1/48 Airfix Hurricane Mk I - surprise build!

[kahunaminor]

The big Spitfire was bogging down. I don't know why, maybe I was a little intimidated by building the "uber kit" or it could have been any number of reasons. Anyway, I looked into the stash last night and dragged out the new tool 1/48 Airfix Hurricane Mk I...just for a look:

 

 

A couple of hours later I was left with this:

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing what happens! I wasn't really happy with the kit seat and would need a harness anyway. I dragged out an Ultracast Hurricane seat set and used just the seat. I also removed the height adjuster from the kit part and attached it to the Ultracast seat:

 

 

 

This morning I shot a coat of MM RAF Interior Green and then brush painted MM Aluminium onto the gun and wheel bays, internal framing and the seat:

 

 

 

 

So dear reader here we are. I haven't even decided upon a scheme as yet! I will be using the Ultracast wheels, seat and Hurricane Mk I exhausts but the rest will be OOB. It's funny but there is something a bit soothing about building "an Airfix kit" my first in around 30 years!

 

Regards,

[kahunaminor]

Welcome back,

Progress continues with what is a pleasant build. Airfix give you the opportunity to display the gun bays open so to satisfy my AMS a little,  I have chain drilled and removed both the wing gun bay covers:

 

 

 

The guns themselves are quite okay for what will be seen and installation is relatively simple:

 

 

The starboard wing has been installed:

 

 

The port wing awaits. I have also done some touch ups to the paintwork in the cockpit and the seat, which was the last thing to go in last night:

 

 

 

 

Hopefully the other wing upper will go on today. Detail painting of the cockpit and then oil washes.

 

Regards,

[RalphSarc]

Great progress. I've heard this is a sweet little kit?

[kahunaminor]

Great progress. I've heard this is a sweet little kit?

A great kit Ralph. Solid engineering and quality mouldings. One to add to the wish list.

 

Regards,

[kahunaminor]

Welcome back,

 

It has been a while, as I have been sorting out some personal matters after my father passed away in late May. I also haven't really felt the urge to build or record the build, but he was my inspiration into starting the hobby, so time to get back on the horse!

 

The main construction is finished with the cockpit installed, wing uppers, lower fuselage, tail assembly and lower engine cover all in place:

 

 

 

The horizontal stabilisers required a little bit of "Perfect Plastic Putty":

 

 

As did the lower fuselage insert at the front. The retracted wheel covers have been stuck in place with some blue tac as a mask:

 

 

The wing root joins are almost flawless. The starboard seam needed a little bit of sanding at both forward and rear lower ends as it sat a bit high. But after a few swipes and dry fits it came together nicely. The port seam had a slight step where the forward lower cowling joins but I fashioned a spacer from some sprue, inserted it through the lower nose cavity whilst it was still open and it ended up great so it leads me to believe it was ham fistedness that was the issue:

 

 

 

There is still a bit of work to do at the forward wing join:

 

 

These shots are to show you how delicate the ribbing is on the fuselage, much lessdefined as the trough and valleys of other manufacturers:

 

 

 

I have also completed the prop and spinner, filled some minor seams in the spinner joins, white undercoat, then MM Insignia yellow and masked in preparation of the black:

 

 

Then popped on the prop and a quick sortie to the sounds of "takka, takka, takka"!

 

 

Thanks for looking

[rkranias]

talk about throwing one together!  looking really nice

[kahunaminor]

talk about throwing one together!  looking really nice

I think this qualifies as a speed build for me!

[kahunaminor]

Hello all,

 

Been primping and preening in preparation for shooting some colours. The flying surfaces have all been added. The wing LE edge lights and covers fitted, faired in and masked. The radiator has been a bit problematic in its fit and in an attempt to rectify it, I have sanded, added plastic, removed plastic and puttied to remove the seam between the front housing and the centre one. I thought I had it done:

 

 

Until I shot some Aeromaster Sky and found:

 

 

 

WW I trenches were more shallow! Back to filling and sanding. I did work out how to add the supports at the rear. It took a couple of looks but they attach to the inside rear of the radiator flap opening, squaring it off for the flap. They are a little oversize and I may try and reduce them or just leave it until the next one. I will also drill two holes into the lower fuselage to accept the radiator flap actuator rods, which will be added from strip.

 

Not all "doom and gloom" as the prop and spinner have come out nicely with their basic colours. Some light weathering and that can be ticked off:

 

 

 

Regards,

[Tommygun]

Big improvement on the old Airfix offerings. Nice work, look forward to the finish.

