This all started with a classic 1/72 Airfix Blenheim IV that showed up recently (thanks a million, hamsterman!). Your box art may vary.
What's inside is pure, vintage Airfix, mad riveter and all.
With a name like Airfix you know it'll build fine if you trim the flash carefully and make sure things line up. Of course, mine would be a little different.
One thing that always bugged me about the Mk IV was that scoop in the nose so the pilot could see. I understand why this was needed, but it just kills the aesthetics for me. Luckily, when it comes to 1/72 scale models, having the pilot being able to see well enough to land the thing isn't a concern. After some careful cutting a Mosquito nose was grafted on along with a new canopy cut from blister pack.
Of course, I couldn't stop there. Those awful Bristol Mercury engines and cowlings along with the toy-like kit props had to be replaced with something sleeker. Fortunately, the parts from a Williams Bros. B-10 were a good fit.
I also added the tip of a drop-tank as a nice, aerodynamic fairing for the gun turret.
I had to wait until the end to add the ventral gun tray, but this shows how I plugged a few gaps with card on the underside and the fit of the retracted gear.
And here's how things looked top-side before paint:
Speaking of paint, a bottle mixed from left-overs of gloss, semi-gloss and flat black acrylic was used to cover most of the model via the old hairy stick.
I was trying to be frugal and use up as much of this paint as I could. Since it covered poorly, it took multiple coats so I guess that's some measure of success.
Kit decals were used for the most part and they went on astonishingly well considering they must be over 30 years old if not more.
The only exception were the fuselage codes. I knew the kit ones would silver terribly over all those rivets so a smaller set was swiped from a sheet for a 1/144 B-17.
Kit parts were used for those scary looking guns but oddly enough, none of the ones in the nose were actual gun parts.
Since I went with building it gear-up, I had a bunch of left-over struts, etc. to choose from.
The ventral tray guns were kit parts. Here's a close-up.
I had a blast building this model which took about a week but posting was delayed because I was down with an awful cold.
I'd like to thank Bill for sending me the kit and Jeff for his invaluable contribution to the back story.
I hope you enjoyed the Brenheim and reading a little more aircraft history that's become lost in the darkness of the past.
Brian da Basher
