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Hawker Typhoon Mk 1b by Realworkingsailor - FINISHED - Airfix - 1/72


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Ok, so it's time to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. Or maybe just time to get my modelling backside into gear.

 

For my next airplane model I've opted for another 1/72 kit from Airfix (they're a bit addictive, to be honest):

 

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A 2019 rebox from a tooling released in 2013, the kit originates somewhere near the beginning of Airfix's current resurgence. The overall detail is quite good, albeit somewhat clunky in odd places like the pilot's  boarding step. I may be tempted to scratch build a replacement out of some bass.

 

IMG_2251.thumb.JPG.7f8e3e0376403743d97947ca62c7979e.JPG

 

The kit is comprised of four sprues moulded in the typical grey plastic found in many Airfix kits, along with one small sprue of clear parts. The clear parts appear to be well cast, and for the most part the grey plastic parts are crisply moulded with minimal flash. I did discover a couple of issues with the landing gear parts. The first issue I found, one part was broken on the sprue. This must have happened during the picking/packing phase as there was no sign of any wear and tear on the box or anywhere else, the second issue was a short shot on the opposing landing gear leg. I've highlighted the errors here in this detail picture:

 

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I have been in some form of contact with Airfix's spares department and I hope to have this issue resolved soon-ish (at this current moment in time they claim to be dealing with an overwhelming number of e-mail requests for spares. As I have no contrary evidence I have to take them at their word, and will give them the benefit of the doubt).

 

Otherwise the kit comes with the usual A4 instruction booklet and decals from Cartograf:

 

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The two included paint schemes are for Typhoon MN666 (C G) flown by 121 Wing Commander Charles Green out of Le Fresne-Camilly, France in June of 1944 (In the Canadian Sector inland from Juno Beach), as well as MP197 (MR U), part of 245 Squadron. The later is quite interesting as it was the only known Typhoon to be painted with a shark mouth. From November 1944 to March 1945, "Sharky" was flown by Harrison "Moose" Mossip, a Canadian.

 

I plan to deviate from both of these schemes. I did a little research and have decided to give a go at painting mine up as a proper Canadian Typhoon. In my case, it will become MN518. Initially assigned to 143 Wing Commander Robert Davidson, (and marked "R D"), it was reassigned to Wing Commander MT Judd, after Davidson went missing in May 1944. Under Judd it was re-marked "M  J" and served as his airplane through the summer of 1944. Some careful decal surgery should allow me to create the necessary letters for this plane, and I can print the registration number myself, as I did with my Hurricane. I am also planing on painting the aircraft as it would have appeared later in the summer of 1944, after the order had been given to begin removing the invasion stripes and repainting the camouflage. In my case the stripes will only be applied on the lower surfaces only.

 

Also, to add to the fun, all the Canadian Typhoons in 143 Wing were equipped with bombs, not rockets. Airfix does provide a couple of bombs in the kit, but I happen to have a nice resin set from Eduard (that came as part of pack of goodies for my Wellington). So I'll be using these bombs instead:

 

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I can honestly say I have not seen too many bomb equipped 1/72 models in my online searches. I can understand, as the rockets are a more interesting feature, but at least this way, mine will stand out a bit from the rest of the pack.

 

With any luck my parts issue will be resolved, and I've just ordered the necessary paints, so construction will begin shortly. I've seen a number of these kits build online, and they do produce some excellent models. Hopefully mine will live up!

 

Andy

 

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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I’m here Andy, love the “Tiffy”, an overlooked fighter but it evolved into a deadly ground attacker.  
Agree about the more recent 1/72 Airfix offerings, not  the highest spec/detailed but good fun and usually straightforward to build. 😁

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

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From what I read, Davidson was using a different airplane, MN957 (F3 N).  I can only assume his regular plane was down for maintenance.
 

On May 8th 1944, they were conducting operations in France, in preparation for the coming invasion. Davidson’s (replacement) plane developed engine trouble and he was forced to crash land. He evaded capture and ended up with the French resistance, even fighting alongside them, until liberation in September 1944.

 

There are a number of stories of other Typhoon pilots similar to Davidson’s. Sadly, many do not have such happy (or adventurous) outcomes. 

