**** DONE: GB-60 1/48 Bristol Blenheim Mk.I - Zombie Build

[Vic Balshaw]

Username: Vic Balshaw
First name: Vic
Category: Advanced
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Airfix – A09190

Extras: Art Scale M48027 Scale Mask. Czech Master CMK4382 Wheels. Eduards ED491187 Detail Set and ED644105 Instrument Panel. Quick Boost QB48342 Exhausts.

This build is actually a work in progress as I don't have any Zombie builds to fall back on.

L6670 Red 'UQ-R' ('R' not carried) No 211 Squadron RAF, Menidi, Greece 1940.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Brief history.

After the loss of L8511 on Corfu in November 1940, Squadron Leader JR Gordon-Finlayson (GF or "The Bish") and his crew P/O Davis and P/O Geary returned in triumph to the Squadron. Within five days, GF had settled on L6670 as his regular mount.

The aircraft had been on operations with the Squadron in the Desert from early October for five sorties in all (none of them in GF's hands). Taking it up for an air test on 29 November with F/Sgt Bagshaw (IC 'A' Fight groundcrew), GF seems to have liked his "new war horse". Seven times in the first three weeks of December, he and the boys flew L6670 from Menidi in Greece to raid the Italians, deep in Albania.

Other crews flew two sorties in this machine, the last of these on 15 December in bitter weather by P/O Herbert & co. On return to Menidi from a recco over ports in Albania, the port engine seized. With hydraulics thus u/s, Herby had no option but to put the aircraft down wheels-up. Although without further injury to his crew, in his turret WOp/AG Sgt Duffy had suffered frostbite and was hospitalised. The aircraft, which had returned safely from 14 operations in 10 weeks, did not appear again in the Squadron record of operations.

Bristol Blenheim I

Blenheim IF RAF 211Sqn UQR L6670 at Menidi Tatoi Greece 1941 IWM CM288

https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/291959988348886992/

This is where I'm at:

I have taken build progress shots, so I'll be posting these over the next few days.

 

[fubar57]

Right on Vic. Nice to see masks being used

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Good stuff Vic.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Gents. So to start the catch-up with this build.

We (that's me) started with a little tinkering with some PE.

Then progressed to the all important masking on these acres of clear plastic.

This lot took a couple of days but I feel was well worth the effort.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Can't imagine trying to mask those very tiny areas without pre-cut masks

 

[Crimea_River]

I can, but I don't want to.

 

[Gnomey]

Looks good so far Vic!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Gents. A lot of green bits to spray which filled my day.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Today was working with the PE parts.

 

[fubar57]

Love the seat area

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks George.

 

[Wayne Little]

A great choice and some real good work Vic.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Gents.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Will be 'looking' for any 'issues' that need attantion. I have this in my stash and it will be coming out in some future GB! Always good to watch others plowing the field before I start plowing (building) myself.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I have to say Ralph, that this bird has gone together very well with no major issues, joining the two halves and fitting the wings was a dream, probably one of the best I've ever encountered.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Pushing on with this little catch-up. The cockpit is complete and we button up. As mentioned earlier to Ralph, these two halves went together like a dream, hardly any seam could be seen once I'd done the initial cleanup.