Jim R's Arma Hobby 1/72 Hurricane

[Jim R]

Thanks to Paul for setting up this most worthwhile GB.

This will be my contribution. New tool in 2018 and this kit, with new decals, 2021.


Not a lot of plastic.


I have also bought some cockpit masks and some 3D cockpit decals.


Decals for 4 aircraft. I will build the kit as a plane from No310 Squadron.


No 310 Squadron was formed in July 1940 and based at Duxford. It was the first squadron crewed by foreign nationals, Czechoslovaks who had fled to the UK after the Nazi invasion of their home country. It was part of the Duxford Big Wing during the B of B.

An interesting photo of the aircraft I will be building after it collided with another Hurricane and crash landed near Duxford.

[Richard48]

Hi Jim.Ive got this kit lurking in the wardrobe where so much is hidden away.I really must do a Hurricane for the first time.Herecy that i havent yet.I shall pull up a pew for this if you please.

[Jim R]

To my shame this is my first Hurricane.

[Geoffers]

Very nice choice Jim 👍

Watch out for some of the cockpit framing it’s a bit of a tricky fit 😕

Geoff.

[Jim R]

Warning noted, thanks.

[yak face]

Nice one jim , its a lovely kit , as geoff said careful with the cockpit framing , plenty of dry fitting , cheers tony

[dave]

Did one of these last year, they build up nicely. But as Geoff said a little care is needed on the cockpit framing. Because of the build order the undercarriage goes in earlier and can be a little vulnerable.

[Jim R]

Thanks for the head's up regarding the cockpit framing. Always good to be fore warned.

I kept looking at this photo ....

....... and I'm going to try to replicate it as a model.

Got quite interested and did some research which threw up the story of a brave but rather tragic man. The pilot of the crashed Hurricane was Jaroslav Maly. Maly was born in Prague in 1905 and in 1923 joined the Czechoslavak Air Force . When Germany invaded Czechoslvakia he fled to Poland to continue the fight against the Nazis. When Poland fell he escaped to France and after the fall of France he crossed The Channel to Britain in 1940. He was posted to No 310 Squadron at RAF Duxford, the first squadron with all foreign pilots. He flew from Duxford during the Battle of Britain. On 29th October 1940 his Hurricane was involved in a mid air collision with another Hurricane piloted by P/O Emil Fechtner. Fechtner's plane crashed and sadly he was killed. Maly was able to crash land his plane. He was injured but survived and the Hurricane was repaired and returned to service. Maly recovered but was deemed unfit to fly and so was transfered to The Czechoslovak Air Force Inspectorate in London and promoted to Wing Commander. On June 5th 1941 Jaroslav Maly was found dead at his flat. Perhaps his suicide was due to him being unable to get over the death of his friend Emil.
That is only a brief account, much more is available at https://fcafa.com/2023/09/01/jarosla...ne-of-the-few/

[stillp]

An interesting story, thanks for the link.
Pete

[colin m]

I've never built an Arma hobby kit, but believe they are good. It will be nice to see this one in detail.

[Jim R]

Firstly I'm really glad for the heads up about the cockpit framing. That was a c***-*p waiting to happen. Because of the warning I was prepared and spent a lot of time dry fitting, adjusting, checking, dry fitting over and over.
All done now and fit's fine.








Oddly the kit does not give the option of wheels up, in flight. Didn't matter for me as I'm building the crash landed plane so the front underside will be buried in the soil. I simply used the covers, chopped up a bit and some styrene sheet. Maybe even that was unnecessary as it will be unseen. Thought it was preferable to an empty space.


Overall fit is very good although there was a gap at the front of the right hand side wing root. I spent ages trying to sort it but in the end just added a thin piece of styrene. (top of third picture)

Dry fit before wheel wells blanked off.


Cockpit area has now been primed with MRP black.

[Geoffers]

Great start Jim, glad you managed to sort the cockpit out.

Thank you for the interesting back story regarding Jaraslav Maly, a tragic end 😔

Geoff.

[Jim R]

Cockpit painted up and 3D decals applied.






Fuselage halves joined and wings fitted. Apart from the one little issue previously mentioned the fit was perfect.




The cockpit is almost impossible to see!


Managed to find some suitable 3D printed figures which should work fine. Only need two as per the ref photo. Amazing what is available now in this 3D stuff. Quality is up there with the best resin figures from a few years ago and so much cheaper.




Thanks for looking in.

[yak face]

Nice progress jim , the figures look excellent

[flyjoe180]

Those figures are going to look excellent Jim. Great work on that cockpit. These Arma Hurricanes look like nice kits.

[colin m]

Nice work Jim. I wonder if 3D printed models exist, or are on the way.