Beard's Hurricane IV

[Beard]

When I signed-up to this GB, I suggested I would do a couple of kits. I can't guarantee that that will happen because life is getting in the way of modelling at the moment 

Anyway, I've removed some likely candidates from my Hurricane stash,

 

found some spare decals,

 

and located my Hurricane spares box

 

So, I just need to decide which one to make.

Edited August 4 by Beard
to change title.

[Wings unlevel]

10 hours ago, Beard said:

So, I just need to decide which one to make.

Looks like you have almost all bases covered, and so some great options there. Let us know if you need help choosing, I’m sure the GB collective will be happy to help!

[Zephyr91]

Oh dear.  that's a good collection of unbuilt Hurricanes.  Can't you just hear Enzo's @Enzo the Magnificent response?  Along the lines of, "why decide? Rdduce the stress levels and build them all?"  

 

Rob

[Beard]

1 hour ago, Wings unlevel said:

Let us know if you need help choosing, I’m sure the GB collective will be happy to help!

Now, there's an idea.

 

35 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

Oh dear.  that's a good collection of unbuilt Hurricanes.  Can't you just hear Enzo's @Enzo the Magnificent response?  Along the lines of, "why decide? Rdduce the stress levels and build them all?"  

 

Rob

That's about half my Hurricane stash and I'll be lucky to finish one.

[Beard]

I've made a decision on which kit to make, although I may find myself damned for choosing this one...

 

The sprues...

 

Some resin bits and the canopy...

 

Decals/ stickers/ whatever you call 'em...

 

Digging through my Hurricane spares box, I've found some bits that help 'improve' what AZ provide...

 

Thanks for looking. 

Edited August 4 by Beard
to finish writing the post, I pressed save to soon.

[Graham Boak]

 Heller, so it will look better if you make a sawcut halfway down at the front of the cowling top, then wdge the front if the cowling apart.  Add a dab of filler to the top corners.  Basically a nice kit to make, but much simpler than the AH.

[Beard]

16 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

[...] it will look better if you make a sawcut halfway down at the front of the cowling top, then wdge the front if the cowling apart.  Add a dab of filler to the top corners.

Thanks. I think I understand so I'll give it a go.

19 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Basically a nice kit to make, but much simpler than the AH.

I've made a IID and another IV, so know they just need a bit of care. 

[Graham Boak]

The kit comes from the period where no-one was considering how to get the wide top of a Merlin into a narrow pencil front.  Look at the top of the AH cowling to see the shape needed.  I must admit making my two Heller Hurricanes before noticing it myself.  Hasegawa and Revell sussed it out first in 1/72.

 

[Wings unlevel]

Good to see you’re rolling out the big guns here! 😂 (Incidentally is that a four blade prop on the spruces - so you can build a Mk V prototype with this kit?) 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

2 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

Good to see you’re rolling out the big guns here! 😂 (Incidentally is that a four blade prop on the spruces - so you can build a Mk V prototype with this kit?) 

It sure is, and I'm so tempted to enter an Mk V myself... but, can't do everything 

6 hours ago, Beard said:

I've made a decision on which kit to make, although I may find myself damned for choosing this one...

 

The sprues...

 

Some resin bits and the canopy...

 

Decals/ stickers/ whatever you call 'em...

 

Digging through my Hurricane spares box, I've found some bits that help 'improve' what AZ provide...

 

Thanks for looking. 

excellent choice!

[Beard]

I've made a start by cutting all the bits I need of the sprues and putting them somewhere safe..

 

Then painting the cockpit...

 

And the wheel well (I know the back wall should be straight but can't be bothered to do anything about it)...

(It'll need another coat of paint.)

 

There are some ejector towers (is that the right name?) to deal with...

 

I decided to use the SBS wheels (the reason why will be made clear later in the build)...

 

Thanks for looking.

[Wings unlevel]

Very nice start, it’s always satisfying to get a new build underway.  Decent level of detail there too.

[Beard]

Today (Wednesday) is my day off so I've had quite a bit of time to fiddle around.

 

Dry-fitted the fuselage halves...

There's a bit of superfluous plastic behind the trailing edge, so see some filing in my future.

 

There's a bit of sanding to do on the fuselage sides too...

 

The recessed line on the vertical tail should be raised...

(Some stretched sprue will sort that.)

 

The lower wing/ fuselage fit could be better...