[kahunaminor]

Hello all,

 

some headway in the Hurricane build, it stands on its own two feet:

 

 

You may recall the botched job I made on the radiator housing. I filled the trenches with Mr Surfacer 500 and let it dry a couple of days. I then sanded it all back, recoated with Sky and rescribed very lightly. I am much happier with this result.

 

 

I then added the MLG struts and covers and the tail wheel assembly:

 

 

All the clear parts were dipped in Future and allowed an overnight to dry. The gunsight was added and then the forward windscreen, with just a smear of putty at the front edge to eliminate a small gap:

 

 

The wingtip lights had small holes drilled and then filled with clear red/green to replicate the bulb. The inner housings were painted MM Aircraft Interior Black and the lights were installed using Gator's Grip:

 

 

 

The Ultracast wheels were masked and painted. The mounting holes were too large for the Airfix MLG, so the holes were drilled out to 2mm and then 2mm plastic rod was inserted. These will be cleaned up and the holes re drilled to a more suitable size:

 

 

I am trying a new masking fluid from Vallejo. Here it has been painted using a small brush onto the wingtip lights and windscreen. It is quite well behaved in that it flows well into the mouldings and sets up quickly. Once dry it goes to that clear green colour:

 

 

 

 

 

That's all for now, thanks for looking.

 

Regards,

[kahunaminor]

Forging ahead at snail's pace. The lower half of the aircraft has been masked to within an inch of it's life and the MM Dark Earth sprayed on the upper surfaces. Dampt tissue int the gun bays to protect them:

 

 

 

 

 

I normally use blue tac rolls and fill in the voids with damp tissue, however this time I decided to use paper masks. I enlarged the instructions to very close to 48th scale, cut out the masks and using a combination of Tamiya tape and blue tac set about the masking:

 

 

 

 

Just after the photo, I have slid the large MG covers into place and held by the paper to get the colour demarcation as well.

 

The wheels have had the 2mm rod cut down to size and a suitable hole drilled in the middle and the exhausts have had their base coat of Burnt Metal. The sliding canopy has also been masked with the Vallejo fluid and the IG added to represent the inner supports. All in all ready to spray the Aeromaster RAF Dark Green later today hopefully.

 

Regards,

[kahunaminor]

The masking has come off and I am happy thus far:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will let that set a spell then lacquer glosscoat, decals, wash, weather and final bits and bobs.

 

Thanks for looking and regards,

[kahunaminor]

Had a few hours at the bench. Gloss coat and decals applied. Started on the underside:

 

 

The MG ejection ports were filled in with a thin tipped marker pen.

 

Then onto the upper surface. The decals performed well but did need a lot of repeated applications of Micro Sol to actually settle down:

 

 

 

 

 

The decals on the fin were almost successfully mated at the leading edge. The re is a slight gap that I may just dress up as weathering!

 

 

 

 

The exhausts have had a coat of Burnt Metal and the wheels have been completed and oil washed. Lacquer Dullcote later today and then final construction including adding the step, homemade mirror and aerial.

 

Regards,

[kahunaminor]

Approaching the finish line!

Promodeller wash applied and removed. Wheels attached and weathered with Tamiya Weathering Set (Dark mud). Exhausts attached:

 

 

 

 

 

The step and the pitot tube were attached following the wash process. A light application of dark mud was also trailed on the wing undersides in line with the tyres. The spinner and props were washed and a HB pencil used to apply small chips to the spinner, prop leading edges and prop blades:

 

 

 

The antenna post has had a small hole drilled so I can run the Ezy Line aerial down through it to a corresponding hole in the top of the fuselage:

 

 

All that remains (hopefully) is the Dullcote, some light exhaust staining on the fuselage sides, a dorsal light and removing the masks and the final round of attachments.

 

Regards,

[kahunaminor]

Well calling this done and dusted!

After flat coating I added the Ezyline aerial, two 1mm Little Lenes for the dorsal light and tail light and removed the masking from the lights and canopies:

 

 

 

The gun cover panels were attached with Gator's Grip as was the scratch built mirror:

 

 

 

The masking fluid was a mixed success. After initially using a paintbrush to apply, I found it easiest to apply and remove with the toothpick. The framing on the movable section canopy wasn't up to the same definition as if I'd used tape but the remainder was quite good. Some minor retouching and some light scraping with a toothpick (rapidly becoming my go to tool!):

 

 

I added light exhaust staining with Tamiya weathering pastels and a cut down paint brush (can you guess where that came from?) and some oil stains to the underside. I then redid some of the mud around the MLG and rear wheel and lightly hit the high points on the wings and hatches/fasteners with a silver water colour pencil to just give a little wear:

 

 

 

 

All in all pretty happy with the build:

 

 

Regards and thanks for stopping by, commenting and encouraging.