Fighter Blenheim canopy panels overprinted query

[Ralph]

Hallo all 

Am currently plodding my way through an Airfix Blenheim 1F which I am doing as the first plane to shoot down an enemy a/c on the 18th August 1940 -the 'Hardest Day'. 

One thing that confuses me is that fighter Blenheims seem to have some of the canopy panels in front of the pilot overpainted.  However this seems to vary between 1,  2 or 2 1/2 panels.

My question is whether there was a particular rhyme or reason to this? Or is just a question of photo references as far as possible?

Thanks for any info on this rather arcane  query.

Ralph.

[Selwyn]

48 minutes ago, Ralph said:

Hallo all 

Am currently plodding my way through an Airfix Blenheim 1F which I am doing as the first plane to shoot down an enemy a/c on the 18th August 1940 -the 'Hardest Day'. 

One thing that confuses me is that fighter Blenheims seem to have some of the canopy panels in front of the pilot overpainted.  However this seems to vary between 1,  2 or 2 1/2 panels.

My question is whether there was a particular rhyme or reason to this? Or is just a question of photo references as far as possible?

Thanks for any info on this rather arcane  query.

Ralph.

try here

 

Selwyn

[dov]

Actuall to keep in mind: If you sit in a cockpit and fly a sunny day. Direction 12 o'clock to the sun. You will get blinded, some confusion will occur. If you have the sun in tail the same. As far as I know the Blenheim had some curtains at the roof. In most museum they are gone. Photos may show you more. Look down or forward to instruments, your eye may get confused by the bright sky and dark instruments. This is just the story behind, why it is a must to overpaint some panels.

Happy modelling 

[Seawinder]

As you undoubtedly know, the Airfix kit supplies two parts for the port forward clear section. The one called out in the Mk. I f boxing includes the bolt-on armor plate that made it appear as if some of the glass panels were painted over. The plate was widely used on Mk. I's as well as I f's,

[Ralph]

46 minutes ago, Seawinder said:

As you undoubtedly know, the Airfix kit supplies two parts for the port forward clear section. The one called out in the Mk. I f boxing includes the bolt-on armor plate that made it appear as if some of the glass panels were painted over. The plate was widely used on Mk. I's as well as I f's,

That sounds like it may be the case on the 1/48 kit, but the 1/72 doesn't. Out of curiosity, which panels gave the bolt on armour?

[dogsbody]

From the IWM:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Seawinder]

20 hours ago, Ralph said:

That sounds like it may be the case on the 1/48 kit, but the 1/72 doesn't. Out of curiosity, which panels gave the bolt on armour?

Sorry for the confusion. You didn't state the scale, so I assumed 1/48. The pictures Chris/dogsbody posted above show the armored panels pretty well on the port front section.

[Ralph]

13 hours ago, Seawinder said:

Sorry for the confusion. You didn't state the scale, so I assumed 1/48. The pictures Chris/dogsbody posted above show the armored panels pretty well on the port front section.

Indeed I didn't! Sorry about that. The pictures are good, and do emphasise the fact they are armoured panels whereas I had thought they had just been painted over. However  they also show a variety of 1 panel, 2 panels and 2 1/2 panels  being applied,  and it is that that I am curious about. I think it may simply be individual to the specific airframe.

Cheers  Ralph