486 (NZ) Sqn Hawker Hurricane IIB NF

[tempestwulf]

Afternoon All from a sunny New Zealand Friday afternoon.

This kit was build over a 2 week period while I waited for a jar of Mr Color Neutral Grey to arrive. I found a picture of a 486 Sqn NF and couldn't leave it alone since I had the appropriate kit in my stash. The markings are of Hurricane IIB flow by F/Lt Harvey Sweatman on the night 23/24 July 1942. He shot down a Dornier Do 217 of 5. /KG40. The image at the bottom was found mid construction, different to Sweatmans.

A short brief about 486 (NZ) Squadron to start us all on and bring interest to the unknowning. Taken from Wikipedia.

The squadron formed on 7 March 1942, initially at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, as part of RAF Fighter Command and equipped with Hawker Hurricane IIs. For a while 486 Sqn. was a nightfighter unit tasked with working in conjunction with 1453 Turbinlite Flight. The squadron was re-equipped with Hawker Typhoons starting in July 1942. Ending the war flying Hawker Tempests with distinction.

486 Squadron Record

486 squadron flew over 11,000 sorties claimed 81 enemy aircraft, (including two Messerschmitt 262 jets) and destroyed 223½ (or 241) V-1 "flying bombs", 323 motor vehicles, 14 railway engines and 16 ships. Pilots attached to the squadron won 22 DFCs,a DSO and six Mentioned in Dispatches. While mounted on Tempests 486 Sqn claimed 59.5 enemy aircraft shot down; first place for Tempest victories. 56 Sqn. was second with 59.2.

Onto the build

Hasegawa's brilliant little Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB is a modular kit with seperate frontal section to help in the molding of other versions of Sidney Camms workhorse. Hasegawa have done the I, II, IIb, IIc and IVD and of coarse night fighter versions of the IIB & C. My kit was the IIB "274 squadron" with vokes filter and desert markings, also included one ETO type in temperate scheme.

The kit was a breeze to build and I didn't do much to speak of in the cockpit. Replaced the console (console...or dash board? The dials things :blink: ) with a spares box piece appropriately painted to pick out the raised detail. The control stick was also replaced with a spare. Seat was filled down to a slimmer profile, seat belts added from an etched set and a head rest fashioned from a cut down missile of the correct diameter. I'm a real PE convert now too with my 2 prior projects (P-40N & Zero) having full PE sets for the interior. I concentrate on the cockpit more then anything as the outside is more about the painting and weathering effects.

Canopy was lightly sanded and polished with Tamiya polishing & buffing compounds. Dipped in Johnsons Klear and left to dry overnight, I used an old canopy to cut a template from Tamiya tape so I didn't risk FUBARing the new one. God bless the spare parts box and previously scrapped projects huh?

The major components fitted with only a smidge of filler required on the top cowl to help smooth out the seam. I've learnt it's best to glue seperate cowls to the main airframe and not together as per instrutions. I still have a hell of a time with hairline seams sometimes though, any advice people? Wings fitted flush with plenty of dry fitting prior and no filler needed. Seams were tidied up and a glare shield was fashioned from thin plastic sheet. (Yep, I remembered that little detail)

Not much to speak of in regards to painting really. You can have your IIB NF in any colour as long as it's black...black...and/or black. The kit was undercoated with Mr Surfacer 1000 and painted all over with thin coats of Mr Color black until good density was reached. A bit thin in area's to show some difference in tone. The area around the wheel well was masked off and painted silver given that a black base helps silver get the appropriate hue. Landing gear, gear doors and prop assembly was all done around the same time to help the speed of the build.

Kit was glossed ready for decalling. No kit decals were harmed in the making of the bird. Instead they were sourced as below:

Insignia: Aeromaster. Squadron code: Microscale 36" Dull Red Codes. Aircraft Serial: Aviology 8" Dull Red Codes.

Everything was then sealed in with Klear for a change.

Weathering was kept to a relative minimum. Exhaust/Gun stains were applied with a thinned dark grey, a little brown added to this for contrast. Panel lines were run with thinned artists acrylics from a local $2 shop. White with a smidge of brown and black. This was reapplied accordingly where the dull obliterated the effect. Random streaks were sprayed with a light grey across the wings and a generalised spray to tie everything together. The proverbial "filter" colour if you will. I will note the streaks look more stark then they actually are. The Mk 1 eyeball will see if more accordingly.

Wheels were dirtied using Tamiya weathering powders and a little chipping on the propellers, gear covers and intake. Nothing to extreme as it would have looked to stark against the black.

Edited November 26, 2010 by tempestwulf

[John Krukowski]

I enjoyed reading your article, hope you plan to submit this into the gallery too?

Good work on the model, nice job.

John

[HOLMES]

Always nice to see a beautifully built Hurricane and I like the story behind this one.

HOLMES

[Diego Quijano]

Fine night Hurry. Looks nice.

Q

[tempestwulf]

Thanks for the feedback guys, really appreciate it. John, I think I might just do that for the gallery. I did enjoy the build and you don't see the IIb NF often too.

[Mumbles]

Like it muchly, especially how you have managed to get some tones and texture into what would otherwise be a fairly drab scheme. I've always had a soft spot for 486, since it is the only squadron I can use the codes to spell my name with .

[tempestwulf]

Thanks Mumbles. I'm pretty please how it came out but the flash makes the white streaks look way to stark. it looks alot better to the naked eye.

I'm keen on building models of Kiwi's in the RAF too so the 486 Sqn Hurri was just the ticket, will look at a 488 Sqn Hurri one day too. I had build a 486 Sqn Hawker Tempest but this was scrapped a while back as I considered it 2nd rate compared to my more recent builds (I'm critical, a bad flaw sometimes). I plan to build it again though using Academys 1/72 Hawker Tempest with Aeromaster Insignia and Modeldecal letter/codes, I REALLY recommend Modeldecal letter too.

I have had problems with making aTyphoon though, can't find any pictures of a Mk Ib. Only pictures of the early car door type typhoons.

Edited November 30, 2010 by tempestwulf

[rpeck]

That is excellant .

Interesting in that the panel lines are not a dark color wash ,good idea.

[Aggressor Supporter]

Pretty nice looking Hurricane there.