1:32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb

The real subject

The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter that, together with the Spitfire, carried the main weight of the defense of Britain in 1940. Structurally it came from an older school: the basis was a tube frame fuselage, fabric covered at the rear, which made repairing a damaged aircraft considerably simpler. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine, a twelve-cylinder with the cylinders arranged in a V. The Mk.IIb version carried twelve 7.7 mm machine guns in the wing, four more than the earlier versions.

What the set solves

This is a photo-etched set in 1:32 scale from the family of metal accessories. In a large scale the viewer sees far more detail in the cockpit and on the airframe surface, and that is where plastic parts run into their limits soonest. Photo-etched metal is markedly thinner and holds a sharp edge. The make-up of the parts, their placement on the model and the kit they are shaped for are described in the instructions enclosed with the set.

Building and painting tips

Dry-fit every part before gluing and level any remaining tabs with a fine file. Make the bends over a sharp edge and press along the whole length at once, otherwise you get a curve instead of a corner. Metal is bonded with cyanoacrylate; on larger areas a glue with a longer setting time is useful, because you still have time to align the part. Before painting, wash the grease off the metal and apply a primer intended for metal, otherwise the paint will not hold.

Terms of supply

A photo-etched fret with instructions is supplied. The aircraft kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.