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Hawker Hurricane MK1 interior colours


Alan Carr

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I have started the Airfix 1/48 Hawker Hurricane MK 1 and I’m rather confused as to the internal colours Airfix show quite a bit of aluminium and some interior green, but when I google Hurricane interiors green seems more predominant. I thought I would do LE T flown by Sub Lt Richard Exxon Jimmy Gardner in August 1940. 
 Like all these subjects when did the change happen that dictated a change of the interior colours?

Any help would be appreciated, and I’m sorry for digging out an old sore

Best wishes 

Alan

Edited by Alan Carr
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Alan,

From the relevant Hurricane Mk I  'protective finishes' documents:

Cockpit interior - grey green

Tubular framework within cockpit - aluminium

Pilot seat - aluminium

Rudder pedal heel boards - black or plain aluminium

 

These interior colours remained in effect for all UK built Hurricanes until PZ865, the last Hurricane built (a IIc)

 

Also, wheel wells - aluminium

 

HTH

Cheers

Dave

Edited by tango98
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19 minutes ago, Alan Carr said:

I have started the Airfix 1/48 Hawker Hurricane MK 1 and I’m rather confused as to the internal colours Airfix show quite a bit of aluminium and some interior green, but when I google Hurricane interiors green seems more predominant. I thought I would do LE T flown by Sub Lt Richard Exxon Jimmy Gardner in August 1940. 
 Like all these subjects when did the change happen that dictated a change of the interior colours?

Any help would be appreciated, and I’m sorry for digging out an old sore

Best wishes 

Alan

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234967761-airfix-hurricane-interior-colour-confusion/

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234954200-early-hurricane-cockpit-colours-as-per-airfix-instruction/ 

 https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/52968-hurricane-mk1-cockpit-colour/

 

 

Selwyn

 

Quote

 

 

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On 17/07/2021 at 17:30, Alan Carr said:

I thought I would do LE T flown by Sub Lt Richard Exxon Jimmy Gardner in August 1940. 

Hmm.... well, regarding interiors,  what Dave posted is correct for the era you are asking about.   

IIRC there is debate about what plane(s) were flown By Sub Lt Gardner, 

If this means this LE-T , V7203

Hawker-Hurricane-I-RAF-242Sqn-LET-SubLt-

 

Then you can't make it (accurately) from the Airfix kit..... it is one of the 50 built in the summer of 1940 with fabric wings

 

see https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235005804-hurricane-p3886-uniqe-fabric-wing/page/2/&tab=comments#elControls_3737491_menu

 

The whole thread is worth a read, and this info was first made available here, and is not 'in the books' , as is a sizeable amount of Hurricane detail information.   

 

For info on what Sub Lt Gardner may have flown, and if it is, or is not the above,  I'd suggest @Grey Beema and @tonyot will be the chaps to ask, @iang maybe know as well.

 

 

Regarding interior colours,  in more depth.

Very early Hurricanes show a mid grey tone in B/W photos, including the wheel well, so interior grey green. This seems to have switched during the L**** series production, (first batch built)  and early in this run, as all the clear wreck photos in France show the following, 

This was then switched to the all interior parts in aluminium paint except the upper cockpit side walls and rear bulkhead.  This includes wheel wells, and the wooden interior parts of the fuselage, though fabric was not painted internally.

 

Later on, as best I can determine the 8th Hawker built batch, Serials KW/KZ on, the internals switch to all grey green (there is debate on the rear fuselage tubing) but images of a KX Hurricane IId cockpit, production line photos and a painting by war artist show the switch, with wheel wells and inside of UC doors in underside colour. 

This is a summary, really needs rewriting, and other images collating.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234963507-all-the-hurricane-questions-you-want-to-ask-here/page/2/#elControls_1682406_menu

 

Ohm seems the 300 made by Austin Motors were also all grey green internally, as there is film of them being made.  Nearly of these went direct to Russia, so not relevant to your question. 

 

Now I can hear your groans ;) 

 

HTH

T

 

PS yon change the title of your thread using the edit facility, look for the dots in the top right of your post.  This is what you are asking, and is the place to ask the basic question, in this case "Hurricane internal colours in 1940"

 

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I have some information here but I need my other online source (ORB is on another device) to confirm some information..

 

Gardner’s claims were

 

10.07.40 He111 Destroyed - Hawker Hurricane Y3485 @Troy Smith is that a real serial or have I transcribed it wrong (I’ll look at the ORB tomorrow).

21.08.40. Do17 Destroyed, Do17 Shared Destroyed - Hawker Hurricane P2884/LE°V

18.09.40 2 x Do17 Destroyed, Do17 Damaged - V6578.

