Tail-Dragon

For what it's worth, this info was copied from a write up on V7101 over on 'WW2 aircraft.net' V7101 WW2 aircraft.net "George Burges was a founder member of the Gladiator Fighter Flight at Hal Far, and claimed seven victories, becoming an ace while flying a Hurricane on 18 January 1941. Later that month he reverted to his primary role of reconnaissance with 69 Squadron flying Marylands. 69 Squadron received this Hurricane for flying against more dangerous targets, the fighter being lightened and fitted with two cameras. It was also repainted PR Blue, and George Burges flew it regularly until leaving Malta on 6 June 1941. (google.com.au) There is some contention as the exact colour of this aircraft, one sources sighting the PR Blue and another in Bosun Blue. The vertical fin in both cases retaining the original camouflage which is also contentious with it being either Dark Green/Dark Earth or Dark Earth/Middle Stone. As for the camera fitting and the lightning of the aircraft, again this is open to conjecture. Some sources say the cameras were two or maybe three in number and that the guns were removed with modified fuel tanks replacing them. Here are a couple of extracts which I have pulled off the internet which help to clarify some details. To meet the urgent need for a suitable high level reconnaissance platform on Malta, Hurricane V7101 was stripped of all non essential items to save weight and improve performance. At some time the empty gun bays were used to house additional fuel tanks probably salvaged from other aircraft on the island so the aircraft could reach Sicily. In the hands of Flight Lieutenant George Burgess it provided valuable intelligence about enemy activity. Burgess stated that the aircraft displayed some undesirable flying characteristics at very high altitude, probably as a result of the rearward shift of the centre of gravity when two F.24 cameras were installed behind the pilot’s seat. (aviationclassics.co.uk) and There was one Hurricane that was painted blue for a certainty - this was a Hurricane Mk I V7101 which had been converted to a photo-reconnaissance machine by 69 Sqn. According to 'Malta the Hurricane Years' by Chris Shores, Brian Cull and Nicola Malizia (Grub Street 1987) V7101 was modified by removing the guns, adding extra fuel and oil tanks, two cameras in the fuselage behind the cockpit, with a perspex viewing panel in the floor of the cockpit, and replacing the windscreen with a one-piece unit made out of half a Blenheim astro-dome! The Hurricane, apart from the tail unit, which remained in the Dark Earth/Light Earth/Sky camouflage, was in a locally mixed overall PR Blue. The only other markings were the serial No and standard roundels and fin flashes. (kitmaker.net)" If correct, it sounds like V7101 was distinctly non-standard!

For the fuselage windows, a method that has always worked for me is to install them as early as possible in the build. I put them in place and a little proud of the outside surface, then, with a toothpick, I run a bead of gap filling super glue around the outside edge. When solid, I sand them flush and polish them. Then it's just masking for paint. If your are interested, here's a link to my Classic Airframes build so far (cockpit completed) (windows installed as above) Classic Airframes Hudson

I'm still working on my Spit builds. It's made easier to stay in my modelling room by the arrival of winter! ... added some details to the sidewalls ... ... and some paint on the cockpits, seats, and panels ... ... and Mike Grants instrument decals ... Colin

Here is a discussion on Hyperscale concerning the ICM DO-17. I posted lots of reference drawings and photo's there, including fixes for the tail. Hyperscale discussion ICM clearly misinterpreted photo's of the engine pushrods as cowl braces, and produced a wildly inaccurate part 38 above. a corrected tail on the Classic Airframes kit (same problem) The same tail issues were carried over to the DO-215 (I have that kit as well) The level of accuracy you want in a kit is a personal choice, but if the question is 'is it accurate?', it is not.

Three issues on the ICM DO-17z, The engine cowl braces are completely wrong, the tail plane incidence control is missing and the 'beaver' tail is way too wide, and the cockpit is missing lots of structure and detail. ... see here .. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235059108-best-148-do-17-and-148-he-111-bob-era/&tab=comments#comment-3414980

Just to add to the conversation, here's the two sprues in question. I'd also like to know if the Mk IIb wing is applicable to an early(?) Mk Vb. Mk IIb Mk Vb

I have an untouched Ark Hurricane that I'm keeping to use as a 'live organ donor' for a Classic Airframes rag wing Hurricane. It's not so much a kit, as a collection of plagiarized parts in one convenient box! ... much milliput, sheet plastic, and some Ark parts molded into something resembling a Hurricane ...

It surely is! I'm in Canada, and when I went looking for a Mk IIb (kit JT66, I think), I ended up having to buy from "buyee", a local Japanese online auction house! Shipping was murderous! There's one on 'EvilBay' right now, not cheap, but available! Hasegawa Hurricane Mk IIb

Oh, I totally agree. I've built 'em and the Hasegawa is a nice, straight forward kit, not new Eduard quality, but with with only a few vices. The Italeri is annoying, and I wouldn't bother to build another. But, I didn't hate it as much as I hated the *@=#% Ark kit! Closest a kit ever came to being thrown against a wall! Disregarding availability, Hasegawa did have a (French, if I recall) release that had full Mk I, and Mk II noses and props. If one could be found, it would be interesting to try grafting the Mk II nose onto an Airfix Mk I, and you'd still have a full Hasegawa to build!

