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1/72 - Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 (new variant) by Airfix- released


Homebee

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Presumably, the lower price will be accounted for by deleting Sprue E, which has the 2-blade prop, armourless cockpit rear bulkhead, the keel-less fuselage bottom piece, and the shorter rudder.

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I have to place myself in the 'disappointed' section but that's mainly because my expectations were raised so high - yesterday morning I thought we definitely had one. My collection only wants one fabric wing variant and I already have it. There is a vacancy for a metal winged Mk I though.

Do we know for sure that Airfix are planning to release a metal winged one?

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Well count me among the extremely disappointed, I was really hoping for a new metal-winged Hurricane Mk I.

It's interesting that even the Series 1 "downgraded" version of the fabric-winged Hurricane Mk I, will have a lot more plastic in it (presumably 3 big sprues and and 1 small one, not counting clear parts), than the "upgraded" version of Spitfire Mk.I / Mk IIa kit (2 big sprues and 1 small one).

I guess we can only assume that the old Airfix Mk I Hurricane kit...with its accurately shaped, if squishily detailed metal wing...is still a good seller.

I may be forced to see if Hasegawa wings can somehow be persuaded to match up to the Airfix fuselage!

Edited by MDriskill
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And yet Hannants are showing it for the same price as the current version. Hopefully that's a mistake.

The Airfix site shows it as 'Product Code: A01010 £5.99' which is a series 1 price.

Either Hannants have it wrong or they will not sell many if they try it at the higher price.

It's easy to miss in the long list of new Airfix releases, but Hannants' future releases section shows first the starter kit due in February (as AX55111) which is £7-99, then, lower down, the Series One kit (as AX01010) which is priced £5-99 and due January. Both match Airfix's respective RRP.

Presumably, the lower price will be accounted for by deleting Sprue E, which has the 2-blade prop, armourless cockpit rear bulkhead, the keel-less fuselage bottom piece, and the shorter rudder.

Almost certainly; however there is an interesting difference in the parts count between the current issue (63 parts) and the new 85 Sqn version (Airfix quote 51 parts). The intriguing bit is - Sprue E has 11 parts. If Airfix are correct, how do we account for the missing part? My guess is that there could be a new clear sprue with a single piece canopy and a reflector gunsight. This would provide for the later armoured windscreen.

On the metal wing, don't forget there is a rather significant anniversary coming up in 2015 that Airfix can target for a release of this version. :winkgrin: The old 1979 kit can then be gracefully retired following its latest outings for the BoB 70th anniversary and the VC collection. If Airfix can tool a 12 gun wing for the limited issue Club releases of the 2010 mould Mk II, surely providing a new set of wings for the new Mk I would be an easy decision? (Although technically a new starboard fuselage will also be needed to account for the extra rectangular panel seen on later Hurricanes).

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On the metal wing, don't forget there is a rather significant anniversary coming up in 2015 that Airfix can target for a release of this version. :winkgrin:

Oooh! Good catch! I imagine Airfix will be all over this like a rash! :thumbsup:

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I've just had a look at my copy of the Fabric Wing Hurricane and I reckon Airfix may have eered a little when it came to 'which parts they chose to appear on which sprues'.

If I was a tool maker (spoken as if I've had both Experience and Knowledge - believe me NO!!), I'd have placed both upper and lower wings on the one sprue. By my eye, I'd say they would still fit inside the overall sprue frame dimensions. This way it would be an easy case of just adding whichever type of wing was required for whichever box (Fabric or Metal). All other common parts would be included on one or more sprues as normal.

In the current state, Airfix would need to retool two complete sprues, where a bit of forward planning (spoken with Experience and Knowledge) would have only required them to change / add / delete one.

I don't want to sound like a Party Pooper - however the Metal winged version may be a little less likely now, although I sincerely hope not.

Cheers .. Dave.

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If I was a tool maker (spoken as if I've had both Experience and Knowledge - believe me NO!!), I'd have placed both upper and lower wings on the one sprue. By my eye, I'd say they would still fit inside the overall sprue frame dimensions. This way it would be an easy case of just adding whichever type of wing was required for whichever box (Fabric or Metal). All other common parts would be included on one or more sprues as normal.

