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MkIIc "Buccaneer" Hurricane 11 Squadron SEAC Burma


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Okay folks.

This is going to be a combined WIP with my good friend and neighbour Shoey.

Shoey's grandfather Ron Gibson (Papa) flew the MkIIc in Burma with 11 Squadron.

Ron served with distinction in Burma flying his "Buccaneer" Hurribomber all year round (even through the monsoon season) and survived the conflict earning a D.F.C.

R.H. Gibson D.F.C. now lives quietly in Adelaide South Australia....a very much loved and admired member of his family.

For this build I am making a Revell 1:72 Burma Hurricane (I actually had one in the stash before knowing the story) with modified markings to depict exactly Ron's aircraft.

Shoey is going to add something different. Being an RC enthusiast he is going to finish a full flying version of his grandfathers aircraft again with modified markings. The basic plane is built but together we're going for some extra authenticity with some of the paint finishes, weathering and panel lines

So that's it. It's a two for one deal (one small static plastic one and one huge composite flying version).......and we both hope to do Ron justice with our efforts.

More to come soon..... I think I have model envy already Ha Ha! :blink:

Edited by Winenut
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Here's what I'm starting with .....I'm not making the box art version.....but the alternative SEAC version

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This is what comes in the box...

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Here's the sprues....quite an old tool kit I think. Quite a bit of flash etc.....but I think I can deal with that and built this into a great kit, I have some questions like did Ron's craft most likely carry the bombs (not the fuel tanks)

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Here's the decals. The double blue roundels indicate the SEAC and that's what I'll primarily be using. I need to know if Ron's Hurri ever carried the white bands or not. Possibly he flew with and without the bands as they were introduced in 44 or 45 but I would like to check for authenticity

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The specialist Buccaneer plate that Ron carried on his craft Shoey kindly got made for me in 1:72 when he made the larger scale for his RC craft. Can't wait to see them.

I'm currently researching and settling on the Humbrol colours to use,

Most likely now a dark green, dark earth and a medium sea grey underside. Any contributions welcomed in the camouflage debate

Cheers

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Thanks winenut! Mine may take a little longer than yours, but I'll post along the way what I'm doing. I suspect mine as possibly with yours it is a mk I version with a few changes to make it look more IIc. The IIc had a longer nose than the I, and the original plans I made mine from was a mk I. I have a long list of mods to do on mine (1:7.5 scale) including new paint, new canopy, modify back part of canopy, add 4 Hispano cannon, create panel lines (recessed of course!) larger rivet detail, ? Cast and mould the radiator as the balsa one looks....well....like balsa!, better instrument panel detail, new decals, convert to three blade prop from 2 blade which I have flown it with...... And the list goes on. Anyhow, I'll post progress as I go along and it will be interesting to compare the plastic model techniques with the RC model techniques for finishing detail. Can't wait!!

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Righto it's on Shoey.

Chocks away!

I'll post a bit of my build so far. I painted the interior and got on with some construction. The kit goes together "okay" but it is going to test my filling and sanding skills. Here's the cockpit

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Come's with a nice little decal but the panel looks set too far back so really this will be the only time you see it once the canopy goes on probably!

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seat comes with a molded on harness so just painted that up a bit. Bit of scuffing and weathering in silver

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Underside wheelbays done in aluminium with a bit of a grimey wash. You can see nearly all the seams will need work....oh well such is life

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Left hand side interior of cockpit. There was a bit of molded detail that I highlighted but again not much will be visible once completed.

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Lastly some of the fiddly bits in aluminium with a wash and the prop sprayed up basic black

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Thanks for looking and hopefully more to come from both myself and Shoey...cheers

Edited by Winenut
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That's coming along very well. Quite a nicely detailed kit.

Kind regards,

Stix

Yes quite a surprising cheap little kit. But the fit and the flash is relatively average and I will have to work pretty hard to get it "smooth"

I like the challenge and it's great to bring different skills to the fore.

Thanks for looking

Cheers!

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Ok, so here is the 1/7 scale version before i have began to re finish it. Lots to do to make it more scale! Please let me know along the way what changes need to be made to make it look better... I'l post my changes as i do them...

IMG_0242.JPG

Edited by shoey
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Ok, first step was fairly simple... source a 3 blade prop that would perform as well as the 2 blade version - yet to fly with it but should work ok and certainly looks better. Also got the decals from Callie Graphics today - they look awesome and even come with the decal for the prop - ?Rotol or something like that.

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Next added some panel line detail to the fuse and tail. I did this by laying down 1/64" tape for the panel lines, then shooting a few layers of primer over the tape, then sanding back so the the tape is flush with the surrounding primer layer, then peeling the tape back leaving a very thin straight recessed panel line. Gets lost a bit once painted, but a bit of weathering brings them back to life. The rudder and elevator i didnt need to add any extra detail as they are made with fillets and covering over the top like the real model. They look really good once rubbed back a bit - might do this as a finish with some fine steel wool.

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Next on the agenda is to strip the covering off the wing as i want to reshape the wing tips and leading edges. I've noticed on the real Hurri that the wing tips are quite sharp and the leading edge thickness tapers off a lot towards the wing tip. Also need to cut out where the landing lights will go (not functioning on this wing but i plan to make a new wing at some stage with LED nav and landing lights and split flaps) and make something that will look ok as a globe and reflector :banghead: . Also need to make 4 removable 20mm Hispano cannons which will look quite scale. Then either fibreglass the wing or use a new product called styrospray 1000 which is a 2 part polymer liquid you paint on, then self levels and hardens to a hard plastic finish on the surface - yet to decide which way i will go....

