1:32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I / Mk.IIc part 12 - Royal Air Force

Art Scale decals for the Hawker Hurricane in 1:32 scale

This is a decal sheet, not a kit. It serves to mark a finished Hurricane model and within the series it is part number 12, devoted thematically to machines in British service. The sheet covers the Mk.I and Mk.IIc versions, which matters when choosing: the two versions differ in armament and in details of the airframe, so check in advance which kit you are building.

The real subject

The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter with a Rolls-Royce engine, structurally still based on a framework skeleton covered with fabric in the rear part of the fuselage. It owed its reputation as a reliable machine precisely to that robust and easily repaired structure. The Mk.I version carried machine gun armament and was the mainstay of the fighter force in the first years of the war; the later Mk.IIc received a more powerful engine and armament built on 20 mm cannons, which made it a suitable machine for attacks on ground targets.

How to apply the decals

The basis of success is a gloss base. On a matte finish, therefore, spray a gloss varnish first, otherwise air is trapped under the decal and the edges begin to silver. Release the decal in lukewarm water, slide it into place and blot the excess water away. Then use a softener, so that the film adapts to the engraved lines and the rivets; do not move the decal any more while it dries. Once it has dried, wash the surface free of adhesive residue and unify the whole model with a matte overcoat, which hides the edges of the film and prepares the surface for weathering.

Who the sheet is for

• Builders of British fighter aircraft in 1:32 scale.
• Modelers who want markings other than those the kit box offers.
• Collectors who build Hurricanes as a series.
• Those who want a model of a particular machine in British service.