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Fabric Wing Hurricane Options?


dr_gn

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Guys,

I'm looking for marking/scheme options for the Mk.1 Hurricane, fabric wing two bladed prop. version.

I've got the 1:72 Airfix boxing (111 Sqdn., or Belgian Air Force), but wanted something different. What are the aftermarket decal options? Preferably RAF.

Cheers.

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Decals available thru Hannants for; Poland, Jugoslavia, Romania, Finland, and other RAF squadrons - http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72193

Poland is hypothetical. Romania had 3 ex-Yugoslav Hurricanes w fabric wings, the other 12 were metal.

There is a thread here on the Yugoslav colours as well, as they were built under licence. The Romanian ex-Yugoslav were in Yugoslav colours BTW.

Only some Finnish planes had fabric, which was which is still debated. There is a list of serials here somewhere.

Thanks, that's the kind of thing I'm looking for.

BTW did all early versions have silver interior/wheel wells too?

AFAIK, ALL Hurricanes up till at least 1942 were aluminium dope[eg silver] inside, apart from cockpit walls and back armour, in grey green.

Edit - that should be all British built Hurricanes, as I don't know about Canada, and there is debate on the inside of the Yugoslav built planes.

Have a read of 'Hurricane questions' thread for more.

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Then you want the Hannants sheet of RAF options. One point missed from the sheet is the two small bumps on the lower nose - these were not present on the initial batch (pre-Merlin III) and can readily be removed if you are doing one of these aircraft. The nose piece was a single part, changed to a two part piece split horizontally, with the bulges to allow the fitting of the vacuum pump to replace the venturi and the constant speed unit for the Rotol prop. Neither of these were actually available when the Merlin III entered service. The Airfix kit does include the horizontal panel line for the two-part nose piece: if you remove the bumps this needs filling.

I don't think the 111 Sq aircraft had the unit number applied at first, so you could get away with just the serial (and the mods above). Look for photos to confirm. The Hannants sheet does show some variety in the way the units presented their identity. if it was just the red and white colours you don't like, this was the squadron commander's aircraft and other colours were used for the flights. Finding decals for them will be difficult if not impossible.

A detail missing from the kit is that the panel behind the gun bay is metal not fabric, to allow for armourers.

Edited by Graham Boak
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if it was just the red and white colours you don't like, this was the squadron commander's aircraft and other colours were used for the flights. Finding decals for them will be difficult if not impossible.

Are you sure? I thought the Squadron's Commander aircraft had a white number.

A detail missing from the kit is that the panel behind the gun bay is metal not fabric, to allow for armourers.

And in the front too.

Cheers, Peter

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Basilisk - mea culpa re CO's a/c: but the main point was that other colours existed. As for the metal panels, I must check what the front panel looks like on mine. I've stopped it at a late stage to consider changing to the cannon-armed aircraft, so fixing will be possible (if messy).

I don't recall the number of the sheet offhand - try Hannants' website. The RAF and export ones are on different sheets.

One other point re the 2-blader which I'll add for comments: in-flight pictures show a considerable gap between the spinner and the nose. This isn't visible in photos of stationary aircraft. I don't recall seeing any photos of the appearance of this gap when the engine is running on the ground. It is possible to add a small washer to the Airfix spinner to increase this gap, but it has to be thin.

I chamfered the inside of the cowling front to make it look more like the edge of metal sheet, and if you do a Merlin III aircraft then the insides of these bulges can be opened up with a small round file. The small bump on the port side of the is the exit of two small pipes, so attacking it with a small drill might be a benefit ... not quite sure given how mine has ended up.

Edited by Graham Boak
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Poland is hypothetical.

Troy, ONE was delivered in August 1939!!! Not sure but I believe it got sent out before the nasties started off!! I emphasise I don't know the full story but have seen a picture of the one, forgotten the serial but probably as per decal set.

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Troy, ONE was delivered in August 1939!!! Not sure but I believe it got sent out before the nasties started off!! I emphasise I don't know the full story but have seen a picture of the one, forgotten the serial but probably as per decal set.

