- iModeler

a Pair of 1/48 Early Hurricanes………. Airfix Mk 1, and a Classic Airframes ”cloth wing” version

Started by Louis Gardner · 106 ≡ · ↻ 6 years ago

Viewing 91 - 105 of 106 posts

Jump to latest post

Tom Cleaver said 6 years ago:

Those are both really nice Louis.
Pedro L. Rocha said 6 years ago:

Wonderful pair of Hurricanes, especially the earliest version. Great modeling and some fine 8nsights along this WIP Louis. Don’t have Bare metal foil around, but I once used household aluminium foil to do a rearview mirror on Revel 1/24 Hurricane and it worked like a charm, no doubt it can be a similar option for those lamps you cleaverly perfected
Louis Gardner said 6 years ago:

Thanks gents for the compliments.

Initially when I first saw the two bladed Watts prop, I didn't like it. As time goes by it's been growing on me. It reminds me of the early Spits and Bf-109's.

Pedro,
Once I saw a Revell 1/48 scale B-17 that was covered in household aluminum foil, and it looked amazing ! So yes, I believe that one could use household foil and achieve similar results. I just don't know how easy it would be to burnish down the edges, or get to to conform to unusual shapes. The Bare Metal Foil is much thinner and it works like a charm. Plus it already has adhesive on the back, so it's pretty much like a peel and stick...

Today I added the final parts on the Classic Airframes Hurricane.

First up are the landing light lenses. These are vacuum formed parts and take some work to get the fit just right. I don't have much experience with vacuum formed stuff. Here the white glue is still drying.

The wind screen was added next. The early Hurricanes had a different style wind screen when compared to the later Marks. The early version didn't have as much framing, and lacked armor.

If you look close, in this picture you can see that I also added the venturi, which is just below the wind screen and has yet to be painted. I drilled out the ends a little to make it look a little better.

Lastly, you can see that I substituted a small piece of "Florists" wire to represent the front post of the gun sight. I still have to add the "ring and bead" rear portion inside the cockpit above the instrument panel.

In the next photo, you can see the antennae mast has been installed. The wind screen and venturi, along with the boarding / entry step are also visible.

Here's a close up of the pitot tube. I'm not 100 percent certain this part should be installed, since there is a venturi on the side of the fuselage. This part may come back off after a little more research.

IN this last picture, you can see how the Hurricane looks now. I'm going to let the glues dry, and do some final detail painting (along with research on the under wing pitot tube), and hopefully wrap this one up later tonight.

Thanks for looking, and as usual,
Comments are encouraged.
Paul Barber said 6 years ago:

You've nailed it, Louis! Absolutely stunning - the attention to these final details will really make a difference.
Pedro L. Rocha said 6 years ago:

I really am a noob when it comes to RAF inventory, this is the first time I see a Hurricane with a Venturi device... there you go, always learning new stuff at iModeler. Looking fine Louis, finish line is just ahead now
Allan J Withers said 6 years ago:

Looking good Louis, my Magister has two venturi and a double pitot, maybe being a two seater, one for each, I think the venturi is for air speed and the pitot for pressure, someone please correct me if I am wrong !
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Tom Cleaver said 6 years ago:

(Ed McMahon voice): You are correct, sir!
Allan J Withers said 6 years ago:

Thanks Tom, who is Ed ?
Tom Cleaver said 6 years ago:

Ed McMahon used to be Johnny Carson's "top banana" on the Tonight Show here in the US. He would put on a deep voice and do a "military" "You are correct, sir!" to Johnny.
Louis Gardner said 6 years ago:

Thanks again everyone for the kind words.

Well everyone... here we are. We reached the 100th posting mark, and I finished the Classic Airframes kit at the perfect time.

Meanwhile I did some digging to find out exactly how the venturi system was used on the very early Hurricanes. I learned something here, and I wanted to pass along what I found out... just in case any of you techno geeks out there like me were interested... 🙂

Here's a good graphic that describes how the Venturi system works.

It was used to operate various instruments. This is a very good illustration on the typical uses for the venture system on older aircraft instruments.

Like I suspected, the pitot tube was used primarily for the airspeed indicator, the rate of climb indicator and the altimeter, as shown in this next illustration.

The reason the early Hurricanes had to use a venture device was simple...

The early Merlin Mk I and Mk II engines did not have a vacuum pump installed on them.

From what I read online, the vacuum pump was added on the Mark III Merlin. This is significant, because at this time is the same time when the Merlin Mk III left the factory with what they called a "Universal" prop mounting shaft. Prior to the Mark III, the plane could not have the propeller upgraded to the later style 3 bladed De Havilland or Rotol props without this engine upgrade. The propellers could not be interchanged.

So if you happen to see a picture of an early Hurricane and it doesn't have a venturi mounted on the left side of the fuselage, then chances are it had the upgraded Merlin engine installed...

Here's what "Wikipedia" had to say about the early Mk 1 and the Merlin engines.

Hurricane Mk I First production version, with fabric-covered wings, a wooden two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller (first 435) or three blade two -pitch propeller, powered by the 1,030 hp (770 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk II (first 364) or III engines and armed with eight .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns. Produced between 1937 and 1939.

The pitot tube operated on pressure, while the venturi operated on a vacuum.
Louis Gardner said 6 years ago:

Now here's the moment I have been working for...

The Classic Airframes Hurricane is completed !

Here are a few pictures of how it looks.

The next time you see it will be during the reveal.

I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you who have commented, or contributed, like Paul
@yellow10

and his RAF Roundels that saved the day during this build.

As usual,
"Comments are encouraged"

Now I have some Spitfires to finish before the deadline...

Thanks again ! 🙂
Stellan Schroeder Englund said 6 years ago:

Really nice looking rag wing Hurricane! Really like the early Hurricanes and Spitfires so it is going to be very exciting to see them all finished. Will you add any weathering or do you go for a clean look?
Paul Barber said 6 years ago:

A classic Louis Gardner build, and trademark finish! Just sensational! And a little 'Bernoulli Principle' thrown in! Perfection! Congratulations Louis, words can't express my admiration for you, especially in these last weeks. Great build; Great man!
Tom Bebout said 6 years ago:

As usual,well done Louis, it looks great.
John Healy said 6 years ago:

Nice work, Louis. I really enjoy seeing early Hurricanes built up.

Viewing 91 - 105 of 106 posts

100 Years of The Royal Air Force Group Build

a Pair of 1/48 Early Hurricanes………. Airfix Mk 1, and a Classic Airframes ”cloth wing” version