1:48 Blenheim Mk.I pilot's and navigator's seats

The real subject

The Bristol Blenheim Mk.I was a British twin-engine light bomber of the late 1930s, a fast machine for its day with a crew of three. The Mk.I version is recognized by its short glazed nose; the later Mk.IV has it lengthened. The glazing of the Blenheim cockpit is extensive, so the inside stays clearly visible on a finished model and the plain seats from the kit stand out there.

What the set contains

Replacement seats for the pilot and the navigator in 1:48 scale. The seats supplied with a kit tend to be thick-walled and flat, whereas separate replacement parts have thin edges and a finer surface, so they read more convincingly in the cockpit. The exact number of parts, and whether the set also holds belts, is given on the box.

Building and painting tips

Cut the excess material and the marks left by manufacture away with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the remainder back gently. Wash and degrease the parts before painting, because a primer will not hold on a greasy surface. The parts are not polystyrene, so cement for plastic models has no effect on them; reach for super glue and apply it drop by drop. Paint the seats and bring them out before you seat them in the cockpit, because in a closed fuselage you cannot get a brush to them. If the set holds belts, set them off in shade from the seat shell, or they will blend in.

Who it is for

It suits builders of the Blenheim Mk.I in 1:48 scale, especially those building a model with the canopy open or the cockpit exposed.

The aircraft model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.