Thanks for the correction Paul

A quick check says one was delivered on 8 Aug 1939, but subsequent fate unknown, with another 8 being shipped, which may or may not have been delivered.

It is also an option on an Iliad Decals sheet http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ILD48015

ILD48015.JPG

though the later Mason book says

L2048

Shipped to Poland 24-7-39, re-shipped back to UK c.26-8-39. No 29 Sq Debden, 11-39, S.O.C. 26-1-40.

I have never seen a photo of this but would like too.

The Xtradecal sheet mentioned above is this

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72193

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The choice, in 111 Squadron, shouldn't really be red/white or nothing, but lack of photos probably doesn't help.

Dowding's idea was that Squadron numbers should be painted in Flight colours, e.g. all red for "A" Flight, blue for "B," etc., with the second section having the bottom half of the numbers painted white. This means that there should have been red, red/white, blue, blue/white, yellow, yellow/white, even green & green/white. As the C.O. normally led "A" Flight (and, when they went over to letters, often used "A") why his markings are listed as white is a complete mystery.

This could also explain why there's such a fierce argument over the colour(s) on the fins of 19's Spitfires.

One thing to watch (I believe it's mentioned in the kit,) Hurricanes with the two-blade Watts prop could not have armour fitted behind the seat, since it threw the CoG balance out. This was one of the reasons for the mad dash to get three-bladers fitted.

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Edgar, I always enjoy reading your posts as there is so much to learn from. What you stated in regards to the 111 Squadron number colours is mentioned at several other sources and it is indeed strange that the CO's aircraft has the number in white. But it is documented on these two pictures which are unfortunately of poor quality.

Hurri-111-1.jpg

Hurri-111-2.jpg

The pictures are taken at Northolt in July 1938. In the Ducimus publication of which above picture is from, it states: "The first three aircraft are probably from A Flight,with the upper part of the number in red. Sqdn. Ldr. J. Gillan's Hurricane is the fourth aircraft." And it clearly shows the number in white.

This is another picture taken apparently at Villacoublay in France.

Hurri-111-3.jpg

This shows that the number was also painted in blue and white, most likely for the B Flight. It is also said that the Squadron number was only applied for the flypast over Paris.

But if you don't like the number, just leave it off

Hurri-111-4.jpg

One other point re the 2-blader which I'll add for comments: in-flight pictures show a considerable gap between the spinner and the nose. This isn't visible in photos of stationary aircraft. I don't recall seeing any photos of the appearance of this gap when the engine is running on the ground. It is possible to add a small washer to the Airfix spinner to increase this gap, but it has to be thin.

Graham, is this the picture you based your comment on?

Hurri-gap.jpg

Indeed interesting, but this gap isn't so noticeable on most in flight pictures I know off.

though the later Mason book says

L2048

Shipped to Poland 24-7-39, re-shipped back to UK c.26-8-39. No 29 Sq Debden, 11-39, S.O.C. 26-1-40.

I have never seen a photo of this but would like too.

Troy, I think you will never see a picture of it :weep:

Cheers, Peter

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HI

Regarding the a possible all white number for the C/O's plane,

My suggestion is based on this, May/June 1940 it has been noted that some units [85, 87 and 56 Sq's] were using coloured spinners, probably in flight colours.

some info here,

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

in particular

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234907653-hurricane-i-vy-cg-of-85-sqn-lille-seclin-around-apr-1940/#entry901943

Note, that while planes with possible red and yellow spinners, the C/O's plane, has what looks like a white spinner

large.jpg

There are other photos of this sequence and it's definitely VY-Q, P3166, S/Ldr Peter Townsend plane.

see here for another very interesting 85 sq thread

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234914438-85-squadron-royal-air-force-hurricanes/

The spinner best match is the roundel white, nothing else fits, and we have red, blue, yellow, Sky and Medium Sea Grey for comparison.

No 'proof' I'm afraid, but a suggestion from a couple C/O's planes.

Anyone have any more evidence one way or the other?

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