DaveyGair Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 On 10/12/2020 at 4:23 AM, SoftScience said: 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. Thanks, it just needs a lot more care and cleaning up of parts, test fit, test fit, and again before gluing is the key to kits like this! I haven't done the Mk IV Airfix kit yet but have done the Mk I and found it a pleasant enough build. Here's where we are so far. I fettled the Airfix under-nose gun mount into place without too much problem. I've matted down the finish and removed the masking, there is some clean-up required, I also have to add the small piece of framing to the forward side glazing of the cockpit which isn't moulded on the parts. I also managed to glue the turret ring back into place. Now into the last leg of the build, undercarriage, aerials and stuff and painting in all the added parts and a little weathering, the part I hate and don't overdo! After looking at the photo of this actual aircraft, see above posts by 'Dogsbody', it was clear the painting guide on the Xtradacal sheet is wrong , the Dark Green is extended a lot further back on the Starboard side of the nose so I have corrected this, painting using a hairy stick. The lower gun mount shown in Primer. A lot of touching up to do and I realised I hadn't added the Volkes filters before painting! More to come soon. Davey. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 Hi Davey, I've just caught up with this & like what I'm seeing. I'm impressed at your approach to problem solving on it, there've been a few but you"re well on top of them. Looking forward to the final reveal. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 6 hours ago, stevehnz said: Hi Davey, I've just caught up with this & like what I'm seeing. I'm impressed at your approach to problem solving on it, there've been a few but you"re well on top of them. Looking forward to the final reveal. Steve. Thanks for looking in Steve. I don't think I have a great approach to problem solving, I just 'bash on' until something emerges that looks like an Aeroplane! Hope everything is ok there across the other side of the globe, we're almost back in full lockdown where we are! Davey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 3 hours ago, DaveyGair said: Hope everything is ok there across the other side of the globe, we're almost back in full lockdown where we are! We're back to being in level one & getting complacent again until our next community outbreak, but even our last one was quickly contained & sorted & it didn't take long to get back to normal. I follow what happens over yonder, a couple of nieces in London, & wish it was better. this damn thing will be with us for a long time yet, if nothing else, it is holding us hostage as it is terrorising you guys. Lets hope for a way out in time. Meantime keep calm & keep modelling I guess. Look after yourself(ves) Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 Looking great, lovely work on all those see-through bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 44 minutes ago, TonyOD said: Looking great, lovely work on all those see-through bits. Cheers Tony, I've since realised there should be some kind of seat next to the navigator's table in the nose, included in the Airfix kit, nothing mentioned in the SH kit. Never mind, just squint when you look inside! Busy looking at what to use for the oil-cooler intakes added on top of the cowlings on some Mk I and IV 'tropical' Blenheims, another thing I forgot before painting! Davey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 These are available from Freightdog. Congratulations on successfully tackling the MPM kit: I haven't plucked up the courage for a good go at mine yet. Nor have I quite managed to get the Airfix one to fit and stay together, but I think I was winning when I stopped so there is hope when it returns to the top of the list. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 On 10/17/2020 at 12:40 PM, Graham Boak said: These are available from Freightdog. I did think about that Graham but I discovered I had two sets of the Quickboost Volkes filters with oil cooler ram air intakes and didn't want to spend any more money on bits for Blenheim's (cheapskate!). Ok, here's where we are at for now. Just lately I'm spending less time modelling as I'm suffering from a stiff neck sitting for hours knocking this into shape, just old age creeping up on me! I fashioned a couple of the additional intakes from the Carb intakes from the kit, I think they look Ok, just painted in primer at the moment. I used the Quickboost Volkes filters, mainly because the SH ones will be harder to remove from the pouring block and I only need one more set anyway for a future Mk 1 build. They are designed for the Airfix kit but I marked the hole in the cowling using the Airfix part overlaid and drilling a hole, they fitted perfectly. These are shown in primer as well and there is a fair bit of paint touch-up to do! I used a spare set of Airfix props I had, mentioned previously. Unfortunately the spinner hub parts are on another sprue but I manged to (Razor) saw off the very nicely resin cast bits off the SH hubs, attaching them with superglue. Here they are with first coat of Black Primer, along with the trumpet intakes. While looking again at the photo's on this thread showing the upper cowling intakes I realised I have made a major, MAJOR cock-up! While masking up and painting the nose clear parts, I have left out a clear panel, the one in front of the small angled one on the starboard cockpit side. It wouldn't be a problem as I could just scrape off the paint and form the panel, but I sprayed the major part of the interior colour before joining the front glazing parts and so would show the Grey Primer behind!! I'm contemplating removing the windscreen part and trying to scrape the inside that way but even if successful I'd end up with loads of bits floating around inside the cockpit. There's no way I will attempt to remove the complete nose section, I may just suck it up and leave it, or paint it in. 🤬 Stay tuned. Davey. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 BDR ? Battle Damage Repair, it was shot out and they used a piece of sheet metal to replace it ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Scrapiron Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Which glazed panel are you missing? Your front end on that side matches pretty close to the Blenheim nose section I shot at the IWM Duxford way back when (2008)... and the Blenheim (Bolingbroke) at Pima just a couple years ago I also shot the Blenheim at the RAF Museum outside London but didn't get a pic of the right side (several of the left but that won't help). I don't see what you're missing -- your project looks nice! