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Felix
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Airfix Blenheim Mk.I 1/72

February 23, 2023 · in Aviation · · 33 · 0.7K

Finally finished this Bristol Mk. 1 in 72nd scale. Even though every review warns about the fiddly canopy and even though i already did this kit a year ago, i still am somewhat disappointed and have very mixed feelings about the kit. I love the plane and i have seen some very beautiful builds on this site.

But the fit with this mold was quite disappointing. Yes, i did dry fit first.

Apart from the fit, masking the canopy with all the windows was basically the first thing i did, and i made sure i was wearing gloves, mind you. Nonetheless there are some weird bubbles stuck inside, which is probably not Airfix' fault.

Other than that this kit is great. The interior is beautiful. I only added seatbelts. The Yahoo (or Yahuu?) cockpit panel is not necessary as you cannot see it.

Ammo Mig and AK interactive acrylics and some panel line wash from Ammo Mig. Decals are from the kit.

Reader reactions:
14  Awesome

7 additional images. Click to enlarge.


33 responses

  1. Might have taken extra effort, but the result is spectacular, Felix!
    Congratulations!

  2. Nothing visible from the drawbecks, Felix @fxrob
    A perfect looking Blenheim, especially taken into account that this is only 1/72.

  3. Looks great, Felix.

  4. Despite your misgivings about the kit/build it still is a stellar accomplishment...well done, Felix.

  5. You've produced an excellent model - when I built it I attached the canopy halves to the sides first. I don't know if you did that but this seems to negate any fit issues. I would be very pleased with the result that you've produced.

    • Dear Christopher @christopher, thank you for your kind words and your feedback. I do not know what it was with this particular kit, but i did it exactly the same way you described it and it just would not work for quite some time. Lots of sanding and putty involved!

  6. Beautiful work Felix!

  7. I can understand your frustration with the fit issues Felix, but the overall result is really nice. One becomes acutely aware of any imperfections during the construction process but once the model goes into the cabinet these things are not obvious to the observer. That’s what I tell myself anyway.

    • Dear Ben, thank you for your kind words. Your comment regarding the final product on the shelf is very much true and it actually made me appreciate it a bit more. Went down to the drawer to have another look at it this morning πŸ™‚

  8. Beautiful plane, equally beautiful model, great work, Felix.

  9. Having built this kit myself, I can understand some of the frustrations, but as others have pointed out, they have no effect on the final result, which really looks very nice.

    • Dear Tom @tcinla, thank you for your compliments! I did look up your build in fact, just to become aware of possible roadblocks. Maybe my fingers are just too clumsy! I have decals for a few more Blenheim versions including one of the fleet air arms, might just do that next after all!

  10. That's a great build Felix. Looks very good even with the problems you tell us about. My son has built this kit and we had the same issues, he decided not to paint the canopy frames as his patience was running out. Is the 1/48 scale kit any better fitting around the canopy do you know ?

    • Dear Guy @thom, thank you for your kind feedback! I have the 48th scale in my stash and i have not heard of similar issues. I hope your son was not too frustrated!
      The 1/48 version looks like it has a ton of amazing details and obviously the delicate canopy is even larger and more prone to mistakes!

  11. Great build! I love the mottled appearance of the paint work - much more alive than a uniform finish. Well done!

  12. Great job on this.. I did the 48 scale kit and it was excellent. The 72 scale looks, with your build and paintwork ,just as good.

  13. Nice job and congratulations for overcoming those frustrating moments. The end result worked out well.

  14. Nicely done, great looking scheme and weathering.

  15. One, Airfix is to be congratulated in making this kit. Two, Felix (@fxrob) your gifts and talents have brought out the best in this kit. Its a real charmer. Looking forward to seeing your next build.

  16. Felix, I hope you've got over your disappointment... that's a lovely model, and I really like the finished colour scheme. Well done ;-).

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