Revell 1/72 Hurricane Mk IIb No 73 Sqd North Africa

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

After finishing 2 Thunderbolts for the P-47 GB, a Corsair for the F4U GB and with a Mossie well underway for the British GB, it's time to start a Hurricane. I've chosen to do a Revell Mk IIb in desert camouflage as I've got some decals on the Skymodels sheet for one. I know there's also a few Eduard Masks for the Revell kits in my mask stash, so that will help speed things up (I find Hurricane canopies very fiddly to mask up, so the Eduard sets are great for me!) and I'll have a rummage and see if I've got any Eduard seatbelts lying around. The Mk IIb also does not have the tropical filter but I'll have spare ones from Mk IIc kits, so I'll use one of them.

The plan is to model it with the bombs from the kit as I've read briefly that 73 Sqd performed ground attack missions in North Africa, so they seem appropriate. Also the decal instructions don't seem to know whether the undersides were Azure Blue or Mediterranean Blue. If anyone knows which it is, please let me know, otherwise I'll just paint the underside Azure Blue.

thanks

Mike

[Graham Boak]

For a Mk.II, Azure Blue is a safe assumption. Well, reasonably safe.

Hurribombers only had ten guns, because the bomb carrier fitted partially into the wing taking the space of one of the guns in each wing I think it was the third one out - but you can check by seeing which cartridge exit hole is covered by the fairing. The fairing in the kit has too flat a section, rather like that of a barge. It should be shaped more like a canoe, with a central high point and curving sides. Just a bit of filing to improve the looks.

73 Sq was mainly a night-flying unit with their Mk.IIs, but were flung into ground-support duties in April/May(?) 1942. This may not mean bombs, but a picture in Fighter Squadrons of the RAF does show one with underwing tanks. presumably carried on their intruder operations. By 1942 you can reasonably expect this to be the later carrier that allowed jettisoning, ie the same as the bombs.

PS that should be Light Mediterranean Blue. This is somewhat darker than Azure Blue, and can be described (at least by me) as a bluer version of PRU Blue. Not the Humbrol Mediterranean Blue.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Graham Boak

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Thanks Graham - so if these ones carried drop tanks sometimes rather than bombs, would they retain their full 12 guns? I've got other Mk IIb's, so this one doesn't have to have bombs if it looks unlikely they used them.

thanks

Mike

[Graham Boak]

The same carrier was used for the bombs and the tanks - it'll still block the space otherwise used by one of the guns. This is not something I've ever seen mentioned, but then the drop to 10 guns is usually missed.

There is a multi-volume history of 73 Sq that presumably says more about its operations, but I don't have it. I can't say anything definite either way about 73 using bombs, other than that they had the capability. Possibly not the training?

EDIT: OK, I've been through Vol 2 of Chris Shores' new Mediterranean Air War books. 73 were called off night operations on 7th June 1942, to operate by day in the face of Rommel's successful Gazala offensive. They were however used for escort and fighter sweeps, not dropping bombs. The book goes up to the end of June.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Graham Boak

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I'm tempted to do this with no ordnance now and the 10 guns will make it a bit more interesting. When they took out a gun from each wing, were the corresponding gun port and ejection port covered up?

I've been doing some rummaging and found some Eduard mask and Seatbelts and also some AML camouflage mask, just need to check whether it should be the A or B scheme and I think I'll have everything I need for this one. The model has been undercoated on the sprues and I'll see if I can get the interior done tonight and update with pics tomorrow.

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I've been working on the interior and it's done save a quick dry brush of light grey, so i'll be able to commence making it look like Hurricane shortly. I forgot the kit had moulded on seatbelts and although they aren't very good, I decided to spare the Eduard Seatbelts for something else as funds for model building aren't limitless. I don't think the finer details of the Eduard belts would be noticed too much through the canopy anyway.

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

So we're mostly assembled now and almost ready to begin painting. On the Revell Hurricane kits the wings come in 5 parts and it's a bit of a fiddle to get them fitting properly, without big gaps and steps, so a bit of filling and sanding is required. Also note as per what Graham stated previously, I've blocked of the 3rd gun port and matching ejection chute hole accordingly, so this will be a 10 gun Hurricane.

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I've discovered I've run out of Vallejo Azure Blue, so I've given the undersides a base colour of Mediterranean Blue and now I'm going to break out the Xtracrylix Azure Blue (don't really like Xtracrylix paints) and see if I can get that to work, if not I'll be waiting for another pot of the Vallejo to turn up.

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Ok, I've bought some new Vallejo Azure Blue and I've repainted the underside and painted the top camouflage on. I used a mask from AML for the Camouflage and I'm quite impressed how neat it's turned out. Tonight's job is to get the model ready for varnishing and hopefully get the first coats on as time is running out now.

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Shiny Hurricane, ready for decaling!

thanks

Mike

[Tomoshenko]

Looking good. Yes the Vallejo blue is very nice. Did you thin thin or spray straight?

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Looking good. Yes the Vallejo blue is very nice. Did you thin thin or spray straight?

Thanks - it's about done now, will post pics this evening. The Blue is sprayed straight through my Iwata Revolution with a 0.5 needle. I know many people don't like Vallejo but the Model Air is my favourite paint to use.

thanks

Mike

[PhantomBigStu]

Looking good, no doubt the finished pics will be even better

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

and we're done..... I'm building more Hurricanes as well, which I'll post in the normal place when done.

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Forgot to say, it's now in the GB Gallery...

thanks

Mike

[Tomoshenko]

Lovely job sir. Just in time.

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Thanks, I'm fairly happy with it, it's found a home in my cabinet.

thanks

Mike

[Greg in OK]

Great looking build of an often overlooked kit!

Greg in OK