Mossip’s story is one of them. On his last mission in March ‘45 (also in a different plane), after attacking a train he was observed to crash into some high tension wires, and was killed as a result.

 

Andy

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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Andy, I'm in.

 

The "Tiffie", for me, is right up there with the P-47 Jug as a ground attack aircraft.

Ken

Started: MS Bounty Longboat,

On Hold:  Heinkel USS Choctaw paper

Down the road: Shipyard HMC Alert 1/96 paper, Mamoli Constitution Cross, MS USN Picket Boat #1

Scratchbuild: Echo Cross Section

 

Member Nautical Research Guild

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15 minutes ago, CDW said:

I just ordered the massive 1:24 Airfix Typhoon kit and am waiting for it to arrive. I messed around and waited until it became harder to find and more expensive but I got one while the getting can still be done. Don't know when or if Airfix will release this kit again. 

I have built the “Bubble top” 1/24 and have got the “Car door” version in stock in 1/24, beasts of a kit and a bit of a challenge to build. I’d post some pictures up but would be a bit guilty (again!) of thread hijacking….

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

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41 minutes ago, Canute said:

Andy, I'm in.

 

The "Tiffie", for me, is right up there with the P-47 Jug as a ground attack aircraft.


I think there’s a joke about all that a P-47 pilot has do when he’s attacked by the Luftwaffe… Duck down and run around the fuselage to avoid getting hit…. 🤪

 

Andy

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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18 minutes ago, AJohnson said:

I have built the “Bubble top” 1/24 and have got the “Car door” version in stock in 1/24, beasts of a kit and a bit of a challenge to build. I’d post some pictures up but would be a bit guilty (again!) of thread hijacking….


Well, Canada Post is hijacking my paint shipment, so please feel free 😁

 

Hanging around Scalemates, I’ve taken the opportunity to look through the instructions for all of Airfix’s recent 1/24 offerings (Typhoon, Spitfire, Hellcat), quite frankly they look almost overwhelming! 
 

Andy

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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4 minutes ago, realworkingsailor said:


Well, Canada Post is hijacking my paint shipment, so please feel free 😁

 

Hanging around Scalemates, I’ve taken the opportunity to look through the instructions for all of Airfix’s recent 1/24 offerings (Typhoon, Spitfire, Hellcat), quite frankly they look almost overwhelming! 
 

Andy

The new breed of 1/24 scale kits are a world away from the "Classic" 1970's ones.  I have nearly built the Mossie, but it s a 🐷 to get right with the engines and undercarriages - so it is sitting getting dusty.  The Hellcat was a doddle and almost fell together and the Typhoon was somewhere between the two; slightly misaligned parts that needed a good scrape to get rid of the flash and seams.  I have the Spitfire IX, but not started it yet, looks more like the Hellcat in quality - I hope! 🤞

 

Anyway before you change your mind a few pictures and as Ken @Canute mentioned them my 1/24 "Jug" for comparison. (Now that was a 🐷 to build! 😆)

P-47 1-24 (1).jpg

P-47 1-24 (2).jpg

Typhoon 1-24 (1).jpg

Typhoon 1-24 (2).jpg

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

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2 minutes ago, CDW said:

The P-47 is the Kinetic kit?

Oh yes! 😱  You need buckets of sand and cement to fill the gaps in that baby! 😆  Unless you are a huge Jug fan just avoid, especially as they are not cheap kits either...💸

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

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A razorback C model. Nice. I don't do 1/32 a/c, mostly due to display space, That being said, they look great. My unit in Germany flew Jugs in 9th AF.

 

Andy, good joke. They were big brutes, 14K pounds or so. Typical Republic Ironworks beast.

Ken

Started: MS Bounty Longboat,

On Hold:  Heinkel USS Choctaw paper

Down the road: Shipyard HMC Alert 1/96 paper, Mamoli Constitution Cross, MS USN Picket Boat #1

Scratchbuild: Echo Cross Section

 

Member Nautical Research Guild

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Nice planes @AJohnson, I wish that I had room for some of the larger kits.

