RNZAF Hawker Hind

[LDSModeller]

 

Hi All,

 

So the Meteor and Mosquito are underway (more to post on this soon) Whilst soldering away on those,

I have decided to do some additional builds. and I have a couple of "Nostalgic Builds"  Planned,

More on that soon

 

 

 

With that, onto my Topic Build.

I quite like this photo, taken at RNZAF Station Nelson. An Open day held by the RNZAF

 

(RNZAF Official - RNZAF Museum - Used with Permissions)

Two Hinds RHS and a Hind sans skin, Note Hudson behind too.

The Hinds by this time have become Instructional Airframes.

 

There is a news paper article for this open day, and though you can't see it, the Me 109E that was

gifted to New Zealand by Great Britain for our Service during the Battle of Britain, was there also.

 

Me 109 info

Hanging from the hangar Ceiling at RNZAF Station Nelson

 

(RNZAF Official - RNZAF Museum - Used with Permissions)

 

On display (thought to be Wellington City) - Pretty sure this was a War Bonds Drive

(RNZAF Official - RNZAF Museum - Used with Permissions)

 

OK back to the Hind

By mid 1943 all the remaining/surviving Hinds (of an original total of about 63 or so received) had been withdrawn from flying

training to become Instructional Frames.

Technical shows were popular (especially for the younger generation ) This youngster must have a had a field day imagining

shooting down "Enemy Aircraft" in this Hind's rear cockpit - Note the Gun ring and attachment

Photo at Hastings (East North Island)

(RNZAF Official - RNZAF Museum - Used with Permissions)

 

Technical Training Schools (TTS) Note Hind, Baffin and Tomtit - RNZAF Station Rongoitai (now Wellington Airport)

(RNZAF Official - RNZAF Museum - Used with Permissions)

 

Unfortunately Mother Nature can at time make life difficult, but also provide invaluable information,

like this over turned Hind with the lower section of fuselage showing

These Hinds/Vildebeest were in these unflattering poses, as a result of a Tornado, at RNZAF Station

Nelson.

(RNZAF Official - RNZAF Museum - Used with Permissions)

 

So Thus far I have the Airfix Demon Kit. - I have seen /read through builds here on BM, where modellers

have converted a Hawker Demon, so I think I can have a good go

 

The Kit photos

 

Kit Markings on back of box - I'm going to make mine in NZ Dark Earth/NZ Dark Green/NZ Duck Egg Blue (Sky)

 

Decals - I may use the Roundels

 

Kit Instructions

 

The actual Plastic - Not much to it

 

This will be my first Bi Plane in a while, so we'll see how I go

 

Thanks for looking in

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

[stevehnz]

A brave move Alan & one I'll tag along on if I may. I've the AZ Hind kit with RNZAF option in it as well as a recent Airfix Demon but not really looked at them much. I hope this might provide some inspiration.

Steve.

[LDSModeller]

50 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

A brave move Alan & one I'll tag along on if I may.

Hi Steve,

 

From what I've seen on other build threads, it should be reasonably straight

forward, but we'll wait and see

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Ray S]

I have this new release in my stash too, so I will follow this with interest. The history is great too, please keep it coming!

 

Cheers,

 

Ray

[CliffB]

For me, Hawker biplanes = silver wings, so seeing this one in camo will be quite exotic 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Alan my apologies for a late welcome, a Hind conversion is a great choice. 

[LDSModeller]

On 3/15/2021 at 10:13 PM, Ray S said:

I have this new release in my stash too, so I will follow this with interest. The history is great too, please keep it coming!

 

Hi Ray,

Thanks, Glad you like the history

On 3/16/2021 at 8:01 PM, CliffB said:

For me, Hawker biplanes = silver wings, so seeing this one in camo will be quite exotic

Hi Cliff

Hope you like the finished product, here's another one that might interest you

 

Hind TTS Rongotai -  Note the Port Lower Black Wings

Hind TTS Rongotai

 

On 3/16/2021 at 9:41 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

a Hind conversion is a great choice. 

Hi Dennis

Hope it works out well

 

Hi All

An Update - With Easter Weekend Holidays, got to

get some serious model building done

 

So where to begin?