Winenut, progress is looking good for you at this stage! I might get a few more hours on you this weekend though :yahoo:

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I was interested that you had a white band on the tail...but not anywhere else. Have to check some photos and get that one spot on.

Cant wait to see what else you've got happening! I've got Tamiya tape and some Mr Surfacer....you're lookin'....well.....a bit more full on than that!!!

Chocks away!

Edited by Winenut
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we'll sort those panel lines with some weathering....guess I need the MEGA bottle of dark wash given your scale :hypnotised:

This is what I'm trying to sort out now ......fit was average (bit like my skills!) but we're trying to sort out those nasty canyons!

1960060_269371563224642_940888324_n.jpg

Edited by Winenut
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Just a bit of filling and sanding then?

Great rationale for the project you guys. Looking forward to seeing both together, just to marvel at the sheer size of shoey's.

A small request: can one of you post a detail pic of the nose art?

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Fascinating project. Made a post earlier in response to Winenut about taking a look at these projects and being interested in how we all tackle them ( all Hurri projects I mean). Didn't realise till I saw this posting how significantly different each of the projects is - in scale at least. Awesome

Watching with interest

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Just a bit of filling and sanding then?

Great rationale for the project you guys. Looking forward to seeing both together, just to marvel at the sheer size of shoey's.

A small request: can one of you post a detail pic of the nose art?

Shoey just got the decals that he had made up delivered yesterday ..I'll see if we can get a photo of the "Buccaneer" nose art up soon. Shoey got his made up in 1:7 and at the same time got a 1:72 made up for me. You can see the nose art on the photo taken on Shoey's loungeroom floor but we'll get a clear one up soon.

It's going to be hilarious when we put the 2 aircraft side by side........will be like Ron's Hurribomber... and a mini me!

Edited by Winenut
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I was interested that you had a white band on the tail...but not anywhere else. Have to check some photos and get that one spot on.

Cant wait to see what else you've got happening! I've got Tamiya tape and some Mr Surfacer....you're lookin'....well.....a bit more full on than that!!!

Chocks away!

Winenut, that white band was my mistake from not doing the research. The white bands were adopted after Papa left burma for air sea rescue flying Walrus' in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Just a bit of filling and sanding then?

Great rationale for the project you guys. Looking forward to seeing both together, just to marvel at the sheer size of shoey's.

A small request: can one of you post a detail pic of the nose art?

No Probs here it is!

buccaneer.JPG

and here is the original!

buccanneer%2520close%2520up.JPG

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Ok, made a bit of progress on the bigger sister! Removed the covering from the wing and resanded the leading edge to taper it more toward the tip and made the wingtip a bit sharper rather than rounded on the edge. I think it looks much better....

IMG_0520.JPG

Also reshaped the radiator as it was just painted over the balsa with the grain showing and i had just blacked out the inlet. Now i have smoothed the surface with some primer and wet sand paper, and opened up the inlet. Ill use some mesh to stick inside the radiator to fashion something that looks quite scale....

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About to start working on the Hispano cannons using some dowel, aluminium tubing and wire!! If anyone is able to shed more details or has more detailed photos of the particular cannon on Papas plane that would be great. Here are some pictures of the real deal, and i'll post my method of making the replica - i reckon they are going to look the real deal! stay posted...

ron%2520%2526%2520buccanneer.JPGbuccaneer.JPG

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Made some more progress on the 1:7 Hurri in the last few days. Really fiddly bits but parts i wanted to get looking really good... Managed to build the cannon stubs and Hispano cannons form bits of dowel, aluminium tube, wire and shrink tubing. The stubs will be glued into the wing and the cannon themselves will be removable so they wont get broken off in travel.

Here are the bits i used...

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Here are the cannon stubs dry fitted into the wings (I will blend them into the wings once i have fibreglassed the wing and glued the stubs in)

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Here are the Hispano 20mm cannon ( i modeled them off the photo of the Buccaneer which had only the inner cannon)

Might have to send these next door to wine nut so he can go hard on some weathering on them!

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Also cut the cannon wing bulges out of plastic teaspoons ready for glueing on once the wing is fibreglassed, and made some cowl bulges out of a hand soap dispenser. Once they are blended in they should look a treat...

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Next few plans on the agenda are to finish the wing off by spackle filling then sanding and fibreglassing, adding panel line detail, cannon bulges and glueing the cannon stubbs.

I also have a new canopy that has been vac-formed which im going to try something a little different... I'll make a female silicon mould of the canopy, then cast a male mould inside the silicon one so i will have a plug if i ever want to produce another vac-formed canopy for another Hurri. I'll then layup fibreglass inside the silicon mould and once cured, cut out where the perspex part of the canopy would be which will leave me with a rigid canopy frame that can be painted, then the perspex part glued to the inside like the real one would have been - might just add that extra touch of realism rather than just painting on the frame.

Anyway, stay tuned to progress of both models!!

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Awesome Shoey you crafty devil!

How the heck did you fashion those cannons! Looking great.

I've been masking, filling, sanding, masking, filling, sanding, masking, filling, sanding in midget scale preparing for paint. :blink2:

Hopefully I can get that airbrush working right! Looking forward to putting our thoughts together on what to try on your scale for a different level of authenticity on the weathering side.

I think yours is going to blow away any other RC Hurri going around!

Chocks away!

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