1:48 HURRICANE Mk I trop

A fighter with a respirator on

The tropical version of the Hurricane Mk I differs from the European one above all in the bulky Vokes filter under the nose. The sand of North Africa ate away the superchargers of Merlins faster than replacement equipment could arrive, and the massive protrusion under the engine was the price paid for a longer life for the powerplant. Because of it the aircraft lost a few kilometers of speed, but over Egypt, Malta and the Burmese jungle it served out years in which more modern types were lacking. The wing with eight 7.7 millimeter machine guns stayed unchanged.

Roundels that changed the rules twice a year

The British round marking is not a single pattern but a whole family. Type A is formed by a blue circle, a white ring and a red center. Type A1 adds a yellow outer ring to it, introduced in 1940 for better recognition. On the upper surfaces of the wings, by contrast, type B was used, from which the white disappeared altogether, because a light ring on a camouflaged spine shone needlessly. From 1942 the narrower type C came in. In 1940 a vertical three-color stripe on the fin was added to the circles as well. On desert machines several combinations can thus be met at once.

Working with the sheet

The masks hold by a self-adhesive layer, stand up to burnishing with a fingernail and are lifted off with tweezers at a slight angle once the paint has dried. It is recommended to work from the lighter shade to the darker one and to let every layer cure thoroughly, otherwise the edge of the insignia lifts along with the paint when it is peeled away. It is practical to spray the smaller circles last.