Airfix 1/72 Hurricane I

Airfix 1/72 Hurricane I

KIT #	2067
PRICE:	$6.50
DECALS:	Two aircraft
REVIEW :	Scott Van Aken
NOTES:	`

INTRODUCTION

For a look in the box and a brief history, see the preview.

CONSTRUCTION

There really isn't much to the construction of this kit. Airfix didn't want to bother us with a bunch of parts so there aren't that many. However, there is a cockpit of sorts so the seat/bulkhead was glued to the floor. This was then painted RAF Interior green using Model Master enamels. This same color was painted on the inside of the fuselage and the wheel wells, though those may be repainted later.

With the cockpit painted, it was glued in place and the fuselage halves glued together, trapping the prop shaft and back spinner section so it could spin. While this was drying, I tackled the wings. They fit together very nicely with no troubles. There is some flash that needs to be sanded off the trailing edge when you get the wings together. I also noticed that there are no gun ports or shell ejection chutes on the wing. The gun ports will be drilled out later and decal squares used for ports based on other late Hurricane I kits that I have.

The wing was then glued to the fuselage. To say the fit is perfect would be a fib as there are gaps on both sides of the fuselage and at the back. The front section also has a gap or two so you need to be handy with filler on this one. I used stretched sprue to fill the largest gaps on the wing. With gaps of this size, filler is just not going to provide the kind of bond that is needed and will later crack as the wing flexes through handling. The fact that the sprue tends to melt under the assault of today's modern liquid cements makes it even more of a useful material to use for these things.

Of course, it didn't eliminate the need for filler, as there were still small gaps that needed filled after the kit was sanded down in those areas. I fear that the sink marks on the back meant that the ribbed detail was pretty well destroyed in sections, but it couldn't be helped. With the fuselage and wings being sanded down, the tailplanes were added. These fit quite well though there were the now-expected gaps that needed filled. There were also some mold release pin marks that needed sanded off on the underside of the tailplanes.

With a completed fuselage, the canopy was attached and masked and the kit was ready for a coat of paint.

PAINT & DECALS

Painting this kit was a breeze. First the underside color was done using Sky acrylic from Aeromaster. That was taped off when dry and the upper Dark Earth was painted on using Xtracolor enamel. When dry, it was masked and the Dark Green was sprayed on using the last of my Aeromaster enamel in this color.

When it was all done, the masking was taken off and the undercarriage was glued into place. This proved to be simplicity in itself as it is a sturdy construct. The retraction struts fit well but sort of hang off in space, not really attaching themselves to anything sturdy. The tail wheel was also slid into place and glued. Then the prop/forward half of the spinner was glued in place and when dry somewhat smoothed off. The prop blades were painted black using a brush and the radio antenna glued on. Then the kit was given a coat of Future clear gloss in preparation for decals.

If you recall from the preview, this kit had the wrong decals included. Searching through my decal stash I found Almark sheet C2 that had a couple of Battle of Britain schemes. One had a white and black wing so it wasn't used as I didn't feel like repainting. The other was LK*A for Squadron Commander Gleed of 87 Squadron and so that is what I used. These Almark decals were some of their first and had a continuous clear coat over all the markings. I carefully cut the ones needed out and despite being over a quarter century old, they worked rather well. A bit brittle at times, but nothing that couldn't be used.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES

Once the decals were on and dry, the kit got a coat of clear matte. Then the spinner was painted black, the wheels glued in place and the masking taken off the canopy. Then the landing lights were glued in place and a radio wire made from stretched sprue. To disguise the fact that the kit has no gun ports, a sliver of red decal was cut and placed where the guns should be. This represents the tape that was often put over the gun ports to keep out dirt after rearming.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike some of the other more recent reviews, this kit wasn't built 15 years ago but completed just a few days ago. It took me back to my younger days when building a model meant having it together in a relatively short time and not sweating the details. Sure, it isn't the most detailed Hurricane around in this scale. Both the Hasegawa and Revell kits have it beat hands down in that area. It has some inaccuracies, but in 1978 when it was molded, it was the best around. I enjoyed the relatively trouble-free construction and lack of fussy parts. Those who obsess over minutiae and are really into detail wouldn't get near it. However, it is a kit that I would heartily recommend to even the bare beginner. They won't care too much about the sink marks and will like the easy construction.

November 2001

Review kit courtesy of me and my wallet!

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.

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