Group build that's not inspiration

[stona]

I popped into a real world model shop to grab a 1/72 scale kit for the GB that's not a GB. As it's BoB era I found the Spitfires,Hurricanes and Bf109s which have already been well represented. I also saw a Ju88 of the correct vintage but really don't want to make a Luftwaffe subject as I've done dozens already!

Feeling a bit stumped I spotted something which may be more Battle of France than battle of Britain but that's what I'm going to do. It may not technically fit into the GB that's not a GB criteria but it is inspired by it and the contributions already made.

I'm hoping to knock it out by the weekend,I fear I won't be able to match Graham (Fenlander's) astonishing pace or quality but it should be fun anyway!

Some of you can probably guess the aircraft I'm doing. It was involved in some heroic,even suicidal,actions in the early exchanges of the war.

I'll post piccies of the finished result,good or bad,in a few days.

Cheers

Steve

 

[yak face]

Fairey battle steve? Another oldie but goodie from airfix , cheers tony

 

[stona]

Yep, a Fairey Battle. I've just been re-reading Max Hasting's book "Bomber Command" which has influenced my choice. The pre-war RAF,and other European air forces,were primarily bomber forces. The belief was that the bomber would always get through. Like all deterrent strategies it was a numbers game and the Battle was quick and cheap to produce,that they were also virtually suicidal to fly against modern fighters never seems to have crossed the minds of the powers that were. Some lessons we never seem to learn. They entered service in 1936 and everyone knew they were obsolete a year later,yet they carried on churning them out. It took some very brave men to fly them against the Bf109 in 1939/40. To call the Battles sitting ducks probably flatters them, Blenheims were sitting ducks,the Battles were worse than that!

Cheers

Steve

 

[yak face]

Ive just read an article about the greek air force service of the battle, apparently they quite liked them and they gave sterling service , isnt the hellenic AF one of the decal options? cheers tony

 

[stona]

isnt the hellenic AF one of the decal options? cheers tony

I've just opened the box to have a look and yes,that is correct. I'm going to do the RAF option (63 Sqn.) The plastic looks like it will need a bit of work,I'm being polite.

The Greeks liked them! I suppose it was an improvement on what they had being a monoplane and having more than 1000hp available.Didn't they previously have the Po25?

I guess the Greeks weren't being attacked by Bf109s with a 150mph speed advantage and experienced pilots at the controls.

Cheers

Steve

 

[yak face]

They had blenheim mk1's and potez bombers too circa nov 1940, not really much of a match for the regia aeronautica's latest fighters , looking forward to seeing how this comes together, cheers tony

 

[Fenlander]

more Battle of France than battle of Britain but that's what I'm going to do. It may not technically fit into the GB that's not a GB criteria

Does my authority as Group build coordinator carry no weight around here!!!!!!!!

Oh what the hell, it is a GB that isn't a GB so who cares about rules no matter what :laughing:

This has to be a vintage Airfix Tony, be interesting to see what you do with it. Going to go and look it up as, to my shame, I don't know it that well.

 

[stona]

Does my authority as Group build coordinator carry no weight around here!!!!!!!!Oh what the hell, it is a GB that isn't a GB so who cares about rules no matter what :laughing:.

At least it's not a jet Graham!

I never knew we flogged the Greeks Blenheims as well Tony. I hope they had more luck with them than we did. I've just been reading about 82 Sqn's attack on Aalborg in Denmark. They set off with twelve Blenheims,one turned back early and all the rest were shot down. There was no damage to the target. 5./JG77 alone was credited with 15 victories which is four more than the total number of Blenheims to reach the target! Never mind the Flak claims,at least four Blenheims fell victim to anti aircraft artillery. This may go some way to explaining how some Luftwaffe aces accrued their enormous scores.

Cheers

Steve

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Steve

Looking forward to the less obvious Fairey Battle but I think there is a BOB fighter that has been overlooked - the Boulton Paul Defiant. This peculiar looking aircraft was one of the first models I can remember!