 

So which was the Aircraft with the England Expects Signal?

 

I got the answer 03/10/2015 from @tonywalton see page two of the thread below..

 

 

Did Gardner fly LE°T? Yes but his regular aircraft was LE°V..

 

OTU Course No7 (Naval)

51272025459_74f1d72bc3_h.jpg

 

My interpretation of P2884/LE°V

38548577941_25c07c0cc9_h.jpg

 

If you need more I can look tomorrow..

 

Hope this helps...

 

 

Edited by Grey Beema
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3 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

Hawker Hurricane Y3485 @Troy Smith is that a real serial or have I transcribed it wrong

No Hurricane serial begins with Y

P3485 is listed in Air Britain as with 242,  Hawker built, date 14 May 40 (assume this is completion/delivery date) 

Nothing else 'fits' 

Great info on the other planes.  

@Alan Carr I presume you are using the Xtradecal sheet?

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X48146

 

 

 

see also

http://www.ascalecanadian.com/2015/11/fleet-air-arm-pilots-in-battle-of.html

from @airjiml2

"Modeler's Note:  Xtradecal has recently issued a decal sheet in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale which includes aircraft flown by Gardner and Cork.  Sadly, there are some issues with the depiction of Gardner’s aircraft as they have included no serial number, the aircraft is incorrectly marked as LE-T, and they’ve included a spurious flag signal for the right side of the Hurricane.  (LE-T was Hurricane V7203 in which Canadian Pilot Office Joseph Latta went missing on January 1941.)  Dickie Cork’s P2831 LE-K is much more accurate and carries a RN style crown painted under the cockpit."

 

and

"Gardner painted Nelson’s Trafalgar "England Expects" signal on the side of his Hurricane."

"2+Gardner+Hurricane.jpg

"The left side of Jimmy Gardner’s 242 Squadron Hurricane was painted
with Nelson’s "England Expects" signal from the Battle of Trafalger.
It is believed that the Hurricane which carried this art was P2884 LE-V.  Gardner
flew LE-V most often with 242 Squadron."

 

 

You could do LE-V with a added V and the right serial.

HTH

T

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I have had a look at the aircraft the RE Gardner flew in July & Aug ‘40 Information source – 242 Records of Events.

 

See below.  I think Graham was right - some were annotated with the Aircraft letter as a suffix to the Serial number. 

 

Anyway this is what he flew..

 

Date      Serial     Aircraft Letter (?)

10-Jul    3485      Y

12-Jul    3089      R

13-Jul    3089      R

13-Jul    3089      R

19-Jul    3054      N

20-Jul    3054      N

21-Jul    3884      U

21-Jul    3884      U

22-Jul    P3218    

23-Jul    7203      T

29-Jul    3087      Q

29-Jul    3087      Q

                              

01-Aug  P2884   V

02-Aug  P2804   

02-Aug  P3087   

05-Aug  P2884   V

07-Aug  P2884   V

08-Aug  P2884   V

09-Aug  P2884   V

11-Aug  P3090   

11-Aug  P2967   

11-Aug  P2967   

13-Aug  L1981   (L)?

14-Aug  P3090   

15-Aug  P3090   

16-Aug  P3090   

16-Aug  P3485   

17-Aug  P2967   

18-Aug  N3814  

19-Aug  P2967   

19-Aug  P2967   

20-Aug  P2884   V

21-Aug  P2884   V

21-Aug  P2884   V

28-Aug  P2884   V

28-Aug  P2884   V

30-Aug  P2884   V

30-Aug  P2884   V

31-Aug  P2884   V

31-Aug  P2884   V

 

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  • Alan Carr changed the title to Hawker Hurricane MK1 interior colours

What can I say fellow Britmodellers you are all the best, I’d love to buy you all a beer, so although the decal sheet does not mention a serial number for Garners A/C it transpired that V7203 was flown by him but P2884 LE K was the more usual plane. It’s back to the drawing board for me now, I’m currently fighting with the cockpit which is my ham fisted model making, a cat’s cradle of tubing defying me all the way

Thank you isn’t enough but Thank you

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6 hours ago, Alan Carr said:

What can I say fellow Britmodellers you are all the best, I’d love to buy you all a beer, so although the decal sheet does not mention a serial number for Garners A/C it transpired that V7203 was flown by him but P2884 LE K was the more usual plane. It’s back to the drawing board for me now, I’m currently fighting with the cockpit which is my ham fisted model making, a cat’s cradle of tubing defying me all the way

Thank you isn’t enough but Thank you

LE°V 

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As a P.S.  to my post regarding the interior of the Hawker Hurricane in 1/48, I was wondering what make of seat belts would be recommended for it 

Thank you 

Alan

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