Airfix 1/24th Typhoon Build

[Bonkin]

4 hours ago, 224 Peter said:

A Question for the Collective...

Flaps up or down? 

 

All the photos I've found of a Typhoon sitting on the ground, with the top cowling off, show the flaps raised. 

Given there is no inner wing detail for the under surface of the upper skin it seems to be the line of least resistance to fix them up. 

 

Does anyone else have a view on this point?

 

I have the same dilemma with my 190 build. Most likely the standard operating procedure was to raise them after landing. Hence why you don't tend to see pictures of them down. My personal preference is however to show more of the aircraft lines and shape, so I like to see them down. I don't know whether the detail is included in the model kit, so maybe showing them down would involve a lot more work?

[224 Peter]

The rear fuselage pieces are in place, it went together quite well, possibly because I did a lot of test fitting, sand, test and repeat until it all went together snugly! 

The nose cowls are something else, made up of multiple parts, including the forward end of the fuselage, there are 8 pieces to fit round the engine (mounted many steps previously) and that is without the upper panels. To get an even fit round the radiator intake much shaving and sanding is needed, here it is with 5 pieces in place...

 

  

 

I'm reasonably pleased, but until it is primed and painted I cannot be certain. 

The rest of the front end goes on next, after I've re-fitted the round tank that sits behind the prop (glycol, perhaps?).

Airfix suggest it is painted dull silver, but the photo I have (reproduced previously) with the erk on the nose shows it to be metallic black, so as I'd had to remove it to adjust all the nose panels it was easy to re-paint. 

 

Once the nose panels are all in place  it will be time to prime, mask and paint. 

 

As to the colours, I've chosen "Option C", Shark Mouth but not exactly as Airfix describe. 

MP 197. This A/C arrived with 245 Squadron in July/August 1944. The markings in the kit are more typical of August/September: Red/White/Blue upper wing roundels and no invasion stripes. Early in its life I suspect it would have had underside invasion stripes and Red/Blue upper wing roundels, a sky spinner and probably the chequered rear fuselage band, the blue spinner, radiator center and U/C inner doors are less certain. The Shark Mouth seems to have been black and white with camouflage colour inside.  I've seen some photos on the web but I think they may have been models. If anyone has and hard information it would be welcome. 

 

 

[224 Peter]

Photos tomorrow...but the last few days have been challenging! 

 

Getting all the lower cowl panels to line up without gaps proved impossible, so "Green Stuff" had to be called in. It now all fits, but with the loss of some surface detail. Given that much of the Typhoon was flush riveted this isn't such a traumatic loss. 

The flaps are in place, up and the ailerons also fitted. 

 

Next is the final cockpit details and then painting can start. 

I'll keep the tail plane off, test fitting suggests it is such a good fit that gluing after painting will be OK. Masking off the engine, cockpit, gun bays and U/C wells will be a pain, but the optional parts provided by Airfix will help. 

 

After much more reading I've concluded that Shark Mouth with invasion stripes would not be correct... so the invasion stripe masks can wait for the Spitfire. It will be the full Sharkmouth. I'll fit rocket rails, but no rockets, as if the A/C had returned from a mission. 

 

 

[224 Peter]

First coat of Humbrol Sea Grey Medium.......

 

 

Another coat will be needed, after some filling on the wing tip joint, then it is time for the Ocean Grey upper, as with the underside, brush painted. I have an airbrush, but don't really get on with it, especially on large areas. The masking is also a faff. I will use a mask I bought when the kit came out to delineate the dark green, Typhoons seem to have very irregular paint patterns, but every airframe seems to be the same! 

 

The prop is big, in fact everything about the model is big. 

 

I'm off tomorrow to buy a tinlet of Humbrol 109, WWI blue for the spinner, air intake center and inside the main U/C door. 

[Ratch]

23 hours ago, 224 Peter said:

Getting all the lower cowl panels to line up without gaps proved impossible,

I had the same problem, put it down to my poor skills and left them off and the engine exposed 

[224 Peter]

The upper surface, sprayed in Humbrol 163. I first used 30, but to my eyes it is too green. This discussion has been debated, at length, over the years on this forum. Here is one thread..

 

There are no answers, my perception is that neither 30 nor 163 are a match for the "1970s Humbrol 30 I used on the 1/32 Revell Mosquito built back then, but 163 is better to the paint swatches I've seen..... Oh well. 

 

 

The camouflage pattern is quoted by Airfix as Ocean Grey. I have a tinlet of Humbrol HB3, and will use it. I also have a recent tinlet of 106: they are not quite the same colour. Mind you, Ocean Grey is a variable feast, when introduced shortages resulted in a DIY mix, at station level, so variations are less irritating than Dark Green. There is an interesting thread here on Ocean Grey...

 

 

Very much on the home run now, I have to fit seat belts in the cockpit, the gun sight and then the side panel. I have masks for the upper surface camouflage pattern, so the next time you see the Typhoon it should be ready for transfers (I will not call them Decals!!) 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by 224 Peter
Additional reference link

[Johnson]

1 hour ago, 224 Peter said:

The upper surface, sprayed in Humbrol 163. I first used 30, but to my eyes it is too green. This discussion has been debated, at length, over the years on this forum.