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Scrapiron Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Wait... I may have answered my own question. You must be talking about in the very front... I guess I took "the small angled one on the starboard cockpit side" to mean the angled panel that is close to the back side of the nose section (near the windscreen) Since it is really on the underside of the plane, could you do what some museums do and just paint the "window" either blue or black to imply the glazing? Maybe even the interior color (with some hint of detail as if you're seeing inside?) and then really put a good gloss coat on when everything else is done. Good luck. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 7 hours ago, Ol' Scrapiron said: Wait... I may have answered my own question. You must be talking about in the very front... I guess I took "the small angled one on the starboard cockpit side" to mean the angled panel that is close to the back side of the nose section (near the windscreen) Since it is really on the underside of the plane, could you do what some museums do and just paint the "window" either blue or black to imply the glazing? Maybe even the interior color (with some hint of detail as if you're seeing inside?) and then really put a good gloss coat on when everything else is done. Good luck. Hi, thanks for your interest. I think what threw me are photos of restorations which don't seem to have the glazed panel I am on about, maybe the Bolingbrook didn't have it. Here's a shot of the actual aircraft I'm doing. If you look just to the rear of the canvas cover note the glazed panel in front of the small panel to the front of the propeller hub, and this can be seen in several shots of wartime aircraft. My wife says I have to fix it because it will drive me crazy knowing its wrong! Regards, Davey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 I've just gone through my Carl Vincent collection ( @Carl V ) of files and photos and would say that Yes, what you are thinking about is the Canadian-built Bolingbroke. Chris 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 On 10/20/2020 at 5:23 PM, dogsbody said: I've just gone through my Carl Vincent collection ( @Carl V ) of files and photos and would say that Yes, what you are thinking about is the Canadian-built Bolingbroke. Chris They're good photos Chris, it's hard to find one's where the engine doesn't cover up that section of the nose...... well, I find it hard! Davey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 So, I've just had an email from Carl, clarifying the starboard windows: The Bolingbroke I like the RAF’s Blenheim IV had the same cockpit layout and, therefore, the glazed panel on the nose. There were 19 altogether including the two II and III conversions. As far as I know (and I claim no expertise in the subject) all the Blenheim IV’s retained this glazing. This cockpit layout was cordially loathed by the RCAF and when the specifications for the Bolingbroke IV were being drawn up a user group was formed to design a more suitable one. This new layout was incorporated in all subsequent Bolingbrokes, regardless of Marks. The new layout featured an instrument panel that spanned the cockpit. Therefore, either because it was now useless or, possibly, for structural reasons, the glazed panel was replaced by a metal plating. I then went looking through the IWM site, checking out the Blenheims. Guess what? Bristol-built Blenheims did have the windows! Wow! It's not easy finding good, clear photos of the starboard side of a Blenheim IV nose 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 24, 2020 Author Share Posted October 24, 2020 On 10/22/2020 at 7:39 PM, dogsbody said: So, I've just had an email from Carl, clarifying the starboard windows: The Bolingbroke I like the RAF’s Blenheim IV had the same cockpit layout and, therefore, the glazed panel on the nose. There were 19 altogether including the two II and III conversions. As far as I know (and I claim no expertise in the subject) all the Blenheim IV’s retained this glazing. This cockpit layout was cordially loathed by the RCAF and when the specifications for the Bolingbroke IV were being drawn up a user group was formed to design a more suitable one. This new layout was incorporated in all subsequent Bolingbrokes, regardless of Marks. The new layout featured an instrument panel that spanned the cockpit. Therefore, either because it was now useless or, possibly, for structural reasons, the glazed panel was replaced by a metal plating. I then went looking through the IWM site, checking out the Blenheims. Guess what? Bristol-built Blenheims did have the windows! Wow! It's not easy finding good, clear photos of the starboard side of a Blenheim IV nose Also I think two different styles of Windscreen, compare two of the photo's you show above, there is definitely an (early?) type with a framed in area to the outer 'half' of each screen on the lower photo, the top photo shows a clear screen all the way across (bearing in mind I know the FULL screen is two-piece with very small triangular piece in the middle.) I haven't had a good look at the Airfix one but the SH one is the clear type whereas 'my' aircraft definitely has the small framed area in one half of the screen. I have to add this on the model, probably with painted tape. Not done any modelling last couple of days but will crack on this weekend..... probably 🙄 Davey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 A quick update, not that much modelling done. Painted in the window, kind of, then a coat of 'Klear'. Not the best job but it'll do me. Added the framing to the windscreens seen on this particular aircraft and other Blenheim IV's. Also painted the exhaust rings and intakes, got on with the props, wheels, guns and under-carriage. Not long till completion hopefully, starting to wane a bit, this will be my 19th build this year! More soon and stay safe everyone. Davey. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 Here we are at the finish line, dropped the thing after doing the final touch, the aerial wire! So has some minor repair work! Fairly happy with the outcome, I think it looks OK compared to photos of the real thing. I think the main wing dihedral is a little to steep, especially when compared to an Airfix one, but apart from that and the too small main wheels it isn't a bad representation of a Blenheim IV. Not 'shake'n'bake' as most MPM/SH/Azur stuff is but rewarding when you finally get there. There are lots of blemishes and poorly finished bits and pieces but that's just my cack-handedness! The undercarriage went in OK but I had to cut the opening for the main-wheel doors wider to accept the (copied) Airfix ones. I have done some weathering, mainly around the engine nascelles with watered down vallejo Umber Wash, then faded the upperworks a bit with lightly dry brushing with MiG AMMO Dust and Matt Varnish. Onto the next MTO project, thinking of changing my mind about the other two I started threads here but we'll see. Davey. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 Well done Davey shes a good looking . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 Nicely done Davey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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