Airfix 1/72 Hurricane Mk I

[lasermonkey]

Having heard much about the narrowness of the Airfix Hurricane's nose, a quick look at some scale plans confirmed this. Once you've noticed it, it's hard to ignore. Anyway, I thought I'd have a go at correcting it. What I did was cut off the extreme nose, immediately forward of the exhaust stacks and packed out the fuselage halves with plastic strip, so the nose followed the plans. I then glued together the bits I had cut off, and with a thin, plastic card shim (to make up for the saw cut), glued it back onto the nose, making sure it was centred. This way, you ensure a circular section on which to affix the prop and spinner. It was then a simple case of fairing this in to the, now wider, nose. It's not particularly difficult to do and it does make a vast improvement.

I will post pics as soon as I can (I'm making the model at work).

Incidentally, on this Hurricane I'm using the DH prop from the Airfix Spitfire I. I'm interested to see how it looks when it's finished.

Cheers,

Mark.

[AnonymousFO98]

nice one Mark

look forward to seeing some pics

will try it out with mine

[Test Graham]

You don't actually need to cut off the nose, just make a cut halfway down to allow the upper part above the exhausts to be wedged apart. Then as described.

There'a a lovely photo on the front of the latest Aeroplane that shows the nose - note the difference in the true distance between the spinner and the first vertical panel line. In straight side view there is none - that panel line is parallel to the spinner. It is the broad shoulders of the Merlin that makes the upper nose stick out more than the Airfix kit - but it is somewhat unfair to pick on Airfix! Until Hasegawa (and no Revell and Sword/AZ), no-one got it right in 1/72. (OK, I never saw the Aosima, but somehow I doubt it.)

The new Dragon Hurricane Mk.I appears very interesting......

[The wooksta V2.0]

Perhaps, but given the prices of Dragon kits these days, I doubt you'd get change from twenty quid...

[jollygreen]

Hello all,

Compared to all the other 1/72 Hurricane Mk.1 on the market, the Airfix Mk. 1 looks definitely "right" straight from the box. I´m shure the mod with the nose will improve this even more.

Haven´t built the Airfix Mk.1 yet, but a friend has, and in a selection of Hurricane models on a model show it stood prone out of the others being the only one that "looked right" like a Hurricane.

Think the Hasegawa kit has several errors, too. It looks as if the cockpit opening/glazing is not wide enough.

Maybe one of you could add a foto of the nose job. I would do the same on my Airfix Mk.I .

Bye,

Jolly

[John Thompson]

You don't actually need to cut off the nose, just make a cut halfway down to allow the upper part above the exhausts to be wedged apart. Then as described.

There'a a lovely photo on the front of the latest Aeroplane that shows the nose - note the difference in the true distance between the spinner and the first vertical panel line. In straight side view there is none - that panel line is parallel to the spinner. It is the broad shoulders of the Merlin that makes the upper nose stick out more than the Airfix kit - but it is somewhat unfair to pick on Airfix! Until Hasegawa (and no Revell and Sword/AZ), no-one got it right in 1/72. (OK, I never saw the Aosima, but somehow I doubt it.)

The new Dragon Hurricane Mk.I appears very interesting......

How is the nose on the new Airfix 1/72 Hurricane IIc/Sea Hurricane (stock No.02096)?

Thanks!

John

[Test Graham]

It is every bit as narrow, and so thick that it won't flex with a wedge. It is necessary to remove the top cowling and wedge/reshape it separately before repositioning it and building up the forward "shoulders".

The thickness of the plastic on the new Mk.IIc is something I haven't seen since the 60s, and rarely then. Which wouldn't have been a problem if they'd made a better job of the nose shape. Otherwise it's a fairly nice kit.

Edited August 24, 2010 by Graham Boak