Arma Hobby 1/72 Hurricanes

Started by Tom Cleaver · 16 · 3 years ago
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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Here is the Arma Hobby Hurricane I and the Hurricane IIc WIP.

    I personally think these are the best Hurricane kits in 1/72. The surface detail would be fine on a 1/48 scale model. Assembly is very straightforward, presents no difficulties, and takes maybe a couple hours. There is no need for filler anywhere. Fit is precise throughout.

    There are three sub-assemblies: the fuselage, including the cockpit with seat and instrument panel; the wing, with a full wheel well, and the lower part of the cockpit with foot guides, rudder bar and control stick; the the tail, which has separate elevators. The kit has more photoetch than most people can use; I merely used the seatbelts.

    Each kit also includes the Tropical filter.

    As you can see from the completed Hurricane I, the kits come with a positionable canopy - it's a bit thick and a vacuform would look good, but there are none of the Squadron/Falcon Hurricane vacuforms to be found outside of buying a set of canopies.

    The kit decals are great, but they only want to come off in hot water after soaking for at least a 60-80 seconds. They will stick to the first surface they meet, so be sure the area of the model is wet to allow them to be positioned.

    Each kit has four decal markings options. I did the Hurricane I as the final airplane flown by F/Sgt Josef Frantisek of 303 "Warsaw' Squadron during the Battle of Britain for the final seven of his total 17 victories scored in September 1940 when the Poles saved Britain. This was a Gloster-built aircraft, distinguished from Hawker-built aircraft by the use of prewar insignia colors.

    The Hurricane I model was painted with Xtracrylix thinned with water. The upper scheme was freehanded using my Paashe-H with a No. 1 tip - pretty good for an airbrush model first produced 110 years ago.

    These are great kits. Others have commented favorably on Arma's FM-2, which I also have and can confirm it is indeed excellent. The kits are very reasonably priced for their value, being among the best 1/72 kits for any model topic.

    13 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Beautifully done, Tom.
    Your freehand camo painting on the Mk.I looks great.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    That's an excellent double choice, Tom @tcinla!
    Those kits are really great! My eye was particularly caught at the nicely detailed deep wheel wells and the equally nice cockpit, 1/48ish detail wise, as you said.
    Nice freehand camo!

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Good looking Hurricane, Tom (@tcinla). I have bought a couple of the Arma kits, but haven't put them in the build line yet. Thanks for the great info.

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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Painted. The instructions read: "Camouflage of Mixed Grey/Ocean Grey and Dark Green applied roughly over Night". So, I gave the model an overall coat of Tamiya X-18 Semi-gloss Black, then applied the upper camo over that using Tamiya XF-82 Ocean Grey and XF-81 RAF Dark Green, thinned 50-50 with Tamiya thinner. in a "rough" finish. I think the final result will look pretty good.

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    This looks beautiful, Tom.
    How did you achieve those stains?
    I really like the way they look.

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    I'm really impressed with this kit, Tom (@tcinla). Did you pre-shade the camouflage, or do it after?

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Great camo, Tom!

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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    @gblair - No preshading or post shading. Just applied the upper camo "roughly" over the overall black (it was a night fighter).

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Nice work, Tom (@tcinla). I have seen this technique in articles I have read, but have never tried it. My next kit may be a good canvas for a trial run.

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    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Attached the gear and guns, and applied the very nice decals. Finally masked and painted the canopy and attached the windscreen and canopy. Calling it finished.

    A friend noted that these Arma kits are as expensive as an Airfix 1/48 kit (around $20-$24), to which I said "you get what you pay for." They are relatively expensive 1/72 kits, about 2x - 2.5x as expensive as an Airfix Hurricane (which are very nice kits, the best available at their price, and my previous nominees for "best in scale"), and in the case of these kits, they're about 2.5x as nice, so worth the additional cost.

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Nice result, Tom @tcinla!
    Yep, expensive kits they might be, but here you get what you pay for.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Beautiful, Tom.
    Painting and weathering is very realistic.
    One of my favorite Hurricanes.

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    Eric Berg said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Really looks good Tom. I have to add Arma Hobby to the “try one” list.
    Do you get Xtracrylix directly from Hannants or does someone stock it here in the States?

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    Greg Kittinger said 3 years, 6 months ago:

    Those are beauties - love the night-fighter scheme paint work. The detail on those kits looks great for 1/72!