I'm in for this Andy, you do some kind of magic with these 1/72 kits😉

Current builds;

 Henry Ramey Upcher 1:25

Providence whaleboat- 1:25     HMS Winchelsea 1764 1:48 

Completed:

HM Cutter Sherbourne- 1:64- finished    Triton cross section scratch- 1:60 - finished 

Non ship:  SBD-3 Dauntless 1:48 Hasegawa -FINISHED

 

 

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1 hour ago, Edwardkenway said:

Nice planes @AJohnson, I wish that I had room for some of the larger kits.

So do I! 🤣 They all live in the garage! 😢

Andrew
Current builds:- HM Gun-brig Sparkler - Vanguard (1/64) 
HMAV Bounty - Caldercraft (1/64)

Completed (Kits):-

Vanguard Models (1/64) :HM Cutter Trial , Nisha - Brixham trawler

Caldercraft (1/64) :- HMS Orestes(Mars)HM Cutter Sherbourne

Paper Shipwright (1/250) :- TSS Earnslaw, Puffer Starlight

 

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A small update on my build, as I am still waiting on my paint order to arrive. I have begun doing what I can with the materials at hand. The good thing is I can get a fair bit of this prep-work done so that when the time comes for assembly, I won't be waiting around for the paint to dry.

 

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For now the inside of the fuselage has been painted. Some of the details have been picked out in black and gunmetal. I may will probably add a pinprick of red where the various knobs and levers should be. The detail is quite indistinct, given the small scale and mostly won't be visible. I've also been picking at the piece that makes up the cockpit floor and landing gear bay. Not much else to really show at this moment, until my paint shows up, and the slowest game of e-mail tag (with Airfix) gets resolved.... 

 

Andy

 

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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Good start Andy.

Dan

Current build : Mayflower - AL 1:64Lady Nelson - Amati Victory 1:64

Completed non-ship builds : Spitfire MK I - 1:48Arado 196B - 1:32, Sea Fury - 1:48F-15C Eagle - 1:48Hawker Tempest Mk.V - 1:48F104S Starfighter - 1:48

 

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it" - Amelia Earhart

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C413581D-CEDB-4A78-8921-57990F70D25D.jpeg.51784b499ee4bf18ef7136bb5fb76222.jpeg

 

Hmmmm….


 

 

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OOOooooh…..

 

 

 

 

C413581D-CEDB-4A78-8921-57990F70D25D.jpeg.51784b499ee4bf18ef7136bb5fb76222.jpeg

 

Blech 🤮……

 

 

Decision Made!

 

Just ordered the replacement instrument panel from Yahu Models. 😁

 

Andy

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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28 minutes ago, Canute said:

Must be a generic WW II single seater.


Not so much generic as uninspiring. In the lower “legs” of the plastic instrument panel piece, Airfix did manage to mould in some raised detail (which you then cover with a blank decal for some reason). It seems like they could make their instrument panels a little better, they just choose not to. Probably for the sake of keeping things simple for less experienced modellers.

 

Andy

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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43 minutes ago, realworkingsailor said:

Probably for the sake of keeping things simple for less experienced modellers.

That's probably one reason Andy but also being 1/72 hence the reasons as you move up the scale things change if the modeler want's more PE and in your case Yahu.;)

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Great start Andy.  Good move on the Yahu upgrade 👍  Looking forward to following along!

Mike

 

Current Wooden builds:  Amati/Victory Pegasus  MS Charles W. Morgan  Euromodel La Renommèe  

 

Plastic builds:    Hs129B-2 1/48  SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48  Five Star Yaeyama 1/700  Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama  Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32   IJN Notoro 1/700  Akitsu Maru 1/700

 

Completed builds :  Caldercraft Brig Badger   Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle  Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700   Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72  Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48  Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48  Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya  Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

 

Terminated build:  HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)  

 

On the shelf:  Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

 

Future potential scratch builds:  HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

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Thanks guys! I’m in another waiting phase on the build, I did get my paint yesterday (finally!), but I’ve gone about as far as I can while I wait for the part(s) I ordered on the weekend. Also still waiting to see if Airfix has sent me the replacement landing gear legs, maybe they’re in the mail, I dunno…. 
 

 

Yeah…. Something like that…

 

Andy

 

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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So, I went fishing today, and caught a couple of 1000 pounders...

