! Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorty84 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 As I'm a fan of those lesser known designs too I can only give a 👍 for your nice build. Cheers Markus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Lovely job,..... I do like the look of the Botha and your model looks superb. Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 36 minutes ago, tonyot said: Lovely job,..... I do like the look of the Botha and your model looks superb. Cheers Tony Cheers Tony, and everyone else, this is the first complete resin kit I have finished! I think they have captured the shape of the fuselage and the wing plan perfectly. Measuring up after finishing the model it's only a couple of mm out to the published dimensions. Davey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binbrook87 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Really like that. Something you don't see very often. Great job! 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Cracking build, Davey. I wasn't familiar with this plane before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzby061 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Lovely build of a type that should have been strangled at birth! Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 A Botha from Squires Gate crashed into Blackpool Central Railway Station after colliding with a Defiant on 27th August 1941, killing 15 people including both crews; http://www.laituk.org/Botha-Defiant.htm 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandie Dinmont Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 It always amazes me that Blackburn were able to produce the sublime Buccaneer after a pretty impressive string of duds. Your model is far from a dud though, in fact it’s great! Craig. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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