Blenheim IV, 105 Sqn, Malta. ***FINISHED 3/11/2020***

[DaveyGair]

Next one on the list will be this Blenheim Mk. IV Bomber, using the Special Hobby Mk. IVf kit and decals by Xtradecal.  I'm using the Special Hobby kit as, a) I have it and needs to be built and b) it has the bulged side windows and Volkes filters needed for this aircraft. It also has the twin turret Brownings which I think this aircraft would have had, if not then it will when I'm finished with it!  I'm not sure if the Airfix kit has the twin guns but I'll be using the chin rear-ward gun mounting from that kit.  I will be using Airfix props which is handy as the SH ones have separate Resin hubs and plastic blades.  I got these from Airfix as I asked if they could send me a replacement air-data collector thingy mounted port-side of the cockpit as I had lost it! I offered to pay but a whole sprue arrived in the post free of charge, well done on the customer service Airfix!

 

Davey.

 

 

Loads of projects on this sheet, must resist dammit!!

 

[Ozzy]

Welcome to the build Davey, looking forward to seeing this built.

[Graham Boak]

I have one of these to do, but am unable to decide whether these aircraft should be in the TSS used by 105 Sq in the UK at this time, or the Desert scheme that tropicalised aircraft would normally be prepared in.  I strongly suspect that the standard scheme seen on this sheet and elsewhere is simply the previously established "norm" that this is how Blenheims were painted.  Stuart Scott's book on 105 Sq has a colourised photo of his dad's aircraft in Desert scheme, but no justification is given for this.  Sorry I don't remember the title, Blenheim something - I'll dig it out.

 

Memory does suggest that tropicalised Blenheims also had a larger intake on the top of the nacelle, but this may just be for the Mk.I.

[TEMPESTMK5]

1 hour ago, Ozzy said:

Welcome to the build Davey, looking forward to seeing this built.

Plus 1 , a Blenheim will be a very interesting build to follow have fun ..

Best Regards

Patrice

[dogsbody]

1 hour ago, DaveyGair said:

I got these from Airfix as I asked if they could send me a replacement air-data collector thingy mounted port-side of the cockpit as I had lost it! 

That is the venturi that created a vacuum for some of the cockpit instruments.

 

 

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

Memory does suggest that tropicalised Blenheims also had a larger intake on the top of the nacelle, but this may just be for the Mk.I.

 

Are you perhaps thinking of the enlarged exit for the oil cooler air?

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Graham Boak]

Maybe, something larger up there. for sure.  Must dig out my Freightdog piece to see what it is.

[DaveyGair]

Thanks for the interest folks. Yeah, it's often difficult to assess an old black and white photos for colour combos and I think this 'colourisation' lark just makes things worse. I'm going to go with the decal sheet colours. 

If the Airfix Beaufort arrives soon there is an interesting scheme on this sheet for that as well.

 

Davey.

[Dave Swindell]

19 hours ago, dogsbody said:

 

Are you perhaps thinking of the enlarged exit for the oil cooler air?

That's part of the story, but not what Graham was thinking about I suspect

And a photo here

 

[dogsbody]

Oh yeah! I'd forgotten about that. Still for air to the oil cooler though.

 

 

Chris

[DaveyGair]

If you Google the serial and add Malta a very clear photo of this aircraft turns up in the images. Shows the intake discussed here very clearly, but not clear enough to show exact size and position. Nothing mentioned in the Haynes manual I won on this very forum a couple of years ago, although a couple of photos of both Mk I and IV show them. The photo also shows a 'modified' chin gun blister, solid instead of clear perspex!

 

Davey

[dogsbody]

Some IWM photos, showing that intake:

 

Bristol Blenheim Mark IV, Z7631 'N', of No. 14 Squadron RAF, in flight over the Western Desert.

 

Bristol Blenheim Mark Is of No. 62 Squadron RAF lined up at Tengah, Singapore, before flying north to their new base at Alor Star, Malaya.

 

Bristol Blenheim Mark IV, V6014 'GB-J', of No. 105 Squadron RAF Detachment in a dispersal at Luqa, Malta.

