1:72 Bristol Blenheim Mk.I "B" Camouflage Patterns /AFX

Painting masks of camouflage B for the Blenheim Mk.I (1:72, AML)

A set of self-adhesive painting masks from the Czech manufacturer AML for spraying camouflage pattern B onto a model of the Bristol Blenheim Mk.I light bomber in 1:72 scale. The British regulations defined two standardized patterns for the layout of the brown and the green: pattern A and its mirrored counterpart B, which alternated between aircraft. This set carries exactly the mirrored variant B, and thanks to the masks you spray it precisely to the regulation without laboriously redrawing the pattern.

The real subject

In the second half of the 1930s the Blenheim was a symbol of the modernization of the RAF: an all-metal low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear which, when it appeared, outpaced even the fighters of the day. By the start of the war it had lost its speed advantage, and the crews of the light bomber squadrons paid a high price for brave daylight raids. The Mk.I version with the shorter glazed nose also served with foreign users and as an improvised night fighter.

Working with the masks

• Spray the base in the lighter brown and let it dry thoroughly.
• Lay the masks out according to pattern B, as the fields are mirrored compared with pattern A.
• Lay the green shade on in thin coats and the edges will stay sharp.
• Lift the masks off at a sharp angle and check how the fields join.

Who it is for

For builders of early British bombers who want the correct, regulation layout of the camouflage. Suitable for modelers working with an airbrush, including the less experienced.