Hurricane MK I P/O W.KRÓL (DFC) Hobby Boss 1/48 Finished!!!!!!!!!!!

[Franz75]

I would like to pay tribute to a brave fighter pilot, Group Captain Wacław Król.

He participated in multiple campaigns throughout the entirety of World War II. His journey began in 1939, flying an outdated PZL P.11c during the Polish Campaign. He later flew with Skalski's Circus in North Africa and eventually took part in D-Day, piloting a Spitfire. Over the course of the war, he achieved nine confirmed aerial victories and one probable kill.

I would like to focus on his role during the Battle of Britain. At that time, he was flying with No. 302 Squadron (City of Poznań). Initially, the squadron was stationed in the north of England at RAF Leconfield, under No. 12 Group. Because of this location, they had limited opportunities to engage the Luftwaffe in combat during the early stages of the battle.

Much like the famous No. 303 Squadron, No. 302 was soon transferred south to RAF Duxford in mid-September 1940, where it was thrown into daily combat operations. By this point, Pilot Officer Wacław Król was already an experienced fighter pilot, with three kills to his name—one during the Polish Campaign and two in the Battle of France.

While flying with 302 Squadron from Duxford, Król shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109—most likely while flying the aircraft coded WX-V, a plane he frequently piloted.

After the war, Wacław Król became a popular writer and historian, authoring numerous books about the war and Polish aviation. I grew up reading his works, and they deeply inspired my admiration for his generation’s courage and sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        

The kit isn’t as glamorous as the one from Arma Hobby. However, Arma hasn't released the Mk I version yet. Therefore, the obvious choice is Hobby Boss—and their kit seems to be quite decent.

I'll be adding photoetched parts and resin exhaust pipes, both from Eduard. I’ve also ordered custom-made decals for this specific aircraft. The decals included in the kit aren’t the best, so I’ll be using something else as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

Thank you for sharing a little of Wacław Król's story with us, he sounds a remarkable figure. And it looks like you have all you need to build an appropriate tribute to him. Welcome to the build, I'm looking forward to seeing this one take shape.

[Zephyr91]

@Franz75 I'll follow with interest if you don't mind.  By chance I have started a little collection of 302 sqn aicraft.  It's all Mark's @2996 Victor's fault    for starting me off with a Mk II Hurricane  WX-B / Z3675 from 1941.  His fault again  when I did a Spitfire Mk XVI   WX-V/TD240 from 1945 in the Heller Classic GB.  I then did a Spitfire Mk V WX-T/W3902 from 1943.   So I just need an example from 1944 and 1940 to complete a small collection dedicated to 302  and the memory of the Polish contribution during the war - hence, your subject is of interest.

 

We also have a significant Polish community nearby as is Squires Gate (Blackpool) Airport which was an important base for the Polish Airforce during that war.  From the 302 sqn ORB for 1941 there are several flights from Church Stanton to Squires Gate noted.  The more I look, the more connections I find.

 

I have been looking at the Gretzyngier book Polish Wings 4 Hurricane part 1.   I was intrigued by WX-W which appears in some gun camera footage from another 302 sqn a/c (if I've interpreted the Googlr Translate results correctly).   A profile is shown for the aicraft when at Duxford in September 1940 and looking very similar to your WX-V.

 

Good luck with your build

 

Rob

[Rabbit Leader]

So good to have you onboard @Franz75. The Hurricane is synonymous with Polish pilots, so this should be lovely tribute to one of your inspiring hero’s. 
Cheers and all the best.. Dave 

[Franz75]

 

Hi @Zephyr91 

Thank you for your kind words. There's nothing wrong with being obsessed with something — after all, you're in the right place, on this forum, among fellow obsessed modellers. 😁

Blackpool was a major depot and backup base for the entire Polish Air Force during World War II. All personnel were sent there before receiving their posting orders.

You mentioned you're looking for a plane used by 302 Squadron between 1941 and 1944. I’ve just learned that Airfix is releasing a new kit — a Spitfire Mk IX from 302 Squadron, known for carrying beer from the UK to Normandy. This actually happened when Squadron Leader Król was in command.

At the frontline airfields, pilots were sleeping under their planes. There wasn’t much food or drink available, and all major aircraft maintenance was handled back in the UK. So, the boys came up with the idea to smuggle some beer from England to Normandy.

 

 

 

 

Król means 'King' in Polish.

Therefore, Squadron Leader Król was nicknamed 'His Royal Highness' by his fellow pilots. The drawing is from the D-Day period, depicting S/L Król as the 'King of 302.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Zephyr91]

6 hours ago, Franz75 said:

after all, you're in the right place, on this forum, among fellow obsessed modellers. 😁

Totally agree!  😁

 

6 hours ago, Franz75 said:

Airfix is releasing a new kit — a Spitfire Mk IX from 302 Squadron,

Unfortunately I have no room for anything other than 1:72.  However, I might have a look at doing that scheme because I have some Eduard Mk IX overtrees that need building.   Probably not this year though ..... 

