Airfix Bristol Blenheim Mk. IF 1/48
My latest build is in the books, this being Airfix's wonderful Bristol Blenheim.
My experience with Airfix has been rather limited, with only one previous kit that I built from them. That was, curiously, another British warbird, the gigantic 1/24 Mosquito. I remember that kit being a bear to build, not because it was poorly manufacturered, but because it had more parts than any kit I'd ever before put together. That one wore me down, and I actually had to take a break from the hobby for a short time.
Not so with the Blenheim. Even in 1/48, this warbird is pretty small for a twin-engine airframe, coming it at roughly the same size, in terms of build size, as a P-47. It's certainly smaller than a P-38 or the Mosquito. But I guess that means it will fit in the display case more readily.
This is a really well manufactured kit. I had only two difficult spots, one of which was 100% on me, and the other was most likely the kit.
The first of these came with one of the engines. I failed to pay close attention to how the engine itself mounts to the nacelle, and consequently installed it into the cowling ring in the wrong position. Had I used the kit's mounting stub for the engine, the exhaust pipes would have been on top of the nacelle rather than beneath. To get around this, I drilled holes in the back of the engine and in front of the nacelle to which the engine mounts, inserted a short length of sprue, and used that as the mounting mechanism. But, there are two intakes inside the engine compartment that should be on the outer side of the engine when properly mounted, as in the opposite engine, but these intakes are on the upper inboard side of the engine.
The second issue, that I think is probably the result of kit engineering, is how the canopy is installed. There are two primary pieces, one for each side of the big windscreen. There is little to no tolerance for sliding the parts into position easily. When I finally did get them mounted to the fuselage, they literally did not want to meet at the forward point. I ended up applying pressure with my wood-working clamps, and eventually achieved a satisfactory join.
Paints for the exterior are AK Interactive Real Colors for the top side, Vallejo for the underside. I had a lull in my construction to await a shipment including the gun metal needed for the cowling rings, and the paint masks and PE belts (quite visible through all that glass up front).
Decals are from the kit and they worked perfectly. Weathering is a mix of Flory dark dirt wash, ground up pastels, and thinned neutral gray paint sprayed at very low PSI.
Now I have to take a break. It has become unbearable hot here in SE Texas, and with no A/C in my workshop, I come back inside in need of a shower. Even as a Texas native, this is a bit much for me.
Next up, once I get back to the bench, will be a trip to a galaxy far, far away with Bandai's lighted B-Wing starfighter. (Couldn't really start it now anyway, as I needed some paint for this one).