Early Hunters

[Gary C]

Hi guys,

I've just got hold of the 1/72 Xtradecal Sam sheets this morning for some rather pretty F.1/2/4/5 Hunters in RAFG and they suggest using the Sam conversion and correction set for the Airfix FGA.9. On the Sam site they list it as containing new wings and a fuselage plug insert . Bearing that in mind is the Airfix Hunter too short or were the earlier Hunters longer, and if I'm going to use the Revell kit do I need to make any other mods other than losing the dogtooth. I'm aware the earlier varients had different engines and the jetpipes were slightly different, is the difference enough to warrent modification in 1/72nd?

TIA,

Gary

[Dave Fleming]

Hi guys,

I've just got hold of the 1/72 Xtradecal Sam sheets this morning for some rather pretty F.1/2/4/5 Hunters in RAFG and they suggest using the Sam conversion and correction set for the Airfix FGA.9. On the Sam site they list it as containing new wings and a fuselage plug insert . Bearing that in mind is the Airfix Hunter too short or were the earlier Hunters longer, and if I'm going to use the Revell kit do I need to make any other mods other than losing the dogtooth. I'm aware the earlier varients had different engines and the jetpipes were slightly different, is the difference enough to warrent modification in 1/72nd?

TIA,

Gary

IIRC The Airfix fuselage was correct in length, but the wings were in the wrong place so the plug was designed to sort that.

The Revell kit is fine in length for an earlier verison. If you have a look around you will see a long debate on exactly what differences the tail pipes on the early Hunters were (still not resolved completely!) but the most obvious difference is that the lower fuselage sweeps up more on the mks 1- 5 than on the F6.

I recall Drewe built one and just filled/sanded the lower fuselage to a better profile. there are some differences in small vents, but if iit were me I'd ignore them!

[David Womby]

Hi guys,

I've just got hold of the 1/72 Xtradecal Sam sheets this morning for some rather pretty F.1/2/4/5 Hunters in RAFG and they suggest using the Sam conversion and correction set for the Airfix FGA.9. On the Sam site they list it as containing new wings and a fuselage plug insert . Bearing that in mind is the Airfix Hunter too short or were the earlier Hunters longer, and if I'm going to use the Revell kit do I need to make any other mods other than losing the dogtooth. I'm aware the earlier varients had different engines and the jetpipes were slightly different, is the difference enough to warrent modification in 1/72nd?

TIA,

Gary

Gary, as far as I can tell the Airfix kit has a couple of failings - the length is right but the wings are too far back. The plug in the SAM resin set lengthens the rear fuselage and makes the overall plane look better but there should really be a corresponding shortening of the fuselage ahead of the wings - tough to do. The intakes are also too deep where they join the fuselage.

That said - it makes up to look like a pretty good Hunter to my aging eyes.

You are right about the tailpipe - basically the F5 and earlier had a more noticeable upsweep to the lower rear fusleage - depending on how precise you are, sanding the area to shape will probably be enough although I have toyed with the idea of trying the rear rusleage from an old Frog/Novo F1 kit on an Airfix or Revell Hunter.

David W.

[AnonymousA667]

Hi guys,

I've just got hold of the 1/72 Xtradecal Sam sheets this morning for some rather pretty F.1/2/4/5 Hunters in RAFG and they suggest using the Sam conversion and correction set for the Airfix FGA.9. On the Sam site they list it as containing new wings and a fuselage plug insert . Bearing that in mind is the Airfix Hunter too short or were the earlier Hunters longer, and if I'm going to use the Revell kit do I need to make any other mods other than losing the dogtooth. I'm aware the earlier varients had different engines and the jetpipes were slightly different, is the difference enough to warrent modification in 1/72nd?

TIA,

Gary

You're better off using the Revell kit. I started using the SAM bits on an Aifix Hunter, but got bogged down filling and sanding. This is it so far:

I still have to fabricate the wheel wells and tart up the intakes - they are still solid, but I thought black paint would make them look hollow, with some card vanes at the front. The resin tail pipe has a shallow recess and needs to be drilled out and a suitable tube inserted to make it look better. Cockpit is borrowed from a Revell kit which will be surplus as I have a CMK set to use with a Revell kit.

peebeep

[AnonymousAA72]

Hi Gary, I used the Model Alliance GA11 conversion set on my (still being built!!) F4. Basically it coms with the 100 series Avon/Sapphire "small bore" tail cone, and a fuselage plug, this is for the Revell F6.

The plug, in this instance, is designed to put the NACA ducts & vents in the correct place for a small bore Hunter. In reality this isn't that noticeable in 1/72nd. The tail cone is superbly moulded.

Heres a pic of the completed fuselage...

And the wings being amended.....

[Gary C]

Thanks guys, pretty much what I suspected after looking at photo's. Nice work on the conversions , I think for my purposes the fact that I'm lazy, tight and planning on doing multiples off the Xtradecal and RAF decals sheets I'm gonna settle for a sanding stick around the pipe and reworking the dogtooth. From some of the measurements I read the diameter difference in the pipe equates to 1.3mm in 1/72, I can live with that!

Gary

[upnorth]

I'm not sure how close the original prototype of the Hunter might have been to the early ones, but if it helps get you closer, Pavla made a 1/72 set to backdate the Revell kit to the first prototype:

http://www.pavlamodels.cz/katalogy/detail....;styl=styly.css