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Building the 1/72 AZ models DH Hornet


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With the instrument panel shroud painted black and the canopy glued down, the aluminium doped colours have been applied.

 

This was a can of Humbrol polished aluminium applied over a coat of grey primer. It's dried with a nice satin-matt sheen, and resembles the original aluminium dope painted over the wing and fuselage Irish linen covering well.

 

IMG_20201207_160751_438~2

 

IMG_20201207_160916_356~2

 

 

 

 

Edited by David A Collins
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1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

Crikey this is moving very quick now, great work David.  Are they releasing the Navy versions?

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

I haven't read anywhere that Navy versions are planned unfortunately. 

Having got this far with building the RAF F.3, you can see that it wouldn't take much to convert it to a Sea Hornet F.20 though.

 

You'd need to add the attestor hook, a pair of hooks for the catapult, move the pitot tube inboard, on the exterior. Within the cockpit, the pilots ladder is relocated above the ammunition boxes, and a pilots head damper is added behind the seat armour.

 

The rest can be managed with paint differences.

 

Maybe I'll convert one in this thread after the F.4.

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This is the finished F.3 fuselage. The four rockets and two b0mbs will be added when their paint is dry.

 

I've painted this as WB881, 5R-E of 33 Squadron based at RAF Butterworth, Malaya in the summer of 1952.

IMG_20201208_194718_774~2

 

 

IMG_20201208_194937_730~2

 

 

IMG_20201208_194902_704~2

 

 

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IMG_20201208_195031_334

 

Photo credit to F/Lt Lumsden who flew this aircraft.

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F.3 ready for inspection here:

 

 

That'll be it for a while from me, as I've run out of some key paint colours, and will have to re-stock to start the F.4.

 

Edited by David A Collins
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Following a short interlude waiting for paint to arrive, here is the first stage of the Hornet F.4 build.

 

IMG_20201211_202405_881

 

So what's different between an F.4 and earlier marks?

All were produced with the downward pointing camera, located in the underside door. This is the same position as the rearmost PR.2 camera.

The cannon armament was retained from the F.3, as was the instrument panel shroud and gunsite.

Unseen to the modeller though is the tropicalisation kit.

 

To complete the set of four main RAF Hornet colour schemes, this one will be painted in the green/grey upper-side camouflage and PRU Blue underside. The C/O's machine had white spinners, and there were red and blue flight spinner colours too.

 

Serial numbers for the 12 aircraft produced ranged from WF968-WF979. I've chosen WF978, Q from blue flight as the subject of this build.

 

Photo credit to F/O Andy Whitsun.

IMG_20201211_205959_901~2

 

80 Squadron were based at RAF Kai Tak, to provide air defence for Hong Kong. All Hornets were ferried there with the long range external tanks fitted. In the main, all of the Hornets were supplied in aluminium doped finish, so the tanks were painted accordingly. When the Hornets flew longer range sorties, the distances often necessitated fitting these tanks again. Later in their service use, you would sometimes see camouflaged aircraft fitted with aluminium coloured tanks, but always with empty rocket rails.

 

Edited by David A Collins
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2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

The F3 looks wonderful and you have done a cracking job  on it.  Looking forward to the F4 the camouflaged aircraft with the aluminium coloured tanks would interesting to model.

Chris

 

 

A typical example with the aluminium coloured tanks. Photo courtesy of F/O Andy Whitsun.

IMG_20201213_104142_984

 

 

 

Edited by David A Collins
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F.4 work in progress. The three main colours were masked and sprayed yesterday. Decals for 80 Squadron have been applied today.

 

IMG_20201214_184835_522~2

 

 

IMG_20201214_184923_174~2

 

 

IMG_20201214_184941_362~2

 

Details still to add:

Port wing landing lamp.

Camera port.

Paint undercarriage bays.

Pitot tube.

Engine exhausts.

Empty rocket rails.

Fit wheels, nav lights and propeller assemblies.

