Rock you like a Hurricane (mark V)

[atvd1020]

This is AZ Models' Hurricane V with the Vickers S guns from the 3D Kits conversion set built as an aircraft of 3 Squadron RIAF, taking part in Operation Zipper, sometime in the end of the monsoons in 1945.

The Hurricane V was a Hurricane IV powered by a Merlin 32 and driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. Intended for service in Burma, two such prototypes were built but faced engine overheating problems and were back-converted to Mark IVs again. The kit is the AZ Models Hurricane IV with added parts (though the wing panels don't seem to match the Mark IV's). The build was not too bad but trying to get the cockpit to sit upright led to a bad gap between the wings and fuselage which needed to be filled. The way the sprue gates bit into the kit's Vickers S gun barrels led me to buy the 3D Kits Hurricane IID set for replacement guns.

I built this Mk.V as a whif as an excuse try out some decals: a Print Scale decal sheet,which had other markings I wanted to use, and some ancient-looking Almark SEAC markings from Hannants and wanted to try them out as well. The latter were fine, but the Print Scale stencils were undersized. I also like the look of a four-bladed Hurricane: it would have been interesting to pose it (tropicalized) against a Hawker Tornado prototype and a Typhoon to see how its 'look' evolved.

The camouflage scheme was inspired by a remark from a pilot of 20 Squadron RAF (quoted in Forgotten Voices of Burma: the Second World War's Forgotten Conflict-I don't have the book with me anymore so I can't name him) on how disguised Japanese vehicles stood out as more khaki than the regular forest canopy. Being literal-minded, I used Humbrol 159 (Khaki Drab) and 149 (Foliage Green) for the greens to recreate this contrast and 119 and a mixture of 98 and 119 for the browns. The underside was White Ensign Colourcoats' Sky Blue. I wanted the second brown to be lighter, but darkened it to avoid it looking like the later South-East Asian camouflage.

Comments are welcome. Thanks for looking!

Edited December 17, 2013 by atvd1020

[stevehnz]

Nice that, good looking kit & good story to go with it. I'm a bit keen on SEAC aircraft & you'rs looks the goods, that camo scheme is a bit amazing.

Steve.

[atvd1020]

Nice that, good looking kit & good story to go with it. I'm a bit keen on SEAC aircraft & you'rs looks the goods, that camo scheme is a bit amazing.

Steve.

Thanks! In my mind, the camouflage scheme wasn't too unrealistic or complex for it to have actually been applied as an experimental or one-off, custom scheme. You could imagine someone going over the regular Dark Green/Dark Earth/Medium Sea Grey scheme with lighter colours sourced from elsewhere...

[SleeperService]

That looks very good indeed! The overall look is superb especially for a small 1/72 model. It also looks used without looking as if it's been through a hedge backwards. I like the 'Plausible Reality' backstory as well.

[atvd1020]

That looks very good indeed! The overall look is superb especially for a small 1/72 model. It also looks used without looking as if it's been through a hedge backwards. I like the 'Plausible Reality' backstory as well.

Thanks! I wasn't trying to weather too much, it's true, but the poor lighting also make it look more worn than it actually is The worn white stripes are less weathering and more 'damn bumpy, poor-covering white paint, next time I use white decal sheet'....