k5054nz Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 Hi all, Currently there are two* airworthy Hawker Typhoon restoration projects underway, one in Canada and one in the UK. RB396 is being worked on by Airframe Assemblies and ARCo in England and is hoped to be flying by 2024. The aircraft is a combat veteran and will be the star of many an airshow but that's in the future, and we don't even yet know what colours she will wear. But, using Neil Hipkiss' painting Warbird RB396 as a reference, I've built my interpretation of what G-TIFY - the UK civil registration reserved for '396 - might look like on the Duxford flightline. Airfix 1/72 RB396 by Zac Yates, on Flickr Airfix 1/72 RB396 by Zac Yates, on Flickr Airfix 1/72 RB396 by Zac Yates, on Flickr Airfix 1/72 RB396 by Zac Yates, on Flickr Airfix 1/72 RB396 by Zac Yates, on Flickr This is the lovely recent Airfix kit - have I mentioned I love New Airfix? - with the XP-W codes cobbled together from the kit and part of the serial from my spares. I handpainted the Sheila noseart and would have posted the build two weeks ago, but I somehow lost one of the eight RP rails. Fortunately Airfix's spares department sent me a replacement (along with all seven of its brothers...) at no charge so she was finished today. *OF COURSE I want to build JP843, the Canadian project, I just don't have another kit lying around. But if someone happened to have a spare Airfix A02041A and were feeling generous... 😇 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 A nice looking Typhoon and good to hear Airfix's customer care came up with thr goods. Having just cracked the canopy on their new tool Harrier GR.1 I think I'll need to drop them a line. It's a very exciting prospect that we may well have two airworthy Typhoons in the not too distant future. Really chuffed that one will be based in the UK but also glad the Canadians will have one as well to commemorate 143 Wing 2TAF. Hopefully the UK will also have two Mosquitos as well. The work coming out of Aspecs in NZ regarding this is just outstanding. The Fighter Collection's Beaufighter might take to the skies again and there's the possibility of a Tempest too. There's even plans to restore a DH Hornet to the air, a type which was previously extinct. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted November 19, 2019 Author Share Posted November 19, 2019 7 hours ago, Meatbox8 said: There's even plans to restore a DH Hornet to the air, a type which was previously extinct. The companies restoring Sea Hornet TT193 are about six hours' drive from me. You can bet I'll be there for the test flights! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 27 minutes ago, k5054nz said: The companies restoring Sea Hornet TT193 are about six hours' drive from me. You can bet I'll be there for the test flights! Wow. Fantatstic. Any idea how far they are with it? Judging from what they had to start with it looks like it will be an epic restoration project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMCS Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Oh yes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 On 11/20/2019 at 10:23 AM, Meatbox8 said: Wow. Fantatstic. Any idea how far they are with it? Judging from what they had to start with it looks like it will be an epic restoration project. From what I understand the remains are here but in storage while they gather parts and drawings etc. I've not seen any news recently - here's their website for you to keep an eye on 😎 They're currently keeping themselves busy with three or more P-40s, which I'm happy with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 2 hours ago, k5054nz said: From what I understand the remains are here but in storage while they gather parts and drawings etc. I've not seen any news recently - here's their website for you to keep an eye on 😎 They're currently keeping themselves busy with three or more P-40s, which I'm happy with! Thanks for the info. I would imagine finding parts for a Hornet must be a herculean task. I hope one of their P-40s emerges in the markings of 'Wairarapa Wild Cat' of Geoff Fisken, 14 sqn RNZAF. It's well up on my WW2 modelling list. Great markings and I only recently learned that he was the most successful Commonwealth pilot against the Japanese but he's not nearly as well known as the likes of Deere, Gray or Mackie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Nice Typhoon! Always loved the muscular look of this plane. I have build Academy's 1/72 kit; however, I have heard a few comments about that kit's shape. Perhaps I'll get one of these Airfix kits one day. Wish they made a car door version, actually. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 (edited) On 11/21/2019 at 11:03 PM, Meatbox8 said: I hope one of their P-40s emerges in the markings of 'Wairarapa Wild Cat' of Geoff Fisken, 14 sqn RNZAF. I too am hoping we one day see an aircraft fly as NZ3072, but I'm not sure when it'll happen. I believe one of the P-40s Pioneer is working on will be in RNZAF markings but not an overseas aircraft. There's an ex-RNZAF P-40N-1, NZ3125, flying in Australia...were I to win the lottery she'd be coming home and getting a repaint as the Wildcat! 😎 Edited November 22, 2019 by k5054nz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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