Edited by David A Collins
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On 03/12/2020 at 16:49, David A Collins said:

 

You're right. In fact deHavilland studied versions of the Hornet and Mosquito with Griffon engine's and came to exactly the same conclusions.

Sorry , I'll call the fun Police.

 

Undoubtedly it may not of worked CoG balance and fulcrums and all that but I am talking about a model , just to see what a brute it would look like . Not a classic elegant DH design which they were well known for....  

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1 hour ago, Paulaero said:

Sorry , I'll call the fun Police.

 

Undoubtedly it may not of worked CoG balance and fulcrums and all that but I am talking about a model , just to see what a brute it would look like . Not a classic elegant DH design which they were well known for....  

 

Just in the same way the Napier-Heston racer and the Gee Bee R1 were intended as agile sprint racing machines. A Griffon or Sabre modified what-if model Hornet racer would be cool to see.

Edited by David A Collins
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5 hours ago, gunzo said:

Hi David

 

I'd like to build the AZ kit as Sea Hornet F20 TT193 in its civilian role as CF-GUO. Do you have any info on where its vertical camera port/ ports was/were located?

 

les

 

Hi Les,

The vertical camera installation on Sea Hornet F20 TT193 in its civilian role as CF-GUO, must have been in the same/similar location to the forward PR2 position.

 

I'm not aware of a photo showing it, but it is a logical location based in the following reasons:

(1) Once the four cannon and ammunition boxes are removed there is a big vertical space under the rear of the canopy down to the underside of the belly doors.

(2) Placing the camera here doesn't affect the fuel tank capacity located behind it.

(3) No effect on centre of gravity.

(4) Operator sitting above.

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Thanks David

 

That now makes sense of where I understand the camera operator was situated- presumably all pretty close to the CofG. I guess the armoured seat back was also removed for access (seems to be absent in photos)?

 

Les

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On 12/8/2020 at 8:03 AM, David A Collins said:

Having got this far with building the RAF F.3, you can see that it wouldn't take much to convert it to a Sea Hornet F.20 though...

A thing I love about this forum is that just as I think to ask questions someone else does it!

8 hours ago, gunzo said:

Hi David

 

I'd like to build the AZ kit as Sea Hornet F20 TT193 in its civilian role as CF-GUO. Do you have any info on where its vertical camera port/ ports was/were located?

 

les

And again! Although I'm thinking TT193 in-service, or wait until she's restored and do it right...

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6 minutes ago, k5054nz said:

Although I'm thinking TT193 in-service, or wait until she's restored and do it right...

 I may already be a tad too old for that option. Fingers crossed 'though!

 

les

 

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42 minutes ago, gunzo said:

 I may already be a tad too old for that option. Fingers crossed 'though!

 

les

 

Not impossible but considering the leftover .... http://warbirdsnews.com/aircraft-restoration/de-havilland-sea-hornet-airworthy-restoration-project.html

Edited by manuel
correction of erros on text
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17 hours ago, gunzo said:

Thanks David

 

That now makes sense of where I understand the camera operator was situated- presumably all pretty close to the CofG. I guess the armoured seat back was also removed for access (seems to be absent in photos)?

 

Les

 

Hi Les,

That's a good observation you've made on civilian photos depicting CF-GUO. 

The pilots armour plate is absent.

It is likely that this was cut off level with the canopy rails, as the pilots seat attaches to it. Failing that, if it is removed completely then you would have to make new top attachments for the seat.

Depending on how the camera operator got into the aircraft too, then with the armour removed this would give them access from the front.

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50 minutes ago, David A Collins said:

Depending on how the camera operator got into the aircraft too, then with the armour removed this would give them access from the front.

As things stand, I'm going along the lines of a new seat attachment bar and the photographer's 'hand hold' being one and the same.

 

Slight digression; I'm awaiting copy of a Canadian Aviation Historical Society article which seems to quote camera operator John Duffin having seen leaking glycol from the 'port observation window' on its (to date) final flight.

 

Les

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