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Bob Torres
61 articles

MPC (ex-Airfix) 1/72 Hurricane

May 11, 2021 · in Aviation · · 28 · 2K

Since my return back into this hobby last year, I basically just want to build the old kits that I had a chance to build back in the 60's to 70's. I really do not mind if it does not look perfect but I do like to see if the older kits can be improved some. So last year when I was looking for something to keep the wheels rolling on my builds I chose this kit, 's Hawker Mk. I.

This kit is actually the very old Hurricane Mk. IV.RP that was first released in 1957 but boxed by MPC in 1971 as a Mk. I. I've always wanted to build this kit again but it stayed in my stash for many years just waiting. This was my first Hurricane that I made back in 1973, I have build the later Airfix, Matchbox and Heller releases but never went back to this kit until last year. I decided to make the same version that I made back in 1973, a Mk. 1 with the codes (YB*J) and do some improvements but not get too carried away on the build. I ended up doing a bit more than what I really wanted to do but in the end I am happy with it. It will never win any big contest but that was not my goal. I just wanted to make it, have some fun with it and that goal was truly met!

The following are the upgrades done on this build: Used Palva's resin De Havilland propeller, CMK resin Hurricane replacement wheels (these needed to be filed down, they were too big) and exhaust stacks, scratch built the cockpit, radiator, carburetor inlet, enclosed the wheel wells, build up the main landing gear doors, added landing lights, the wing to body area needed to be trimmed down to a more correct shape and sanded off all of the rivets, raised lines and scribed some lines.

So here I present MPC's Hawker Hurricane Mk. I, I hope you guys like.

Reader reactions:
12  Awesome

22 additional images. Click to enlarge.


28 responses

  1. Nice! Fun is what this is all about.

  2. I agree with John, Bob!
    And your model looks amazing!

  3. Well done, Bob.
    Fully agree that fun is what really counts.
    If you are satisfied with the end result, then you can call it a winner.

  4. Nice job Bob! I remember that kit from a long time ago! First in a bag and then upped to series 2 and boxed. Didn't it also come with the underwing cannon's as well?

    • Ian, it had rockets since it originally was packages as a Mk. IV but with no cannons. The kit that came with the 40 mm cannons was Airfix’s 1972 (new tool) release. This also had bombs and external fuel tanks, it can be built as a Mk. I or II. This later release was also boxed by MPC with crew figures.

      1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

  5. Sow's ear...into...silk purse. Looks great.

  6. Very nice Bob! You dressed up this little gem and made it shine.
    I recently saw and held this MPC kit in a LHS selling it as 'pre-owned' and decided not to take the challenge.
    Your build looks like a WINNER to me.

  7. Great work Bob wonderful to see this it was my first Airfix kit as a lad - back in the 60's!
    Dates me a bit though!

  8. Nice up grading! Looks great! one of my first kits way back was he Airfix P-40E.

    • Thank you Robert, I have my eyes on that same P-40 kit to make sometime in the hopefully near future. Still one of my favorite kits from back then.

  9. Nicely done! I'm a big fan of upgrading old kits with a little elbow grease and some new decals - I find it enjoyable, and always seem to like the results better than the modern shake-and-bake kits!

  10. Wonderful! I can't remember how many "Profile Series" kits I built as a kid in the 70s, At the time one of the few series that gave multiple options in a kit. Our local "Little bit of everything" Pre-Walmart store, Bi-Mart had a great model section, and stocked a ton of these kits. I spent many hours as a boy and then as a teen, looking over them and occasionally being allowed to choose one. All of course were, as you noted, Airfix, some were dogs some were wonderful. The box art was inspirational! I love your Hurricane and thanks for the memories!

    • Rob, the three options decals sheets were great to have even though some of their decals were not that great to apply. But still back in 1973 to 1975 at least 1/2 of all of my builds were these “Profile Series.” They were cheaper than the original Airfix kits and I had a blast making them...

  11. Nicely done and detailed Bob, looks good.

  12. I Love those older kits Bob ! Well done kit . What did you use to enclose the wheel bays? did You dremel the excess down? That looks very nice.

    • Bernard, thank you. I used a thin styrene sheet cut in the length so I can glue into the wheel wells and follow the shape as bet as I can get. After it dried, I used a razor knife to trim off the excess, then sanded smooth to the lower wings surface. It was not perfect but looked good enough.

  13. Very nicely done, Bob (@v1pro). I also like to build kits that are nostalgic for me, such as Monogram, Revell, some Otaki, old Hasegawa. Ah...the old days.

  14. That’s a lot of work you did on this Hurricane , looks very nice .

    • Jay, thank you. I enjoyed the extra work done for this build, I wish they all can be like this one. This kit I would like to make again, maybe in a Finnish or Romanian markings or make it as a Mk. II, all desert out with 40mm cannons under its wings.

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