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Nimrod and Persian Fury - scratch conversions


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Hi

A small break in series of "old and odd Germans" which I am doing this year. Back to Hawker biplans. Actually, I started them in 2015, as a kind of glossa to build of five members of Hawker Hart family and a repair of mine 40 years old Spanish Fury.

They are: Hawker Nimrod and Hawker Persian Fury II (Bristol Mercury engine).

Let me start form the backgroud. I had one A-model Fury in stash and Ii was difficult which one of them should I do. So I bought the second one!

The true is that I was thinking on doing both of them since time when I saw for the first time Persian radial fury in Profile Publication when I was a young teenager visiting together with my brother library of Krakow's Museum of Aviation about 1974. The Danish Nimrod "seduced" me shortly afterwards - we got from our Grandfather (who was living in London) a British book "Encyclopedia of Air Warfare - exactly that one: ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-Air-Warfare-Christopher-Chant/dp/B000I9NK1O) . Inside there is a colour profile (among hundreds of others) of Danish Nimrod. Those days the conversion from Matchbox was the only option but the problem was, that I was not able to do new wings... So I was waiting about next 40 years to do it now finally :).

As I told now as a base I took Hawker fury by A-model.

The Bristol engine and cowling I took from old Letov S-328 (old KP kit) but I have to modify it a bit. Since I bought the new Special Hobby Letov (excellent kit indeed!), the old one from stash went to box with spare parts. The propeller is from AZ Hart (a spare one) as the exhaust pipes (but shortered). The oil cooler is a resin copy of A-model Hart one. The nose was a bit tempered and small other modifications were applied followings photos from Net and from a Spanish monography of Fury. Decals - the crown and the Lion and Perisn numberings are hand work with brush on decals. The national insignia are from set for F84F by Hi-Decal. What is really peculiar - the national insignia for Nimrod are also taken from the same set! - That is really funny that such decals containing Persian and Danish roundels together exists :)

The Persian Fury is in presumable look from defense against British and Soviet invasion of Persia in 1941. Here it is:

 

furyp DSC02146furyp DSC02147furyp DSC02149furyp DSC02150furyp DSC02152

 

 

And mine "Iranian Set" - Fury and radial Audax (posted on RFI in last year already):

 

furyp DSC02154

 

 

More difficult was Nimrod. About construction I will tell below, let me show first a photo of both conversions nose to nose:

nimrod DSC02155

 

And more photos of Nimrod:

 

nimrod DSC02156nimrod DSC02157

 

nimrod DSC02158nimrod DSC02159nimrod DSC02161

 

nimrod DSC02163nimrod DSC02164nimrod DSC02165

 

The painting scheme (on ski!) are from winter 1939/40 - not exactly from German invasion on 9th April 1940. But on that day nothis special happend to Nimrods - they were not flying at all...

 

In all work I was following arictle in Small Airforces Observer (SAFO) from 1990. I discussed the problem of small/large tail (I decided to left small one) on a thread in Interwar section recently - many thaks to John Aero and Mike (KRK4m) for explanations and comments which they made there. Here is a page from SAFO and model:

 

nimrod DSC02167nimrod DSC02050

Going back to wings. A year ago I did DH 84 and DH 90 by scratch work - so I realized that I've got a know how of doing fabric covered wings. OK - more or less :). So I start to do them. Below are some photos from progress. The lower wings I made from outer parts of upper wings of Fury (enlarged by about a single rib distance cut from lower wing). I sanded it to remove all ribs structere ans then started to draw new positions of ribs. The upper wing is in central part left from Fury and in outer parts it is made out of RWD-6 Polish model (of course following the drawings). Below are raw wings from top and bottom:

 

nimrod DSC02044nimrod DSC02045nimrod DSC02047nimrod DSC02048

 

nimrod DSC02049

So - I added ribs, covered gently everything with Tamiya filler, first sanding, then correct & sanding, correct & sanding etc... :)

After  first attempt - the slope a bit too big (this is a difference between the SAFO drawing and the second drawings which I had). So I have to break it and change a bit slope...

 

 

 

 

And a fuselage

nimrod DSC02046

 


 

That is all - comments welcome

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

Edited by JWM
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Wow,........these are fantastic J-W,...... well up to your usual standard and very interesting,... great research too,

Cheers

Tony

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Many thanks Tony and Trev for your comments. I appreciete that you found it nicely done :) I was not sure about the result with wings of Nimrod - and still I am not sure how it will be after two years, for example...

I forgot to add that I know that there is a CMR resin kit of Nimrod, I was even seriously considering buying it, but the possibility of challanging conversion was more attractive in some way...

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

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Thanks Jason and Wooksta for comments :)

I think Amodel may have done a Nimrod or am I confusing with with an Osprey?

I think or even I am sure that there is not Nimrod in plastic in 1/72, only resin kit by CMR http://www.aviationmegastore.com/hawker-nimrod-mk1-117-czechmaster-cmr72-117-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=60986 .

The Osprey is for sure in A-model http://www.aviationmegastore.com/hawker-osprey-72193-a-model-amdl72193-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=94141

.

Cheers

J-W

Edited by JWM
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Hi Jerzy!!!

In truth you are a "Magic Hands Modeler" My Friend!!!

I have followed carefully all your explanation and really have been amazed with all the job you have really done to obtain those exceptional examples of craftmanship!!! Also, the great knowledge you have got from aviation translated here in pictures with a part of history trapped in scale is amazing.

Thank you very much for sharing!!!

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso

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Thank you Gents! :) I appreciete very much your comments. This build brought me a lot of satisfaction, I can say it

Cheers

J-W

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