Prenton Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 For this group build, I thought that it might be better to thin the stash a little, rather than add to it with more purchases, so I decided not to buy the AZ kit. Instead, I have opted to go for the Mk IID conversion set, produced by 3D Kits a couple of years ago. (I understand that the firm in question is no longer in operation, which is a great pity) This was before Stosh65 went for the AZ kit, which he is building OOB. Should be an interesting comparison..... This is the 3D Kits conversion kit (which I picked up at Telford a few years back):- It not only provides the cannon, but also suitable decals. Then the question was - which mainstream Mk IIC kit to use? I have five or six of the Revell ones, and three of the Academy kits, and two of the recent Airfix kits. All have their plusses and minuses.... Interestingly, the 3D conversion mentions the recent Airfix Mk IIc kit, but then a lot of commentators say that that kit is a bit of a dog, so I have opted to go for a bit of an "old school" modelling challenge, and "adapt" the Academy kit. My "adaptation" will be to attempt follow Tony O'Toole's article in SAM, back in January 2006, by widening the fuselage of the Academy kit with styrene and filler, and then to use a vac-form canopy. As it happens, the accessories section of my stash had the old Aeroclub vac-form canopy, so that is what I am going to use. Here is this canopy:- It will be my first attempt at a vac-form canopy, so wish me luck!! Philip 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Is it easier to start with a IIb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Is it easier to start with a IIb? Hi wombat Yeah, you are probably right,...but all I have in the stash are Mk IIC's (and the stash is getting close on 400 kits...).......From what I can see, the conversion kit is designed for Mk IIC's - really it seems to involve the removal of the kit supplied cannon, fitting the new bigger cannon (as per the 3D kits conversion) and including machine gun holes (and of course filling panels, rescribing new ones, etc on the wing...) I did say that this was going to be an "old school" modelling challenge....(I may regret it later, but what the hell...!) Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Excellent, looking forward to this one. There's a dearth of IIb kits, unfortunately. Revell did one but you can't buy one for love nor money these days. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Is it easier to start with a IIb? No. There are another 2 IId builds on here, both of which I have posted info on. Also, Hurricane IId's had different wing access panels, both models show IIC wing type layout.as this is a thread on the IID ... here's a scale plan of IID access panels and 40mm gun. Should be 1/24, from the old book on detailing the 1/24th Airfix Hurricane. if not, I scanned a ruler at the top which should allow you to scale it. HTH T a IIc is what you want. I don't 'do' 1/72nd, but I do witter on about hurricanes, and as such recently in the name of research I got the Academy IIc and Airfix IIc, as well as the Heller IIc. On an casual eyeball on the sprues the Airfix is the worst of the bunch. The Academy is better. No idea about the width problem. the old Heller apart from having to broad a wing chord and too narrow front cowl and raised panel lines looks decent, but I have not sat down and dug out plans and the other kits for a full comparison. The Revell kit suffers in particular in the bizarre triangular fabric lines behind the cockpit.... Given i don't 'do' 1/72 I might just have hack up the kits and see what can be done..... HTH T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh65 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 This will be an interesting comparison. Ironically enough, I was going to attempt a conversion myself until we got to mid January and I realised I had nothing in the stash to convert! Hence the purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks Troy - very helpful Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 400!?!?! Makes me feel better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 400!?!?! Makes me feel better... Well - actually 389 at last count (not including about 20 partly completed/started) Not sure SWMBO knows the number... P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Then the question was - which mainstream Mk IIC kit to use? I have five or six of the Revell ones, and three of the Academy kits, and two of the recent Airfix kits. All have their plusses and minuses.... Interestingly, the 3D conversion mentions the recent Airfix Mk IIc kit, but then a lot of commentators say that that kit is a bit of a dog, so I have opted to go for a bit of an "old school" modelling challenge, and "adapt" the Academy kit. My "adaptation" will be to attempt follow Tony O'Toole's article in SAM, back in January 2006, by widening the fuselage of the Academy kit with styrene and filler, and then to use a vac-form canopy. As it happens, the accessories section of my stash had the old Aeroclub vac-form canopy, so that is what I am going to use. Here is this canopy:- It will be my first attempt at a vac-form canopy, so wish me luck!! Philip Having been comparing the Heller IIc, Academy IIc and Airfix IIc kits last night, the Academy has a very narrow engine section, the rest of the fuselage looks OK, some funny fabric business though. The nose problem is similar to the Heller, and many other 1/72nd kit in fact. The Airfix kit is a dog, fin/rudder too short, hump too far back, horrible incorrect panel lines on fuselage, too pointy wings, tailplanes wrong, prop blades too skinny etc, The Heller kit has a very good fuselage fabric, again a to slim engine top, (easy to fix) and wings too broad in chord, but, easy enough to fix, I did one as I was a roll. The Heller kit has gone up massively in my estimation Given that the fabric is the tough bit to scratch, fixing it is pretty easy, and given the raised panel lines, easy enough to use for other Mk II's I'll have a more through look at the Academy later. HTH T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Thanks Troy, Any updates / further suggestions you can make to add to Tony O'Toole's SAM article would be most welcome. Currently, I am envisaging adding an insert of 40 thou evergreen strip within the join of the two fuselages forward (both on the bottom and the top) of the cockpit.....This should widen it so it is approximately the same width in these areas as the Revell kit. What is the "funny fabric business"? Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Thanks Troy, Any updates / further suggestions you can make to add to Tony O'Toole's SAM article would be most welcome. Currently, I am envisaging adding an insert of 40 thou evergreen strip within the join of the two fuselages forward (both on the bottom and the top) of the cockpit.....This should widen it so it is approximately the same width in these areas as the Revell kit. What is the "funny fabric business"? Philip That assumes Revell are correct..... I'm off out in a mo, but the Bentley plans have sections, and I can check. To me it just looked like the engine part of the cowling, but that's by eye, rather than a measurement. Funny fabric, well, dig out model and compare to this note how the stringers halve in number just in front of sky band, theAcademy fabric is funny on the hump as well. more pics http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/76586-hawker-sea-hurricane/ Not got time to do pics, but the above and pics in link should help. All Hurricane fabric fuselage is the same apart from (early L**** and N**** serialed planes lack the access panel in the 'L' above) for all marks. more later T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Hiya Phil, Good luck with this one. When I`ve done mine I only add plastic strip between the top surfaces, not the undersides. Looking forward to seeing how you get on,....if you need any help give me a shout but it is pretty straightforward, All the best Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Hiya Phil, Good luck with this one. When I`ve done mine I only add plastic strip between the top surfaces, not the undersides. Looking forward to seeing how you get on,....if you need any help give me a shout but it is pretty straightforward, All the best Tony That's good news! That will save me having to widen the tropical filter on the bottom of the front fuselage..... Will be finishing the interior of the cockpit over the weekend, and then will get moving on the surgery. Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Good luck with this: all IId conversions are of interest. The Heller kit is my favourite 1/72 Hurricane II, and the one I have pencilled in for my own 3D Kits conversion. With the Academy kit don't forget to replace the tailplanes with something Hurricane-shaped (the kit ones look like they are off a P-40). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 Now - a question for those of who are are Hurricane experts..... The instructions in the Academy Mk IIC 1/72nd kit that I am using would tell you to paint everything in the cockpit in RAF interior green...(the instructions for the Revell Mk IIC kit says the same). I know that the armour plate behind the seat is in interior green, and that the framework etc along the sides is in silver/aluminium, and the IP is black etc....so clearly the instructions are wrong, and I am rectifying those issues... However, my question is - what colour is the seat??? I have gone through a heap of builds here on the forum - some folks have the seat in interior green, others in silver/alumium and some have it in the bakelite red/brown colour that was used in Spitfires. What is correct for a Mk IId? Thanks, Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 (edited) The seat is metal on all Hurricanes, so the reddish brown is wrong. There is strong evidence of seats on at least some early aircraft being done in aluminium paint, as per the unrestored Finnish example, but that's a Mark I. For an aircraft which came off the production line as a II, then interior grey-green. Edited February 14, 2016 by Work In Progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Ok then - cockpit is now painted..(and the wheel wells are done).... I will bring it all together during the week, with the "shim" of plasticard/evergreen, and see what happens..... Meanwhile, i will make up, and paint, the cockpit. Philip 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prenton Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 Back after a little diversion into the 1/48th Airfix kit...... I have finished the interior and placed it onto the wings, which have been assembled. I have also mated the fuselage - first only the back, and then, after a couple of days drying, I have put in the shim of plasticard at the front. I decided to put the shim on both top and bottom, as the bottom would not meet otherwise. Dunno if this is right or wrong, but it was the only way I could get it to close without the risk of warping. (Luckily I have a Revell (or three) in the stash, so can get a suitable filter from there....) I will leave it over the coming weekend to dry, and then get on with cutting, filling and sanding (and at the same time I will rescribe the wings as per the very helpful advice from Troy). Thanks for looking, Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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