Hasegawa Hurri - lots o'pics

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

This is a 1/48 scale model painted with acrylics and some pencil crayons for weathering. I wanted to depict a hurricane during the Battle of Britain and chose 242 Sqn as it was predominantly manned by Canadian pilots. Aeromaster decals were used as they had a set portraying Flg Off W.L. Mcknight (a canuck) but it was for a craft he flew in December, so I left out his personal markings and the fuselage ‘fighter band’. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Jack














2

Nice looking build. Only thing, all of the references I have on this bird show the scheme adopted in November, 1940 where the Port wing was painted black underside to the centerline of the fuselage, the Rotol spinner was Sky, the rear fuselage had the Sky “fighter band” & the aircraft McKnight flew in December, 1940 had his personal Skeleton with Reaper graphic on both sides of the Aircraft. McKnight was killed when shot down on January 12, 1941.

I am currently building the same aircraft, so I am very curious about any reference you have that led you to this presentation. If possible, I’d appreciate a post of the cite.

Regards, Rick

3

Looks good nice job on the camo nice tight pattern.

4

Nice build, Jack.
I like the subtle weathering and oil and dirt stains you’ve spread around. Well done.

5

Nice Hurri - well weathered too

6

Nice looking Hurricane.[tup] I really like the job you did on the weathering, especially around the guns. Very realistic.

7

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Rick - please excuse if I introduced some confusion to your project. You are correct in describing Mcknight’s hurricane as it would have appeared in late November and December. My intention was to depict the same aircraft during July/August of 1940. I didn’t find any hard evidence, but came to the conclusion that it most likely looked like this based on photos and colour plates of Sqd Leader Douglas Bader’s aircraft LE~D. Hence the night spinner and all sky undersides. I’m not sure if Mcknight flew this craft regularly during the summer or if it was even his personal mount at that time so I decided to leave the skeleton graphic off. The only text info was found in the Osprey book Hurricane Aces 1939-40. It states P2961 was issued to 242 squadron on June 2nd 1940 and fought in both France & the entire Battle of Britain where it had a rather unremarkable summer and autumn. By December its pilot was leading Canadian ace ‘Willie’ McKnight…

Jack

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Jack, thanks for the reply. I’ve done quite a bit of research on this particular aircraft. I’ve never found any pics or other references showing the aircraft in earlier markings, but your speculation is plausable. The scheme you have depicted was changed to the one I described in November, 1940. I also have not been able to confirm that LEA was the AC Mcknight was flying the day he was KIA. Do you have any info on that ?

Regards, Rick

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looks good from my house friend! nice job!![tup]

10

Sweet Build especially the weathering.[:D]

11

Great looking build

Thad

12

Nice looking build.

I especially like the weathering, you’ve given me some good ideas as I’m building the same kit at the mo.

Thanks for sharing.

Karl

13

Lovely looking build. Great use of weathering.

Dan

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More thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated.

Hi Rick, in the same Osprey book I mentioned earlier, it does state that McKinght was KIA whilst flying P2961. He was bounced by some Emils near Calais during one of the first low-level ‘Rhubarb’ sorties. Couldn’t find anything on the net to support this until I did an image search and that was where I discoverded this: http://www.dunrobincastle.com/Nose_Art/For_Sale/Willie_Skeleton.htm
The site even goes as far as to name the Luftwaffe pilot that shot him down.
I should mention something else I found regarding the night colour used by the RAF. “This colour was first introduced in 1937 and was not true ‘black’, being instead a very dark blue-grey made up from a mix of carbon black and ultramarine blue pigments. It was included in the MoS colour range as Aircraft Finish No 8 and included in BS 381C as no 642 in 1964. It is interesting to note that Night was still being listed in the Vocab of Stores as a separate colour from Black in the mid-1960s. Colour matched by BS 381C No 642 Night and FS 595B 37030” from the magazine/book Scale Aircraft Monographs, Camouflage and Markings, The Battle for Britain, May to December 1940 by Paul Lucas

Jack

15

Superb build, really brilliant weathering, thanks for sharing with us.