I signed up for @GreySnake01’s Battle of Britain group build nearly a year ago now, and am finally just getting to the build. “Real” life, right?
Vintage Wings of Canada flew their superb Hurricane Mk XII to the Airventure show in Oshkosk, WI, in 2024, and had it painted in honor of their native son, Flying Officer William McKnight. Right away I knew that I’d have to build a model to match.
McKnight was from Alberta and flew with the storied 242 “Canadian” Squadron during the Phony War and the Battle of Britain. McKnight scored 19 confirmed kills, earned two DFCs, and flew wingman for the infamous Doug Bader with regularity. On 30 Aug 1940, flying alongside Bader, McKnight scored a “hat trick” – shooting down two 109s and a Heinkell 111.
His Gloster-built Hurricane, Serial P2961, was made famous by the distinctive nose art: the 242 Squadron emblem of Adolf getting the boot, and McKnight’s own grim reaper, pointing a bony finger in the direction the bullets go.
McKnight and Hurricane No. P2961 disappeared in action over France on 12 Jan 1941.
I had almost given up finding the proper aftermarket decals for McKnight’s machine when I came across @Grant_Dalzell’s stunning build of this kit last year, and I immediately ordered it up. In the intervening months while I haven’t had much bench time, I’ve accumulated a shocking pile of aftermarket bits. Even open gun bays – why would I do that to myself?!
It wasn’t until the other day when I started taking stuff out of the plastic wrap that I took a good look at the kit’s decals, and I must say I’m disappointed at the lack of detail. They didn’t even put the “242” on the boot, and the real “reapers”, being hand painted, were different on the port vs. the starboard side, not mirrored as on this sheet.
The lack of aftermarket options remains a problem. There is one option: a BofB set of Aeroscale decals from some decades ago that includes this machine – and a handful of others – and it’s upwards of $50 on the secondary market. Pretty steep price for literally three decals, let alone decals so old they might crumble at the first hint of moisture. I’m thinking about it – open to suggestions.
Anyway, I’ve found the plastic to be nice to work with. Rivet and panel line details on the exterior look good; dry fitting of major parts seems fine. Out of the box, the cockpit has about the same level of detail as the Airfix 72nd scale Hurricane I built a few years ago – which is to say, not much, and not very crisply molded. The addition of the standard Eduard set has helped, and once I got up the courage to chisel and sand off the molded sidewall details, I struggled with some highly fiddly scratch building. The “office” is a bit busier now. The three-layer instrument panel from Eduard is pretty impressive!
I’m anxious to see how these scratchbuilt details will look under some primer. Hopefully they haven’t been a waste of time. There’s still a handful of additional PE parts, plus the gunsight and compass, to add after primer and paint are on.
Those decals. Arrgh!