 

Bristol Blenheim Mark IVs of No. 14 Squadron RAF in flight over desert, possibly in Iraq where the Squadron was based from August to October 1941.

 

Bristol Blenheim Mark I, L1434, of No. 211 Squadron RAF, undergoing an engine service at Paramythia, Greece.

 

 

 

Chris

[DaveyGair]

6 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Some IWM photos, showing that intake:

 

Chris

Thanks for the photos Chris, that bottom one is very sharp and clearer than the V6014 one, as in which gill section to place it on. Hannants have two of the Barracuda sets in stock but at 6 quid just to obtain two intakes, maybe I'm being a cheap-skate!

 

Davey

[rob85]

Great choice Davey, nice to see a Malta based Blenheim! 
 

also I know what you mean about the sheet, I would happily build every one on it! I’ve built two of the spitfires so far and if life allows my take a couple of others from this sheet for the GB.

 

looking forward to your work.

 

Rob

[DaveyGair]

As mentioned in my Wellington build my BoB build is going a little slower than I had liked and while waiting for the Dark Earth uppers an the Brits to dry I decided to start on my MTO builds.

 

I been playing with the Blenheim bits to see what the fit is like, I joined the fuselage halves together as the cockpit front is all separate and the interior can be built onto the assembled fuselage.  Seems Ok so far, the halves aligned fairly well together, the insert for the turret will a bit of fettling though.  The front of the fuselage is made up of two large clear parts to which the windscreen and top of the cockpit is joined. Taping things up and offering them together and it looks like it won't be too bad a fit, although I've thought that before with these kits and as soon as you apply glue they don't seem to want to match!

Comparing the parts with the Airfix kit they almost match, the tail is a little different to the Airfix one, compared to photos maybe just needs a little sanding to reduce the 'sharpness' of the tail tip. I should have took a photo of the fuselage halves before I glued them together but they were quite close. The navigation lights on the rudder are further apart than the Airfix kit, as well as the trim tab being longer. I might investigate further but to honest I'm not that obsessive about detail!

 

More soon.

 

Davey.

 

 

[DaveyGair]

Decided to start knocking this into shape and construction begins with the cockpit.  I diverted from the instructions by assembling the fuselage halves then putting in the bulkhead and floor. The shelf behind the cockpit does not fit because of where the main wings attach to the fuselage and needed much cutting and filing and a bit of filler to set right.

I've assembled everything ready to prime and paint then will attach the two instrument panels after, which I have pre-painted and glued the film printed dials, ready to be glued to the plastic parts.  You do get PE rudder pedals which I discarded after a couple of attempts at folding them into shape!  

The insert for the turret wasn't a great fit and will need much blending in. Oddly, the instructions suggest the bottom glazed part is not required but it is if you wish to display it in the raised position. 

 

More soon.  Davey.

 

 

[AdrianMF]

If you haven’t got the front glazing on yet I’d check whether you need a shim to widen the fuselage. I needed a 1mm wedge in the bottom join when I built mine.

 

Even if you have glued the halves together it will be relatively easy to split them for an inch or so.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[DaveyGair]

3 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

If you haven’t got the front glazing on yet I’d check whether you need a shim to widen the fuselage. I needed a 1mm wedge in the bottom join when I built mine.

 

Even if you have glued the halves together it will be relatively easy to split them for an inch or so.

 

Regards,

Adrian

Cheers Adrian, will constantly check, I have a done one or two SH kits and am well aware of the downsides! 😉 ( Lockheed Hudson with front glazed nose split horizontally gave some problems.)

I've just sprayed the undercoat and interior colour, will let that harden off till tomorrow.  The control column was in two parts, one plastic and one resin!

I decided to mask the interior of the nose glazing and spray the interior instead of relying on the colour showing through from the outside, as well as being glossy from the plastic.

 

More soon. Davey

 

 

 

[DaveyGair]

Since I've finished the Wellington now cracking on with the Blenheim.

I finished painting the interior and after virtually no adjustment to the parts started with attaching the port front fuselage half.

