It was back around January 1977. I had just had my heart broken when my crush Cindy Brookes abruptly exited my fourteen year old life (she changed schools), so therefore I sought solace in plastic.
The plastic I chose that week was the Airfix Series I Hurricane Mk. IV.
This kit is ancient, dating back to the late 1950's. Aside from the packaging, little had changed about the model in all that time. When I bought it, it was in the later blister pack, and was soon to be relegated to history (though I can't say for certain when Airfix discontinued the model; before 1980 seems the likeliest answer). The model went together with relatively great speed. It was poorly camouflaged, using Testors Dark Gray and Pactra Forest Green over Pactra Confederate Gray. It also didn't last long, being traded away shortly thereafter once I discovered that the MPC Hurricane Mk. II was the newer Airfix Mk. II.
I did manage to get the model back some years later and tried to convert it into the Iranian Air Force Hurricane trainer. Suffice to say, that too was a disaster.
There are a lot of problems with this kit, make no mistake. While it does capture the overall shape of the prototype fairly well, the landing gear covers are the wrong shape. The same could be said for the horizontal stabilizers, being a little awkward as well.
There is no interior. In fact, there isn't even a seat. The pilot is simply glued into place on pins.
However, this model represents an important step in the development of the close support aircraft and an important Hurricane variant.
Can it be salvaged?
Of course it can!
There are a few things that can be corrected right off. First is the interior... or lack thereof. Some plasticard (sheet styrene) and odd bits from the spares box could certainly be used. New landing gear could easily be assembled from steel wire, with new gear covers from more plasticard. The wheels, whilst not perfect, are adequate. The problems arise in reshaping the landing gear wells; they match the landing gear themselves. There will need to be quite a bit of reshaping needed.
Will the end result be worth it? It depends upon ones point of view. While there are certainly better models out there, the challenge of taking an old dog and teaching it new tricks has its own rewards. For me, that is what this hobby is all about.
The plastic I chose that week was the Airfix Series I Hurricane Mk. IV.
This kit is ancient, dating back to the late 1950's. Aside from the packaging, little had changed about the model in all that time. When I bought it, it was in the later blister pack, and was soon to be relegated to history (though I can't say for certain when Airfix discontinued the model; before 1980 seems the likeliest answer). The model went together with relatively great speed. It was poorly camouflaged, using Testors Dark Gray and Pactra Forest Green over Pactra Confederate Gray. It also didn't last long, being traded away shortly thereafter once I discovered that the MPC Hurricane Mk. II was the newer Airfix Mk. II.
I did manage to get the model back some years later and tried to convert it into the Iranian Air Force Hurricane trainer. Suffice to say, that too was a disaster.
There are a lot of problems with this kit, make no mistake. While it does capture the overall shape of the prototype fairly well, the landing gear covers are the wrong shape. The same could be said for the horizontal stabilizers, being a little awkward as well.
There is no interior. In fact, there isn't even a seat. The pilot is simply glued into place on pins.
However, this model represents an important step in the development of the close support aircraft and an important Hurricane variant.
Can it be salvaged?
Of course it can!
There are a few things that can be corrected right off. First is the interior... or lack thereof. Some plasticard (sheet styrene) and odd bits from the spares box could certainly be used. New landing gear could easily be assembled from steel wire, with new gear covers from more plasticard. The wheels, whilst not perfect, are adequate. The problems arise in reshaping the landing gear wells; they match the landing gear themselves. There will need to be quite a bit of reshaping needed.
Will the end result be worth it? It depends upon ones point of view. While there are certainly better models out there, the challenge of taking an old dog and teaching it new tricks has its own rewards. For me, that is what this hobby is all about.
Great Airfix nostalgia that we can all identify with. Sure, looking back now in hindsight, it's easy to spot the minor errors and lack of detail, but back then, this was the business! Airfix ruled back then. This sort of kit gives me waves of nostalgic pleasure the moment the kit is opened, and I can't wait to get stuck in, but a modern state-of-the-art super detailed kit from a modern Eastern manufacturer just leaves me cold, almost too easy.....
ReplyDeleteBuild it and love it dude! Wandsworth ruled! (Being a South London guy, I have a natural affinity. Airfix even had their own football team back then. They employed so many people locally they could do it!)
Hi everybody.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to see this piece of a real classic .
When I was a boy of the age of nine, in 1964, I was given this kit from my mother, she brought me it from London. As there was problem to obtain plastic kit in my country, Czechoslovakia, I was very proud of it of course.
It even had the older type of the art on the bag, that one with some kind of ribbon. Since then, many Hurricanes have been built by me, because in the times of the Battle of Britain many Czechoslovak pilots flew them, so it is such a kind of icon for me.
Built lot of Hurricanes, they are great !!!
Happz modelling!
George from the Cz.rep.