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Airfix Hunter F.4


Shaun

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I haven't got the kit (yet!) but looking at the sprues you can build a GA.11, the kit includes the arrestor hook, small jet pipe and an extra nose cone and round clear part which I'm guessing to be for the GA.11 with Harley light nose.

Don't forget to add the small over wing bulges for the outboard pylon release.

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1 hour ago, 71chally said:

I haven't got the kit (yet!) but looking at the sprues you can build a GA.11, the kit includes the arrestor hook, small jet pipe and an extra nose cone and round clear part which I'm guessing to be for the GA.11 with Harley light nose.

Don't forget to add the small over wing bulges for the outboard pylon release.

Cool, easy to copy the overwing release blisters in resin from the Academy kit..and i have spare 100gal tanks from the Airfix F6 kit for a 4x tank fit.

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Good question, can't see it as a separate part, but maybe molded with the hook?

Should be easy to scratch one though.

 

This is the F.4 extra sprues, the upper one looks fairly GA.11 orientated.

d_exclusive_new_hawker_hunter_f4_a09189_

Edited by 71chally
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39 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Good question, can't see it as a separate part, but maybe molded with the hook?

Should be easy to scratch one though.

 

This is the F.4 extra sprues, the upper one looks fairly GA.11 orientated.

d_exclusive_new_hawker_hunter_f4_a09189_

I think that sprue is included as it provides the shorter airbrake for the F4.

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It is, and the smaller jet pipe and engine rear, but it also has the smaller tail cone with the arrester hook recess and what looks to be Harley light nose.

I assume you end up with both air brakes in the kit as the longer version is on one of the main sprues.

 

Like the latest RAF Phantom FG.1 release, it seems this is the best Hunter boxing to get as you get extra bits plus the original sprues, so you can in effect build many more variants

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16 hours ago, 71chally said:

Good question, can't see it as a separate part, but maybe molded with the hook?

Should be easy to scratch one though.

 

This is the F.4 extra sprues, the upper one looks fairly GA.11 orientated.

 

Thanks James. Yep, definate GA.11 material there - funny they don't mention it anywhere, but maybe it's intended for a future re-box with GA.11 markings? So nice to see the full Hunter series getting some attention at last.

 

(They do seem to have missed the tail bumper though but, as you say, dead easy to knock one up.)

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If you are making a ‘late’ GA.11, note that many (if not all?) received capability to carry the larger fuel tanks. Therefore they received the cutout flaps. Those are not included in the Airfix kit. Of course with the flaps retracted this a simple scribing job...

 

Regards,

 

Guillaume

 

Ps: It is interesting to note the GA.11, when carrying the large tanks, did NOT have the extra strut which was seen on FGA.9 and F.6A Hunters....

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12 hours ago, guillaume320 said:

If you are making a ‘late’ GA.11, note that many (if not all?) received capability to carry the larger fuel tanks. Therefore they received the cutout flaps. Those are not included in the Airfix kit. Of course with the flaps retracted this a simple scribing job...

 

Regards,

 

Guillaume

 

Ps: It is interesting to note the GA.11, when carrying the large tanks, did NOT have the extra strut which was seen on FGA.9 and F.6A Hunters....

Are you sure, Guillaume? I've never come across any image of a GA.11 with anything other than 100-gal tanks. If you have a photo of this combination I would be very interested.

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9 hours ago, Truro Model Builder said:

Are you sure, Guillaume? I've never come across any image of a GA.11 with anything other than 100-gal tanks. If you have a photo of this combination I would be very interested.

I'm pretty sure yes. Have a look at this video .... All of them with the larger tanks, even the T.8C's!

 

Also this shot for example

 

G

Edited by guillaume320
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1 hour ago, guillaume320 said:

I'm pretty sure yes. Have a look at this video .... All of them with the larger tanks, even the T.8C's!

 

Also this shot for example

 

G

Well, every day certainly is a school day. Many thanks, Guillaume. And also for the video link. Who could get bored watching Hunters all day?

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On 2/25/2020 at 10:18 AM, guillaume320 said:

If you are making a ‘late’ GA.11, note that many (if not all?) received capability to carry the larger fuel tanks. Therefore they received the cutout flaps. Those are not included in the Airfix kit. Of course with the flaps retracted this a simple scribing job...

 

Regards,

 

Guillaume

 

Ps: It is interesting to note the GA.11, when carrying the large tanks, did NOT have the extra strut which was seen on FGA.9 and F.6A Hunters....

Some of the early serial GA.11s were pre- Mod 228 - could only carry two 100 gallon tanks on the inboard pylons. Most, if not all FRADU aircraft with the 83* series of nose codes were pre-Mod 228.

regards

Andrew

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Having just received the F.4 kit and noticing that it had the Harley Light nose, I was going to start asking the same sort of questions. You have all saved me some time but I'm still not clear which tail and air brake parts to use ?. Should I be using the F.Mk.6 tail parts from the first boxing or the ones included on the 'GA.11' sprue in the F.4 boxing ?.....and is it the long or short air brake that is required ?.

 

Thanks in anticipation. 

