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Hurricane Mk. 1 Ragwing. SAAF, 1/72, Airfix


Touvdal

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I was planing on doing this plane.

 

p13 hurri Q 277.jpg.opt836x489o0,0s836x489

 

But before i start i have af few quistions,

can i use the vokel filter from a AZ or similar kit ?

Is the undersurface silver dope, looking at the inside undercarriage cover it lookes the same on outside and undersurface.

Uppersurface would be DG/DE.

It is a ragwing early a/c right?

 

cheers

Jes

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The shape of the filter housing is different between the Mk.I and the Mk.II.  At best it would need shortening, but I feel it is also shallower.

 

The aerial mast is that of an early Hurricane.  I can't tell from the photo whether the wing is fabric covered or metal.  It looks like a simple ring gunsight, judging from the visible pole.

 

Aluminium paint woud be the factory finish for the underside.  Whether it would still be that rather than the light blue (also known as Iraqi Blue or Middle East Blue) I can't say.

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I think I see it just outboard of what may be the gun patch - there is a reflection of the upper part of the undercarriage door which is misleading.  The position of the landing light is further inboard by one rib bay on the fabric-covered wing - but I'm not convinced that this angle is clear enough to distinguish this.  Not for me, anyway.

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Hi All,

the landing lights on the fabric winged Hurricane are 1 rib space inboard from the metal wing positions. Also, the pitot is the early 2 prongs type. It’s not clearly visible from the photo, but the windscreen is the early type as well.

The additional photo shows all of this.

TW

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According to Mason, L1909 was transferred to the SAAF in April 1939.  The first metal wing was testflown at the end of April, so there seems little room for suggesting other than that 277 had the fabric covered wing.

 

Interesting features of the second photo include the yellow ring around the upper wing red/blue roundel, and perhaps a refractor gun sight?  There's something odd about the upperwing camouflage inboard, but this seems to be too far inboard to suggest a replacement outer wing.

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I asked this same question some years back and got this answer

 

Quote

We've been working with Dave Becker all day
He says that all the SAAF ones had metal wings. He is checking on which serial numbers didn't and where they went

End Quote

 

My conclusion was that the first 7 Hurricanes, due to the fact they were delivered prior to the metal wing prototype/production line change were in all likelyhood fabric covered, Whether they were changed to metal wings later I could not confirm either. These aircraft were in use into 1940 so it is possible, but then again I dont think East Africa was high on the priority list.

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4 hours ago, hwallen1410 said:

The seventh Hurricane Mk1 (L1909) 277, and the last of the initial order of seven, was delivered during September 1939.

And another picture Here

The new picture confirms my suspicion that 277:Q was fitted with a two-bladed Watts propeller. Another detail that points to a rather early configuration for that Hurri.

 

Claudio

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What a great photo,... I have not seen this one before! I built a 1/72nd model of this aircraft some years ago using a better known photo which also shows that the A1 Type roundels above the wings had been converted into B Type,...... it looked as if the outline yellow had been retained but it could have been a light overpaint of the yellow, as seen on some RAF aircraft. I painted the undersides light blue, trying to match SAAF Sky Blue from the Ron Belling book and the Vokes filter was a resin item for a Mk.I which is not available anymore. I can see that I got the shape of the code `Q' wrong,.... so I`ll bear that in mind when I replace this old AZ Model kit,.... note that I also put on the wrong camouflage pattern,..... as I say, it was a long time ago!!;

72-12g72-12f

 

Here is the photo that I worked from in case you have not seen it;

File

 

Cheers

           Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Air Ministry gave permission for SA to purchase seven Hurricane Mk 1s in November 1936. The first three, L1708, L1710, L1711 arrived by sea at Durban in February 1939. The crates were transported to Stamford Hill airfield to be assembled by ground crew moved from Pretoria to Durban for that task. They were test flown on 6th March by Maj. J.E.O. Maris, Maj. S.A. Melville and Capt. R.H. Preller. On 7th March Capt. Preller flew L1710 to Waterkloof Air Station, Pretoria, in 1 hour 13 minutes. RAF serials were retained until April 1939 when they were re-serialled, L1708 - 271, L1710 - 272, L1711 - 273.

