Back
again with my personal SIG: non French aircraft in French markings, with a focus
on the Free French. This time the classic Hawker Hurricane, a plane that I
didn’t find wonderful before starting the superb Hasegawa kit, highly
recommended.
The
FAFL (Free France Air Force) regiment
Alsace
went to Egypt
in 1942 and was equipped with Hurricane Mk I in English colors, awaiting for Mk
II. Those aircraft arrived in August 1942 and were send back to the 417
squadron on September the 6th.
Aircraft
Z4615 was dedicated to high altitude interception and was equipped with only 4
machine guns.
My
intention was to build this kit from the box, but finally I did change some few
things.
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01 and 02: Hasegawa cockpit is very good, just add seat belts (aluminium
tape), a cushion (eraser) and paint it.
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03: Exhaust pipes are hollowed
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04: landing gear is sufficient, no need to enhance it
Click on
images below to see larger images
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05: Elevators are cut and positioned to make something more realistic, more
alive
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06: origin transparent part, even if they are very good, are too thick, in
particular if you want to open the canopy
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07: so new parts are thermoformed
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08: and canopy frame is realized with aluminium tape
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09: Consequently, the 1mm step in the rear of the canopy has to be filled,
it’s not here on the real aircraft.
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10: Wing light is detailed and its glass thermoformed
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11: Marching is thinned and a handle is added
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12: Front oil protection ring is removed and recreated to have a L shape
Regarding
the paint technic, the French Hurricane were old RAF Hurricanes, so not brand
new ones. I decided to practice a weathering based on the pastel powder technic
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13: First paint the aircraft in the standard color : Azur Blur below
(personal mixture), Middle stone (Tamiya XF60) and Dark earth (Tamiya XF52)
above. When finishing each color, I had some white I and spray the center of
each panel
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14: Then I spray again slightly the normal color to soften the effect
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15: The result is a paint scheme with some effects, but it still looks flat
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16: At this stage, I decided to paint the main insignias to have a darker, a
good white and to be sure that I would have no problem with positioning the
decals on the shapes of the Hurricane.
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17: Now it’s polishing time, either with a very soft sand paper of simply
with a toilet paper. Here it’s polished on the right side only.
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18: Then with a brush I put brown pastel powder on the engaved lines
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19: and with a (clean, it’s better) toilet paper I wipe it.
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20 and 21: Same thing with blank pastel powder in the center of the
panels.
Then
you have to:
- Spray
a gloss varnish
- Put
the last decals
- Put
a dark brown juice in the engraved lines and make dirty the inferior
surfaces and in particularly the engine
- Spray
a matt varnish
That’s
it, hope you like it.
Laurent
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