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Hurricane radiators - is there a tropical, or later type on the Mk.II and IV? And is there a different Canadian inlet shape?


Troy Smith

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Graham, if I'm not mistaken, @Gomtuu described what drawing no. 108452 says about the Mk. II radiator housing. That part number is cross referenced in the extract from the Schedule of Spare Parts posted by @StevSmar. Could we say we are almost there, although we have not seen the actual drawing? Of course, the more, the better.

Edited by ClaudioN
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Maybe this could be of interest?

I was at last able to find the Spitfire tropical radiator thread here on BM, where it is said that Spitfire tropical radiator frontal area was greater by 8%.

Looking at the images posted by @StevSmar, my eyeball analysis suggests that the intake areas of the two Mk. II radiator fairings might differ by a similar amount.

 

 

Edited by ClaudioN
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17 hours ago, ClaudioN said:

...where it is said that Spitfire tropical radiator frontal area was greater by 8%.... Looking at the images posted by @StevSmar, my eyeball analysis suggests that the intake areas of the two Mk. II radiator fairings might differ by a similar amount....

I can definitely say that what I posted won't be accurate to 8%... More likely 15% at the very best.

I found some photos of RCAF 5389:

50841524382_4aa5b3330d_o.jpg

 

50840713408_0a94984607_o.jpg

 

It sure doesn't have the flat sides like we've seen in other MkII pictures.

(I don't know if the solder blobs were done by the restoration crew or if these were wartime repairs)

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On 1/15/2021 at 4:15 AM, Graham Boak said:

... I'd still like to see what AL Bentley made of this, although I don't recall a Mk.II front view

When I corresponded with AL Bentley in the early 90's, he sent me copies of his rough layout drawings where he'd overlaid the features from different Mk's of Hurricane (Prototype overlaid on MkI, MkII and MkIV overlaid).

This is an excerpt from the MkII/IV rough layout drawing:

50841501836_e7fce03525_o.jpg

 

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1 hour ago, StevSmar said:

I can definitely say that what I posted won't be accurate to 8%... More likely 15% at the very best.

Well, I just had a look at the photo you posted showing overlaid radiators, placed a ruler on the PC screen, measured the height of the two openings, then computed the ratio.

That's accuracy at its extreme, don't you think? 😉

1 hour ago, StevSmar said:

I found some photos of RCAF 5389:

Interesting: the radiator on 5389 has a honeycomb structure, exactly like the oil cooler. The radiator on KX829 has fins instead.

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1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

although just where does this other variant come from?

Canada.  Every Canadian Mk.XII (or Canadian IIb) I have seen has the rounded side radiator.   

 

It maybe just the CCF just made a jig based on the Mk.I which has the same curved corners.

 

I suspect it's one of those things that made no difference to function,  in they way that the CM/1 and ES/9 Rotol spinners are seen fitted throughout the war too all Merlin XX Hurricane variants, and so has not been commented on.

 

The only people it is of concern to is detail and accuracy interested modellers......    

 

I sent @airjiml2 a message, as he has studied Canadian Hurricanes

https://www.ascalecanadian.com/2007/10/rcaf-hawker-hurricanes-part-1.html

 

https://www.ascalecanadian.com/2015/06/the-sea-hurricane-in-canada.html

 

 

I had spotted this rounded corners in this image a while back

WAAF_armourers_and_flight_mechanics_serv

 

and wondered if it was a Sea hurricane IC at a training unit, as it wasn't a 'Mk.II' radiator.... 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235064832-hurricane-iic-lf-363-canon-stubs-camera-port/#elControls_3525450_menu

 

 

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Probably not of any use to this discussion, but here are a couple photos I took of a couple Hurricanes in Canadian museums.

 

The first was taken back in`88, at the CWH museum. I can`t remember if this survived the fire a few years later or not.

 

50842174226_115147c46c_b.jpg

 

 

This one was taken back in 2008, at The Reynolds Museum, in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

 

50841464593_ed584b1cfc_b.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

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Not helping with this discussion, though I like this image anyway as it's one of the few which shows how the radiator is made:

50851227417_46c4e396e4_o.jpg

From Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

 

So when they made the jigs for the MkII, they would have just increased the height of the jig and maybe the contours were just a by-product?

Edited by StevSmar
I like editing, it makes people think care is going into my posts...LOL.
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When looking for something else I stumbled upon the website of Replicore New Zealand who have a very interesting section on their restored Hurricane radiators. Essentially it seems there were different shaped tubes for the Mk I and Mk II, the latter being more efficient.

 

spacer.png

The Mk II type above

 

Below Mk II types in Mk I core :

 

spacer.png

 

A slideshow with annotations linked below:

 

https://www.replicore.co.nz/gallery/MK1-and-MK2-Hawker-Hurricane-radiator-and-oil-cooler-cores/20

 

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The Arma Hobby artwork for the Mk.IIC and Mk.IIC/IIB boxes show the "rectangular" radiator intake, so someone else has noticed.  However the kit for the Mk.IIC contains an elliptical intake (Canadian style).  I presume the same is true for the later boxings.  I have sent a message to them about this thread, so let's wait and see what (if anything) happens.

 

The next thing here is perhaps to take a file or two to various kits' radiators and see how much closer to the rectangular ones they can be with a little tlc.

