Pavla 1/72 Blackburn Roc Mk.1

PAVLA 1:72 BLACKBURN ROC MK.1

Reviewer: Chris Amano-Langtree (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 30 July 2003

Kit Details:

Pavla 1/72 Blackburn Roc Mk. 1

Aircraft History:

The Blackburn Roc was similar in concept to the Royal Air Force’s Boulton Paul Defiant. However unlike its RAF counterpart it was based on the underpowered Blackburn Skua and as such was even more feeble than that aircraft. To their credit the Fleet Air Arm realised that the plane would be absolutely useless as a fighter (its maximum speed was not even that of a Gladiator) and it saw very little combat. One did serve in the Norwegian campaign and others were used as dive bombers at Dunkirk but most were quickly relegated to AA guards at airfields or target tugs. This was about the sum of their usefulness.

The Kit:

I have always been interested in this aircraft ever since I saw a series of photos (long since lost) in my grandfather’s photo album. However given that it was such a failure one could not see a mainstream company producing a model of the aircraft. So when I found that Pavla had produced a kit of the Roc I wanted one. The Roc kit is moulded in light grey plastic and is typical limited run – heavy moulding gates and lots of flash. The quality of engraving is sublime with very delicate detail and panel lines. Internal framing is moulded onto the fuselage halves. There are 38 plastic parts, an etched brass fret, two sets of vacuum formed canopies and turrets and a small photo sheet for the instrument panels. This model looks promising.

Instructions:

These come in the form of an A5 sized booklet with a history in Czech and English, a parts diagram and 17 detailed stages. The instructions are to be clear and detailed but there is a lot of scratch building involved so this is not a kit for a beginner. There are many small diagrams with precise measurements which are very helpful. Three versions are included but only the target tug is significantly different. Paints are given in Humbrol and Ag/FS numbers.

Assembly:

The first three construction stages deal with the cockpit and this is where I started. This is all straightforward though the seat lever and the rudder pedals need to be scratch built. The internal detail also includes a fuel tank to sit behind the pilots seat and this needs some fuel cocks added (at least that’s what I think they are). These I made from 10 amp fuse wire. Stage four starts the assembly of the turrets and here you are supposed to scratch build the gun barrels. Forget it! I used Aeroclub products which looked far more convincing. For the gun sight I used 5 amp fuse wire and etched brass parts. In stage 5 the tub is assembled. This is a nice piece of work and here I followed the instructions. Stages 6 and 7 deal with engine assembly You get an etched brass engine support which is very nice and a reasonable Pegasus engine (not as good as that of the Matchbox Lysander though). You need to add the oil cooling pipes – mine were made out of brass tube and I replaced the propeller and hub with the Aeroclub parts. Apparently the kit propeller blades are the wrong way round. The cowling halves are also added at this stage but they need a lot of filler as the join is none too good. I also drilled out the exhaust pipe and this is a massive improvement.

Stage 8 returns to the interior and deals with the fitting of the instrument panel and the throttle details. The levers are etched brass and very nice. However this is where the problems start. The locations of the main instrument panel and the side panels is vague and the diagrams do not help – a lot of trial and error is needed to get a correct fit. Pavla suggest scratch building the compass but I used an etched brass one from reheat models which is far more convincing. Stage 9 deals with the right side and the only way you will get everything to fit is to leave out the scratch built cylindrical item mentioned in the instructions. In stage 10 the completed cockpit is fitted into the hull and the halves joined together. Once again be prepared for lots of filler to hide the joints. Careful attention is also needed to alignment as there are no pins to guide you. Also fitted is the piece that forms the horizontal stabilizers but the fit is terrible and careful alignment is needed to ensure the correct right angles. I used super glue to create a strong quick joint then filled the gaps. Stage 11 covers with the rudder and the measurements given ensure that the etched brass balance weights are located in the right place. The rudder fits well and looks quite impressive in place. The wings follow next and are without a doubt the worst part of the model. Whoever designed the undercarriage openings can only be said to have some unique ideas on model engineering. Briefly the bottom half of the wing has two rectangular openings where the undercarriage should be. Etched brass inserts containing part of the undercarriage cutouts are glued in place. You are then expected to file tracks in the plastic of the lower wing using these inserts as guides. This is quite difficult as the plastic of the lower wing is very thick. I can see no advantage or benefit in this process as it generates extra work for no purpose whatsoever. It doesn’t even add to the accuracy of the completed model. I should also mention that there is no wheel well detail. Some sources have mentioned that they think the underside of the wing is wrong and that it should resemble that of the Skua. Drawings do not exist and the photos only seem to indicate that Pavla may have got it right. Anyway I left mine as it was.

