Eduard Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib (11117) Limited Edition 1:48

[Mike]

Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib (11117) Limited Edition

1:48 Eduard

 

 

In the design process even before the Hurricane reached squadron service, the Typhoon was initially intended to be a direct replacement of its older stable mate, but with development scope to take advantage of the upcoming 2,000hp piston engines that would be near the limits of propeller powered flight. Initial problems were overcome, and the early razorback design was amended to a bubble canopy that gave the pilot a vastly improved view of the sky around him. A larger, strengthened tail and a change from 12 machine guns to four wing mounted 20mm cannon also improved the aircraft's offensive ability.

 

It was never fully developed into a medium altitude fighter, but it did find a role nearer the ground, especially in countering the Fw.190 that was playing havoc with the Mk.V Spitfires at the time. It was a big stable aircraft with masses of power, which made it ideally suited to low level flight, and that naturally lends itself to ground attack. Fitted with unguided rockets or 1,000lb bombs under each wing, it became a feared sight by enemy ground troops and tankers. Although the rockets were tricky to aim well, they had a massive effect on morale, and played a large part in halting the advances made by German troops in the Battle of the Bulge, flying hundreds of ground attack sorties using rockets, bombs and cannon to great effect.

 

Like any successful aircraft of WWII, the list of improvements is long, but with the Tempest making inroads into solving the Typhoon's shortcomings, it was soon withdrawn after WWII came to a close, lasting only a few months of peacetime.

 

 

The Kit

 This limited edition is based upon the Hasegawa plastic, as evidenced by the little slips of paper inside the inner bags that state it was made in Japan and imported by Eduard.  It arrives in the usual sized box with a painting of a Tiffie and the words Typhoon writ large in red underneath.  Inside everything is bagged together, with the clear parts and some polycaps bagged inside.  The full contents includes nine sprues of varying sizes in grey styrene, one in clear, a small sprue of black polycaps, a bag with a bunch of resin parts in it, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other bare brass, a sheet of kabuki-style masks, a sheet of decals and the usual Eduard instruction booklet with the painting guide to the rear.  Quite a comprehensive package!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the cockpit, replacing the complete instrument panel and side consoles with a highly detailed painted lamination, or using the original part with decals – your choice.  The rudder pedals are also replaced, and the seat is tossed in the spare pile to be replaced by a complete PE replica with improved detail and scale fidelity.  The Typhoon's cockpit is more-or-less suspended within the main frames, and the kit parts replicating this are augmented with some PE strengthening webs, as well as additional controls and equipment, before they are brought together with the floor and rear bulkhead to create the cockpit, the rear of which has new in-scale PE head armour that fits in the space where the old plastic is cut off.  More PE is attached to the interior of the fuselage, and the chin scoop is made up with an additional PE central filter fitted for a couple of the marking options.  This is the car-door Tiffie, so when you sandwich the cockpit and chin intake between the fuselage, you also add the appropriate inserts to the top of the fuselage around the cockpit that present you with the correct aperture for the type.

 

The wings are simply made from three parts, with the full-width lower having the main gear bays moulded-in with surprisingly good detail.  before closing them up however, you will need to establish which holes (if any) you want to open up for the underwing stores later on.  The cannon fairings are moulded into the wing, and for three of the markings options, a small section under the chin will need removing and replacing with a pairing of PE and resin parts.  The tail fin is moulded into the fuselage with the rudder, while the new replacement resin elevators are a big improvement on the old parts, with realistic joins between the parts permitting easy placement of them at a suitably deflected angle.

 

The landing gear is pretty much stock kit parts, with the exception of a few small PE stiffening parts applied to the bay doors, at which time there is also a choice of two types of additional PE for the chin intake.  A whole host of additional PE and styrene parts are fitted to the underside, as well as landing lights in the leading edge, cannon barrels, and you will then need to fill around the landing lights, as they aren't present on these airframes.  A choice of stubby pylons or rocket rails for the underwing storage are supplied, all from kit parts, with different fitments for the various decal options.  The resin prop is built up using the accompanying jig, and is then covered with a resin spinner, while the remaining parts such as the gunsight, canopy sliding details, a new PE aerial and the two canopy parts are applied last along with the exhaust stacks and prop.  Speaking of the canopy, there is a full set of masks (not pictured) supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape.  In addition you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