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On 3/1/2020 at 5:35 PM, StephenMG said:

GA.11s were converted F.4s so you'll need the narrower tailcone and the shorter airbrake from the F.4 boxing.

OK......I've done some further research and started tinkering with the kit parts in the F.4 boxing (since that has all the parts included in the original F.6 kit plus the two new sprues). I've now worked out what tailcone parts to use and ascertained that I will need to scratchbuild an offset tail bumper that would have otherwise interfered with the housing and operation of the tailhook. I am, however, still a little confused by the references to 'shorter' and 'longer' airbrakes. The two parts in the F.4 kit are the same length but obviously have a different concave measurement based on how they 'sit' against the relative fuselage when fully retracted. The fairings at the front are obviously different too but I cannot see any really significant difference in the measurement of the two airbrakes themselves and this seems to be borne out in the reference photographs and colour side profiles that I have found in my book and magazine collection. Can someone elaborate further on this ?

 

Thanks        

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There are two designs of airbrake found on Hunters. Although, overall, they are the same length the moveable part on later airbrakes was lengthened. This was done following the introduction of the more powerful 200-series Avon engine with the F.6 to provide a more powerful brake. See the photos here - https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235066138-airfix-hunter-f4/&tab=comments#comment-3557354 - to see the two designs. For the F.4/GA.11 you need the 'early' style, assuming that's what Airfix have provided (I haven't got the F.4 kit yet).

 

Hope that helps.

Mark

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11 hours ago, StephenMG said:

There are two designs of airbrake found on Hunters. Although, overall, they are the same length the moveable part on later airbrakes was lengthened. This was done following the introduction of the more powerful 200-series Avon engine with the F.6 to provide a more powerful brake. See the photos here - https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235066138-airfix-hunter-f4/&tab=comments#comment-3557354 - to see the two designs. For the F.4/GA.11 you need the 'early' style, assuming that's what Airfix have provided (I haven't got the F.4 kit yet).

 

Hope that helps.

Mark

OK......Many Thanks......the link and photos of the two styles of airbrakes proved very useful. I married up the two different airbrakes (moveable portions) supplied in the F.4 kit and the dimensions are marginally different (and I do mean marginal) although the depth of the concave is slightly more discernible. The hinge fairings onto which they are mounted are, however, quite different and Airfix appear to have done a reasonable job in distinguishing between the two if I compare them with your photos. That said, I suspect Barracuda, Quickboost or some other aftermarket company will want to bring out a 'next level' correction set for the airbrakes. 

 

Thanks again for your excellent assistance........all is now clear.

 

Mark   

 

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I'm now after some more assistance as I move towards 'buttoning up the cockpit'. I have been looking for GA.11 cockpit shots on line since there is doubt about whether the aircraft had any form of gunsight or other 'visibility obstacle' fitted on top of the coaming. Also, in at least one photo, there appears to be only one extended glare shield (on the Port side) of the same cockpit coaming. I'm reluctant to go any further because I am always suspicious about photos of museum or restored examples since they may have omitted or embellished items, particularly in the cockpit. The two photos I have seen appear to show a simple 'bar' across the top of the coaming without any evidence of a gunsight etc.

 

Grateful for any help   

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2 hours ago, Tiger331 said:

I'm now after some more assistance as I move towards 'buttoning up the cockpit'. I have been looking for GA.11 cockpit shots on line since there is doubt about whether the aircraft had any form of gunsight or other 'visibility obstacle' fitted on top of the coaming.

They could be fitted with a gyro gunsight in service, I'm guessing for the rocket pods that they could carry.

 

I have pictures taken inside GA.11s but they are preserved examples and as you say they are modified to carry GPS systems etc.

Somewhere I have pilots notes for the GA.11, will try and find them.

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On 3/14/2020 at 1:24 PM, Tiger331 said:

I'm now after some more assistance as I move towards 'buttoning up the cockpit'. I have been looking for GA.11 cockpit shots on line since there is doubt about whether the aircraft had any form of gunsight or other 'visibility obstacle' fitted on top of the coaming. Also, in at least one photo, there appears to be only one extended glare shield (on the Port side) of the same cockpit coaming. I'm reluctant to go any further because I am always suspicious about photos of museum or restored examples since they may have omitted or embellished items, particularly in the cockpit. The two photos I have seen appear to show a simple 'bar' across the top of the coaming without any evidence of a gunsight etc.

 

Grateful for any help   

This is a diagram of the GA.11/PR.11 cockpit from the AP which may help to figure what should and shouldn't be fitted. The AP includes updates up to 1972.

spacer.png

 

Edited by StephenMG
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2 hours ago, StephenMG said:

This is a diagram of the GA.11/PR.11 cockpit from the AP which may help to figure what should and shouldn't be fitted. The AP includes updates up to 1972.

spacer.png

 

BRILLIANT.....Just what I'm looking for and just in time.....I've been working on the instrument panels today.....The instruments on the Aires film backed panel were too dark, even against a white background, so I resorted to applying individual Airscale instrument decals behind the photo-etched frame which took a bit longer. Hoping to get everything buttoned up this coming week.

 

Thanks again

 

Mark   

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