Airfix Hunter F4

[JPuente54]

In which scale is the Hunter F4 molded? 1/72nd or 1/48th?

[neilfergylee]

33 minutes ago, JPuente54 said:

In which scale is the Hunter F4 molded? 1/72nd or 1/48th?

1/48

[JPuente54]

Thanks, I hope that Airfix does it in 1/72nd.

[NorthBayKid]

I keep looking on eBay.ca but none has showed up yet.  I have a Swedish friend who wants me to do him an Acro Hunters model.

[Julien]

Is it me or are the Sweedish Rounde;s in the kit a bit too light?

 

Julien

[NorthBayKid]

Hallelujah!!  They just showed up on eBay!  One is winging its way westward to the north woods!

[NorthBayKid]

On 1/18/2020 at 1:06 PM, StephenMG said:

 

Do you know which specific marks the “early” and “late” style air brakes apply to Stephen??

On 1/18/2020 at 1:06 PM, StephenMG said:

Incidentally, if you really want to get fussy, the early Hunters had a different design of airbrake to the later marks.

Early design,

 

Later design,

 

[Rabbit Leader]

2 hours ago, Julien said:

Is it me or are the Sweedish Rounde;s in the kit a bit too light?

 

Julien

I’ve been trying to search for an image of this kits decal sheet for a while now. Any chance of a photo Julian? Airfix also included Swedish roundels in their 1/48 F-51D and now that you mention it, you may be onto something. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Troy Smith]

22 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Airfix also included Swedish roundels in their 1/48 F-51D and now that you mention it, you may be onto something. 

Interestingly Airfix usually put in a Swedish option if it's possible,  (72nd Mosquito, various Mustangs , Spit PR XIX spring to mind) but don't seem very good at getting the Crown Mark colours right.... as do many other companies fail to do as well.

I have some Swedish decal sheets which are rated, (Flying Aero Colours and Rebell Moose) so I'll have a look in daylight, as I think I have some from the Airfix F-51 decals, and a surprising number of PR XIX kits....

 

[Julien]

57 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

I’ve been trying to search for an image of this kits decal sheet for a while now. Any chance of a photo Julian? Airfix also included Swedish roundels in their 1/48 F-51D and now that you mention it, you may be onto something. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

Here you go, 

 

[StephenMG]

1 hour ago, NorthBayKid said:

Do you know which specific marks the “early” and “late” style air brakes apply to Stephen??

 

It's along engine lines (see post 22) so the early airbrake will be on the Mk.1-5,7,8 and 11. Later style will be on the 6, 9 and 10.

[71chally]

Allowing for monitor settings, the Swedish blue looks about right to me.

[Rabbit Leader]

Thanks for that Julian. At first glance they do look a little light and this B&W image doesn’t help matters (I know!). On another related topic, I cannot see the various yellow (or white) stencil decals that seem very prominent on the upper surfaces of Swedish Hunters. Nice decal sheet all the same. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

 

[NorthBayKid]

So, having only now just found the “Rumourmonger” thread on the F.4, I’m very disappointed to learn that the center section is the same as the F.6 kit, with add on parts (cutting required) for the non-dog tooth leading edge.  That means that the panels and vents are incorrect for an F.4.  That’s very disappointing I must say.  I understand not wanting to up the price of the kit and all, but why bother if you’re just going to ignore obvious differences like that?  I’d almost as soon the aftermarket had taken care of the earlier variants, and that Airfix had put F.6 and FGA.9 parts in the box.

 

Does anyone have a closeup photo showing the barrier hook fitted to the GA.11?

Edited January 24, 2020 by NorthBayKid

[Julien]

4 minutes ago, NorthBayKid said:

So, having only now just found the “Rumourmonger” thread on the F.4, I’m very disappointed to learn that the center section is the same as the F.6 kit, with add on parts (cutting required) for the non-dog tooth leading edge.  That means that the panels and vents are incorrect for an F.4.  That’s very disappointing I must say.  I understand not wanting to up the price of the kit and all, but why bother if you’re just going to ignore obvious differences like that?  I’d almost as soon the aftermarket had taken care of the earlier variants, and that Airfix had put F.6 and FGA.9 parts in the box.

 

Does anyone have a closeup photo showing the barrier hook fitted to the GA.11?

So disapointed you said twice. If you want an F.6/F.9 get the F.6 kit it has the parts in it. Airfix (or any other company) wont make great changes like a few vents, these can I understand be done with some work, and someone no doubt will bring an aftermarket set along. 

 

No doubt most of the people buying this kit will not know, or dare I say it even care. 

 

Just my 2p

 

Julien

[Julien]

13 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

On another related topic, I cannot see the various yellow (or white) stencil decals that seem very prominent on the upper surfaces of Swedish Hunters. . 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

 

 

Are they the dots under the crowns?

 

edit: just checked the instructions and they say to place them as per your photo

[Rabbit Leader]

I’m not expert about Swedish Hunters nor B&W photo interpretation, however I would have thought that red dot decals would not be as contrasting on a Dark Green background. I also think they should be some other shape other than dots. Just my thoughts and (as always) happy to be proven wrong. 
Cheers.. Dave 

[StephenMG]

15 hours ago, NorthBayKid said:

So, having only now just found the “Rumourmonger” thread on the F.4, I’m very disappointed to learn that the center section is the same as the F.6 kit, with add on parts (cutting required) for the non-dog tooth leading edge.  That means that the panels and vents are incorrect for an F.4.  That’s very disappointing I must say.  I understand not wanting to up the price of the kit and all, but why bother if you’re just going to ignore obvious differences like that?  I’d almost as soon the aftermarket had taken care of the earlier variants, and that Airfix had put F.6 and FGA.9 parts in the box.

 

Does anyone have a closeup photo showing the barrier hook fitted to the GA.11?

I must admit, it does seem a bit of a shame, although (commercially) understandable I suppose. While it doesn't bother me too much, for folk who aren't comfortable with cutting and modifying kits it's far from ideal. They're not going to be getting the F.4 or F.5 it says on the box, they'll be getting an F.6 with a (partial) conversion set thrown in. It's great to see the small-bore Hunters getting some attention at last but if Airfix had intended to offer these marks all along then perhaps they should have engineered the base kit differently in the first place -at least with separate wing leading edges like Revell did.

 

Alternatively it could be a research issue. These are comments not criticisms but I suspect that only the bare minimum of research went into the F.6. Airfix have made an excellent kit...of the particular aircraft at Duxford they LIDAR scanned. That aircraft is an F.6A so doesn't have blast deflectors. Consequently, one of the defining features of the Hunter F.6 (carried by the vast majority of aircraft) has been left out of the F.6 kit (limiting the colour scheme options) - subject research would have shown that surely? There are weird raised panels on the lower intake surfaces. These don't exist on the real aircraft but do seem to be 'artifacts' in the LIDAR scan which have been transferred into the plastic - proper research would have shown that up too wouldn't it? Similarly the single, instead of double, strut on the nose wheel door, too shallow pylons and the featureless and incorrectly shaped ailerons.

 

As I said, comments rather than criticisms, for what it's worth. I'm still delighted that we have a decent Hunter in 1/48 scale at last.