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The Best 1/32 scale Hurricane ?


robvulcan

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My Dad who is not very well at the moment surprised me this morning announcing he wants the downstairs shelves cleared of ornaments and filed with model aircraft instead and he would like me to make him a Hurricane.

Internal detail is not important just a good looking complete airframe that looks ready to fly in.

Cheers Rob :)

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Sadly Rob, I think that in 1/32 scale the only choice is the ancient Revell kit or, maybe even the ancient Revell kit!! You could try & get hold of a Pacific Coast Models Hurricane Mk 1 but I think these are now about as rare as honest politicians. One piece of bright news, Fly are to release a 1/32 Hurricane IIC. Due out round about Telford time I believe. Sometimes I think that (when it comes to models in this scale at least) that manufacturers think the Spitfire was the only WWII fighter Britain produced.!! :angrysoapbox.sml:

Allan

Edited by Albeback52
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I expect the Hurricane experts will be here with you soon but kits in this scale are thin on the ground. The only UK listed one I found was this and even that is a 'future release'. https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/YLF32012

The Rolls Royce of kits is this one : http://www.hlj.com/product/PCM32012/Air?utm_source=GMC_UK&utm_medium=GMC&utm_campaign=Air&gclid=CLrOy9vIwcgCFYU_GwodYM0J1Q

But you'll have to order from abroad I think.

Or you could look out for the ancient Revell kit if you just want one which bears a sort of Hurricane resemblance. I had a quick look around but didn't spot any.

If you go bigger (1:24) or smaller (1:48 or 1:72) then your task will be much easier and cheaper!

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Ah thanks guys. To be honest I have not looked into it and thought rather than sift through box art that don't show the kit ask here and its already been valuable advice as ever.

Old Revell kit sounds promising and I'm not shy of a bit of scratch building.

I am shocked there is not more kits Much as I love the Spitfire I hate the lack of recognition the Hurricane gets which was as I understand the easier to service and shot more down. Along with other types like the Typhoon and Tempest though even these seem to enjoy more recognition than the Hurricane.

I for one am a big Hurricane fan but not made any for too long. When I was a kid I think I made more Hurricanes than anything else. I had loads.

Cheers Rob :)

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Good luck Rob,

If you do buy the Revell kit beware of the wing detail as the original kit had Mk.I gun bays but a poor quality set of cannons were later added including the bulges above the wing but the machine gun access bays were left in place! So for a Mk.I, IIa or even a IIb you`ll have to remove the bulges and cannon fairing projecting from the wings,......and for a Mk.IIc you`ll have to remove the machine gun bay detail. Either is quite easy to do. As the Revell kit stands, the shape is OK, the propeller spinner and cockpit canopy are pretty poor and will need reshaping while all of the panel lines are raised, the wheel well it totally incorrect and so is the cockpit.

Grey Matter Resin do some after market and conversion parts which I can highly recommend as they really bring the Revell kit up to 21st Century level,....but they are quite pricey. Here is the website link; http://www.greymatterfigures.com/index.php?p=1&cat=20

Here is one of my Revell kit`s converted into a Mk.IIc using a Grey Matter conversion, cockpit and wheel bay;

32nd%20Revell%20Hurri%202-1_zpssl7ii4ww.

and here is another converted into a Mk.IIb, again using a Grey Matter conversion which includes a new nose, propeller, canopy etc;

h24_zpsn5cdkxes.jpg

And as devils advocate,.....here is one of my PCM Hurricane models, this one being the rag winged version;

32nd%20hurri%201_zpsvchn6hot.jpg

The latter is much easier to build and has to be the best Mk.I variant available and is comprises of injection plastic, resin and etched brass parts but they are now quite scarce.

Hope this helps,

Tony

PS- Here is a pic of the Grey Matter Hurricane Mk.IId conversion set;

h1_zpsbjx4rjc8.jpg

Here is the new resin nose attached to the Revell kit which has also been re scribed,.....note the cuts made to the Revell nose do not run along panel lines!;

h3_zpsoqh5oxlu.jpg

Here is the separate Grey Matter cockpit set;

h4_zpspvgjo8nn.jpg

And after construction;

h5_zpsd96m9yb8.jpg

I must stress that I have no association with Grey Matter apart from buying their sets!