 

Painted the seat...

 

The moulded harness looks wrong so had a look through the spares box for a replacement. 

 

Didn't find a seat but did find a better control column...

 

Also found a better instrument panel (from an Arma Hobby)...

 

(If I don't use it, I'll almost certainly use the aerial mast.)

 

Whilst digging through the Hurricane bits box, I found some other stuff.

 

Couldn't work out what this was...

 

Then remembered it was from an attempt to cast the Arma Hobby bomb racks. I'd given up, because the Milliput wouldn't harden enough for me to sand them to shape. A couple of years in the loft has helped...

 

I'd copied them when I was trying to improve the Revell IIB. One of the improvements was to reduce the chord of the wings and I'd made a template to do it...

 

That was taken from the Legato IIC but, of course, there's a better Hurricane II around now and one of the boxings provides free templates...

 

Now I'm wondering if I ought to have a bash at the last two Revell Hurricanes in the stash.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Wings unlevel]

I know you’ll get them sorted but some of those gaps and joins are pretty rough!

[Beard]

8 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

I know you’ll get them sorted but some of those gaps and joins are pretty rough!

You have more faith in my ability than I do. 😀

[stevehnz]

You're providing a lot of interest with this thread Simon, plus some darn useful info for someone else having one, a couple several of these in stock.  

Looking forward to seeing it come together.

Steve.

[Beard]

I've made one, am making one, and have one left in the stash.

It's not a 'bad' kit - it goes together pretty easily - it's just limited run and all that entails, although the Vickers guns are pants.

 

[Ragtag]

Coming along nicely! For what it's worth, I just started a Mk.V build from the same kit - I opted to replace the wheel well with something more accurate and it's caused as many problems as it's solved.

[John]

The damage to the lower fuselage just at the wing root is in an unfortunate place. 

There seems to be (at least) 2 different MkII moulds that AZ use. 

John 

[Beard]

On 8/10/2025 at 3:36 AM, Ragtag said:

Coming along nicely! For what it's worth, I just started a Mk.V build from the same kit - I opted to replace the wheel well with something more accurate and it's caused as many problems as it's solved.

Thanks.

I decided to ignore the wheelwell, on the basis that no-one will ever see the underside.

On 8/11/2025 at 10:27 PM, John said:

The damage to the lower fuselage just at the wing root is in an unfortunate place. 

There seems to be (at least) 2 different MkII moulds that AZ use. 

John 

The damage is in an unfortunate place but it's not disastrous.

Yeah, there's the AZ IID/ IV/ V mould and the Legato IIC.

 

Not done much on this because I've been waiting for these to arrive...

 

I believe they're better than the kit one (I'll also use them on my Airfix ragwings)...

 

They also have belts...

 

Ready for painting...

 

RAF Grey-green or Aluminium? I can't remember.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Wings unlevel]

The seat looks like a worthwhile enhancement, particularly with the 3D decal harnesses. Should look great when done. 👍

[Beard]

9 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

The seat looks like a worthwhile enhancement, particularly with the 3D decal harnesses. Should look great when done. 👍

Thanks, although...

On 8/7/2025 at 7:29 AM, Beard said:

You have more faith in my ability than I do. 😀

 

I spent some time listening to the new Half Man Half Biscuit album and fiddling with the Hurricane sorting out the fuselage and vertical tail.

 

Before and after...

 

I doubt I'll get much done between today and Sunday (to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, work is the curse of the modelling classes).

 

Thanks for looking. 

[Wings unlevel]

1 hour ago, Beard said:

I doubt I'll get much done between today and Sunday (to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, work is the curse of the modelling classes).

The main redeeming feature being it helps pay for more plastic! 😂

[Beard]

I managed to get some bench time.

 

Masked and painted the wheels...

 

Masks made using one of my new toys...

 

Cleaned up the property and painted the tips...

(No Humbrol 24 to be found in the paint store so I had to use 154, which is rather rubbish. I'll have to have to have a look in the only shop in town that sells Humbrol.)

 

Finally, painted the spinner...

 

Thanks for looking. 

[Wings unlevel]

2 hours ago, Beard said:

No Humbrol 24 to be found in the paint store so I had to use 154, which is rather rubbish. I'll have to have to have a look in the only shop in town that sells Humbrol.)

Looks ok? Maybe a touch lemon-y?