Hawker Hurricanes around the world

[opus999]

That's strange and disappointing about the dark earth paint.  It turned out looking very nice in the end though -- a nice companion to @stevehnz's Buffalo build!  

[ModelingEdmontonian]

Finally got an RFI together for Turkey!
 

Netherlands will be up in a few days or so...

[ModelingEdmontonian]

Well, I suppose this has been more than a few days, but here is the RFI for Netherlands!

 

 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

India (Smer Mk IIc), Portugal (Arma Mk IIc), and South Africa (Arma Mk I) remain outstanding, but with the Turning Japanese GB underway, I'm going to focus on Japan (Arma Mk IIb). I will also start working on some of the parts from other phase 3 (Axis) Hurricanes (Germany, Italy, Finland, Romania) where it makes sense (e.g., props, wheels).

 

By the way, I received my new Japan decals and think they will work just fine. 

 

 

I think the tail "bird" needs more white when compared to the photo, but I'll live with it. I was going to paint the underside Sky Blue as I did with Netherlands, but it really does look more like MSG in the photo, so second guessing that now--maybe FlyingPapas has it right.

 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

This is my WIP thread for Japan (Arma Mk IIb) in the Turning Japanese GB, where I will post most of my build updates for this Hurricane. I haven't opened the other four Phase Three boxes yet (nor have I actually decided which of Finland and Romania will have fabric vs. metal wings!).

 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

I decided to leave Germany (Arma Mk I), Italy (Airfix Mk I), and Finland and Romania (Arma Mk I and Airfix Mk I--not sure which will be which, yet!) in their boxes and focus on Japan and on the remaining Phase 2 'canes. So I pulled India (Smer Mk IIc) back out. I painted the guns.

 

India is wearing  the MMP dark earth, which as I noted previously goes on super smooth, but is very susceptible to water. On the one hand it's the nicest paint I've ever brushed, but it does not play well with others! I began painting the dark green (Tamiya XF-81), but it was pulling off the dark earth as I went. So, I stopped and decided to spray a protective gloss coat before proceeding further.

 

 

I think unfortunately this will be the last plane to use the Mission Models dark earth. 🤪

[ModelingEdmontonian]

On 2/21/2022 at 2:14 PM, dogsbody said:

 

If/when I start another kit, I'm going to try some AK Real Color paint. 

 

Chris

Chris, have you had a chance to try out these AK paints yet? I'm considering picking up this set:

 

https://ak-interactive.com/product/wwii-raf-aircraft-colors/

[ModelingEdmontonian]

So, in what has turned into a bit of a saga, I ended up picking up a Mission Models Dark Green to see how it worked alongside their Dark Earth. I was ok with the colour, and I definitely find the MMP paints great to brush with, so I finished up the camo on India (Smer Mk IIc) and sprayed more gloss coat to seal it in. Last night I put on the upper decals.

 

 

I did the underside some time ago, and at that time also explained how I was using decals from a few sheets, and basing the overall look on the Arma SEAC Hurricane profiles.

 

 

"White A" is definitely more in the "plausible" than "based on a photo" category, but I think it's looking good. I'll work on some of the decals with Microsol today and then seal it in with more spray (I still don't trust the paints with Pledge even with the Vallejo spray gloss coat over top).

Edited May 21, 2022 by ModelingEdmontonian

[Troy Smith]

2 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

Chris, have you had a chance to try out these AK paints yet? I'm considering picking up this set:

 

https://ak-interactive.com/product/wwii-raf-aircraft-colors/

I wasn't impressed by them.  I've seen worse "matches"  but these are not great compared to the RAF museum chips.  

 

That MMP Dark Earth look good in the pic in the last post though.   

 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

40 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

I wasn't impressed by them.  I've seen worse "matches"  but these are not great compared to the RAF museum chips.  

Thanks for the input, Troy, too bad to hear. I was also considering picking up this set (https://ak-interactive.com/product/ww2-finnish-airforce-colors/) to paint my Finnish Hurricane and the Finnish Bf 109G I have underway in my "Minor Gustavs" project. But, I already bought MMP's RLM 65, and have versions of black and olive drab already, so maybe there's no point! 

 

43 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

That MMP Dark Earth look good in the pic in the last post though.   

