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Australian Typhoon


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During the Second World War, the Royal Australian Air Force used many Hawker Typhoons in Europe. These were all painted in the standard RAF Day Fighter Scheme and are quite familiar. With the exception of the prototypes and development aircraft I can only think of three non-standard Typhoon schemes - a development aircraft which was painted in the desert scheme, an aircraft painted in the green/grey night fighter scheme and a postwar aircraft that was in natural metal. I've always thought it was a shame that Typhoons didn't appear in a wider range os schemes.

During the latter part of the war, the RAAF was heavily involved in mopping up resistance in Borneo. Spitfire VIIIs were employed in the ground attack role. Attrition was quite high as the aircraft were not really suited to the role.

What if the RAAF had managed to get an aircraft which was suited to the role?

This is the Hobby Boss 1/72 Typhoon, painted in RAAF colours...

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The kit comes nicely packaged and, as the box suggests, is intended to be a easy build... in fact, it's pretty much snap together.

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The sprues

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Notice that there are two sprues for the prop, one with a four bladed prop the other with three.

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The first step is to build the interior, which takes about thirty seconds! :D I added a harness from Eduard.

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The kit has optional three- and four-bladed props but only has the small tailplanes. I took some of the larger Te,pest-style tailplanes from an Airfix kit - the intention being to put the HB tailplanes and three-bladed prop on the Airfix kit at some future point.

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Another twenty minutes work and I had this...

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There are some outline issues. The canopy looks nothing like a Typhoon canopy - too tall and angular. The radiator fairing is also too angular. However, that might have something to do with modifications made for the hot climate in Borneo. ;)

Edited by Enzo Matrix
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Stages of painting.

Primed with Alclad2 black primer.

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Sprayed with Lifecolor UA513 RAAF Earth Brown

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My usual masking method of Bluetak worms filled in with Copydrx. Sprayed with Lifecolor UA514 RAAF Foliage Green.

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Masking removed

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Undersurfaces sprayed with Lifecolor UA061 RLM65 Bright Blue. I think that UA515 Sky Blue is a little too pale.

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And finally white areas sprayed with Alclad2 white primer.

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'Struth, it's a Boomerphoon. Or a Typhoorang. Or summat...

Looks ridgey didge, cobber!

And for those who want to debate it, the Aussies did some ingenious 'bush engineering', raising the pilot's seat to give a better view of the proceedings (hence the modified canopy), as well as to allow some much-needed armour plate to be installed under the pilot's sensitive bits - no point in being a devil-may-care flying fool if you can't take advantage of the popsies, eh mate? ;) Of course, a larger, theatre-modified radiator would be de rigueur, as well.

Love it!

Edit - it needs rockets, lots and lotsandlots of luvverly rocketses. :D

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