An Inauspicious Inaugural – Frog Typhoon IB
The beginning is a very good place to start.
I built this kit many years ago when I resumed building after my growing hiatus. It is the Frog kit number 231. While I have not measure the length and wingspan for accuracy the overall shape seems good. The spinner seems a little bulbous and the wheels were probably the weakest point of the kit so I used a set from the Heller Tempest. They are a little bit small but look much better all the same. Now Barracuda Studios offers a very nice replacement set and when I build this kit again I will use those. There are no interior details provided other than the seat and headrest, but with the canopy closed it is not obvious unless you really look carefully.
The dark ages of airbrushing.
The camouflage pattern was sprayed without masks using Pactra paints via a Binks Wren B. The Ocean Gray did not seem right to me out of the bottle, so I added Roundel Red and Royal Blue and who knows what else. While I do not remember mixing the Dark Green, it is certainly not Pactra's out of the bottle British Dark Green. I still have the bottle and it still stirs up quite nicely. The identification stripes were masked then sprayed individually, but I learn from others and know better now.
Now what was I thinking?
The kit comes with rocket projectiles as they were called at the time, but after making the holes in the bottom of the wing it occurred to me that the RPs might not have been introduced until the sliding blown hood was introduced so I left them off. Since that time I found photos of 56 Squadron flying with RPs attached and there is only one revised canopy among the others having the card door. Armed with that knowledge, I am still reluctant to put them on - yes I still have them after all these years - because having read his book, Rendezvous with Fate, I cannot recall Cheval Lallement mentioning their use in his squadron.
So there it is, my first post, after years of procrastinating. I will follow up with a few more articles from my timeline of returning to the hobby, continuing more recent builds and finally submitting some current projects. Along the way I will discover how to underling text to give book titles proper treatment. Okay, I am crossing my fingers, closing my eyes and hitting the button - here goes.
Great old kit. You did an outstanding job on it. I actually have this.kit in my stash, and I too thought ink the shape is pretty close to correct. One of these days I'll get around to building it, I hope it turns out as nice as yours.
Thank you for the kind comments Clint. The question is to scribe or not to scribe. I too have another in my stash, and while I do not think the raised lines look too bad, I have started sanding them down the scribing replacements.
The Frog Typhoon never looked better, Russel!
What a wonderful model and ditto article!
Looking forward to the next one - keep them coming!
Thanks Spiros. The build is one of my sentimental favorites.
An excellent performance on this Typhoon, Russell @russjurco
Great to see your first article after so many years, and a wonderful article I have to admit.
Thank you John. I appreciate your kind words.
A Binks Wren! I heard about those but never saw one till the last show I was at, a vendor was selling one. What a funny looking thing! The dark ages indeed.
Anyway that is quite a creditable Typhoon, considering it's a Flies Right off Ground. A nice little model for sure.
Thanks Bill. You can still buy the Binks Wren but they’re not cheap. I like the word creditable. When I was describing my capability to the owner of our LHS, I said I am not an artist, just competent.
Welcome aboard Russell, and she's a good looking Tiffy to me.
Thanks Tom. My introduction to the Typhoon was the Monogram release in 1968. It made a lasting impression.
Great work Russell (@russjurco). I think you've done a great job on this Typhoon. Camo looks fantastic when done by hand and the feathered edges created by spraying are visible 🙂
Thank you Scott. As I recall, it was the first time I tried regulating the compressor pressure way down to get in close with the airbrush. Little steps along the learning curve.
I like it!
Thanks Jim. Even with few small detail parts, an Optivisor would be must for me with your chosen scale, 1/72, these days.
Great post, and I love bring old kits to life! Nicely done on this.
Thanks Greg. I agree. These older kits can take you back in time, and with some work can turn out to be respectable or as Bill put it, creditable.
Nice first post, Russell, the Typhoon and Tempest were great looking planes, and your work has really brought the Frog model to life.
Thank you George. For some reason I cut the ailerons out then re-glued them in the neutral position. That was a lot of work for a not so great result. Call it part of the learning curve.
Ain't nothing wrong with a FROG kit!.
Great looking Typhoon, Russel.
Thank you George. This kit, while not up to today’s standards, is way better than Frog’s earlier attempts with the Typhoon.
I always enjoy looking at a nicely built old Frog kit and you have done a great job on this Typhoon.
Thank you Bob. I always think of you when I review the Frog kits in my collection. Many come from a time when alternatives were few to topics such as the P-40B and P-51A. You do a great job when you tackle one of those older kits. I especially liked your Matchbox A-20 , Green Hornet. I am thinking of posting my Heller Hurricane IIC from a few years back. Make that a few decades back. I think it is a good rendition from Heller. Then I will get on to the more recent stuff. Thanks again.