Tony

Edited by tonyot
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(snipped for brevity and focus of context!) Much as I love the Spitfire I hate the lack of recognition the Hurricane gets which was as I understand the easier to service and shot more down.

My sentiments exactly. I read somewhere long ago (so maybe a pinch of salt should be added!) that the Russians, to whom both Spitfires and Hurricanes were supplied during the Great Patriotic War, considered the Hurricane to be rugged, easily maintained and a great fighter aircraft, but that the Spitfire was fragile

and "high-maintenance". This may be apocryphal, but I believe that it's the "conventional wisdom" . . .

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Many thanks for the information and Photos that's very helpful and the Grey matter set looks like a lot of fun.

Its also interesting reading about the Russians using them I saw a Russian spit but Never a Hurricane. Ultimately they are both incredible Aircraft its just a shame the Hurricane don't get more love. However it seems the opposite is true in more Modern times with the Hunter and Scimitar as regards capturing the Imagination of the masses and again both Beautiful Aircraft. However I do recall the Scimitar had a bad habbit of going for a swim. Not the planes fault apparently the Carriers where too small. That's another issue anyway's

I need to do this in 1/32 to go with his 1/32 HobbyBoss Spitfire I made for him and I think I would like a mk1.

Seeing as Revell did a 1/32 Spit and Hurri in the past and they have just done that nice 1/32 MK2 spit I wonder what the chances are for a new 1/32 Revell Hurricane !, I hope that comes to fruition

Cheers Rob :)

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Hi Rob, the PCM Hurricane is probably the best way to go, having said that the old Revell kit is pretty accurate in shape for a Mk I as it has the shorter nose, the MkII boxing is the same kit with some cannon barrels added, I built one a while ago and enjoyed the build. Here's what I did, http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/37896-revell-hawker-hurricane-mk-1/

Cheers

Den

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Dennis that looks wonderful It certainly looks like a Hurricane and a nice kit to me. As they say Good enough for Jazz and I love old kits too. (Also the moths are guarding the wallet)

Cheers Rob :)

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Its also interesting reading about the Russians using them I saw a Russian spit but Never a Hurricane.

I need to do this in 1/32 to go with his 1/32 HobbyBoss Spitfire I made for him and I think I would like a mk1.

Seeing as Revell did a 1/32 Spit and Hurri in the past and they have just done that nice 1/32 MK2 spit I wonder what the chances are for a new 1/32 Revell Hurricane !, I hope that comes to fruition

Cheers Rob :)

The Soviets had lots of Hurricanes, nearly 3000 supplied Lend Lease

They even regunned them as they found the 0.303's lacked punch

see

http://sovietwarplanes.com/board/index.php?topic=881.0

well known photo

hurricane-2shvak.jpg

that's a 20mm cannon jutting out, and a 12.7mm MG in the inner position, in a B wing, note blanked off out mg ports.

Given Revell seem to have messed up their 1/32nd Spit, and regularly make mistakes on other Brit subjects...Halifax, Mosquito spring to mind, I hope not.

It is still beyond me why Trumpeter (or Hobby Boss) have not scaled down their mostly excellent 1/24th kit.

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Cheers Troy and John I agree the PCM looks great and the old Revell looks nice too from what I can see. It all depends on what my dad decides in the end and what we can find.

I did mention to him briefly that there was a lack of them in 1/32 and the first thing he mentions was 1/24 so I could end up going that route with a Spitfire to follow.

In the mean time I will keep looking at whats out there

:)

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I was at Wheels and Wings Hobbies yesterday and they had both versions of the PCM kit in stock. They're in Toronto but will do mail order. The price was $89 CAD I think.

Hope that helps,

Carl

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Plus 1 for the PCM kit, but it doesn't fall together. Watch the wing/fuselage join in particular. I adopted the 'fit the upper wing first and sort out the rest later' technique on the two I've built :)

Good luck!

Steve

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Both kits in my opinion are good models of the Hurricane.

I am building the Revell kit & the PCM at the same time , Starting with the Revell kit the length and span are spot on however the cockpit , wheelbay , wheels , exhausts ,

need to be replaced with the Grey Matters parts , The surface detail is raised but with a bit of sanding and rescribing the panel lines things can be made to look much better.

(See Tonys models above )

As for the PCM kit this is a good model of a Hurricane in 1.32nd scale , however I am finding the parts fit leaves a lot to be desired , the wing to fuslarge joint is very poor with a

huge gap ( 3mm ) that needs sorting , also there is no surface detail what so ever so if you do like to see some rivet detail on your Hurricane then the Revell kit wins on that score.