 

 

On checking the fit of the Starboard half I found I just had to bend the top of the grey plastic top front to suit.  Both halves line up not too bad and seem to require just a little blending in, but we'll come to that later!

 

 

...... and with the windscreen attached, just requireing a little filing along the top and bottom to remove a mould line.

 

 

Now the scarey part, cutting the rest of the canopy to insert the provided vac-formed bulged side windows which this aircraft has, something Airfix haven't included as an option in their kit unfortunately.  (the SH Mk IV bomber kit doesn't have this feature either, strange?). Not sure yet how to go about this, stick the new side windows on first and offer up to the rest of the kit or glue on the roof and add the side windows after.

 

 

One other thing I'm trying out, the kit wheels are too small and not very well detailed so I assembled a pair from an Airfix one and have made a mould with 'Green Stuff' Blue stuff.  Will report back after the 'Kneadatite' epoxy clay has set.

 

 

 

More soon.

 

Davey.

[DaveyGair]

Plodding along with this, not actually losing a bit of mojo just playing a bit more guitar lately.

 

Got the side windows in place and then added the hatch glazing, all went together not too bad, it'll do me.  Have to polish up the glazing a bit from where I sanded the centre join and messed up a bit!

 

 

I then turned to getting the wings together and having something resembling an aeroplane.  The main wing fitted ok but left big gaps which I solved a bit by adding plastic inserts into the gap at the root, just a little filler was needed in a few small gaps.  The tail planes were just butt-joins and fitted well with only one needing a little filler, joining them was just done by flooding with Tamiya liquid cement. I realised I forgot to remove the spurious actuators for the trim tabs so that was done after fitting.

 

 

Got the engines/nescelles together, resin engines in two halves of the cowlings which joined together fine, again liquid cement and adjusting as the glue sets, the engines superglued in place in one halve first.  Some filler around the inside of the exhaust ring, never liked two piece cowlings, I always find it hard to get them looking perfectly circular!

 

 

More soon.

 

Davey

[DaveyGair]

Here's where we're at, engines on and starting to paint the airframe. As usual with SH kits there was no positive location for the engines, you have to simply line up the cowlings on the nascelles. I sanded down the bulges on the cowlings a bit as they're too prominent, but I don't think I've done it enough. I also cut-out the moulded in landing light on the port wing, bad job SH!  I have a couple of options in the spares box.

 

Undercoat on.

 

 

After doing this I noticed something was wrong somewhere, took a while to figure it out but finally realised SH haven't done the small side windows behind the main cockpit glazing, another bad job SH!  So drilled and cut them out, using the Airfix kit as a guide.

 

The Sky undersides and Dark earth are on, now letting dry over-night before masking up for the Dark Green.

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good afternoon Davey

Very good job so far ..

Best Regards

Patrice

[DaveyGair]

6 hours ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

Good afternoon Davey

Very good job so far ..

Best Regards

Patrice

Thanks Patrice, it's getting there but it is Special Hobby so not a quick build!

Here's where we are now.  Got the painting finished than realised I hadn't dealt with the under-nose rear facing gun mounting!  I can add it later so not a big problem but would have preferred to have it painted in-situ 🙄.

After a coat of 'Klear' I added the decals, using the 'Micro Set/Sol' system and they went on no problems, now given a final coat of Gloss ready to Matt down.  Somehow I've managed to dislodge the turret mounting ring and it's now rattling around inside the fuselage!  Should be fairly easy to glue back into place, just holding it is a problem but I have a pair of outward 'springy' tweezers which may help!

 

More soon.

 

Davey.

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good evening Davey

 She looks great with the decals ..

Best of luck for the nose turret

Best regards

Patrice

[Ozzy]

Coming along nicely Davey.

[SoftScience]

Three cheers to you, Davey, for taking on this difficult kit. And three more for overcoming it's most difficult aspects. 

 

I'm tempted to try my hand at one, as I found the glazing on the airfix kit very disappointing. I'm bookmarking your build to use as a guide for when I feel ready to take the plunge.