discussion Airfix 1:72 Hawker Hurricane Mk1 - Restoration

[flyjoe180]

This is the kit I used to experiment the oven cleaner paint stripping technique on. http://www.scale-models.co.uk/painting/15763-paint-removal-kit-restoration.html

This is how the kit started, as a damaged and somewhat worse for wear original kit with the markings of SQNLDR Robert Standford Tuck during the Battle of Britain.

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You can see what it looked like after a soak in oven cleaner and a wash under cold water with a toothbrush, in the thread linked above.

This is the same kit today after completion of the restoration work. It is shown in the colours of No.1 Squadron Irish Air Corps, Baldonnel Aerodrome, 1945. The decals are from the new-box Airfix Mark 1 Hawker Hurricane kit. I wanted to build the new model using the RAF decals, and the Irish scheme was quite catchy and something a bit different, so onto the refurbished model they went.

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Rebuilding and repainting the kit was not difficult. The Airfix Hurricanes have not changed much in decades, and the rebuild was actually quite easy. The original damaged aerial mast was replaced using a spare from the sprue box. The sharp-eyed among you may notice the oil cooler intake under the cowl area is the wrong shape. The original must have escaped down the plug hole at rinse time. I refashioned one from old sprue and reshaped it to the best of my ability. The starboard landing light was also missing. The new one is a mixture of clear sprue and lots of glue, sanded down finely and buffed using plastic polish (Macguires car stuff). All that aside, I was pretty happy with the way things went, and I am quite happy with the finished product. Here are some more pics for you to view.

Painted with Humbrol enamels, gloss varnished with Vallejo, flat coated with Tamiya, Decal solution from Humbrol.

Thanks for looking!

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[flyjoe180]

I should ad the delay in finishing this was due to the weather. After my issues with Tamiya flat coat on the Spitfire IX I didn't want to take any risks, and this time I had no problems at all with it. Today was a blue dome day with low humidity and warm temperatures. The Spitfire restoration is nearing completion too, followed closely by a new build Bf109E. Quite enjoying my return to the hobby!

 

[papa 695]

A nice bit of restoration work there Joe and liking the Irish livery

 

[flyjoe180]

It's quite a colourful scheme isn't it? Makes the old Hurricane look more civilian from the underside.