If you can find one the PCM kit is the way to go which can be built straight from the box and saving a fortune on the Grey Matters correction sets.

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Fine if you like an overly thick wing and a horrible spinner :hanging:

Keith

you have posted this before.

While correct, I'd suggest that making an accurate Hurricane model out of the Airfix 1/24th kit is an easier job than out of the Revell 1/32nd.

And to be honest, once you get into Revell plus Grey Matter resin plus effort. the PCM kit is a better option.

As for the PCM kit this is a good model of a Hurricane in 1.32nd scale , however I am finding the parts fit leaves a lot to be desired , the wing to fuslarge joint is very poor with a

huge gap ( 3mm ) that needs sorting , also there is no surface detail what so ever so if you do like to see some rivet detail on your Hurricane then the Revell kit wins on that score.

The Revell rivets are unfortunately done as small circles though.

the PCM wing has been noted, a quick but of searching would reveal this problem, and a solution

http://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/cleaver/gb/tmcbobh1.htm

Overall, this model is not difficult if one has some experience of limited-run kits. However, there is a “big secret” to overall assembly which can have a major effect on the way your model turns out.

The kit instructions and a modeler’s experience would have one build the kit as two major sub-assemblies - the fuselage and the wing - and then mate them once otherwise assembled. DO NOT DO THIS! From my experience of now having built three of these kits, if you follow the “common knowledge,” you will end up with a huge gap on the upper wing joints, with the wing upper surface not conforming to the curvature of the fuselage joint, which will require a lot of filling and sanding, with the result that you will lose a whole lot of very nice surface detail in that area that you do not want to replace since you can’t do it as well as it was done originally.
Here’s the trick to doing this kit with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of good looks when finished: You have to approach the model as a collective whole. There are not two major sub-assemblies to this project, but rather one overall process.
The first thing to do is to assemble the fuselage, including the lower rear part. While that is setting up, assemble and paint the cockpit and install the seat belts. I strongly urge that you attach the rear cockpit headrest bulkhead and the instrument panel into the fuselage separately. Once you have the rest of the cockpit assembled, slip it inside and glue it in position. At this point, you need to test fit the canopy if you plan to pose it open, and to sand down the area of the fuselage immediately aft of the cockpit so the canopy can sit down properly.
Once the fuselage is done, you want to attach the upper wing parts. You will immediately notice that the curvature of the upper wing differs from that of the fuselage joint. You’re going to need to engage in a bit of industrial-strength bending and curling to get the upper wing to fit - don’t be afraid to stress the plastic, it is soft enough it won’t crack or break. Once everything fits nice and tight, work the joint from inside, to lessen the amount of glue that is used on the exterior. If you trim and get it just right, you should need only a very little bit of Mr. Surfacer along the upper wing joint to get it smooth, which means you won’t be losing any of that wonderful surface detail.
When you cut the molding block off the main gear well, be sure to Dremel down the roof of the well to where you can see light through the outer areas on each end, and then round down the piece fore and aft on the top. Assemble the interior parts for the gear well and attach it to the lower wing.
You then need to test fit the lower wing to the rest of the model. Trim as necessary to get a nice smooth fit to the fuselage fore and aft. Then take the leading edge gun port for one wing, test fit it to the upper wing, trimming the cutout in the wing as necessary to get good fit, then glue it in position. Test fit the lower wing, and trim that cutout as necessary to get good fit. Do the same on the other wing. Then fit the lower wing and be sure the cutouts for the landing lights are aligned. Glue the landing light parts into the upper wing, then glue the lower wing in position. If you have done this right, you will only need a little Mr. Surfacer along the joints to the fuselage, and a little sanding down of the wingtips so they match up.
All that might sound like a lot of work, but it is really very minor fiddling, and the end result of not having harmed all the wonderful surface detail is well worth all the effort taken.

Back to the 1/24th options

see

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234985067-124-hurricane-airfix-or-trumpeter/

and

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234973965-any-aftermarket-for-airfix-124-hurricane/

I'm going to quote myself here

Posted 06 January 2015 - 01:35 AM

keith in the uk, on 05 Jan 2015 - 8:01 PM, said:snapback.png

Or better still build the Trumpeter kit

The Airfix Hurricane suffers from an overly thick wing , awfull wheels , and a spinner thats totaly wrong in shape , plus engine

panels that just dont fit :hanging:

I've read comments like this before, never seen any proof, and I have not got around to printing out some Bentley plans to 1/24 and getting the calipers out on both kits.

