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Airfix 1:48 Hurricane Mk.I - Something A Little Different...


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That's a very neat bit of work Spence, but from the only photo I know of T9531 looks overall aluminium dope.

from http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234950889-hurricanes-of-the-ratg/

RATGHurricane_zpsbbad4122.jpg

why?

because on page 2 of linked thread is this pic, which does look to be bare metal and aluminium dope due to the marked contrast between metal and fabric covered parts, possibly because being a Group Captain your plane gets a more spit n polish!..or more likely strip and polish...

hawker_hurricane_fighter_rhodesia_01_V67

Perhaps a red spinner and nose? For those inspired by Spence's build and fancying V6787, this uses the Spitfire type Rotol spinner that is also in the Airfix kit.

a couple of other minor points which maybe of use.

Hard to tell, but the cockpit escape hatch looks to be done as bare metal, this is covered in fabric, see

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234945878-night-hurricane/#entry1398836

like the rest of the doghouse, but this maybe just the photo angle.

the wing tip lights are coloured bulbs behind clear covers.

A couple of detail point, T9531 is fitted with a camera gun, it's little bulge in the wing leading edge, and has the 'knuckled' type tailwheel usually associated with Mk II's but also seen retrofitted in training units, P2617 in Hendon has this type from service in Training Command.

I appreciate that you are probably not a Hurricane anorak, and I am, but I know you are a dedicated modeller and aim to get these kind of details right.

You also finish models.... :rolleyes:

hope the observations are of use or interest, as this is an interesting excellent model with a superbly done paint finish.

cheers

T

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That's a very neat bit of work Spence, but from the only photo I know of T9531 looks overall aluminium dope.

Hi Troy - thanks for the comments. You have added to my knowledge of this aircraft and its details and that will help when I write the article - which will be today.

This aircraft certainly is enigmatic, isn't it? It is possible that it was overall dope, but I'm not sure that that can be conclusively determined from that one grainy image. Who knows? It seems to me to be unlikely, when, as had been seen through the interwar years that the RAF had history of having aircraft made of metal and fabric, left unpainted and treated with a layer of aluminium dope. It seems even more unlikely, when, as you point out that there was another aircraft finished in that way. The lack of contrast is a good point, but that could be down to the quality of the image, the exposure and the dusty environment in which this aircraft operated - it's impossible to tell.

From a modelling point of view, I chose to replicate T9531 for the very fact that after chatting to my good friend Jonathan Mock - who suggested this one... - I concluded that it was a finish made up from dissimilar materials; it was the contrast that offered the chance to build and paint something eye-catching. Had I considered for a moment that it was overall Aluminium dope, I would have abandoned the project because the resulting model would have looked really bland and I was after something that looked anything but. That said, if I had seen the other image, which I didn't, I would have done that one, as the possibility of that red spinner would have elevated it even further!

I guess until someone unearths another clear image of this aircraft, we will not really know exactly how it looked, or what it was finished in and we have to approach it as we see fit. One thing's for sure: it's a talking point!

Thanks once again for you comments and helping me further understand some of the finer points of this aircraft's details.

Spence :)

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Wow this is a lovely looking Hurricane - and very nice to see something a little bit different colour wise. Love the subtlety of the mix of colours in the NMF.

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Hello,Spence - My compliments to you on a fine looking build of your 'Hurricane'.I love the quality of the paint and finishing work.The unusual scheme also adds to this splendid tribute to the type. All The best,Paul.

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