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R4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1, 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015


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Although I have been doing some railway modelling, I have been going through a dry spell in terms of enthusiasm, productivity and just generally not getting anything done.

 

Today, a broken boiler forced me to have an unexpected afternoon off. While I waited for the gas man, I made a start on what I hope will be a reasonably simple build to get me back into the swing of things.

 

35177504705_4746189482_c.jpgR4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1,  605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015 by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

I know the Airfix 1/48 Hurri isn’t perfect, but as an OOTB build it suits me. And as the kit markings include UP-W, which @procopius, @cedb and I saw at Duxford on our grand boys day out (was that really almost two years ago?) the choice of subject was straightforward.

 

34332919334_c8c7b17664_c.jpgR4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1,  605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015 by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

I deviated from the instructions by building up the undercarriage box and main spar onto the lower wing before adding the cockpit tubular structure. I read of doing this in a magazine (Airfix?) and it certainly seems a more logical route, giving a square and sturdy foundation.

 

34791026000_209272e1ee_c.jpgR4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1,  605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015 by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

34791025790_0d5630886f_c.jpgR4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1,  605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015 by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

35137668146_e2bd8ff121_c.jpgR4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1,  605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015 by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

35177504585_23646706e3_c.jpgR4118, UP-W, Hurricane Mk1,  605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, RAF Croydon September 1940 / IWM Duxford September 2015 by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

It’s currently drying after a waft or two of Halfords aluminium.

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Good start.  I hope your gas man was a bit more prompt than our washing-machine man this morning.

 

In case you haven't found out already you will probably need to remove the tab at the bottom of the firewall as it can interfere with the front spar and prevent fuselage and wings from mating properly.

 

On my next one I'll follow your example and build the cockpit up in situ on the lower wing rather than by "the book".  Were your spars warped by any chance?

 

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A little yes. Not so much warped as bendy, there was no need to apply pressure to straighten them, the locating slots held them true.

 

i've ordered a replacement panel, but had a quick go with the kit one to see how it looked:

 

34340259784_19509ebb04_z.jpg by -jongwinnett-

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Nice start.

 

I have one stalled as a Finnish I. Nice to put together albeit with some tight tolerances. 

 

Are you building 'as is' or 'as was'? I only ask because most if not all Hurricanes today have the MK.II tailwheel which for want of a better phrase is jointed rather than forked as per the MK.I.

 

MK.I.....

 

http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/mark_hayward/hurricane_mk1_l1592/images/hurricane_mk1_l1592_25_of_26.jpg

 

and MK. II....

 

https://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/hurricane/images/fhc_hurricane_13.jpg

 

Trevor

 

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25 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Nice start.

 

I have one stalled as a Finnish I. Nice to put together albeit with some tight tolerances. 

 

Are you building 'as is' or 'as was'? I only ask because most if not all Hurricanes today have the MK.II tailwheel which for want of a better phrase is jointed rather than forked as per the MK.I.

 

MK.I.....

 

http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/mark_hayward/hurricane_mk1_l1592/images/hurricane_mk1_l1592_25_of_26.jpg

 

and MK. II....

 

https://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/hurricane/images/fhc_hurricane_13.jpg

 

Trevor

 

 

early Mk.II's had the straight tail wheel,  Mk.I's were retrofitted with jointed type, P2617  in Hendon has this type  from Training Command era.

 

21 minutes ago, 06/24 said:

I shall take the lazy option and use whatever comes with the kit. This is, after all, a mojo restorer, or should be!

 

You can't build R4118 'as is' from the box, wrong tailwheel, wrong prop.

 

You can build 'as was' straight tail wheel and the blunt Rotol prop. One caution, either set of prop bladesfit either  spinner,  I have seen two build on here with DH  Blades on the Rotol spinner :rolleyes: 

 

Confused? You won't be after this weeks episode of 'Soap' *

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234980181-hawker-hurricane-propellers-and-spinners-a-modellers-guide/

 

HTH

 

*only funny if you remember 'Soap' I'm afraid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_(TV_series)

Edited by Troy Smith
add details and links
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He's back! Looking forward to this one Jon (even if it is a bit big). It won't be long before my eyesight takes me up a scale, I fear.

Nice start - I like that cockpit framing and the i/p looks quite good eh?

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Hi Ced! 

 

The IP is good enough that I wonder why I bothered ordering a replacement. Little enough of it will be visible anyway.

 

I can take no credit for the framing, the kit is really rather good!

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20 hours ago, 06/24 said:

Thanks for the info and the warning. "As was" will do nicely. Is there photographic evidence of it in 1940 condition?

 

Not that I know of, there  is a photo of R4118 in early 41 in 111 Sq,  it  was on a website about R4118

R4118-is-the-tail-end-Charlie-in-this-ph

R4118-is-the-tail-end-Charlie-in-this-photograph-taken-in-March-1941

 

the blunt Spitfire Rotol prop is  just visible

Quote

Hawker Hurricane Mk1 R4118 was delivered new to 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron at Drem on 17 August 1940. During the Battle of Britain it flew 49 sorties from Croydon and shot down five enemy aircraft.
After being battle damaged on 22 October 1940, the aircraft was rebuilt and taken on charge by 111 Squadron at Dyce on 18 January 1941. There it was flown on patrol over the North Sea and was again in combat. Over the following two years it was used primarily as a training aircraft with 59 and 56 OTUs, and was rebuilt a further three times following major accidents, including hitting a lorry on the runway and being stuffed into a snowbank!
In December 1943, R4118 was crated at Cardiff and shipped to India as a training aircraft. However it was never needed and remained in its packing case in Bombay until 1947 when it was struck off charge and donated to a university for engineering instruction. 

 

For use in India the prop was replaced by the De Havilland type, this was found badly corroded in India when found.

If you have Netflix, Plane Ressurection has an episode of R4118.

 

This is very small  pic  of R4105

2da16402919a9ba142d441ead56b3c8e.jpg

see 

which is the nearest serial I know a photo of.  

 

I know the 111 Sq pi has the full tail stripes, but given the deleivery date, I think R4118 would most likely had the standard fin flash factory applied, as also seen below

 

this is the only image floating about of a 605 Sq Hurricane during the BoB

605-squadron-hurricane-1-w760.jpg

Note the 'font'  of  the code letters is different

 

But without a photo of R4118 as UP-W,  who  knows.

 

As it's a mojo restorer,  I'd  suggest just using the kit markings, but the Spitfire Rotol, doing it  "As Was"  (not as is as I wrote before)  but you could probably cut down the fin  flash if you  wanted,  it's 24 wide by 27 inch high, 8 inch stripes, which is 1/6th of an inch in 1/48.

 

The minutiae of markings from this era is a headache, compounded by the lack of photos (illegal on active bases) 

if you fancy some background on this,  I recommend this, still my 'go  to' reference

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

 

Hope this is of help/interest,  doing a good job so far.

 

cheers

T

 

Edited by Troy Smith
correction
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