Bluesteels Torpedo in a Suitcase ***FINISHED***

[JohnRatzenberger]

See my build; the more I studied photos, I became convinced the pe MAT was about 1/3 too big and so I cut it down.
I have no drawings to back me up so I'm sure dozens will suddenly appear to prove me wrong ...

My biggest issue was that the angle of the fins didn't match the angle on the torp and they didn't want to fit nicely and squarely without some verbal cues ...

[bluesteel]

Working on the display base and dry fitting the glazing tonight. I won't have the problem fitting the torpedo into the bomb bay as I'm displaying it mid drop - what a way to get out of a confusing situation

[bluesteel]

Glazing and guns going on, with a rear gun deflector made out of solder wire. I've had to do some of the nose glazing framework freehand as the tape method isn't so good on curved frames:

[JamesPerrin]

or try painted clear decal.

[bluesteel]

The problem is the frames are actually quite wide and cutting it to thin or using decals would be difficult as I'd have to layer them, so I took the easier option and painted by hand

[bluesteel]

Decals on, but had a bit of a disaster-mystery. Once they were all on I was going round and sealing them with Klear, but discovered the white 'XA' on the Port side had vanished. Must have got brushed off somewhere, but can't find it anywhere, so I'll have to reconstruct with white decal paper. Looks OK from the Port side though.



Props are just temporary before I make blurprops. Then the aerial thread and finally the sea base and I'll be done.

[PaulBradley]

Oh, very nice, Julian!

[bluesteel]

Looks great, Julian. Any records of TB.1s scoring kills?

The Warpaint book rather glosses over RAF actions with the TB1, but it does mention that the Russians sank ships with the Hampden TB1's transferred to them from the RAF. I'll have to check my other sources for RAF TB1 successes.

[bluesteel]

All the gubbins has been added now. I've done normal props for the moment but will probably make blur props in the future, but I've run out of clear plastic sheet at the moment. Also my Pollyfilla has dried up, so it's dropping it's torpedo over a very calm sea in the last shot. But I can take it off again and un Blutak the torpedo to make a rougher sea base later on. So I'm going to call this a finish. Now I can concentrate on cheerleading the other builds...












It was a fun build and I think the Hampden is a good Airfix gem. I think I'll be building another one in the non too distant future, probably a Bomber Command version, maybe as flown by Guy Gibson. Although I would like to build a Valom Hampden to find the differences.

[JamesPerrin]

Champion, Julian. As I mentioned before I really like this scheme on the Hampden. Makes it look like a useful late war a/c rather than an early war hasbeen.

[bluesteel]

Looks great, Julian. Any records of TB.1s scoring kills?

I've just found in Chris Ashworths 'RAF Coastal Command 1936 - 1969' page 84 says that Hampden TB1's from 455 and 489 Sqns attacked and destroyed the 6,800 ton Altair off Kristiansund and the Swedish ship Borga (4,820 tons) off Ameland in April 1943 - presumably merchentman - as well as damaging others. So they did have RAF successes in the North Sea.

Edit: John Rawlings 'Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons' book indicates that 489 Squadron alone torpedoed at least 9 ships during it's operation of Hampdens, so it appears to have been a relatively successful role at the time.

[PaulBradley]

Very nice that, Julian!

[bluesteel]

Champion, Julian. As I mentioned before I really like this scheme on the Hampden. Makes it look like a useful late war a/c rather than an early war hasbeen.

Yes, it's a very nice scheme. Although there is some doubt if it was ever used in combat, it may just have been experimental. So far photos of 489 Sqn TB1s I've found in operational conditions have been in camouflage schemes.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Well Done !!

[Dirkpitt289]

Well done. That's a beautiful build