 

IMG_2256.thumb.JPG.b8ea547b5e1599de07073d108e6cfad6.JPG

 

I thought of describing my activities today in a more direct fashion, but it might put me at odds with various government security organizations should they happen to stumble upon my build log....🤪

 

Still waiting on bits and pieces (it may be another week, I don't know), but I will keep trying to stay busy, even if it's only messing around with small parts here and there....

 

Andy

 

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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Thanks Everyone!

 

Did I mention my paint arrived a few days ago?

 

Anyway, I'm looking for some opinions. I need some help with determining the better shade of dark grey for the camouflage scheme. I've run a couple of test panels for evaluation. Both grey colours are from the same manufacturer and both are classified as "RAF Dark Sea Grey" (although different formula numbers). The one on the left is slightly darker, and the one on the right seems slightly bluer. The dark green (at the bottom) is the same as I used on my Wellington bomber.

 

IMG_2258.thumb.JPG.add40a10ded1e1634bc877b4adfdfeb3.JPG

 

I initially thought this would be a cut and dry decision, but I find myself waffling. So I figured I'd see what everyone else thinks.

 

Andy

Quando Omni Flunkus, Moritati


Current Build:

USF Confederacy

 

 

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48 minutes ago, realworkingsailor said:

Thanks Everyone!

 

Did I mention my paint arrived a few days ago?

 

Anyway, I'm looking for some opinions. I need some help with determining the better shade of dark grey for the camouflage scheme. I've run a couple of test panels for evaluation. Both grey colours are from the same manufacturer and both are classified as "RAF Dark Sea Grey" (although different formula numbers). The one on the left is slightly darker, and the one on the right seems slightly bluer. The dark green (at the bottom) is the same as I used on my Wellington bomber.

 

IMG_2258.thumb.JPG.add40a10ded1e1634bc877b4adfdfeb3.JPG

 

I initially thought this would be a cut and dry decision, but I find myself waffling. So I figured I'd see what everyone else thinks.

 

Andy

Gotta love these difficult decisions!  Personal preference for me is the left side........the right seems almost too blue.

 

That being said, will be following this build for sure.  I've gone down a rabbit hole of model plane kits while I decide what freighter to do next (although I did get slightly started on the Robert S Pierson and Tim S Dool - Andy will know these). 

I'm starting to wonder if maybe my impression that there is not a lot of WWII Canadian aircraft models is false....not a lot of RCAF markings are offered, yet our pilots mostly flew under RAF colours, if I a not mistaken, as I am certainly not up my Canadian military history. 

 

I will get a thread started on our club Lanc build in the next day or so.

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1 hour ago, realworkingsailor said:

The one on the left is slightly darker, and the one on the right seems slightly bluer. The dark green (at the bottom) is the same as I used on my Wellington bomber.

The Green is good brother, but they painted for contrast, the Dark Grey is just a tad too dark, the lighter one looks to me to be the ticket, I always thought that RAF Sea Grey had a touch of blue in it... (and gives the proper contrast)

 

Wartime color shots...

screenshot_490(5).thumb.png.c9552e4200eff87ebeca37764961e821.pngscreenshot_490(6).png.a633de4205349d2274478fd08392eda3.pngTyphoon_rearming.jpg.58eb8d33e30f9a37d67dee043f72025a.jpgHawker_Typhoon.jpg.6752c72dd4928a76cd5edff34fee0989.jpg

Museum color shot showing the same coloration..

Hawker_Typhoon_at_RAF_Museum.thumb.jpg.a394a11bd025ededa4dc22c42d751e47.jpg

Edited by Egilman

Current Build: F-86F-30 Sabre by Egilman - Kinetic - 1/32nd scale

In the Garage: East Bound & Down, Building a Smokey & the Bandit Kenworth Rig in 1/25th scale

Completed: M8A1 HST  1930 Packard Boattail Speedster  M1A1 75mm Pack Howitzer  F-4J Phantom II Bell H-13's P-51B/C

Temporary Suspension: USS Gwin DD-433  F-104C Starfighter "Blue Jay Four" 1/32nd Scale

Terminated Build: F-104C Starfighter

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:

"Relish Today, Ketchup Tomorrow"

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