Blenheim Test

[Clave]

Another 'Big Project' item (the last one here that is, the rest are just extras)

The Bristol Blenheim was conceived as a high speed passenger aircraft, but became a light bomber and entered service with the RAF in 1937. It was very successful and several countries bought and operated it.

By the start of WW2 it was considered obeselete, but lacking a replacement, many squadrons continued to fly the Blenheim, and heavy losses were suffered, especially in the Battle of Britain.

The Blenheim was converted into a fighter, night fighter and ground attack aircraft. It was armed with 2 x 7.7mm machine guns, and could also carry 1200lb of bombs.

Blenheim Mk 1 of the Finnish Air Force, 1944.

Blenheim Mk 1 of 32 Mira Hellenic Air Force, 1941.

Blenheim Mk 1 of 21 Squadron RAF, 1939.

 

[Clave]

Blenheim Mk 1 of the Romanian Air Force, 1941.

Blenheim Mk 1 of the Turkish Air Force, 1938.

Blenheim Mk 1F of 29 Squadron RAF, 1939. The Mark 1F carried no bombs but had an additional 4 x 7.7mm machine guns in a belly pack.

 

[Lucky13]

Outstanding as always Clave!

 

[B-17engineer]

Sweeet!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Another job well done sir!!!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Dam fine job Clave!

 

[Wayne Little]

Great work Clave!

 

[Wildcat]

Very cool Clave

 

[Clave]

Hmm... I should do a Yugoslav one as well...

 

[imalko]

Hmm... I should do a Yugoslav one as well...

Need any help? Got some profiles and might find some pictures as well.

 

[Clave]

I would appreciate it - I have a couple of profiles, but I'm not 100% sure about some of the colours...

 

[imalko]

RYAF operated total number of 38 Blenheim Mk Is. Out of this number 22 were delivered from Britain while 16 were license-build by Ikarus in Yugoslavia.
Machines delivered from Britain featured standard RAF continental scheme of the time (Dark Earth/Dark Green topside and Sky underside).They kept this camouflage scheme during their service with RYAF.
Aircraft build by Ikarus featured Yugoslav camouflage scheme ("braon"/"zelena"/"oker" topside and "siva" or Sky underside) as shown on the profile in the attachment. Paints used in Yugoslav production were imported from UK.

Source of color profile: "AEROPLAN časopis za vazduhoplovnu istoriju, tehinku i kulturu", issue No 2 March-April 1990

 

[imalko]

For precise colors used for Yugoslav camouflage scheme see the fallowing table. The table actually refers to the IK-3 fighter, but these same colors were used also on Yugoslav build Blenheim Mk Is for topside patches, while undersides were painted with "siva" or Sky color. (Note that table shows only approximate tonality of the colors in question.)

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent Clave!

 

[Clave]

Thanks for the info imalko!

I have decided (more or less) to take the one you have shown as my 'late' version - and apply the same Yugoslav colours, and also do an 'early' (1939) version based on this one attached, but change the colours to the more correct Brit camo - it seems to make sense along with the 'whole rudder' marking in national colours...?

I'd like an opinion on this first, because it is painted in Yugo colours, but from what you have said, that would be wrong for 1939..?

 

[imalko]

Clave, the profile you posted is inaccurate and I believe it is only pure assumption of the artist. To my knowledge there's no conclusive photographic evidence of Blenheim in RYAF service with RAF or Yugoslav camouflage colors and large national flag on the rudder. Therefore machines delivered from Britain same as those produced by Ikarus should be shown with narrow flags on the rudder. And as already mentioned aircraft delivered from Britain kept RAF paint scheme.

Would have to double check, but to my knowledge there was only one Blenheim with large national flag painted on the rudder - this was the first machine build by Ikarus and it had natural metal finish overall as shown in attachment.

 

[Clave]

Good info again thanks.

I'll just stick with this one then...

 

[imalko]

Looks great! Glad I could be of some assistence.

 

[papa_bear]

Colors are good, but scheme..... Little problem is we have not photos of every aircraft, and it was "mirror" painting, and some differences between I know for few machines how camo look like, but for the rest is little mystery...
This is one Blenheim from lift here decals and it is corect.

And this is nmf version:

On the rudder, our planes did not have No. XXXXX
They had Бр. (Број=Number, so Бр.= No.)
Cheers,
Dada

 

[imalko]

Dada, I suppose you mean this profile from LiftHere website (see the attachment), while I already posted profile of Blenheim in natural metal finish from the same source in top post on this page. Regarding the camouflaged Blenheim profile, it's almost the same as the one I've posted earlier, only difference is that "braon" and "zelena" colors are shown in switched positions. No doubt the result of differently interpreted black&white picture.

However, Clave you should note that there is one mistake in profile I posted which Dada rightfully pointed out. Yugoslav build aircraft (Blenheim included) had inscriptions on the rudder written in Cyrillic letters and not in English - so it should be "БP. 3248" and not "No. 3248". I'm sorry, I should have noticed that but I missed it.