Yes, I'm happy enough with the colour of the Mission Models paints, and can't say enough about how wonderful they are to brush. I'm just frustrated by their fragility. Even after several coats of gloss, there were a couple spots where paint started coming off as I applied decals with excess water. It is also impacting my ability to move the decals around once applied, because the paint is so "soft." Probably can't tell in the photos above, and it is only marginal, but the roundels and "As" are in slightly different spots on the starboard and port sides because my usual method of pushing the decals around was damaging the paint so I left well enough alone...

[Troy Smith]

20 minutes ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

I'm happy enough with the colour of the Mission Models paints, and can't say enough about how wonderful they are to brush. I'm just frustrated by their fragility.

Hmm.  I take these are a water based acrylic? I know Vallejo are fragile, though I think get harder when fully 'cured' 

Do you use a primer?   You can often find decent acrylic auto primers in a rattle can, in the UK I have used Halfords,  not sure what you have in Canada, but it's a possible cheap way to get a tough primer which more fragile paint will stick to better,  which is usually the problem.

Standard Tamiya acrylic has a bit more 'bite' on plastic as well,  so a thin coat of that can help.

 

You might want to experiment by mixing in some of your Pledge clear coat, as if they are compatible,  that may toughen it, may make it glossy but not quite a covering though, but since you gloss coat it  anyway this may end up the same amount of coats.

 

Hope some of these may help.

 

cheers

T

[dogsbody]

6 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

Chris, have you had a chance to try out these AK paints yet? I'm considering picking up this set:

 

https://ak-interactive.com/product/wwii-raf-aircraft-colors/

 

No, I haven't yet. My desire to build has been off for quite a while now. my basement room gets a bit cold in the winter, at around 17C. I did have a small heater running, keeping it to around 21C, but my daughter and her man live with us and their bedroom is next to my hobbyroom and it made their room a bit too warm for good sleeping. I need to find a heater with some kind of time control that I can set for daylight hours. Even in the heat of summer, my room is cool because of the AC running.

Of course now is a poor time of year to look for heaters.

 

 

 

Chris

[opus999]

I'm partial to SEAC schemes, so I really like the Hurricane in that scheme.  It's a real shame about the mission paints. I've had a tremendous amount of frustration and bad results with acrylics and avoid them, however I know others love Tamiya and vallejo...

[ModelingEdmontonian]

On 5/21/2022 at 2:57 PM, Troy Smith said:

Hmm.  I take these are a water based acrylic? I know Vallejo are fragile, though I think get harder when fully 'cured' 

Yup, water based; in this case it better have been fully cured--the Dark Earth sat for a month+!

 

On 5/21/2022 at 2:57 PM, Troy Smith said:

Do you use a primer?   You can often find decent acrylic auto primers in a rattle can, in the UK I have used Halfords,  not sure what you have in Canada, but it's a possible cheap way to get a tough primer which more fragile paint will stick to better,  which is usually the problem.

About halfway through this project I began using Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer--not especially cheap, but I think pretty good? Is Halfords something like this: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/dupli-color-perfect-match-scratch-filler-grey-primer-0472673p.html#plp? That wouldn't be any cheaper than Tamiya's though.

 

On 5/21/2022 at 2:57 PM, Troy Smith said:

You might want to experiment by mixing in some of your Pledge clear coat, as if they are compatible,  that may toughen it, may make it glossy but not quite a covering though, but since you gloss coat it  anyway this may end up the same amount of coats.

That's interesting and I'm tempted to try it because now I am curious, but I hate mixing paint (which is partly what I like about the Mission Models--I can brush straight from the bottle!) so I don't feel that's a long term solution for me (I'd rather moan on Britmodeller about my struggles than spend time mixing paint 😉). Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions, Troy; always appreciate your comments.

 

23 hours ago, dogsbody said:

No, I haven't yet. My desire to build has been off for quite a while now. my basement room gets a bit cold in the winter, at around 17C. I did have a small heater running, keeping it to around 21C, but my daughter and her man live with us and their bedroom is next to my hobbyroom and it made their room a bit too warm for good sleeping. I need to find a heater with some kind of time control that I can set for daylight hours. Even in the heat of summer, my room is cool because of the AC running.

Of course now is a poor time of year to look for heaters.

Wow, if you have to run a heater even in the summer your AC must be pretty good! I'm jealous! I like sleeping in ~17 C as well, so I struggle in the summer, especially last year. Maybe need to invest in some good AC too...

