1/48 Bristol Blenheim Mk IV. - Defense Of Britain/Atlantic.

[Airframes]

Yes, the turret remained the same, but the armament improved with time - first a single stripped Lewis or Vickers 'K', then twin Vickers, then twin, belt-fed Brownings.
I think I have some detail pics of the turret. If so, I'll post them, along with the cockpit and nose shots, when I get back from Duxford after the BoB airshow on the weekend, unless I get a chance before.
EDIT:- Here's a couple of pics to start with, and I'll post the others, taken last year, as soon as I can. The later ones show the cockpit and nose fitted out with the bits missing in these two pics, although there are some reflections from the glazing in some.

 

[Ohm-men]

Superb! Thanks a lot for all the info, pics ans drawings.
The turret cover is a good option, should all else fail....

It seams Montex has a mask set that includes national Markings for a Mk I. This set is not very expensive, so it might be usable.
Not sure what to do with the wheels. I might build the kit up and see if the undersized wheels bug me or not. But that's a worry for later on.
Eagle Calls also made two decal sets for the Blenheim but most deal with the Mk I. Though one set contains markings for a coastal command aircraft that took part in the Dieppe raid. But since this was an offensive action rather then a defensive action, it's not fitting for this group build.

If I can't find any replacement decals, I might try and make my own masks. From what I understand the likes of Montex, Eduard and others use vinyl masks which seam to be die cut by a plotter cutter. Since we have this technology at my workplace and the software (+ the vinyl self adhesive material) to make our own cutting paths, I might try and make my own masks as a last ressort....

 

[Airframes]

Sounds good.

 

[Crimea_River]

Couple of turret pics from a Bollingbroke that might help. Let me know if you need other detail pics.

 

[chris brown]

Great choice. This should be a fun build to watch.

 

[Ohm-men]

I started last evening with the construction of the pit of the Blenheim Mk. IV.
Cleaned some resin pieces and started glueing some. I'm not to keen on resin, but the detail in this cockpit is pretty good. It's gonna be fun to paint.

I have one more question. I couldn't find a picture of the back of the pilots instrument pannel.
Classic Airframes IP has some nice detail and the back of it has a good representation of the instruments.
But I would like to know if there were wires from these instruments visible. From the few Mk. I CA build I could find, it seams the back of the IP is visible through the glass of nose.
Even though I guess much of the back of the IP will be hidden through the slope in the longer MK IV nose, I'd still would like to add some detail. So i'd like to know a bit about the wiring of the IP.

 

[JKim]

Cool subject and lots of great references posted!

 

[fubar57]

Do you have the Pilot's Notes for this aircraft Jerry? Though it doesn't have a shot behind the IP, it does have very clear cockpit photos.




Geo

Link with some photos...Bristol Blenheim / Bollingbroke - Propeller engined Aircraft - Britmodeller.com

 

[Airframes]

I tried taking some pics of that area for you yesterday, but as it's tucked up under the metal section, trying to shoot pics upwards though the 'V' shaped nose glazing, just resulted in reflections off the 'Perspex'.
I'll try to post the other cockpit an exterior nose detail pics tomorrow.

 

[Ohm-men]

Thanks a lot for all your help! This is great as my knowledge on English Aircraft is very limited.
So I'll take all the help I can get on this one.

If any of you have some pics of Coastal Command Blenheim IV's, I'd be very interested in them.
I hope that there are a few other Coastal Command aircraft, so I don't necessary have to make the box art option.
As there are a few other options of parts included in this kit. A 4 gun belly pack (as used on the NF) and a later type of Frazier Nash underside 2 gun turret.

I'm gonna try do to my best on this kit as it's a really nice one.
I started by cleaning up the resin parts, which is a bit tricky as the yellow resin is very brittle (unlike the newer grey resin) The pilot's seat broke, so I had to repair it.
But the detail is really good on these parts.

So far I started on the cockpit and added some wiring on the back of the instrument panel. As pointed out by Airframes, little will be seen as the back of this panel will sit between the navigators table and tucked under the slope of the cockpit glass (under a painted over clear part)
But I just had to give the impression of wiring.

The engines are also very nice casts. I had to repair one as e few pieces were broken, luckily they were still present.

Another nice part is the turret, this is the gunners chair. though little will be seen from this part, once it sits in the fuselage.

The instructions are not very clear. It's hard to figure out which part goes exactly were...
For instance the position on where to glue the nav's table is not all that clear.
And how the side walls, floor and back go in the clear nose is also something I still have to figure out.

 

[fubar57]

Here's the Pilot notes Jerry...

View attachment Blenheim Mk.IV Pilot Notes.pdf




Geo

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far!

 

[Ohm-men]

Thanks a lot Geo. The pilots notes will be very usefull

I've done seme research (google) for a possible alternative scheme for this Blenheim.

I found this;

Bristol Blenheim Mk IVF Fighter of No 404 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force assigned to the Coastal Command during 1941/42 for anit-shipping operations over the North Sea
Camouflage looks identical to the Classic Airframes box art, just a different aircraft.

This one looks rather good. Blenheim Mk IV, Coastal Command (as for defense) and with the belly gun pack instead of the missing Frazier Nash turret.

I also found someone did a 1/72nd scale model of this exact aircraft here a while ago.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Ohm-men]

If anyone has pictures or more info on "EE H" (N3523) and willing to share it, I'd be most grateful.

I'm especially intersted in this particular aircraft having the side window bulges for the pilot or not.
It seams the window bulges were on later Mk IV's but not the early ones.
Like I said my knowledge on R.A.F. aircraft is most limited...

 

[Lucky13]

 

[Crimea_River]

The back of the IP is not visible if one goes by this Bollingbroke sample. These pictures are taken through the nose toward the rear of the navigator's position.

 

[buffnut453]

One feature that the CA kit totally failed to capture was the scalloped fuselage immediately aft of the turret. The following pics show what I mean:

 

[Wurger]

 

[Ohm-men]

Thanks a lot for these pictures.
I too was unaware of the scalloped aft of the turret. These pictures will be very helpful.

And I'm very thankful for the picture of the back of the pilots console.

I have another question pending.... Since I'm gonna try and build a Blenheim Mk IV F(ighter), I noticed that the 4 gun pack supplied with the Classic airframes looks very different then the one on the side profile that I posted previously.
The gunpack of the kit has a very different shape then the one on the profile, which looks flatter then the kit part.

Does anyone know if there were different gun packs supplied to the Blenheim Mk IV?