 

By June three more Hurricanes, L1874, L1875, L1876, had been delivered to Durban for assembly. They were test flown Capt Jack Mossop, OC Natal Air Training School, and Capt St.Elmo “Saint” Truter, 14th June. They were re-serialled L1874 - 274, L1875 - 275, L1876 - 276.

 

The seventh, L1909, was delivered and assembled in September and re-serialled 277.

 

These were all typical early Hurricanes, rag-wing, two blade propeller, forked pitot tube, venturi on fuselage side, short carb intake, ring and bead sight. Tropical intakes were added in SA and it appears that the venturi were removed as well. They were delivered in Temperate Land Scheme with Aluminium undersurfaces. 45 inch Type A roundels on the undersides of the wings position 57 inches from the wing-tip. No part of the roundel touched the ailerons. 35 inch Type A1 roundels on fuselage sides. 49 inch Type A1 roundels on the wing upper surfaces. The red centres of the roundels were overpainted with orange. Original (British) serial numbers painted under both wings in 30 inch characters. No fin flashes.

 

276 was destroyed in a crash at Zwartkops Air Station on 12th June 1939, later allocated to units in East Africa for spare parts.

 

On the outbreak of war, the Hurricanes were transferred to Cape Town as part of the Coastal Defence Unit, operated by 6 Squadron based at the Cape Air Training School at Youngsfield. 272 nosed over during take off at Beaufort West after hitting a sandy patch. 275 was destroyed in a crash while attempting a downwind landing at Youngsfield by 2/Lt Derrick Tyler. He experienced engine failure as the aircraft arrived at the airfield and was killed in the accident. 271, 273, 274 were the only remaining serviceable Hurricanes. These suffered engine problems due to the air filters not being able to cope with the dusty conditions on the inland airfields. The engines were removed and sent to the Air Depot for overhaul. The airframes remained at Cape Town without engines. In May 1940 they taken by rail to Pretoria to receive overhauled engines and then delivered to the new 1 Squadron established at Waterkloof Air Station. There, they were joined by 277 which became the fourth aircraft on the squadron.  On 22nd May the Hurricanes were flown to Kenya by the 1 Squadron pilots for operations against the Italian forces in East Africa. By this time the Hurricanes had been fitted with tropical filters to prevent the engine problems previously experienced.

 

Following Letter S.45273 issued by HQ Middle East on 15th August 1940, stating that Hurricane undersides were to be finished in Light (Middle East) Blue, they were duly painted SAAF Sky Blue. Orange, White, Blue fin flashes were applied. Upper wing roundels were first modified by painting out the White circle with Orange and Blue and then later replaced with standard B Type Orange and Blue roundels.

 

The Hurricanes (and Furies) were all transferred to 2 Squadron after the part of 1 Squadron operating from Nairobi was re-designated 2 Squadron on 1st October 1940. On 1st December 1940 272 and 277 were transferred to 3 Squadron to be used as reserve aircraft.

 

L1909/277 photographed at Port Reitz, Mombasa after delivery to 1 Squadron. NB. There are much better quality versions of the photographs available. Tropical air filter but still has two bladed propeller, early aerial, ring and bead sight, forked pitot. If it had a venturi that has gone. TLS with the under surfaces painted with a a thin coat of SAAF Sky Blue through which the original serial number, L1909, can be seen under the wings. SAAF Type A fuselage and under wing roundels. Upper wing roundels modified by over painting white portion to form Type B roundel. Outer Yellow ring retained. All roundels with Orange centres. Fin flash three 9 inch bands, Orange, White, Blue. Letter Q light grey. Name  ‘Goof’ in white below exhausts on both sides.

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