Fairey Battle Mk.I - black sheep of Bomber Command

Started by capt. R · 75 · 3 weeks ago
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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    @christopher I think few differences comes from that Belgians has slightly different version of Battle.
    PS. They are nasty seams that I notice. I try to regule this place twice times and after all I leave it as it is.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Christopher Amano-Langtree said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    Indeed they are - typical Azur features unfortunately. One really needs to be very thorough cleaning up the mating surfaces on every Azur model.

    The Belgian differences related to the extended oil cooler intake, bomb aimers glazing from the start and different exhausts. Like the RAF the bomb bay doors were flush and there wasn't a bump behind the bomb aimers panel. That latter feature was only visible on the prototype. The raised areas are also typical of Azur/Special Hobby who can't seem to produce a kit without a brainfart. That being said this is definitely one of their better ones.

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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    @christopher I’m not specjalist in Fairey Battle but I promise I will make trip to RAF museum and have a look.

    PS. Just glued upper and undersurfaces of wings. Parts that are closest to fuselage has problems to be togeather, so I used small amounts of CA glue as putty. I will not sand bomb bays because of fact that undercarridge struts are on places so I’m afraid of it. In next kit I will change it.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    Christopher Amano-Langtree said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    That's gone together very well.

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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    @gblair At the same time yes and no. Because Fairey Batlle were used as daylight bomber without fighter cover, based on the archaic doctrine of the 1930s that a fast single-engine bomber would escape enemy fighters. That's the first thing. Secondly, the Fairey Battle was a light bomber, not an attack aircraft. Attacking the crossings on the Albert Canal, for example, was pure suicide. Now for something positive. In the summer and autumn, Polish bomber squadrons 300 and 301 in England gained operational capability on Fairey Battle aircraft and launched a night bombing offensive on French ports. Loss? One plane throughout the fall of 1940... As a result of fire aa.

    @christopher Thank You! Did You finished Your Battle? (I'm thinking about to make polish squadron Battle by aftermarket decals).

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    Excellent progress, my friend @lis!

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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    This is real faul. Clear parts don’t fits good. Probably they are too short.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    George R Blair Jr said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    Things are moving along nicely, Bernard (@lis). All of the Azur kits I have built have parts that all sort-of fit, but none fit exactly. This was especially true of the clear parts. You can sand them down just like a regular piece of plastic, then use fine sandpaper to bring them back to clarity. Lots of extra work.

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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    @gblair Yes, I sanded it down to fit but undersurfscrs are too Short and I filled gap with white glue.

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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    @fxrob @johnb @fiveten @gblair

    @christopher

    Masked, and ready to prime.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    Very good and fast progress, Bernard @lis

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    capt. R said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    After three hours of masking work was done.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    Excellent job, my friend @lis!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    Lots of masks indeed, Bernard @lis
    Looks good.

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    Felix said 1 month, 1 week ago:

    I hate masking.