Revell 1/32 Hurricane "slow build"

[224 Peter]

Long long ago in 1973 I went, as an exchange student, to Houston TX. I took some basic modelling tools and tins of Humbrol paint.  There I purchased the then new Revell Hurricane and made a start. Returning home in September I carried on, painting the camouflage and RAF roundels, using a spring bow compass and paint, intending to finish the aircraft as one of the aircraft flown in France, based on a photo in "Fighter Pilot": I have a copy of the original 1942 publication in hardback, heavily censored: no mention of the Squadron, the names of the officers or anything much else! 

So, move on to 2018 and retirement: I came across a 1990 edition the same book, by Paul Richey DFC and with much more information about the aircraft of 1 Squadron and 73 Squadron. Richie flew JX G, which as late as April 1940 was sporting a 2 blade Watts propeller - which broke up and fell off at 20,000 over Metz....  Other photographs from April 1940 show it with full height RAF colours on the rudder, and only the letter G, the squadron codes had been painted over, along with the A/C Serial Number. In flight photos show that the deletion of squadron codes was not universal, in one of 73 squadron some show "TP" as the squadron code, others just have a single letter. All have 3 blade propellors and rudder flashes with one wing undersurface black, the other white..

So, a particular aircraft could have the  2 or 3 blade prop, squadron codes or just an identification letter. 

Time to re-start a stalled build, after 44 years. 

The first job was to finish the job: the Hurricane needed a partial repaint, but still a lot to do with filling and some details. 

I ordered 2 sets of after market parts,  first white metal U/C legs, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, mostly because the original legs had become very fragile over time and the rear leg had "disappeared" and then a Watts propellor from Brian Fawcett, intended for the PCM kit but will work on the Revell one. The prop is a delight, beautifully moulded from resin. This photo shows both and the Hurricane in the background.  

I've got the U/C attached, prop fitted and "all" that is needed now is some further paint touch up, landing lights fitted and the canopy painted and finally the letter S applied in light aircraft grey. S was flown by Peter Prosser Hanks, a brilliant pilot who survived the war. There is an excellent photo of his aircraft, with a 2 blade prop, coming in to land at Vassincourt airfield. 

I've also found that there are some very conspicuous details on the nose of these early Hurricanes, as this next photo shows... the detail is so obvious that I have to add it. But I've never seen the two small pipes below the exhaust manifold, anyone know? 

The photo shows how muddy and scruffy these aircraft were, operating from grass airfields in France. So some less than subtle weathering will be needed! 

The next photo will be off the finished model... next year!