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Iran (Persia): Hawker Fury (with foil how-to)


Old Man

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I will be doing a radial-engine 'Persian Fury".

12Fury208-11_zpscc138284.jpg

Twenty-four of these were delivered, and comprised the total fighter strength of the IIAF from 1935.

This will be a conversion from a Revell/Matchbox Hawker Fury kit in 1/72.

Edited by Old Man
to give notice of egg-shell foil how-to on pg. 2
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Don't think I've seen a Persian Fury modelled before. This version certainly looks different from the usual in-line engined Fury.

People do the conversion every so often, Sir. I did one myself several years back, but want another run at it. That build was the last one I did before before I adopted a new technique that gave a much better result for aluminum dope finish, and also, I have worked out better techniques for dealing with home-printed roundels since that one.

I shall watch with interest: this is so different from the rest of the Fury line. Where are you sourcing the radial from?

There is 'a look' to the thing, Sir. The cowling will come from a PM Models Fokker DXXI, the motor from one of two Revell/Matchbox kits, either a Swordfish or a Gladiator. Either choice requires some work, but nothing serious. The tricky bit is the Jupiter-style exhaust manifold, which I recall was rum fun to scratch....

Another great choice for the GB Old Man. It's totally unrecognisable as a Fury!

Cliff

Thank you, Sir. I have a real soft spot for the radial engined export models of the Hawker line. There was, by the way, a serious attempt to sell these to China in quantity, but Curtiss beat them out on the deal. 'Squeeze' paid by the Curtiss rep, Mr. Pawley, doubtless had some influence, but I expect lack of range was a genuine sticking point --- Chinese officials of that day liked to be paid to do what they were going to do anyway....

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I can't say I looked closely, but there are some radial Furies in the plan set I used for my Fury II. The exhausts look quite similar to those on the Gladiator - might be easier than scratching them up?

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Watching this one with interest as I have the 1/48 Airfix Fury awaiting the hatchet to build this precise version. I've been interested in the Persian Fury since seeing the Profile Pubs profile showing sand-coloured upper surfaces and, IIRC, a red cowling. Have yet to see a photo of that scheme but it's still fascinating.

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Watching this one with interest as I have the 1/48 Airfix Fury awaiting the hatchet to build this precise version. I've been interested in the Persian Fury since seeing the Profile Pubs profile showing sand-coloured upper surfaces and, IIRC, a red cowling. Have yet to see a photo of that scheme but it's still fascinating.

Same here. I still have that Profile as part of one of the Profile compilation books.

Regards,

Jason

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I can't say I looked closely, but there are some radial Furies in the plan set I used for my Fury II. The exhausts look quite similar to those on the Gladiator - might be easier than scratching them up?

I have the Mushroom monograph, Sir: it is very good, and I am using (and used) its plans. There is no exhaust collector ring at the front (there is a circular front-piece that seals the panels of the cowling). There are two pipes per cylinder that lead down from the heads to a ring in front of the crank-case, and the exhausts pass from this, between cylinders and inside the cowling to come out below the nose on either side. Except for the 'plumbing' from the cylinder heads it is a very similar arrangement to the exhausts of the Jupiter on the Bulldog (a 'Y' shape from the cylinder heads on the Bulldog, not two parallel pipes). The motor was a very early version of the Mercury. I suspect no front collector ring was used because of the position of the machine-guns in the upper decking; you can see the notches for the bullets to pass in the photograph above.

fury_line_38_zpsf9c8129c.jpg

(edited to add photograph)

Edited by Old Man
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Excellent subject, Old Man! I've always rather fancied the radial-engined Furies, along with their bigger brothers the radial-engined Hart versions.

Regards,

Jason

Favorites of mine as well, Sir. This old kit is an excellent starting point.

Watching this one with interest as I have the 1/48 Airfix Fury awaiting the hatchet to build this precise version. I've been interested in the Persian Fury since seeing the Profile Pubs profile showing sand-coloured upper surfaces and, IIRC, a red cowling. Have yet to see a photo of that scheme but it's still fascinating.

I am pretty sure I have seen a photograph of that, Sir, though I cannot quickly recollect where. I believe it dates from after the Anglo-Soviet occupation. In the early period of their service, these were in aluminum dope with bare metal panels, and that is how I mean to finish this.

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  • 2 weeks later...

That build was the last one I did before before I adopted a new technique that gave a much better result for aluminum dope finish, and also, I have worked out better techniques for dealing with home-printed roundels since that one.

Looking forward to learning how you do that, Old Man.

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...I'm always mixing Furies with 56 Hawker Pegasus Audaxes delivered to the IIAF in the 1930s... but some photos of their modells might be available here.

The Iranian Aviation Review (available in the UK via the Aviation Bookshop in TW), used to run a big article with plenty of photos and artworks in one of its recent volumes too.