Markings

As usual with Eduard Limited Edition boxings, you get a good selection of markings, although given the aircraft's relatively short term of service in the late war, it's all based on grey/green over light grey with a variety of tactical and unit markings.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• MN529, flown by F/O Ian Handyside, No. 184 Squadron, No. 129 Wing, RAF Westhampnett, Great Britain, June 1944
• MN819, flown by S/Ldr Jack Collins DFC, No. 245 (North Rhodesian) Squadron, No. 121 Wing, RAF Holmsley South, Great Britain, June 1944
• RB431, flown by W/Cdr John ‘Zipp' Button DSO, DFC, No. 123 Wing, B.103 Plantlünne, Germany, April 1945
• RB207, flown by F/O Bill Beatty, No. 438 (RCAF) Squadron, No. 143 (RCAF) Wing, B.150 Hustedt, Germany, May  1945
• MP197, No. 245 (North Rhodesian) Squadron, No. 121 Wing, B.164 Schleswig , Germany, June 1945
• SW399, flown by F/O Ronald  Sweeting DFC, No. 175 Squadron, No. 121 Wing, B.164 Schleswig, Germany, July 1945

 

Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

It's good to see this Limited Edition release, and if you've been wanting one, don't hang around as they have a habit of selling out quickly.  Hasegawa plastic with Eduard aftermarket makes for an excellent combination that's likely to sell well.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Mike]

Overtrees (11117X)

 

 

If you have one of these new kits but wanted to do another decal option in addition, or have an aftermarket decal sheet in mind, you'll be pleased to know that you can get just the sprues from the Eduard site, and if you want to add some detail, you can also get a set of Photo-Etch to go with it.  They arrive in a white box with a sticker on the end, with all the styrene in the one bag, and the clear parts bagged inside that for their safety during transport and storage.  The Overtrees as they're called can only be bought directly from Eduard, so click on the button below to pick up yours.  You can also download the instruction booklet if you don't already have one from the main kit page here.

 

Kit Overtrees

 

Photo-Etch Overtrees

 

Review sample courtesy of

[SleeperService]

It's nice to see this available. It would be even nicer to be able to buy the resin bits as Brassin items for those that have a Hasegawa kit. Hopefully soon....

[Mike]

10 minutes ago, SleeperService said:

It's nice to see this available. It would be even nicer to be able to buy the resin bits as Brassin items for those that have a Hasegawa kit. Hopefully soon....

Wouldn't be at all surprised

[sloegin57]

I have had this kit for a while now although I have "other things" on the bench which take priority.  I have had a rummage around in the box and can say that its worth the money.  The resin and etched parts are worth it alone.  The only issue I have is with the colour of the codes on the decal sheet.  Compared with the decals in the original kit, they look far too bright to me but will possibly "darken down" when I get around to applying them.

 

I have also seen an advert from Eduard of a version of this kit with the aircraft carrying napalm tanks painted red. 

 

Dennis

[Julien]

53 minutes ago, sloegin57 said:

 

I have also seen an advert from Eduard of a version of this kit with the aircraft carrying napalm tanks painted red. 

 

Dennis

That's the Bunny Fighter Club Edition one;

 

[Type 40]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:50 AM, SleeperService said:

It's nice to see this available. It would be even nicer to be able to buy the resin bits as Brassin items for those that have a Hasegawa kit. Hopefully soon....

Looks like you now can:

 

https://www.eduard.com/store/aircraft-and-helicopters/1-48/typhoon-mk-ib-final-version-upgrade-set%c2%a0overtrees-1-48.html?lang=1&cur=2

 

Useful if you already have the Hasegawa kit!

 

 

[SleeperService]

11 hours ago, type40 said:

Looks like you now can:

 

https://www.eduard.com/store/aircraft-and-helicopters/1-48/typhoon-mk-ib-final-version-upgrade-set overtrees-1-48.html?lang=1&cur=2 

 

Useful if you already have the Hasegawa kit!

 

 

Thank You for the link. Bookmarked ready for pay day!!

[Mike]

See?  Mystic Mike