Onto stage 13 and the fitting of the wings – copious amounts of filler are required for the wing/fuselage joint especially at the leading edges but it is possible to get a nice finish here. The intakes and engine are also fitted at this stage and this is not too bad and the diagrams are quite clear as to the location. However, after this relatively easy stage we return to the undercarriage which takes up two more stages. This is quite intricate with each individual oleo attaches to the main leg via an etched brass component. Unfortunately there are no locating holes in the upper wing surface making alignment a bit of a problem. The instructions indicate that you should assemble the undercarriage first before attaching the doors and this is really the only way to do things. Superglue is essential here to get a strong well aligned join but a lot of effort is also needed. This is a part of the model that should have been better designed. The doors go on next but there is a flaw in the nicely etched main doors. These should be shaped round the undercarriage legs and there should be a bulge above the wheel. Another thing I decided to leave as the doors look quite good fitted in place. Next are the underside details and these comprise the tailwheel, catapult attachment lugs and arrestor hook. Clear diagrams and precise measurements make fitting the etched brass lugs easy but the arrestor hook is wrong. It should be of the V shaped variety and I replaced this whilst using the Pavla etched brass hook. So to the final stage and once again there is a lot of work involved – the rear turret fairing requires filler to get it to fit and to hide the join line (it comes in two halves). I also had to shape it into the rear fuselage with filler to get a realistic appearance. The turret fitted easily without the need for cement and after that I added the vac formed turret and canopy. This can be modelled in a lowered position but I chose to leave it raised. I did though cut the canopy and cemented it in an open position. Of the final etched brass details I chose to leave the internal reflector sight out as there was no room for it and several Rocs did not carry this.

Pavla do not provide the underwing bomb racks or the landing lights so I didn’t bother with either of these – the latter weren’t very visible anyway and I know of no-one who makes toast rack light carriers.

Colour Schemes:

Three schemes are given, one for a Roc of 806 Squadron based at Hatston and the subject of the box painting. I chose this one because its tail code indicated that it would have been allocated to HMS Illustrious (L6R) had it ever made it to a carrier. The others are a camouflaged Roc of 759 Squadron based at Eastleigh and a target tug of 775 Squadron operating in Egypt in 1942. This aircraft does not have the turret fitted but Pavla do not include any information on what to replace it with or how to convert the model into this version. I have my doubts about the colours for the 806 Squadron aircraft and ended up following the box art more than the diagram. This looks right.

Decals:

The decals are thin and in excellent register. They fit well and carrier film is minimal and invisible. I chose not to include the anti-gas diamond on the port wing as I wanted my Roc to be from the period of April/May 1940 and most aircraft did not carry these yet. The decals set well and conformed to the surface of the model without any trouble.

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this kit? To those of us who have a considerable amount of experience and want a Blackburn Roc the answer is yes. With a lot of work this kit builds into a stunning replica. But for intermediate and beginners I suggest avoiding the kit unless you absolutely have to buy it. It does take a lot of work – more so than most others and whilst I expect this from limited run kits this is a bit beyond the run of the mill struggle. The lower wing in particular is a mess and I don’t know what Pavla were thinking when they designed it. I enjoyed building this kit but it was the Pavla Defiant that convinced me never to buy one of their kits again. Unlike MPM they had not improved. That being said the completed Roc looks extremely good.

web hosting • domain names
web design • online games