As Beaufort is to Beaufighter, Blenheim is to ???

[Caveman]

Currently on my "workbench" is airfix' new Blenheim (it's great buy one!). Airfix have been clever/cheap and designed it so that the different noses fit the same base model - which will make rhinoplasty nice and easy... So given that Bristol would later produce the Beaufort and Beaufighter and that the Blenheim was faster than contemporary fighters, what if: there was a proper dedicated Blenheim fighter developed in tandem with the Blenheim. I know that the Blenheim was used as a night fighter but I'm on about a seperate aircraft.

Delete the dorsal turret, move the pilot up slightly so that his lateral view isnt so hindered and bring him onto the centreline, internally mount weapons below the nose, 4/6 303s? Fill the bomb bay with ammunition/fuel tanks. I guess keep a second crewman as nav/radio operator.

Thoughts/criticisms?

[NARSES2]

4 guns in the nose, a couple in each wing ? Otherwise sounds good to me, and I agree re the kit, it's a nice one 

[Dizzyfugu]

Thought about this, too, for the BoB GB: take the early bomber, get rid of the turret/dorsal station, add a solid nose with some machine guns (6 or 8x 0.303", or four 20mm Hispano cannon) instead of a ventral gun box and maybe even make a single seater from it, even though I am not certain about the canopy design?

As a conceptual benchmark, a friend of mine created a Ju 88 single seat fighter from a bomber:

1:72 Junkers Ju 88 single-seat fighter (whif/kit conversion) +++ GUEST WORK +++ by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Leading Observer]

I'd definitely go with the 4 x 20mm cannon in the nose with 2 x .303 in the wings and you're looking at an RAF "Zerstorer" 

[Captain Canada]

Great idea, and as you say, since Airfix have made it so easy !

Cool Ju88 fighter as well.

[PR19_Kit]

What a splendid idea. 

What would be suitable as a cockpit/canopy though? A Whirlwind canopy might suit but it 'shouts' Westland rather than Bristol. Maybe Westland were sub-contracted to do the fighter version?

[kitbasher]

How about the wings, engines, undercarriage, fin, rudder and tailplane mated to a Bf110? Or to be 100% British, a Fairey Battle. Modify the nose obviously to take the MGs or cannon.  A bit like my Fairey Falcon from a few years ago but with radials.

I did think about doing a radial version using old school Airfix Blenheim wings and engines, but not going the whole 'Bristolification' hog.

[Caveman]

What a splendid idea. 

What would be suitable as a cockpit/canopy though? A Whirlwind canopy might suit but it 'shouts' Westland rather than Bristol. Maybe Westland were sub-contracted to do the fighter version?

Perhaps a nose similar to a dh dragon/rapide? It's a fairly similarly faceted form to the all glazed Blenheim but sits the pilot front and centre.

[jcf]

Snub-nosed like the Bristol 153A design?
Guns beneath the wing centre-section, Blenheim I front end set back between engines.

[Dizzyfugu]

I like the latter idea with the short snout. Since the Blenheim's fuselage is rather wide, how about an asymetrical layout, with a single seat canopy (bubble might be too early, or a Typhoon style piece?) on one side, and a cannon installation on the other, and maybe some machine guns in front of the cockpit/pilot? Sounds odd, but maybe worth a try... could become my #12 for the BoB GB. 

[NARSES2]

The Bristol 153A solution is a good one 

[kitbasher]

Or.....
Putting it extremely crudely, Bristol mated a narrower front fuselage to a Beaufort rear fuselage and used re-engined Beaufort wings.
How about then mating a Beaufighter front end to a Blenheim rear end plus wings and engines?  Alternatively just use a Beaufighter fuselage with Blenheim tailplain, fin and rudder mated up to Blenheim wings and engines?