I got the decals on my 1/48 Hasegawa Hurricane Mk. I today. I used the kit markings, which worked very well. Only the fin flash presented a minor problem. Butted against the rudder, it doesn’t quite reach the leading edge of the fin. I’ll mix a little paint for the touchup.
The spinner, nose, and a couple horizontal lines on the rudder will be painted before I seal the decals with Future.
So here’s what she looks like tonight:
Thanks for letting me share the good AND the bad of this kit with you !
Hiya Bill,
WOW, she is looking pretty sharp[;)] For kit decals, they actually look descent. So how do you like working with Future?? I hear when you first apply it, it looks rough and has a orange peal look.
But after it dries, she is nice n smooth right?? Never gave this a shot. MMm maybe I’ll try it out on my Spit build.
Thanks for sharing…
Flaps up, Mike
Butz - I’ve been using Future for quite a few years. I don’t see myself using anything else. Spraying it is a little like spraying any gloss color. Mist some light coats first to give the successive ones some “teeth.” My first coats are sprayed at a distance, and I get a little closer with each successive one. My last coat is “wetter,” but not enough to run. I usually apply this coat panel-by-panel. It works well for me.
Joe - the wheel well is actually just overspray. Once the airframe has recieved a wash and dullcote, the wheel wells, flaps, gear cover interiors, and undercarriage legs will be primed and painted with Alcad. There are four nasty little ejector pin marks in the wells, along with a seam from an insert piece. I’m hoping that mine is clean enough to paint with aluminum !
Bill: I’ve already commented on what a beautiful Mk. I you have going there, and it’s just getting better with each update. But what are you using for the canopy? I couldn’t bear to close mine up (with the color PE set inside) with that one-piece affair Hasegawa provided us with. I can’t believe they put that thick, once-piece canopy on a kit that has such a nice cockpit, even straight OOB. I only added the PE set because I had it, and I like it. Still, as everyone has heard by now, I had to tear mine completely apart, salvage the cockpit, and start over with a new kit kindly sent to me by Mikey, since my kit was chipping apart a bit at a time. This new kit is from a different batch of HAS Hurricane IId’s, and it seems just find. It really is a nice kit, especially considering how few parts are involved in it.
TOM
Pix, very nice looking build, the camo looks great
I’m building the same machine, just slightly later in it’s career when it was painted black, again using the kit markings. It seems Hasegawa have a bit of a thing for ‘Widge’ Gleed’s bird.
I know exactly what you mean about that wheel bay, just received my replacement from Ultracast, I’m not as skilled as yourself at removing such imperfections from awkward places.
sharkskin - Squadron recently released a vac for this kit. I cut the injected one apart, and I’m using the windscreen from it. The vac will be in the open position. There are PE pieces for the prominent handles.
Karl - Hasegawa’s instructions show that Gleed’s bird had no mirror, but I have a pic of it with one. There’s no mistaking that artwork ! I believe that the cat’s name is “Figaro.” I’ve also built his Spit Mk. V, using the Hasegawa limited-edition kit that included dry transfers. I’ll include a pic of both aircraft when I post the finished pics.
The wheel well was frustrating, but the lower wing/fuselage seam through the fabric area is the pits. Why they didn’t put the seam at the panel line forward of where they did is beyond me. Very difficult to clean. I used a styrene wedge, and carved the fabric’s crests and troughs into it. I’m not too happy with the results, but at least it’s on the bottom !
Pix,
your Hurricane looks fantastic! I love the paint scheme and markings on this one. I never did get round to building a hurricane before, but once again you have inspired me!
Thanks for sharing with us,
Pix: That’s my solution to the canopy problem exactly. The front of the kit canopy, assuming I don’t ruin it in the cut, with a Squadron sliding hood, assuming I don’t ruin both of the vac-form canopies in the cut. Let us know how that works out so I can avoid it if you meet with disaster. Damned decent of me, is it not?
TOM
Thanks Darren !
This really is a nice little kit, and threr are a lot of versions and schemes available. The wheel wells and bottom wing/fuselage seam are the only areas that need special attention.
sharkskin - the canopy was cut a few days ago. I used a sharp #11 blade on both. When cutting the kit canopy, score it lightly and keep repeating it. Don’t try to cut through it. You’ll eventually separate the pieces. For the vac, I cut the hood from the backing first, leaving an area around it. I then used the same process as on the injected piece, scoring lightly and repeating it. The edges were then filed and sanded for clean edges. You can see in the pic that they both fit well.
Good luck, and take it s l o w l y . . .
As always, a beautiful job! Pixilater, you have a way of making any kit look easy to build and coming out a winner (although I know you put a lot of time and effort into them!)
Always liked the Hurricane; much like the P-40 it might not have been as “advanced” as other fighters in combat, but those two planes did an outstanding job. Your build makes me want to go buy the kit!