I needed to remove the moulded kit seats

to do the interior the way I want

 

The wings needed a good sanding to get rid of the oversized ribbing, and I filled in the mould ejection

holes with putty (that wasn't too successful though)

 

I sanded the fuselage, the Hind didn't have a Starboard fuselage gun/trough, so will need filling in

 

Here we go, partially failed, in that the trough is too deep for the putty

 

The lower wing has ribbing which needs to be removed, to install the bomb aimer's window

 

Ribbing removed ready to stall window, though the window was covered by a sliding cover, as seen

in the photo above of the Hind resting in an ungainly pose

I also removed some of the fuselage well where the wing sits, as the wing trailing edge sat proud

 

So with the seating gone the Cockpit/Gunners pit were just holes

 

I have some thin rod that I will use to build the internal framing

 

I have a 1/24 Airfix Hurricane, that I have slowly been working my way through to use as a visual reference

I notice that the hind is similar (in some respects)

 

Dave Homewood really great guy all round, that I know, who owns an RNZAF Forum

I belong to here in New Zealand, who is also former RNZAF, and also a Researcher on

all things RNZAF (especially WWII) has kindly allowed me the use of his Photos of a former

RNZAF Hind that was/still is at the Subritzky family home/farm North of Auckland.

Dave took these some years ago during a forum meet, (I didn't get to make it that day)

Dave is the owner of these photos, and any use must be granted by him with proper

copyright acknowledged to him (Dave is a member on BM too)

(Copyright Dave Homewood - used with Dave's permission)

 

So accordingly I started making the frame out of the rod

 

Sitting in the fuselage half

 

So that's it thus far, hope you like/enjoy

 

Thanks for looking in

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DaveyGair]

I have this kit in an original poly bag, not sure if I'll make a Hind out of it but I'll keep your build for reference 🙂

 

Davey.

[John Masters]

Looking very nice.  I always enjoy a good scratch-built interior!

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff Alan

I am a little disappointed that the blue elastic band isn't going to be used to power a spinning prop, but I'll get over it  

Best of luck mate.

Cheers Pat 

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Alan

Have you had a chance to make any progress with your Hind yet ?

Cheers Pat 

[LDSModeller]

On 4/29/2021 at 10:39 AM, JOCKNEY said:

I am a little disappointed that the blue elastic band isn't going to be used to power a spinning prop, but I'll get over it

Hi Pat,

Yeah the Blue Elastic band..... Probably would  spin the prop, but the whole adventure would be a little lackluster

getting the thing to move, let a lone fly........  - it's a bit like (when younger), sitting the Airfix Sunderland

in the bathtub with water, looking for it to float like the real thing,s only to watch it become a submersible

11 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Have you had a chance to make any progress with your Hind yet

 

I can report I have made some progress, just haven't got around to posting it yet, trying

to get the Mosquito over the line (the word trying, being operative and descriptive )

 

To  to give you something to look at whilst getting to post pictures, and because I can't

guarantee the "Blue Elastic band" will amount to anything energetic how about

these photos of a Blue Rolls Royce Kestral, used to power the Hind

 

Taken by me at MOTAT here in Auckland - Note The "Rams Horn" Exhausts - those are giving me

nightmares on how to replicate also note the Potts Oil Cooler at the bottom part of photo too

 

Front of engine with Propeller nosecone and Hucks Starter attachment

 

Lower section of "Rams Horn" Exhausts

 

Rear of the engine

 

Hope that gives you something to enjoy (help get over the heartache of the Blue Elastic band )

while waiting for Post /build updates.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Do you have any spare Hurricane 3 stub exhausts and round jeweler files ? Maybe drill a hole near the base of the stubs and file to get the shape ? 

[LDSModeller]

17 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Do you have any spare Hurricane 3 stub exhausts and round jeweler files ? Maybe drill a hole near the base of the stubs and file to get the shape ?

Hi Dennis.

 

No spare 3 Stub Hurricane exhausts, but I may have a some spare 3 stud Mk I Spitfire ones,

that I could try (have the round jeweler's file - that's a start right )

I had been toying around with some ideas, but your comments have

helped cement some of those thoughts - Thanks heaps

 

Get back to you on how that goes

 

Regards

 

Alan