Bear in mind that the access panels in the fuselage were changed quite early, a metal wing aircraft lacking the third panel would limit the OOB subject choices.

Airfix have been pretty bold with their most recent subjects, producing unique tools for variants of the same aircraft, where Hasegawa for instance would produce one (arguably overengineered) set of tools to do multiple variants. The Airfix team seems keen to reuse their CAD data to produce individual tools for major variants, with minor changes being catered for with supplementary sprues.

With the good work that's been put into getting the shapes right, I've no doubt we'll see further Hurricanes appear in due course. But for now, I'm not surprised that they'll make what mileage they can from the latest set of tools,

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bear in mind that the access panels in the fuselage were changed quite early, a metal wing aircraft lacking the third panel would limit the OOB subject choices.

Cheers,

Bill.

Good point Bill, I hadn't noticed this. I agree, Airfix are to be complemented for getting the overall shape and accuracy correct.

We really don't need the Hasegawa approach to maximising moulds do we.

Cheers.. Dave.

Edited by Rabbit Leader
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The VY-G markings are discussed here, with photos of the relevant plane.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234952054-metal-wing-hurricane-mk1/

Bear in mind that the access panels in the fuselage were changed quite early, a metal wing aircraft lacking the third panel would limit the OOB subject choices.

Airfix have been pretty bold with their most recent subjects, producing unique tools for variants of the same aircraft, where Hasegawa for instance would produce one (arguably overengineered) set of tools to do multiple variants. The Airfix team seems keen to reuse their CAD data to produce individual tools for major variants, with minor changes being catered for with supplementary sprues.

With the good work that's been put into getting the shapes right, I've no doubt we'll see further Hurricanes appear in due course. But for now, I'm not surprised that they'll make what mileage they can from the latest set of tools,

Cheers,

Bill.

yeah, it's limiting, but an early fuselage metal wing combo has some goodies, specifically Finnish and Romanian, and Sammy Allard's N2319

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234907653-hurricane-i-vy-cg-of-85-sqn-lille-seclin-around-apr-1940/#entry901923

and it's never been done AFAIK? [maybe the PCM metal wing one?]

Good point Bill, I hadn't noticed this. I agree, Airfix are to be complemented for getting the overall shape and accuracy correct.
We really don't need the Hasegawa approach to maximising moulds do we.

Cheers.. Dave.

well, while hasegawa really really annoy me with their infinite boxings, Airfix now have done 3 boxings of the fabric winged version, and if i was Airfix I'd be looking at a Finnish, Belgian and Yugoslav decals option for say the Club kit...

So, a some careful sprue design would have allowed for addition of metal wings, new starboard fuselage, as with the separate keel, easy to do the hook cut out and a new spinner, Sea Hurricane I's.

They'd have the Hurricane I market sewn up!

With a cheap price tag they'd be very popular.

Shame they made such a poor job of the IIC, as they could then easily made most of the II variants...as it is i doubt they do a new II fuselage.

Still they could do it properly in 1/48th and save us from Italeri's and hasegawa's overpriced and flawed in various ways kits., ...either riddled with small errors, [italeri] i think this is my most up to date list of problems -

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234935596-sea-hurricane-148-italeri/#entry1390213

or with a real hard to correct one, hasegawa's mess of the fuselage fabric covered access panel detail

please see here for an illustration of the problem in question http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234934849-classic-airframes-hurricane-worth-getting/#entry1241894

some very tricky filing, especially if you want it to match existing and not look like crap. I've not worked out an easy solution :(

T

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If I was a tool maker (spoken as if I've had both Experience and Knowledge - believe me NO!!), I'd have placed both upper and lower wings on the one sprue. By my eye, I'd say they would still fit inside the overall sprue frame dimensions. This way it would be an easy case of just adding whichever type of wing was required for whichever box (Fabric or Metal). All other common parts would be included on one or more sprues as normal.

In the current state, Airfix would need to retool two complete sprues, where a bit of forward planning (spoken with Experience and Knowledge) would have only required them to change / add / delete one.

Now this is pure speculation on my part, as I am certainly no kit designer or production engineer of any sort, but I'm guessing the way that each wing section is by itself on the side of sprues A and C, would make it rather easy to pop a metal wing in there instead. Or to put it another way...my first impression of the kit was that it would be easy, not hard, to make the transition.

