Peter Carmichael’s Korean War “MiG Killer” Hawker Sea Fury
I started work on this airplane about 5-6 years ago. I stopped working on scale models for several reasons but this Sea Fury and the Mirage F-1 that I did as a CSAF plane were about half-finished and they taunted me to complete them for years. Well, this year I made a New Year's resolution to resume building and I finished the Sea Fury. It's the 1/48 Hobbycraft kit. It's pretty much an OOB build, although I did detail the cockpit a little, and I added some doo-dads to detail the landing gear and bays. I used a vac-canopy from Squadron, the dark gray is Humbrol, the Sky type -S is ModelMaster enamel. The stripes were done in MM acrylic flat-white and a custom-mixed dark gray with Humbrol. Cannons are hypo tubing inside brass tube. Decals are the AeroMaster "Sea Fury Pt. 1" 48-702 set. I had a lot of trouble with the canopy; I had a hard time fitting it, and after it was finally attached I saw a lot of "cr*p" inside the canopy and a nice big glue smear-inside too of course. Oh well, I was really tired of fighting this one and let it go as it was. All in all, it turned out as another pretty fair "four footer". At least I hope it looks good from 4 feet away. So, that said, here's Lt. Peter Carmichael's "MiG Killer" Sea Fury, at an unlikely stop in central Texas.
Fantastic-lookin' build, Gary...stunning detail work. And like I said before, that setting really 'makes' the presentation. Nice.
Well, if you hadn't told me all those things wrong with it I would have thought it was really nice. Obviously a candidate for the trash can immediately.
/snark
Seriously, very nice work. You've really made that old kit look good.
Nice work. One of my favorite planes!
Man, I sure appreciate the nice words! You fellas make an old guy feel good about his puny efforts, lol. Like many of you I'm sure, I have a big stash of great kits and at my age, it's becoming a race with time to get them built. Especially at the snail's pace I work. I'm usually just content if I can pull off the "four footer" now and then. I currently have three planes underway, a Hobbycraft Hurricane, Tamiya F4D Skyray and a HobbyBoss MiG-17 (for a group build on another forum). I just have to get busy finishing them up!
God allows extra time for modelers, particularly like you. Nice work.
Bless you Bryan! Thanks, what a nice thing to say!
Very sharp build, Gary. I'll never forget seeing a Sea Fury fly in this scheme for the first time when I was a kid at Brown Field's annual show near San Diego in the early '70s. It was so smooth and the sound so incredible that it has stuck with me for life. What a majestic machine and you've done it proud!
Thanks Erik! I'd love to see, and hear, one fly today. Coming from a great modeler like yourself, the compliment means a lot.
Gary
Gary,
This model certainly does not look like a "puny effort" 🙂 I'll try to add a different compliment and say that although all your previous airport photos have been very good, these are great, with everything, the light & the perspective creating a perfect illusion of "being there". Kudos!
Thanks Martin! I love having the airport so close to me; it really affords one a great opportunity. But, having said that, sometimes I get a bit bored with the same ol' scenery. There's another small town airport about 20 miles away. It was once a private airport for a true Texas millionaire. After WWII, he bought several surplus B-25s, B-26s and C-47s. Supposedly, his plane was for using them for "crop dusting" operations in South America. 😉 He even hired an ex-Luftwaffe pilot to fly them. That plan never came to fruition, and about 20-25 years ago or so, all his airport stuff was auctioned off. There were radial engines still in sealed cans, full of cosmoline. At one time, probably 50 years ago now, one of his B-25s sat on the apron at the Cameron airport for years. The story was that after it landed, the pilot quit, and it was years before he found another pilot rated to fly it out. I really don't know how it left, perhaps on a trailer, lol.
I've looked at this neighboring airport on Google maps and it surely has a WWII look about it. I may try to haul some models over there and get some different shots.
Thanks again for the compliments.
Gary
stunning model gary...your models have such great stance and presense
Thanks Bob! I try to make them look good. They look okay for "four footers"!
Gary
Gary .. your "poses" of an AWESOME model build in front of a hanger DOES make it look REAL .. ALL your builds are so expertly done ... a TRUE modeling accomplishment .. IF one wouldn't know it was a model, one WOULD guess it was another photo of the actual plane ..keep up with your fantastic modeling ! LOVED the "belly shot" ...
I really appreciate those kind words Ray! Those compliments mean a lot to me. I do think the planes look better at the airport and it's hard to beat the natural light out there. Sometimes I get lucky, I'm really glad you like them. 🙂
Gary
Gary,
This is one of my favorite airplanes and you have done a superb job on this. I also have one in an almost completed state that has been in my stash for about five years. Perhaps I should resolve to finish it this year. All of your work is beautiful.
Thanks Frank! Those kind comments are much appreciated sir. If I could just get to work and finish a few more I would feel a lot better. Now there's a resolution I will try to keep!
Please, get that old war bird done and show it off here. 🙂
Hey Gary - @garybrantley - Your Fury looks great to me! That's no slouch of a model even if it is a Hobbycraft! Got to love those kits for what they are.
@eb801, Many thanks my friend! I'm glad you liked the old girl. That's so nice of you to say! ?