Tail-Dragon Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) It's a little late for a work in progress, but, I thought I'd still share this with you (remembering the days BEFORE the excellent Airfix Hurricane?) The ARK Models Hurri - 70% kit parts, 10% chunks of sprue to fill the horrendous voids, and 20% Millput. I started this when it was the only Hurri Mk I available, and, if I was a reasonable person, should have binned it long ago. I, however, have never been accused of being reasonable, and vowed that no crappy piece of Russian plastic would defeat me! It was so bad that I had to cut the right fuselage in half to shorten it (both sides were different lengths) then cut it again later to deal with an ugly twist. Attach the wings with blocks of sprue melted in with liquid cement, re-profile the aft fuselage with millput, carve a new lower nose from sprue and millput etc. etc. It is, in fact, half modelled, half sculpted. Lots of scratch building in the cockpit, and Eduard belts (wish now that I had photographed it) On with the horror show! aft wing to the fuselage is all scrap plastic and millput, wheel wells lots of scratch building, millput and time I did things like run the rudder and trim cables and make a loop of .006" brass wire to run the antennae wire through Canopy is a Falcon Vac, with inner structure of strip, and brass wire handles inside and out Edited June 27, 2015 by Tail-Dragon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Excellent work on a 'challenging kit' to say the least I started this when it was the only Hurri Mk I available, Puzzled by this, even in Canada you must have the old Airfix Mk I and been able to find the Hasegawa kits? It was so bad that I had to cut the right fuselage in half to shorten it (both sides were different lengths) then cut it again later to deal with an ugly twist. Anyway, one other point, the fuselage sides seem to be different lengths, but their not.... the ugly twist is where the missing length is... http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234934849-classic-airframes-hurricane-worth-getting/#entry1242943 The Ark inherits the old Airfix problems, which is it's a bit slim in the main fuselage, and the wings are too thin. The awful Ark parts breakdown possibly will allow this to be fixed with a modified lower wing centre section, something I have been working on, but is now thankfully obsolete with the new Airfix kit. Note, there is no panel line behind the 'doghouse' there is not a panel line between the 'doghouse', which is plywood covered in fabric then the fabric over stringers, but a strip of fabric doped on. This a restoration, but the fabric strips have not had the finishing coats of dope, and are clearly seen. I note this has has a coat of aluminium in the pics, but it's not metal. I have seen Hurricane model with bare metal scuffing here, as this is not widely noted detail. The panels directly beneath the cockpit are metal though. The strips edges are 'pinked' meaning cut with special scissors which give the little triangles on the edge. If you want to be really picky, the De Havilland propeller in the Ark kit again is derived from Airfix, and that is a De Havilland Spitfire type, fitted to some early Hurrcanes, before the DH Hurricane type became available, which is the one you need for a Mk I Trop, and is one of the options in the new Airfix kit. Gobbledygook? this should explain the differences http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234980181-hawker-hurricane-propellers-and-spinners-a-modellers-guide/ Hope of use, and despite my comments, this is one rarely seen built! great job on a poor kit. look forward to more. Cheers T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Thanks for the reminder, I meant to fill those lines behind the cockpit, but with all the other major surgery, I forgot. At the time that I started, the only choices were the Hasegawa (OOP, and demanding absurd prices on Ebay) and the 40+ original Airfix kit. The Ark kit LOOKED like a reasonable alternative, but proved to be a crude copy of a mish-mash of other kits, with heavy panel engraving. The one thing it does give you, is a chance to overcome so really impressive fit problems. This one will never be a contest winner, but I won't have to be embarrassed to have it seen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 The ARK Models Hurri - 70% kit parts, 10% chunks of sprue to fill the horrendous voids, and 20% Millput. that made me laugh! Looking great though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 I've got the paint on the beast, and started the weathering, (and Troy, you may notice I've filled those incorrect panel lines - Thanks!) I mixed Tamiya acrylics for a slightly faded version of the colors in the RAF museum painting guide, I think they are a fairly close match. It will be marked as "Woody" Woodward's Mk I, of 33 Sqdn (this explains the non-standard, partially overpaint yellow ring) Thanks for looking, Colin 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) Didn't those guys in the pic played an important role in a Madness video-clip...???? https://youtu.be/PSTHMxBttlU Just kidding.....!!!! When I first saw the "new" Ark Models Hurricane, I felt a kind of fresh air coming into a modeller's room.........I purchased mine back in 2013 at Telford, and everything looked fine while in the sprues. The nightmare started a few days later, back in Tenerife, when I tried to build the beast....Much to my dissapointment, I found it to be the perfect definition for "crappy piece of sh*t"........ I rescribed and old Airfix kit and used the cockpit, undercarriage, etc...form the Ark kit to enhance the Airfix one....except for the deflated tires, of course... Never before in the history of modelling we had such a a disspointing kit....... :) Nevertheless, your kit proves that any crappy amount of plastic can turn into a nice kit with love and care..... Best regards... Edited June 18, 2015 by Artie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) "Never before in the history of modelling we had such a a disspointing kit....... :) Nevertheless, your kit proves that any crappy amount of plastic can turn into a nice kit with love and care....." Thanks - it's more like disgust and bloody mindedness than love and care with this kit! Edited June 18, 2015 by Tail-Dragon 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Colin,,, She looks lovely ..Very Impressed by your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 This is coming along really well and the desert colours look just right to me,.....very convincing, Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Henry Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Lookin' really good so far. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 Some more progress on the Hurricane, it's decaled, and the weathering is under way. When the oils dry, a flat coat, some final pastel touch-ups, and the final detail assembly, and she'll be finished. Thanks for looking, Colin 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zone19 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Cracking work Colin...Looking forward to the finished article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Final weathering underway, thought I'd post couple of teaser pictures. Should be finished soon. Colin 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foghorn Leghorn Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 That's some great work on a crap kit ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 You are showing some fantastic modelling skills improving what seems to be a very 'challenging' kit! Great paint job. regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Henry Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Lookin' really good. Keep up the good work !! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Well I'm calling this one done - I'll post more photo's later, but what do you think of this? Colin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Beema Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Fabulous build - I admire your skills and am rather jealous.. Especially as I can't get my weathering washes quite right.. I am just about to start on a Hurricane build (alas not to this standard) using the old tooling Arfix Hurricane, new tooling Airfix Hurricane and the Itileri Sea Hurricane. Two BoB aeroplanes and an Operation Pedestal aircraft. Quick question. Was there a primer coat on the metal sections of the airframe which was left under the camouflage paint? When a aircraft was repainted was it stripped down to the primer and repainted or down to the bare metal and no primer re-applied? What happened with the fabric sections - were they just over painted? Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Blimey, not just a great model but brilliant photos too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) Quick question. Was there a primer coat on the metal sections of the airframe which was left under the camouflage paint? When a aircraft was repainted was it stripped down to the primer and repainted or down to the bare metal and no primer re-applied? What happened with the fabric sections - were they just over painted? Well ... some educated guesses (hopefully others know more) ... As I understand it, the fabric sections would have initially had many thin coats of red dope to tighten the fabric, then an aluminized dope for UV protection, then be painted with the aircraft paint (as opposed to camo coloured dope). There is no practical way to strip the fabric 's paint without chemically damaging the fabric, so fabric sections would be given a light, careful sanding (to give it some "tooth") and repainted. On the metal sections, they would originally have been primed (I would guess a zinc chromate primer rather than a red oxide primer, but I don't know for sure), for refinishing, depends on the level of maintenance, and I think it would be on a panel by panel basis, depending on condition. Heavy paint build up or deterioration - strip , prime and repaint, sections in good, smooth condition might well be just sanded and primed. At depot level overhaul, it was probably stripped to bare metal, at squadron level, sand and paint might be more likely, but I would guess you would NEVER see paint applied to bare metal ... and then you got your invasion sripes - grab anybody you can, and give 'em a mop and a bucket of paint! Edited June 27, 2015 by Tail-Dragon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Lots of pictures posted to "ready for inspection" 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Looks amazing! Very well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Henry Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 GREAT WORK !!! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zone19 Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Stunning!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now