1:48 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb

The real subject

The Hawker Hurricane was among the British fighter aircraft that were built in large numbers and took rough handling. The rear part of the fuselage was a framework of steel tubes with a covering, so damage could be repaired even at a field airfield. The Mk.II version received the Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine, a V12. The Mk.IIb variant carried twelve machine guns of 7.7 mm caliber in the wing and could take bombs or drop tanks under the wing, which made it a usable attack machine.

What the set contains

It is a photo-etched set of metal parts for detailing a plastic model in 1:48 scale. The parts are held in the carrier sheet by thin bridges and are separated with a sharp blade. Which parts of the model the set deals with and how the pieces go together are described in the manufacturer's instructions. The particular item is distinguished by catalog number FE1422.

Building and painting tips

Working with photo-etch is slower than with plastic, but the result holds a fineness that an injection-molded part will not come close to.

• Cut the parts off on a hard surface with a sharp blade, not by twisting.
• Level the remnants of the bridges with a fine file or abrasive paper.
• Make the bends over the edge of a ruler or in a bending tool, the whole length at once.
• Glue with super glue drop by drop; on larger areas with epoxy.
• Degrease the metal before painting and use a primer meant for metal.

Who it is for

The set is for modelers who are bothered by the thickness of the plastic parts on the Hurricane and want to replace it with thin metal. It is an add-on to a kit: the model itself, paints, glue and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.