Kit: No. Jt59
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Hasegawa, distributed by Marco Polo Import, 532 S. Coralridge Pl., City of Industry, CA 91746
Price: $27.98
Comments: Injection molded, 99 parts (four vinyl), decals.
In late 1937, Hawker Aircraft's chief designer Sydney Camm anticipated the need for a fighter faster and larger than anything then in service with the Royal Air Force. Testing of the plane that resulted in the Typhoon, began in 1941 with production aircraft reaching squadrons in late 1942. Engine and airframe teething problems plagued its early service life, but after design corrections to the elevator, the Typhoon became Britain's preeminent ground attack fighter of World War II.
Finally, Hasegawa brings us the early "car-door" version of the Typhoon Mk.Ib. The kit features fine recessed panel lines, excellent surface and interior detail, optional open or closed right-side entry door, and markings for two aircraft. There are enough optional parts to build any car-door Typhoon, including both open and faired cannons, external rudder horn-balance arms, flat and bulged canopy roofs, and regular and flared exhaust stubs. Unopened locating holes in the wing and the way the fuselage is molded indicate a rocket-armed bubble-canopy version to come.
The cockpit is nicely detailed, but the two triangular panels on the sides of the main panel should be bent inward. The parts fit together well, but the top fuselage plug parts (J1, 2, 4), are too small, and the panel lines behind the cockpit opening don't line up. I had to fill, sand, and rescribe panel lines here to smooth things out.
I stopped construction after step 4 and painted the model. I decided to leave the cockpit shut and installed and masked the canopy. The rest of construction involved details added to the airframe. Check photos of the airframe you want to represent: The yellow wing leading-edge band can start from the inboard cannon, outboard cannon, or the landing light.
I painted the model with Aeromaster and Humbrol enamels. My references don't agree with the marking choices provided by Hasegawa. Photos in Francis K. Mason's Hawker Typhoon & Tempest show the right-side squadron code of the No. 175 Sqn. aircraft with the "HH" forward of the roundel. The No. 198 Sqn. aircraft provided on the sheet was a bubble-top version with a four-blade prop.
I settled on a Typhoon from No. 609 Sqn. since I found photos of both sides of the aircraft. I used the kit decals for all insignia and underside striping but went to the spares box for serial numbers, squadron codes, and tail band. Hasegawa's sky tail band and codes were too dark, too gray, and too translucent. The kit decals worked well with Solvaset.
The final construction process was trouble free. The main landing gear and gear wells have good detail, but the "weighted" tires seem to have too much bulge. The two 250-pound bombs look fine, but the tail wheel doesn't have the anti-shimmy tire found on almost all production aircraft
While I enjoyed building the new Typhoon, the minor fit problems and the questionable markings will keep experienced builders busy longer than usual. I spent about 25 hours on mine. The finished model measures about half a scale foot short in length and span.
- Ross Whitaker