1/72 Bristol Bolton Mk.I High Altitude Fighter

[The Big Gimper]

It was the winter of 1940 and it was a very grim time. Great Britain was still feeling the sting of Dunkirk but the euphoria the Battle of Britain helped keep up the spirits. But the worst was yet come: The war of music is about to begin.

Starting in November 1940 everyday a Junkers Ju-86P would be winging its way overhead Great Britain: waltzing Windsor Castle with Wagner, bombing the BBC with Beethoven and serenading Shakespeare soliloquies with Strauss.

Needless to say the King and Queen were not amused.

An urgent call from the Marshall of the RAF went out to all aircraft manufactures. Stop the Ju-86P and please stop the music.

Here we have the Bristol Bolton proposal based on their high altitude type 138. Wright R-2600 with supercharger, new canopy, light weight landing gear, 2x 20mm Hispano cannons and  6x browning .303 machine guns.

It is a Frog Bristol 138 with an Airfix B-25 engine, Frog Hornet Prop and spinner, P-38 canopy, Spitfire XIV cockpit, TA-152 air intakes, F8F landing gear struts, doors and wheels. 20mm cannons from Model master. Colour of Eagles PRU Blue with Microscale Micro Satin semi-gloss finish. Decals from almost everywhere.

[sandiego89]

Wow, well done!  Like the color choice. 

[crudebuteffective]

nice idea nicely done

[McColm]

Good work.

[The Wooksta!]

Nice, except Bristol would never have used a US engine when they had their own Hercules and Centaurus powerplants available.

[Alvis 3.14159]

Yeah, stop making fictional aircraft with humorous backstories not be totally believable!


Alvis 3.141519

[CSMO]

Twenty millimeter cannon firing through the propeller arc. That is novel, indeed. I would be hoping the ordnance crew and the mechanics got the timing right on the interrupter gear dead-on the money. Cool looking plane. The RAF did take the Ju.86Ps seriously. Well done, sir! Adios, Larry.

[Army of One]

Nice idea.........like the finish....think we all know someone who's really gonna love it.....

[Weaver]

Looks great - nice one!

[Dizzyfugu]

Great kitbashing - looks great!   

My next project also goes into that direction, pretty inspirational!

[Captain Canada]

Funny stuff and beautiful model !

I knew it was a P-38 canopy but that's as far as I could get....great use of the ol' spares box !

[lancer]

That is nice, very nice. But, aren't the wings a bit on the long side???   

[PR19_Kit]

That is nice, very nice. But, aren't the wings a bit on the long side???   

Nah, that's the LOW altitude version. Wait till he builds the Bolton Mk II.............. 

[The Big Gimper]

@Wooksta: Good catch. I  don't have any Hercs etc in the spares box. And the R-2600 fit so nicely on the 139 so I got lazy and ...

@CSMO: Good catch. I installed the 20mm cannons without the prop on. So yes they are firing through the prop arc but the Bristol Boffin's built a special interrupter gear to ensure the shells miss the blades, most of the time.

@Lancer and @PR19_Kit: Hmmm I had not thought of building MK.II but if these wings are too short, then I guess I need to remedy that.

@Alvis, Weaver, Dizzyfugu, Captain Canada et al: Thank you for the kind compliments coming from the Silver Backs of Whiffing ...

[Captain Canada]

@CSMO: Good catch. I installed the 20mm cannons without the prop on. So yes they are firing through the prop arc but the Bristol Boffin's built a special interrupter gear to ensure the shells miss the blades, most of the time.

Just make sure the armoures get the left-hand turn bullets and right-hand turn bullets into the proper wings 

Then again, Clyde was an Orangutan.....