 

cheers  

 

Rob

[stevej60]

Great choice Franz always nice to have the back story to these brave pilot's that flew the plane's we love to model,I'm building Trumpeter's big 1/24 MKI as

a machine flown by one of the Polish squadrons still yet to research the Pilot for the hoped for finish by Battle of Britain day.

 

 

[Franz75]

Thanks for sharing it . @stevej60

[Franz75]

Quick update on the progress:

I’ve started work on the cockpit, using Edward’s PE parts. I’ve also decided not to use the propeller from the kit. Instead, I will get a  QuickBoost — the one from the kit doesn’t look like a Rotol at all… or is it just me? Hmm

 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

Nice work wrestling with the photo etch. The seat looks great!

[Franz75]

Quick update: I’ve just returned from vacation, and it looks like I have a lot to catch up on.

I need to add an extra strut, as it seems the producer overlooked it. The rest was straightforward. The only issue is that the cockpit’s side door doesn’t fit properly. I’ll be keeping the cabin open, so all the interior details will remain visible. 

 

 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

That does look terrific! Very nice work with the belts, in particular.

[2996 Victor]

Lovely work on this - the cockpit detailing certainly looks very nice.

 

By the way, the cockpit "door" isn't a door. It's actually a break-out panel only used to help with emergency escape and shouldn't be open under normal circumstances. HTH. 

 

Cheers, 

Mark

[Franz75]

Here’s a polished version of your text with smoother flow and clearer phrasing:

I’m trying to decide which color to use for the undercarriage bays—matte silver or interior green.

The reference book and photos show that both colors were used, likely depending on the manufacturer and production period. Nothing about the Hurricane is ever straightforward, and I had expected such a famous aircraft to be better documented. Or it is my poor research. Hehe. 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

7 hours ago, Franz75 said:

Nothing about the Hurricane is ever straightforward, and I had expected such a famous aircraft to be better documented. Or it is my poor research. Hehe.

No, I think that’s fair, especially to the level of detail we modellers seek!

[Franz75]

Hello there.

 

I’d like to share something with you.

During a recent business trip, I was searching for a book to read on the train when I came across the latest issue of FlyPast magazine, dedicated entirely to the Hawker Hurricane. It’s filled with fascinating historical articles and a wealth of photographs—an excellent addition to our GB. I highly recommend it.

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

Looks like a great read! Great to see the 90th anniversary being marked like this.

[Rabbit Leader]

Nice progress Franz and thanks for the magazine plug, although we often get ours two months after release, so I’ll probably be onto other subject matters by the time I see this in the newsagency stands. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Franz75]

Quick update: progress has been gradual, but I’ve completed the interior. The photo-etched parts added a refined touch and really elevated the kit.

 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Rabbit Leader]

Wow… very impressive work. Excellent details in that cockpit. 
Cheers.. Dave 

[Wings unlevel]

Beautiful work.

[Franz75]

Work update:

I’ve successfully assembled the fuselage

 

 

 

I’ve decided not to use the kit’s propeller; the resin replacement from Quickboost offers greater accuracy and finer detail

 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

3 hours ago, Franz75 said:

I’ve successfully assembled the fuselage

Looks to have been trouble free.

[Franz75]

On 9/7/2025 at 2:00 AM, Wings unlevel said:

Looks to have been trouble free.

Not exactly. The way this cage is designed, you basically need an extra hand. You know, that mythical third hand every model builder dreams of—but never gets. 😅 First, glue the top of the fuselage, then juggle it into place, and finally wrestle the cage on. Then glue the bottom. The fuselage doesn’t quite line up, so it’ll need some putty and sanding—aka the modeler’s favorite workout. Honestly though, the fit isn’t terrible. I even managed to attach the main wing without summoning dark magic.

 

 

For the propeller, I borrowed an old Tamiya trick with a rubber ring. I basically re-engineered the prop attachment in the nose—like a backyard aerospace engineer. I stuck a pin in the prop so now I can pop it on and off whenever I feel like it. And yes, it actually spins! It’s such a simple hack, but it makes life so much easier—and also gives me something to fidget with while I stare at glue drying. ✈️😆

 

 

 

 

Edited October 5 by Franz75

[Wings unlevel]

2 hours ago, Franz75 said:

For the propeller, I borrowed an old Tamiya trick with a rubber ring. I basically re-engineered the prop attachment in the nose—like a backyard aerospace engineer. I stuck a pin in the prop so now I can pop it on and off whenever I feel like it. And yes, it actually spins! It’s such a simple hack, but it makes life so much easier—and also gives me something to fidget with while I stare at glue drying. ✈️😆

That’s neat. And very useful to have an inbuilt stress relieving fidget spinner on an otherwise stressful build! 😂

 

2 hours ago, Franz75 said:

Honestly though, the fit isn’t terrible. I even managed to attach the main wing without summoning dark magic.

Looking pretty tidy from here!