1:48 Hawker TyphoonIB

The Typhoon, a fighter that became a destroyer of columns

The Hawker Typhoon entered service as an answer to the fast German raids over southern England and disappointed at altitude. It found its place near the ground: with its one-ton Napier Sabre engine, a thick wing and four cannon it became the most feared means against columns and railway yards. Over Normandy in 1944 it flew almost exclusively with rockets under the wing. For its recognition from the ground the Allied formations introduced conspicuous stripes across the fuselage and wing, so even the color scheme of a model tends to be more varied than one would expect of an attack machine.

A ridge of finish at the edge of the mask

A mistake that only side light reveals: in the place where the film ended, a palpable step is left after unmasking. It always arises from the same cause, namely from too thick a layer sprayed all at once. The heavier the load, the higher the wall on which the eye catches. The solution is to spray thinned paint from a greater distance and to add it in layers that on their own barely cover.

Leveling a step after unmasking

An existing ridge is knocked back with wet sanding using the finest paper, guided strictly across the edge and never along it. You work in short spells and dry it off as you go, so that you can see how much is left. The leveled area is then unified with a thin coat of clear, which reliably joins up the small differences in sheen.

Box contents

Two films for the cockpit cover are enclosed, for the outer as well as the inner face, and two sets for the national insignia. The aircraft kit is obtained separately; this item contains masks only.