Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary GB

Nice work ajd & BrandonD! Ajd, looks like you're making the best of the kit. I've been eyeing those snap together kits at WalMart with the idea of doing one with my nephew. Like you said it makes for good practice w/o spending a ton. BrandonD, I love the paint job so far

I've go a question regarding paint colors. The Airfix instructions call for the cockpit interior and the wheel bay color as aluminum. I have reference photos of the cockpit in the interior green and will be doing the cockpit that color. But as far as the wheel bay color I'm not sure what the right color would be? Would it be interior green, aluminum, or the same sky color that the underside gets painted? Thanks and everyone keep up the great work!

I was under the impression that Hurricanes usually had aluminum wheel bays on the earlier models, but I am by no means an RAF expert.

Nice work, Brandon and ajd.  You are bringing things along very well!

Andy, from things I've picked up at UK modeling sites, the wheel wells might very well have been painted in the same colo(u)r as the undersurfaces.

Before Sky, and in some cases where the fuselage was aluminium colo(u)red, the wells would have been silver-ish, too.

You can check this site, and download the Camouflage and Markings book for the Hurricane:

ebookee.org/Camouflage-amp-Markings-Number-3-Hawker-Hurricane-RAF-Northern-Europe-1936-45_343034.html

It's pretty helpful.

THanks, checkmateking.

As for the colors, yeah I picked up on UK modeling sites that the wheel wells were aluminum until sometime in 1940, when they started painting them the color of the underside to simplify things.

For what it's worth, Airfix calls for them to be aluminum.

-BD-

Lew, that looks like a lot of surgery, but I like where you're headed.

I got paint on my Hurricane, finishing the dark earth today. I will mask and re-shoot the rudder, since I freehanded it and it looks off compared to the rest. That'll be quick.

Still considering whether to decal or paint the tail red, white and blue. A this point, I am thinking it'll be easier to paint. I HATE tail/rudder decals since I can never get them to lay down correctly. But I'm not crazy about masking, even if I go the lazy route and just put a bag around 90 percent of the plane.

Here it is as it sits:

Next up is clear coats.

-BD-

May I join the Group? I'm just doing Italian Fiat G.50 (Magg. Bonzano's a/c) from Corpo Aereo Italiano in a Group Build on www.pwm.org.pl - can I show this project also here?

Here she is:

When is the deadline of the Project?

Brandon, I love the way the colors are looking.   She is looking good.

Hope to start on my E-4 soon.

Kim

Brandon, your Hurri is looking great! 

Aleksandr, if you can give a direct link to your build on the Polish website and it shows that you started the build after July 10 (which was the start date for this build), then I'll allow it.  If you started it before, then its a no go.  This build doesn't end until the middle of December, so depending on how quickly you build, you can still jump in with something.

Now for my dilemma, I have in my stash a new tool Airfix Spit, Hurricane, Defiant, 109 E-4, and bf-110C. I have no idea of which one to build.  I'm building the 109 for the 109 GB, so that one's out.  I picked up the new Bolton Paul Defiant today, and like the rest of Airfix's new 1:72 tools it is gorgeous.  Definitely going to need a mask set for this one.  Still need to get the Do-217Z.  Keep up the great work!

Brandon the Hurricane is looking great! I'm looking forward to seeing how the painted flag comes out if you go that route!

Wow, that is good customer service. Glad you got your parts, and it's looking better with each update!

-BD-

Well, I've made progress on the Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I.

I finished the camouflage, using Simply Tacky for the demarcations to give them a slight softness instead of the cut tape I used on a Spitfire recently.

When that was done, I went to the decals. Against my natural aversion to them, I used the decals for the tail markings...and to my surprise, they worked very well. I only had to paint the leading edge, and the decals matched perfectly with Tamiya XF-7 for the red and XF-2 for the white.

The rest of the decals and stencils went down without issue. It took several dosings of Micro Sol to get them to sit over some of the raised details (the roundels on the upper wings, specifically), but they all sunk down into the panel lines quite well. I'm guessing they're printed by Cartograf.

After looking at the restored aircraft this one represents, I decided that I should actually respray the wheel well aluminum. And in this week's edition of "Crap, I sound like my father," I will say that it would have been way easier and faster to do it right the first time.

For the exhaust stacks, I tried to replicate the brownish metal patina (not rust) of the Hurricanes I've seen, along with the exhaust staining on the back two exhaust stacks. I base coated them in gun metal, then gave them a wash with metallic brown before giving them a very thin coat of clear orange. Then I gave them a Flory Grime wash, and finally dull-coated them and used the Tamiya weathering kit (the one that looks like makeup) with the oil stain pigment. The exhaust streaks on the fuselage were applied with airbrushed Tamiya smoke at about 25 psi. After that, I streaked the Tamiya weathering kit's oil stain with a hint of burnt blue in it. Then I ended up wiping most of it off, so I really have no idea what the final result is made of.