I've also read the nose is wrong, as it made to fit around the to scale Merlin. This I can believe. The engine panels will fit better if you leave out the Merlin I think, and use some internal tabs.to align them.

The tyres on the Airfix at least are not block treaded like the Trumpeter ones [as seen on current warbird Hurricanes] . What's wrong with the wheels?

this seems to be the best 'discussion' on the subject I have found

http://forum.largesc...showtopic=21940

The Trumpeter kit is also covered in reccessed divots.

But, just various comments,no actual kit to kit to known plan comparison. I'll do this when I can be bothered.

I only have the kit as I have broken down Airfix ones from my youth and was tempted by a very cheap Trumpeter kit missing some cockpit bits on the sale page.

spinner types

Hurricanespinners.jpg

this got me pondering on the Airfix rendition of the Spitfire Rotol spinner

02.jpg

http://www.arcair.co...illiams/00.shtm

and here's a photo bob posted, ignore the dent on he underside.

HurriInose.jpg

note also the aluminium painted interior framework in the above shot.

so...is the Airfix spinner totally wrong in shape?

looks like it might be a bit to wide at the base.

Postscript

I did hack up an Airfix spinner, by trisecting it and making a new backplate a much better spinner can be made, but it's a faff.

I've still not got around to doing a proper comparison, but my initial assessment is that the Airfix kit that they made a scale Merlin and scale gunbays.

this makes the wing too thick in, and the nose too deep.

My theoretical fix, which i'll inflict on started Airfix Hurricane I picked super cheap, as well as the remains from my youth..

(2 x 1/24 Airfix Bf109 and Hurricane, started and some bits missing £10!...works out the same as the first one I got in 1976 at £3.30!!!!)

I also have some scrapped remains from many years ago.

Proposed fixes.

Take out 2 mm at wing root, tapering down to tip, This will mean leaving out gunbays or more work, and making the wheel well shallower.

The wing tips need redoing, they are too short, and that makes them a funny shape, and the ailerons too long.

The nose, Take a 2 mm section through lower engine cowling panel, to correspond to wing thinning, and reduce size if nose ring.

There maybe a problem with upper cowl/position of exhaust. The alternate is to build with exposed engine, as it's a very good Merlin, and just work on nose ring/spinner.

The Airfix Hurricane also has a pretty good stab at rivets as well, the above will lose some, but having seen Basilisk's work with HGW rivet decals these could be reinstated.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234986216-148-airfix-new-tool-hurricane-mki-p3039-from-no229-squadron-sky-painted/page-3#entry2129883

I mention this as I know Rob Vulcan is not scared of bit of surgery, and with some careful work I think the Airfix Hurricane can be made into a much better representation.

This is theoretical, and may not work, but given the old Airfix beast can be got a lot cheaper than the Trumpeter kit it's worth investigating.

comments and corrections to proposed potential fixes for the Airfix welcomed...

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I wish I'd read that article on building the PCM kit before my first one! It's almost exactly how I did the second one. Anyone who has built limited run kits will be aware of and able to deal with the sometimes approximate fit. The PCM Hurricane is by no means the worst fitting I've built :)

Cheers

Steve

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Or just go for the Airfix 1/24 . . . readily available and cheaper than the PCM kit. Compatible Spitfire also available.

Nick

Fine if you like an overly thick wing and a horrible spinner :hanging:

Of course. How silly of me to chip in . . . :hanging:

HAHAHA you guys make me smile sometimes. Basically nothing is perfect not even me (certainly not me) Looks like the Revell and PCM are hard to come by and both a swine. I think the 1/24th Route is a much better idea and as for thick wings I can sort or live with and scratch building a spinner is not hard work at all. Neither is a deal breaker.

I may go 48TH Too as we have a few Spits to do to.

As for a 32nd companion I could always do something else to keep the spit company. Maybe my hopes will be answered and Revell release a 1/32 Hurricane to go with their New Spit mk2 by the time I have started work on whatever anyways. In the mean time all the info is interesting to read and much appreciated. :)

Rob

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