Certainly the way that the variant-specific bits (prop, rear fuselage panel, etc.) are grouped on the two small sprues is well thought out. Visions of future Rotol props, hooked underside, tropical air filters, etc. are dancing in my head!

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  • 6 years later...
49 minutes ago, Homebee said:

New boxing in Spring 2020 - ref. A01010A - Hawker Hurricane Mk.I

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2020/hawker-hurricane-mk-i.html

Box art

 

a01010a-hawker-hurricane-mki-artwork.jpg

 

V.P.

 

Interesting points - It's a series 1 kit.  The box art showd a two bladed Watts prop, but later style lower rear fuselage. Those parts were on different sprues, so if that's accurate then the plastic should be that supplied in the Series 2 kit (Which was the only kit with the Watts prop before) -the previous Series I kit was just the triple prop.

 

Could be useful!!

 

(The parts layout would allow for a Series I  early Hurricane without the 3 blade prop sprue)

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/FirstLook/Airfix/Airfix_Hawker_Hurricane_Mk_I/Airfix_Hurricane_Mk_I.html

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  • 6 months later...
On 1/6/2020 at 4:50 PM, Dave Fleming said:

 

Interesting points - It's a series 1 kit.  The box art showd a two bladed Watts prop, but later style lower rear fuselage. Those parts were on different sprues, so if that's accurate then the plastic should be that supplied in the Series 2 kit (Which was the only kit with the Watts prop before) -the previous Series I kit was just the triple prop.

 


This one seems to have slipped out unnoticed, but I picked it up this week and can confirm it DOES contain both frames with the lower fuselage and prop on it. So it’s actually the same plastic as the Series 2 kit, but just with one decal option. I’ll certainly be getting a couple more to make as early aircraft.

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On 24/07/2020 at 23:09, Dave Fleming said:


This one seems to have slipped out unnoticed, but I picked it up this week and can confirm it DOES contain both frames with the lower fuselage and prop on it. So it’s actually the same plastic as the Series 2 kit, but just with one decal option. I’ll certainly be getting a couple more to make as early aircraft.

I have just been looking for the appropriate thread (& guessing this is it!) to post the same info, as when I bought one last week, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that additional sprue with the shallower rear fuselage and 2 bladed prop, which I was not expecting but will probably be using to differentiate it fully from the Arma metal wing Hurricane Mk1 that I also have.

 

However the only decal option is listed as being for 'northern France, Spring 1939' but the box art image (also shown a couple of post above) depicts in combat with various Luftwaffe aircraft.  Is that date a misprint. and should it instead read Spring 1940, or were the RAF already based in France prior to the outbreak of war in September 1939?

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It's possible it went on a co-operation visit in the late pre-war era but I don't know for sure.

The Tangmere museum says it properly deployed to France very early in the war though, arriving Sep 1939, and stayed long enough to see combat before being destroyed in 1940.

 

"Hurricane L1679 was delivered to No 1 Squadron at RAF Tangmere in early 1939 and deployed with the unit to France on 9th September just 6 days after the outbreak of war. When Germany began its blitzkrieg through the Low Countries in 1940, the squadron became involved in daily combat whilst constantly withdrawing to the west as the enemy forces advanced. L1679 was in the thick of it – being flown by several pilots who later became household names, including Flying Officer Paul Richey whose book ‘Fighter Pilot’ became a classic of the genre. Sadly, L1679 did not survive. Badly damaged during a crash-landing at Mezieres on 10th May she was destroyed on the ground 4 days later."

Edited by Work In Progress
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I guess that the date is probably a misprint then.  Hadn't realised the Tangmere connection - not only it that very local to me, but also one of my great grandfathers was there for part of WW2 as a Fighter Command staff officer, so looks like this decal option is how I will be building it.

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On 8/1/2020 at 5:59 PM, Paul H said:

I

 

However the only decal option is listed as being for 'northern France, Spring 1939' but the box art image (also shown a couple of post above) depicts in combat with various Luftwaffe aircraft.  Is that date a misprint. and should it instead read Spring 1940, or were the RAF already based in France prior to the outbreak of war in September 1939?

 

1939 is a typo, it should have been 1940. I have already berated the decal artist for this!

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  • 3 weeks later...

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