I'm working on throwing some mud staining on the underside, as those grassy airfields in England in September weren't exactly dry, and I've seen that on some BoB RAF planes.

I'm hoping to have it done by Eagle Day, and then, if the votes on my Instagram page hold, it looks like I'll be doing the Stuka next.

-BD-

Brandon,  Your hurricane is really coming alive.  I am really liking the underside.  Also the slight soft edge of the upper camo is very nicce.

Keep up the great work.

Kim

Hey, when did the site change.  I guess it's been a few weeks since I've checked in.  

BD- That bird is impressive!  You do a killer job and your quick.  I just wish I could find the time to model more.

Thanks, Flyerduke! This kit made things really easy for me :)

-BD-

And it's done in time for Eagle Day! (Finished it late last night, and it looks to have just returned from its first mission).

Overall this was a fantasic kit with great decals that provided minimal problems and a whole lot of fun. 

Without being too wordy, I'll just get to the pics.

All comments and criticisms welcome. The dirtiness on the bottom is meant to represent mud flung up on a grass runway. The exhaust streaks are airbrushed - the first time I've used the airbrush on an already-decaled model. I used the airbrush for the gunsmoke, too. The other dirt is ground up Yarka Sauce brushed on, then wiped with a damp finger.

I think I'd like pic one for the gallery, please.

Thanks for looking!

-BD-

P.S. Please excuse the photo lighting. I had to shoot them at lunch today, and the sun was pretty stark and threw off the white balance, and I'm not good enough with Photoshop to fix it.

Wow Brandon. Your hurricane looks great.  The weathering really bought her to life.  Looks like she is ready to scramble to meet the next wave of He 111's

Kim

Turned out awesome Brandon! Paint, weathering, it all looks great. I especially like the weathering on the underside. Again, well done

Thanks for the compliments, everyone! I really recommend the kit and had a lot of fun building it.

-BD-

lewbud

Aleksandr, if you can give a direct link to your build on the Polish website and it shows that you started the build after July 10 (which was the start date for this build), then I'll allow it.  If you started it before, then its a no go. 

It's a pity but I started my model on June 4th, so I understand I can't take part in this GB. Sorry for the problem...

I'll try to show my Fiat G.50 when finished on Aircraft Forum! Deadline for our Group Build is September 15th.

Cheers!

Aleksander

Ok, I got started on the Stuka this week. I had actually bought this kit in February or so and started it, but I stopped shortly after because I was having troubles with the airbrush and paints in general. Basically, I only got as far as gluing the wing tops to the bottom, and painting the cockpit the wrong color. I had also tried to spray the underside, but I painted it the wrong color of blue, and I had thinned it with water, which caused all sorts of problems.

So my first order of business was sanding the bottom to get the paint off/smooth, and repainting the cockpit to RLM 02.

Here is the early stage of cockpit assembly. More details yet to be picked out. The Hurricane is keeping a very watchful eye on this Stuka...

Next was some detail painting and a wash with Flory dark dirt. I then drybrushed it with Tamiya neutral gray.

After that, I glued the cockpit tub together and then glued it to one fuselae half, clamping it it tight since it didn't want to be there. Then I glued the fuselage halves together, and I clamped the cockpit tub to the other fuselage side to prevent the tub from popping out, since it seems like it doesn't want to fit too well.

With that done, I glued on the firewall, and I got the engine hastily assembled and balecked out, then put the cowlings around it. I'd originally wanted to leave the top cowling loose and detail the engine, but it doesn't fit well, and it seems like a common issue people have with this kit. So I just drilled out the exhaust stacks and will probably mount it tonight and close up the cowling. It looks like I'll need to add some evergreen to the front of it to thicken it and make it profile correctly with the propeller.

Next up is some more sanding and fitting to make things all mate up. Then I'll mount the canopy and get it masked, which should be a real blast...

I also can't decide whether to mount the landing gear before or after mainting. It's a snug fit, but looks like some filler might be needed. Oh, decisions, decisions.

Thanks for looking!

-BD-

Great looking start Brandon! Can't wait to see this one come together!

Thanks, guys. This one is giving me lots of fit issues with the cowling. I have been at it with the files, filler and now am rescribing panel lines. But hopefully it comes out OK.

-BD-

I know it will come out great Brandon! Quick update here, was finally was able to get some work done on this thing. Cockpit assembled and some paint on it. I have to finish glueing it in place and add a little weathering.

I'm really liking this new Airfix kit so far. Hopefully I'll get a chance to work a little more on this and get the cockpit closed up. Keep up the great work everyone!