Italeri kit 2726 is a Mk IIc, but appears to have the 8 gun leading edge segments also on the sprue. Italeri Hurricane Mk IIc sprue ... some panel line filling, and resribing required, but it's a start

Just incase anyone was curious how the fuselage stretch was progressing ... I'm now ready to continue with the interior buildup and paint. Colin

I'm fitting the brass Sutton harness to the two Special Hobby/Classic Airframe seats. Three separate pieces had to be soldered together to make the harness back alone! But in the end, they look good, and will fit well with the Ultracast resin seat (for the Airfix kit) Colin

Similar bars are on current aircraft. Their purpose has nothing to do with stopping the wheels spinning. Rather, when the gear is selected down, the inner doors start to open, the uplocks open and the gear starts down. If the inner door isn't open far enough, the tire can catch on structure on the face of the door and damage the tire, or worse, hang up and jam the gear extension. The rub bars allow the tire to push the door open safely. So, you ask, how would the inner door not open enough? In a normal extension, the inner door uplocks open and hydraulic pressure is routed to both of the door actuators, if one is stiffer than the other, then the 'easier' actuator takes the majority of the hydraulic fluid and moves first and farther. The 'stiffer' door moves slower and can be in the way when the gear drops. In a manual extension (emergency extension) the inner door uplocks are manually opened first, and the door starts to slowly bleed down (open), then the gear uplocks manually open , and the gear drops (under its own weight, with spring assist) and pushes the doors out of the way. Watch any video of a gear extension, the inner (body) doors almost never open together, one always lags. Colin

Downloadable report on German air dropped ordnance (everything you ever wanted to know, bomb wise, at least) German explosive ordnance PDF Colin

For my build, I needed 3 DeHavilland metal props with the short, blunter spinner. The Special Hobby "Malta defender" kit had the prop and spinner I needed (and it nicely matched drawings and the prop/spinner in the Eduards kit) The Classics kit had the Rotol, and the Airfix had a good DeHavilland, but with the longer, pointed spinner. I robbed another DeHavilland from another Airfix kit, and found a grinding bit for a 3/8th drill that tightly fit the spinners, and turned both Airfix spinners using a new #11 blade (home made lathe!) after polishing, they all match, and look good. Use what you have! Hope you like Colin

Some lovely Mossie's here! Congradulations! Well, I'm in for 2. They aren't 1/72, but they are old Airfix 1/48 kits. ... with Aviaeology decals, 418 Sqdn. ... and a scratch built conversion to a Tse Tse (also Airfix 1/48)

That's fantastic Rod, thank you very much! My hope is when my (overdo) Chipmunks finally arrive, I can build a master, and vacuform an accurate canopy. Between that, and your list of differences, I might have a chance of turning out something recognizable! Thanks again, for all the info, and the great drawings. Colin

I did a Robin Olds F-4c for operation Bolo years ago using a Monogram kit, with some scratch building. I had always thought that he had flown one of the "Scat" F-4's, but found out that he had flown 37-680 on that mission. I think I modified a Hasegawa pod to create the QRC-160, antenna config as per the Keith Ferris painting (I believe Robin Olds had input in the painting to ensure accuracy)

Rod Blievers, thanks for the great info. You wouldn't happen to have any drawings (hopefully with profiles) of the Canadian bubble canopy, for someone who will try the conversion, using you info. All the info I have been able to find is for the British version. Thanks, Colin

Quite right, here's the correct parts manual page ...

... from the BF-109E parts manual

As the title says, can I switch a post to the correct forum after someone replies to it?

Yes, that was one of the first things was getting the frames and panel to fit, before I started modifying, and the sidewall did have to be trimmed. I put that down to moving the wing forward 2 MM.

I'm working on a triple Spitfire build in 1/48, using a new issue Airfix Vb, a Special Hobby Vc, a Classic Airframes Vc (same as the Spec. Hobby) and they will all be Malta birds. The Spec. Hobby fuselages need to be stretched, tail canted down, and the wings moved forward using info and suggestions kindly provided by Troy Smith (thanks again). I'm using the Airfix Fuselage as a guide, as it matches the drawings I have nicely ... it's interesting how many of the available Spit's come up with a different length! With the stretch done, my attention turns to the cockpit. The Spec. Hobby kit has a nice cockpit with a few updates needed, The seats are accurate, but the cushion is to long, and needs to be shortened in order to use the nice photo etch Sutton harness provided. The Airfix seat in indistinct and too narrow, so I'll be using an Ultracast seat there. (Dark grey is Spec. Hobby, seat on left not modified yet, also frames drilled out on all) The Airfix panel has a compass, which the Spec. Hobby missed, so I had to make my own. I'll replace the Airfix one also as mine will be easier to paint and decal, compass being separate. The other thing I looked at right away was the weird (IMHO) way Airfix attached the landing gear. I cemented the legs together, then drilled a .020" hole down the center, about half way. I cut the leg back apart just above the upper flange and cemented in a .020" brass pin into the lower section. Fit the leg back together, and solidly cemented the trunion into position. Now the gear can be attached solidly later and fine adjustments made if required bending the pin. It's the first time I've tried a triple build, hopefully it won't take 3 times as long!

An interesting variation is where they moved the 2 canon to the outer bays, and had locally made bombing gear on the inner bay, that seems to have had the pilot pull cables to release the bombs (think - Murphy's war, perhaps!)