There are no answers, my perception is that neither 30 nor 163 are a match for the "1970s Humbrol 30 I used on the 1/32 Revell Mosquito built back then, but 163 is better to the paint swatches I've seen..... Oh well. 

Looks OK Peter. Have you seen the colour discussion currently underway on the 1/24 Spitfire thread?

 

 

[224 Peter]

Thanks, I'm up to speed... nothing has changed since my 2018 thread on the topic. 

[Winded Penguin]

That last image, you've really captured the essence of this aircraft 

It looks brutish. Excellent work so far

[224 Peter]

I've started to apply the Ocean Grey camouflage over the Dark Green, which was from a Humbrol 163 rattle can. Grey is Humbrol 106, from a tinlet....A very old tinlet from the 1970s. It covers perfectly! The 163 is semi matt whilst the 106 is 100% matt. Zoom in close and you can see just how much panel detail shows through. I think the engine and guns give the right amount of visual interest, without being too fussy. 

 

To get the pattern, which seems to be common to all Typhoons and is very wavy, I used a paint mask, but not in the conventional way! I marked the edge of the ocean grey with a HB pencil and then brush painted to the line. With the tail and one wing done I thought you might like to see how the big Typhoon is coming along:  the tailplanes are simply positioned in place, not glued. 

 

 

I don't agree with the myriad of shadow shading techniques some modellers love, for a couple of reasons. First, this aircraft would have been less than 5 months old and so would still look quite fresh, but more importantly, real aircraft don't look like models.....

 

The next job is to fit the canvas webbing seat belts: the canvas colour will contrast the green leathercloth upholstery and then the cockpit side(hiding most of the cockpit. I may not glue it in place) so I can carry on with the Ocean Grey. When the paints have dried for 4 or 5 days I'll put gloss varnish on, transfers and so on before applying matt varnish. Then a few details, like the U/C and rocket rails and we will be don, in time for Christmas! 

 

As ever, thanks for watching and commenting. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, 224 Peter said:

I don't agree with the myriad of shadow shading techniques some modellers love, for a couple of reasons. First, this aircraft would have been less than 5 months old and so would still look quite fresh, but more importantly, real aircraft don't look like models.....

 

Being almost exclusively a 1/72 modeller, it's amazing how much paint these big planes take to cover.

 

Looking good Peter!

[Billos]

On 08/12/2022 at 15:04, Ratch said:

I had the same problem, put it down to my poor skills and left them off and the engine exposed 

@RatchNo it's not your poor skills, it really is very difficult to get them all lined up, especially if you make the slightest misalignment in fitting the engine, etc. Needed a lot of filler. and sanding.

[224 Peter]

Almost ready for transfers...

The blue and white spinner is very distinctive...

The prop is just sitting there...

The Ocean grey seems more shaded in the photo than it does on the model, very odd: perhaps it is because I brush painted it over sprayed dark green.  

Next I have to do the yellow leading edge bands and prop tips and fit the foot step cover flaps.

 

 

I can only echo @Ratch's comment about the cowlingbuild, it is very difficult to get it all "just so" and why I left the upper section off.  Further the cockpit sides are not the best fit: clearly Airfix designed it the way they did yo allow for the "Car Door" version that came later. 

Canopy , gun access panels and U/C and rocket rails, plus retractable foot step and pitot head will not go on until after the transfers are all done: then it will be done. 

 

 

 

  

[224 Peter]

Almost ready for inspection, just a few more transfers, fit the U/C and some small details as "Sharkmouth" is done. 

 

 

The aircraft is more colourful than I expected, there are suggestions that this scheme was applied for photographic use after the end of the war in Europe. It depicts Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib MP197 of 245 (Northern Rhodesia) Sqn RAF. The blue and white tail band and white propeller base and blue spinner was applied post-war when the Squadron was disbanded in Germany on August 10, 1945. I also like the mouth around the radiator. MP197 was the usual mount of F/L Harrison Taylor 'Moose' Mossip DFC RCAF until he was killed on 7 March 1945. 'Moose' was flying JP936 and during an attack on a train near Amden his aircraft hit high-tension cables and he was killed. MP197 then became the personal aircraft of 245's CO, S/L Tony Zweigbergk.

So, I do not plan a lot of weathering. 

 

One comment: the Airfix transfers had, with the passage of time, become quite delicate: a number cracked and broke and all needed Microsol and Microset, with Microscale gloss varnish applied to secure all in place. Matt varnish will be applied at the very end. 

 

Overall I'm rather pleased with this "Big  Typhoon"!

[Winded Penguin]

Cracking job and the paint scheme is very appealing. Not surprised you are pleased with it. I would be too 

[mark.au]

4 hours ago, 224 Peter said:

Overall I'm rather pleased with this "Big  Typhoon"!

So you should be! It’s looking very nice indeed.

[224 Peter]

And finally....

 

 

The pilot is borrowed from the Airfix 1/24th DH Mosquito, he serves to show just what a big lump the Typhoon is. 

 

Just need to finish applying Matt varnish and fit the pitot tube and IFF antenna under the cockpit area. I've fitted the rocket rails, but without rockets. The upper gun bay doors are open. 

Some weathering as the engines were a bit smokey and leaked oil. 

 

The next photos will be in "Ready for inspection".