On another track, I've just read (Tamiya Model Airplane Int) that the Italians took part in the BOB in obsolete Fiat G50s and C42 bi planes with open cockpits!!!

All the best

Paul

 

[stona]

Hi Stevethere is a BOB fighter that has been overlooked - the Boulton Paul Defiant.

All the best

Paul

Great minds and all that. I actually looked for one of them as I remember Airfix doing one but to no avail I'm afraid. It's one of the first models I ever made (which is why I'm guessing Airfix!) a long,long time ago!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Fenlander]

I well remember doing one of those, it had a turret behind the canopy. It is a wonder it ever got off the ground... I seem to remember mine was painted matt black and ended up with German markings on it 'cos I lost the RAF ones.

Anyway, here is the kit, 1:72 Airfix and less than a fiver. Mmmmm, bet it is a pig though.

One of those really deep and dark brain cells, you know, the ones that are so deep and dark they have evolved a little light that dangles in front of them... Anyway,one of these woke up when I read Boulton Paul but I cannot remember what stirred it. I must have come across the name in another context in my time but I just cannot bring it to the surface.

 

[tr1ckey66]

I think when you're younger one of the driving forces behind buying a kit was how many guns has it got! So a Defiant looked cool - a kind of dwarf bomber. We weren't to know at that age that the actual aircraft was a bit of a flop!

It is funny though how that Airfix kit does stick in the mind!

Memories eh?!

Cheers

Paul

 

[stona]

I just built the interior,all ten pieces, and did a quick test fit of the two fuselage halves. Unfortunately they appear to have come from two entirely different aircraft!!! I feel a bit of fettling coming on.......onwards and upwards,it's all good fun.

Paint may have to be postponed for a couple of days whilst I sort the plastic out!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Fenlander]

All part of the fun Steve. I found carving with a knives better than sanding........

 

[spanner570]

Steve, I recently bought these on eebeegeebeebay. Cracking liittle set, various profiles and only £4.59 incl. P/P

I rarely use knives or sand paper now, these needle files do the job very nicely.

Cheers,

Ron

View attachment 28944

 

[stona]

I've managed to get the fuselage looking reasonable. I forced all the trouble to the lower seam as here I would lose less detail. Actually I lost none as the underside of the fuselage is molded as a smooth piece of plastic! It needed a bit of carving,sanding,filling,sanding,you all know the routine.

I've now dry fitted the wings. These too seem to be from a different aircraft with far more pronounced detail than the fuselage,this bothers me not a jot. The fit of the wings to the fuselage is positively Tamiya-esque so a big thanks to the old Airfix molds. With a very minor swipe of the trusty 1500 grit across the mating faces I reckon they'll go on with no filling at all...wooo-hooo!

Graham,I have no idea how you managed to build your Hurricane to such a standard in 24 hrs. I reckon I can get this done in a few days rather than weeks,but hours,no way.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Fenlander]

Tallent, skill, good looks and modesty Steve, it is the only way :laughing:

 

[stona]

No hope for me then Graham!

I was lying about the dinner plates,sorry,I mean rivets on the wings. I attached the wings to the fuselage and they looked very odd indeed. I've sanded the overdone detail back considerably,it took about ten minutes and was well worth it.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Fenlander]

I was going to link you to a discussion about the accuracy of this kit but I see you have already found it lol. I must be going through the male menopause but some of the offhand 'it's rubbish' type comments are really getting to me. I really must stop going over there and reading them, not good for my blood pressure lol

 

[m1ks]

Steve, we need pictures, it's late and our mental capacity for imagining such styrene horrors in one kit is severely limited, well, mine is anyway.

I built a Boulton Paul Defiant when I was a nipper, I thought it was awsomely c o o l, (Damn this auto smiley inserter), having a swivelly turrety shooty bit on and everything. Like a Spitfire on Steroids