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I have the Mushroom monograph, Sir: it is very good, and I am using (and used) its plans. There is no exhaust collector ring at the front (there is a circular front-piece that seals the panels of the cowling). There are two pipes per cylinder that lead down from the heads to a ring in front of the crank-case, and the exhausts pass from this, between cylinders and inside the cowling to come out below the nose on either side. Except for the 'plumbing' from the cylinder heads it is a very similar arrangement to the exhausts of the Jupiter on the Bulldog (a 'Y' shape from the cylinder heads on the Bulldog, not two parallel pipes). The motor was a very early version of the Mercury. I suspect no front collector ring was used because of the position of the machine-guns in the upper decking; you can see the notches for the bullets to pass in the photograph above.

fury_line_38_zpsf9c8129c.jpg

(edited to add photograph)

Thanks for sharing that pic. Interesting view showing the numerals under the wings. Also, a few of the airframes in the background (notably the 4th and 5th in line from left) seem to show darker cowlings which might...stress "might"...be the source of the red colwing depicted in the Profile Pubs profile.

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Well, Gentlemen, I have finally made a bit of a start with this.

Here is the kit:

IMG_6236_zpsd5debdac.jpg

It is a nice little kit, and I am very glad Revell re-issued it. Here's hoping they do the same with Matchbox's Boeing P-12E....

I want to do a decent cockpit on this, and that entails clearing away the socket for the lower wing center-piece. With the fuselage pieces tacked together, I then glued the wing in place (applying glue at the roots only), then scored through on the center-line to separate the hales again. This allows a uniform bottom on which to rest the 'perch' of the pilot. Because the exterior of this area is normally covered by the radiator, external fit was a little dodgy, so I wound up cutting out the wing piece's center remnants, and replaced them with fresh bits of sheet set flush to the exterior botttom. The area may still need some building up in future.

IMG_6252_zpsb7c28487.jpg

IMG_6249_zps4f88cb07.jpg

I also moved the cockpit opening back one millimeter, cutting at the rear and shimming at the front. This matches drawings a bit better.

Next order of business will be doing the cockpit arrangements....

Edited by Old Man
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Thank you, Gentlemen!

The line of attack on the wing is a streamlined version of what I did a while back making a South African Fury: I expect there are other kits where the method could prove useful.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234936038-saaf-fury-in-kenya-matchbox-172/

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234961485-hawker-fury-1st-sqdn-saaf-mombasa-kenya-june-1940/

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  • 4 weeks later...

Bit of an up-date, though picture-less owing to press of other matters on the home front. I did want to indicate this is very much a live project. Interior is complete, and next week I expect to have the fuselage closed up and the new nose on, at a minimum.

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Thank you, Gentlemen.

First, here is how matters stood when the 'pictureless' update went up...

IMG_6383_zpswjwp2bif.jpg

IMG_6384_zpswuqk21cy.jpg

IMG_6387_zpsrwcycjsi.jpg

IMG_6388_zpss87il1i5.jpg

Rudder-bar and stick grip are spare pieces from Roden spues, seat is created from the kit seat (trim off back, turn bottom upside down, re-attach back, after some thinning and fiddling), and instrument panel is from a decal supplied with the kit (applied to a plastic back, and the black 'void' areas cut out. Rest is scratched.

Here is the 'perch' in place in the port half....

IMG_6390_zpsbh0c4xep.jpg

IMG_6390-CU_zpshag2wcqe.jpg

In last session, fuselage was closed and work on nose and motor commenced.

Here is the fuselage closed, with top decking on, and the basic cowling....

IMG_6400_zpsp9oarpae.jpg

There is no chance the cabanes, had they been built in per instructions, would survive intact all the work needed on the nose here, so they will go in later. The rear (grey) portion of the cowling is from an old MPM Curtiss Hawk III kit (it has donated parts to other projects, and will donate more in future). The front portion is 3mm sheet, glued on solid then pierced and shaped.

Here is the fuselage 'chopped' for the new nose....

IMG_6412_zpslp34bufd.jpg

At this point, plans changed a little. I reviewed my notes from the first time I did this conversion several years ago, and saw that I had not been able to determine the right length for the front 'plug' without reference to the motor in the cowling, and since I had neglected to specify dimensions, I figured I should retrace m y steps, and accordingly proceeded to start work on the engine....

IMG_6410_zps1wxn7agb.jpg

Top picture is the front, middle the rear, and bottom shows the motor dry-fit in the cowling. Motor is a much re-worked piece from a Revell re-issue of the Matchbox Gladiator. Not the best raw material but the readiest to hand as I set to work; its cylinders are shortened to fit the inside of a thick cowling, and notched in front to rest against a collector ring. Once this was set right, lifters and feul lines were added. Stubs have been set in at the front for the pipes feeding the central exhaust ring, but I have not yet got to the manifold yet.

Finally, here is a look into the finished cockpit....

IMG_6414_zpsagt95qzo.jpg

IMG_6414-CU_zpscojihjr1.jpg

Next will be installing the motor with exhaust manifold in the cowling, finishing the cowling, and building the new nose.

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Nice work on the cockpit, OM! I have an old built-up but slightly broken-down Matchbox Fury I dug out - I'm seriously thinking of doing this conversion, but we shall see. It would look great next to my Persian Audax, if I ever get around to that.

Regards,

Jason

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