1/48 Hawker Typhoon MK. IB Bubbletop (FINISHED...)
Here's one I've always wanted to have a go at and I have been given the opportunity to do it. The British ground attack machine Typhoon MK. Ib, affectionately dubbed "The Tiffie", which was Hawker's replacement for the aging Hurricane. I've always called it the flying Large Mouth Bass, thanks to the huge radiator intake for that 2000 horsepower Napier engine. It apparently wasn't the most reliable bird, but when working properly, it was capable of well over 400 mph and was one of the only planes that could catch the FW 190 at low level. This thing packed some serious punch with 4 20 mm cannons and RP3 rockets and or bombs to absolutely shred tank columns. Here's my typical mental vision of the Tiffie pouncing on the unsuspecting Wehrmacht.....awesome!
I will be building the Hasegawa kit with the teardrop canopy. The only request was that it have full invasion stripes. I will add Ultracast wheels and seat. I ordered a Montex decal/mask set as well. It will be my first use of that product.
I started with the cockpit. My research said these could be either RAF interior green or black for a late model version. The stock pit is very nice. I still had some cockpit green paint mixed up from the Spit and 'Cane so I went with that. I added the Ultracast seat which improves things considerably.
I've been trying to find ways to improve my instrument panels. The kit decal just doesn't cut it for me as it sometimes moves on me. I recently bought some Airscale dial decals which are individual dial decals designed to be added one at a time. After a silver drybrush, I did just that one dial at a time snuggled in with Microsol. Once dry, I used a drop of epoxy to simulate glass lenses. I'm happy with the results.
The dreaded Hasegawa plugs reared their ugly head. This time its the top fuselage at the cockpit. The fit was poor of course and what do you know, they don't fall on panel lines.
I taped off the area to protect the panel lines and started sanding.
Eventually I got them looking respectable.
The cockpit and radiator were added to the starboard side...no issues.
I should have know these would bite me again. I closed the fuselage and found gaps at the plugs.....just like my P-40. I truly hate Hasegawa and their plugs. I see styrene strip and Tenax in my near future.
Here I've test fitted things and it seens this one will be void the Hasegawa wing root gaps. By the way, this is how I deal with them. Works great.