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On 1/26/2021 at 6:00 AM, Graham Boak said:

The Arma Hobby artwork for the Mk.IIC and Mk.IIC/IIB boxes show the "rectangular" radiator intake, so someone else has noticed.  However the kit for the Mk.IIC contains an elliptical intake (Canadian style).  I presume the same is true for the later boxings.  I have sent a message to them about this thread, so let's wait and see what (if anything) happens.

 

The next thing here is perhaps to take a file or two to various kits' radiators and see how much closer to the rectangular ones they can be with a little tlc.

The AZ Models Hurricane Mk V kit has a very nice resin larger radiator with the squared-off opening and armored saddle. Would exchange my starboard nether part for an Arma Mk V kit, but doubt very seriously they will do one....unless they decide to do a Mk IV at some point, which would need a different wing sprue from their other releases. To hope, perchance to dream!  :please:

Mike

Edited by 72modeler
corrected text
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  • Troy Smith changed the title to Hurricane radiators - is there a tropical, or later type on the Mk.II and IV? And is there a different Canadian inlet shape?
  • 1 year later...

I am refreshing up this thread.

Does anyone know what the extra pipes on the back of the radiator were and what Hurricanes they were used in? See attached photo. 

Most Hurricanes have no sign of this additional installation, some have only short pipe spigots protruding through the bottom surface of the wing, but no pipes.

spacer.png

 

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3 hours ago, Tomasz Gronczewski said:

Does anyone know what the extra pipes on the back of the radiator were and what Hurricanes they were used in? See attached photo. 

Most Hurricanes have no sign of this additional installation, some have only short pipe spigots protruding through the bottom surface of the wing, but no pipes.

Unrestored Finnish Hurricane

013462.jpg

011082.jpg

 

 

It's not a well photographed area.     AFAIK they are the coolant in/out pipes.

this is the pipe running back to the radiator

h142.jpg

 

this is from the incredible  Hurricane build here by @Aims

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235129863-aims-132-prtac-r-conversion-for-revell-hawker-hurricane-mk-ii/

 

showing how the pipe feeds in from above

IMGP8506.jpg

 

 

It's possible warbirds use a radiator with inlet pipes from above, so the pipes are not visible on these.

 

93-3.jpg

see

https://www.replicore.co.nz/gallery

 

A look at the Hurricane Mk.II manual shows a radiator like the one above in the drawing.

 

@StevSmar is a Hurricane 'nut and bolts' chap, and may have more.

 

HTH

 

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Thank you Troy!

John McIllmurray's build of Revell Hurricane is simply astonishing.

As regards the radiators, the topic becomes more and more intriguing, quite like Hitchcock's prescription for a good thriller :), I have not seen this installation in Finnish Hurricane before, and I am puzzled! The Finnish Hurricanes were the early built aircraft of the N23xx production series (Hawker production block 2), but their production lasted from the second half of 1939 to the late spring of 1940. And the original factory drawing of Hurricane Mk.I / Sea Hurricane Mk.I released in November 1938 calls for upper inlet/outlet configuration just like in Replicore postwar radiators!

 

2023-09-21_23-27-26.jpg

 

So apparently there were some different configurations used.

For example, the drawing above refers to another drawings (94864-94865) of combined cooler for tropical aircraft (the dreaded desert radiator discussed above). Apparently, these drawings of the "tropical" radiator seem not to survive...

Also, the drawing metric contains a term I don't understand: "Cancelled for Hurr Mk.I & Sea Hurr IA & IB & IC, by as Hurr 450/2". See the metric zoomed:

 

2023-09-21_23-38-46.jpg

 

What is interesting, the drawing made in 1938 mentions ALREADY the tropical mod. So tropical radiators were already in production when Finnish Hurricanes were being built. No other mod is described on these drawings. So we have two proven configurations (upper inlets/outlets and rear inlets/outlets), and two references to drawings ("temperate" 77275-77276 and "tropical" 94884-94885).

I know, I know. Too much speculations and too much wishful thinking.

 

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7 minutes ago, Tomasz Gronczewski said:

So we have two proven configurations (upper inlets/outlets and rear inlets/outlets), and two references to drawings ("temperate" 77275-77276 and "tropical" 94884-94885).

Fascinating.  New to me, so of great interest.   Again, I'll @StevSmar

One detail of note on the zoomed drawing,  "ALUM LACQUER & UNDERCOAT"   which is the first time I have seen note of paint finish detail on a drawing.

 

great post.

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"One detail of note on the zoomed drawing,  "ALUM LACQUER & UNDERCOAT"   which is the first time I have seen note of paint finish detail on a drawing."

 

Indeed! It turned my attention too.

 

I just found factory "General Arrangement" drawing of the engine cooling system of Hurricane Mk.I. Again, upper configuration is shown:

Edit:

Sorry I misread the metric. It is Mk.II.

 

2023-09-22_00-45-46.jpg

 

Edited by Tomasz Gronczewski
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41 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

Likely answer from @StevSmar

Gun heating tubes

 

Now everything is clear, these tubes ends simply touch the rear wall of the radiator. Hence the absence of any marks on the radiator.

Thank you very much Troy and StevSmar!

Edited by Tomasz Gronczewski
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