85 Sqn Hurricane nightfighter

[Devilfish]

Another of the wonderful new tool Airfix 1/48 Hurricanes.  This time, 85 Sqn's last hoorah in the aircraft, before moving on.  Also their first nightfighter.

Built straight from the box, other than an Eduard harness

 

 

 

[Selwyn]

Love the Hurricane in black really like the wear patches.

 

 

Selwyn

(Lose the Pre-war  truck by the way, doesn't sit well in the time frame!)

[Devilfish]

1 hour ago, Selwyn said:

Love the Hurricane in black really like the wear patches.

 

 

Selwyn

(Lose the Pre-war  truck by the way, doesn't sit well in the time frame!)

Thank you.

 

As far as the truck goes, it was just there for show.  And, seeing as Bedford MWD's were used throughout the war, it does sit well.  In fact, fitted with solid half doors and a "proper" windshield, it's actually too modern to sit with the Hurricane.

[Troy Smith]

as a model and/or art. it's great,  the chipping is very well done.

 

But, as a representative model. it's not.

first, Rotol prop blades are a compressed wood composite,  so no bare metal

second, wI have seen a couple of  Hurricanes with chipped up paint like this, the nightfighters were painted black over the original paint.

 

Quote

 85 Sq hurricane, it will be late 1940/early 1941, when they were being tried out as nightfighters, and pending R.D.M.2 , which is also referred to as 'special night'

there are a few pics about of 85 Sq hurricanes in overall black, like this

Note the scuffy finish, and the 6 exhaust pipes, pics of LK-A of 87 Sq, also shows these non standard exhaust stubs, possibly to try to lessen exhaust glare? No Exhaust shields are fitted.

 

The Ducimus Hurricane camoflage monographs says that R.D.M.2 use on Hurricanes was promulgated from 22nd November.

http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/Profiles/Camoflage-Markings/03-Hawker-Hurricane

see last 3 pages

 

R.D.M.2 was famed for weathering badly and peeling off.

from here http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?73820-29-Sqn-Beaufighters-a-plea-from-the-USA&p=1158902#post1158902

Quote

Night was the introduced as the night flying camouflage colour from 1937, made from Carbon Black and Ultramarine pigments. This gave it a dark grey (gunmetal) appearance rather than true black. From Sept 1939 it was superseded by Special Night which consisted only of Carbon Black pigment of a larger size than that usually used in camouflage colours. This gave it a much more matt appearance sometimes described as ‘sooty black.’ Often referred to as RDM 2 or RDM 2a Special Night. The difference between RDM 2 and RDM 2a was chemical and it did not affect its appearance. It had two problems in service. First it tended to come off easily, often because of faulty application, and also the extra drag affected the performance of aircraft. Because of a shortage of Special Night it was sometimes applied over an ‘undercoat’ of Night. Such aircraft have a characteristic patchy appearance with shiny areas of Night where the RDM 2 had worn away.

and after some more searches.... from the IWM site

Quote

Squadron Leader James Wheeler, a Flight Commander of No. 85 Squadron RAF, gets into the cockpit of a Hawker Hurricane Mark I night fighter, 'VY-X', at Debden, Essex, for a sortie while taking advantage of the clear moonlit nights during the period of the full moon from 10-16 March 1941.

the other side of VY-X 

again, 6 stub exhaust, and what looks like a replacement canopy frame in original Dark Green paint.

The 'panel' under the tail I think is just an artefact of the photograph, at first I thought 'replacement panel' but it's too big.

By this point the underwing roundels should have been overpainted, 'B' type on fuselage and medium Sea Grey codes.

hard to tell, but the spinner might have been replaced by the later pointy spinner Hurricane Rotol prop more usually associated with the MkII.

blimey..is tha the time, i really must go to be

patchy finish.yes.  extensive paint chipping, no.

 

not VY-X, but same era

 

the pale grey exhaust streaks come from running a lean mixture,  but cordite streaks are sooty black

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234913393-gunsmoke-stains-on-spitfire-leading-edges/&

 

I hope of interest/use,  and despite my anoraky comments, the modelling skills  of the build, finishing and weathering are very well done. 

[Devilfish]

I was aware of the 6 exhaust fitment, and meant to check it before I added them. I guess I just forgot (in my defence it was 3 in the morning)

 

 

[Selwyn]

2 hours ago, Devilfish said:

Thank you.

 

As far as the truck goes, it was just there for show.  And, seeing as Bedford MWD's were used throughout the war, it does sit well.  In fact, fitted with solid half doors and a "proper" windshield, it's actually too modern to sit with the Hurricane.

Yes thats the problem, You have a 1940's truck with 1939 colour scheme. RAF vehicles were not blue/grey  in WW2.

 

Selwyn

[rayprit]

I like what you have done with this kit, although not a modeller of this period, I love the information and history this kit is bringing out, we all mean to change things during the course of the build, but due to distraction we forget to add the intended change, I have done it many, many times, we only remember when someone brings it to our attention.

Love the info Selwyn provided, I would never have known that about the time frame and the history lesson from Troy was very informative, I am glad you built the kits, its made for good reading and widened my knowledge just that little bit more........keep building, your good - hope you dont mind critism?

[Devilfish]

3 hours ago, Selwyn said:

Yes thats the problem, You have a 1940's truck with 1939 colour scheme. RAF vehicles were not blue/grey  in WW2.

 

Selwyn

Thankyou for that info. I'm not a vehicle person so I just based it on photos, all of which were blue/grey.

[WildeSau75]

Nice Hurrie - it's not easy to get a black paint scheme right but you mastered it.

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Selwyn]

1 hour ago, Devilfish said:

Thankyou for that info. I'm not a vehicle person so I just based it on photos, all of which were blue/grey.

 For your interest, have a look at this thread;http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234993147-wwii-raf-ground-vehicles-various/

 

Selwyn

[Devilfish]

9 hours ago, Selwyn said:

 For your interest, have a look at this thread;http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234993147-wwii-raf-ground-vehicles-various/

 

Selwyn

Thanks for that. Well, just goes to prove, never trust the internet, lol

[chris148]

very nice,looks great weathering,looks like she's had a hard life

[Bell209]

I like it, regardless of its accuracy.