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Gary Brantley
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Hawker Typhoon Mk IB 1/48

June 7, 2021 · in Aviation · · 32 · 3.2K

I have no idea just how old this kit is; I know it was issued in the early 1970s at least. So, it won't have the features found on today's great models. But, perhaps we can see how much improvement manufacturers have made since then? At any rate, she represents both an earlier era in scale model kits, and my earlier attempts at building them too.?

Some of these pics were taken at the Cameron airport, but some were also taken at another small-town airport in neighboring Rockdale, Texas. The airport there once belonged to a local millionaire, H. H. Coffield. He had a bunch of WWII planes out there at one time including a couple B-25s and a few C-47s too. Supposedly he had hired an ex-Luftwaffe flyer to run a, ahem, "crop dusting" operation in South America...oookayy. ?

There are two hangars and a pilot's lounge there. One of the hangars is very old (supposedly of WWII vintage) and makes a neat background. I met a couple really nice local pilots and had an enjoyable afternoon taking photos of several model planes. It was quite windy at the Rockdale airport though, and the almost blew away a few times and the canopy did fly off several times. I put the plane away and came back to Cameron where it was a little less windy for more pics.

The model is the old scale Typhoon Mk IB. It was built more than twenty-five years ago now but had never been photographed before its trip to Rockdale a few years back. I did add some radiators underneath from an old '60s model car. The paint was Model Master and Humbrol enamel sprayed with my Paasche H. I used Parafilm for the first and only time for the masking. Other than that, it's just OOB Monogram from "back in the day".

I appreciate your interest and thanks for taking a look at the old girl! ?

Reader reactions:
16Β  Awesome

12 additional images. Click to enlarge.


32 responses

  1. The way you photographed it, it looks like a real aircraft . Good job on the build & the photographs.

    • Thanks Jay, that's a great compliment! I think we all strive for realism in our builds; and it helps me that I can utilize the airport for the photos. The natural setting, and the natural light really does make my models look better than they are in person I think. And then there's the magic of digital photography too-take 80 pics and hope for a handful of good ones! Sometimes I get lucky. πŸ™‚

  2. Nice work on this old dinosaur, which came out in the golden year of 1969, when Monogram released this, the P-39 and the P-47D bubbletop, following the P-40B, P-38 and P-51B, their turn to "serious" models.

    • Interesting stuff Tom. I believe I have all those except the P-51B model. Old Monogram was on a roll back then, eh? πŸ™‚ It's been many years since I've seen that B model Mustang kit; I recall our local Winn's variety store having one on the shelves, circa late '80s/early '90s. I wish I'd bought it back then now.

  3. Looks good - I like that checkerboard band - unusual.

    • Thanks Greg, yeah that band is somewhat unusual. I'm sure there's a story for that too but I don't know it. The white (and blue) squares look so much better applied over white paint; I now wish I had taken the time to undercoat in white underneath them. Next time, eh? πŸ˜‰

  4. That's a great Typhoon, Gary!
    Love the chequered band!

  5. Nice work, Gary. I think that kit still looks good.

    • Thanks John! Yeah, it can still be built into a nice looking Typhoon, despite her advanced age. Imagine, a 1969 model! Dayum, I was a sophomore in high school...yikes! πŸ˜‰

  6. Beautiful pictures of a beautiful mode, Gary.
    Looks very realistic on these images.

  7. Thanks for the kind comments my friends! Very much appreciated too! πŸ™‚

  8. Looking good for her age !

  9. She looks great despite her age.

  10. A great build, nice photography as well!

  11. Great looking Typhoon and terrific photographs, she would make an interesting crop duster, definitely liked.

    • Thanks George. I got a chuckle out of your crop duster comment. After seeing a couple A-10s put on a demonstration at an airshow in Waco, I began considering that one of those would make a helluva crop duster too. I noted their wing tips were downturned, just like our local Ag-Cats, etc. And with their payload-carrying ability, well, wouldn't a line of spray nozzles along the wings seem apropos? Even ginned up a "what-if" plan for it that never came to fruition. Still...;)

  12. Nice work Gary, love these old Monogram kits!

  13. Thanks so much for your generous comments gentlemen ! I'm happy you liked this old Typhoon. πŸ™‚

  14. Beautiful old Typhoon! At first glance, i thought your model was the real deal, restored and photographed at Duxford on the side of the runway. Cheers!

  15. An oldie, but a goodie Gary! Nice work

  16. Just magnificent, the plane is fantastic and the background is Tip Top. I have 2 kits from the Typhoon waiting on my stash, I just hope I will achieve a nice work like you did. Thanks for sharing Gary @garybrantley.

    • Oh, thanks so much Yann! That's so nice of you to say; much appreciated for sure. The background (which I just can't take credit for ;)) really enhances the old model. Be sure to show us your Typhoons when they're completed. I look forward to seeing them too @yann! πŸ™‚

  17. Love the photomontage. That really works!

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