 

6 hours ago, opus999 said:

I'm partial to SEAC schemes, so I really like the Hurricane in that scheme.  It's a real shame about the mission paints. I've had a tremendous amount of frustration and bad results with acrylics and avoid them, however I know others love Tamiya and vallejo...

Thanks, @opus999!

 

I flipped India (Smer Mk IIc) over to install the pitot tube, stirrup, UC (wheels and doors borrowed from Airfix Mk I kit), and bombs (borrowed from Arma Mk IIb kit). I dirtied up the wheel wells a little, but otherwise haven't bothered with weathering.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I wish you luck with the Tamiya primer, the last two times I used it was exciting at the very least. 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

14 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I wish you luck with the Tamiya primer, the last two times I used it was exciting at the very least. 

Oh yeah? Maybe I wasn't clear--I've used it already on about half of my Hurricanes, and I've been quite happy with it! What were your two "exciting" experiences?

[dogsbody]

As I've gotten older, I find I don't tolerate the cold as well. Probably because I spent too much time outside, at work, during the frigid northern Albertan winters. Also, it may be a side effect of my blood pressure meds. Getting old sucks rodent rectums!

 

My post-menopause wife now seems the find normal room temperature too warm, so she like the room to be no warmer than 20C. So most of the time I'm wearing a sweatshirt or a sweater over a teeshirt.

 

 

 

Chris

[ModelingEdmontonian]

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

As I've gotten older, I find I don't tolerate the cold as well.

Is it as warm up in Ft. Mac as it is down here today?

 

I took advantage of the sunny weather to take India (Smer Mk IIc) outside for a matt coat.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

3 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

Oh yeah? Maybe I wasn't clear--I've used it already on about half of my Hurricanes, and I've been quite happy with it! What were your two "exciting" experiences?

Im not sure if the two cans I bought were from a bad batch or were old. But when I tried the primer on two separate builds, the primer literally boiled as it sat on the plastic. The end result with both builds was me having to surgically remove hundreds of bubbles. Starting with my scalpel then sanding down and removing the primer until I was at raw plastic again. Sadly I couldn't just toss the builds either. They were somewhat rarer kits and were part of group builds. Net result is Ive not really primed anything since with the exception of seams that are filled. 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Also, it may be a side effect of my blood pressure meds. Getting old sucks

I used to have an extreme tolerance to cold weather myself. When I started my B/P meds thats changed significantly but is recovering now about 6 years into taking them. 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

Just now, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Im not sure if the two cans I bought were from a bad batch or were old. But when I tried the primer on two separate builds, the primer literally boiled as it sat on the plastic. The end result with both builds was me having to surgically remove hundreds of bubbles. Starting with my scalpel then sanding down and removing the primer until I was at raw plastic again. Sadly I couldn't just toss the builds either. They were somewhat rarer kits and were part of group builds. 

Oh my! That is tragic. Nothing like that so far, and I think I'm on a second can already... Actually I have zero complaints. I assume you've moved on to a different brand?

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

15 minutes ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

Oh my! That is tragic. Nothing like that so far, and I think I'm on a second can already... Actually I have zero complaints. I assume you've moved on to a different brand?

I almost never prime now, the only exception is filled seams. Usually I just use normal paint thats left in my A/B. If Im painting something and have a number of builds sitting there. I just use whats left rather than A. putting it back in the jar or B. dumping it. My Mitsubishi F.2 is the first priming Ive done the whole plane on in awhile but that was because the base color was to grey in my opinion. 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[dogsbody]

3 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

Is it as warm up in Ft. Mac as it is down here today?

 

It's 12C with a breeze, at 2:30 pm. When I got up at 8:00 am, it was 6C.

 

 

 

Chris

[ModelingEdmontonian]

I've removed the liquid mask from India's (Smer Mk IIc) single landing light and installed the two piece windscreen and canopy. Waiting for some of that Kristal Klear to dry/shrink below the windscreen and then it will likely need a swipe of Dark Green and that should be that.

 

 

These Heller/Smer/Mistercraft kits probably have no future now that Arma is on the scene, but in the end I am happier with how Turkey (Mistercraft Mk IIc) and India turned out than I expected to be.

Edited May 24, 2022 by ModelingEdmontonian

[opus999]

Oh, that turned out lovely!