Kit: No. JT51
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, 88 parts (2 resin, 4 vinyl), decals.
Hasegawa's 1/48 scale rendition of the Hurricane IIc features high-quality recessed panel lines and better-than-average interior detail. The cockpit consists of an abbreviated tubular framework, four-part seat, instrument panel (with decal), rudder pedals, floor, and several small control levers. No harness is given, though. Optional parts include flattened resin wheels, alternate cannon barrels, and a choice of rearview mirrors, but the way the parts are designed suggests future Hurricane variants.
The canopy is molded as one piece, so if you want to show all that cockpit detail, haul out your razor saw and hope for straight cuts. Clear parts also are provided for landing-light covers, navigation lights, and the gunsight. Three day fighters are included on the decal sheet.
The simulation of the fabric-covered rear fuselage is overdone, and a light sanding improves its appearance.
Fit is excellent, but watch for the cut and color notes as you go. You'll have to cut a tiny chunk out of the tail-wheel fairing and open pinholes for the cannon fairings on top of the wing. The prop features a vinyl grommet buried inside the spinner that grips the prop shaft cemented to the fuselage - this allows removing the prop for transport.
The instructions feature some part names in addition to clear assembly drawings, parts maps, Gunze Sangyo paint numbers and color names, and camouflage and markings drawings. The numbered steps skip 9 and 10, but nothing is missing from the instructions.
Some of the painting advice is questionable. The cockpit floor should be interior gray-green, and the rudder pedals should be silver, not black.
To ease painting, I built my Hurri a little differently than the instructions suggest. I assembled the forward fuselage halves, then the rear. When the seams were cleaned up, I inserted the cockpit detail through the front opening of the rear fuselage. I left off the wings until after painting to take advantage of the color break lines falling on the seams; there's less masking that way. The front of the bottom of the wing (B4) fit loosely and required filler.
I painted the model with AeroMaster Warbird enamels: ocean grey and dark green topside, with medium sea grey undersurfaces, and sky on the spinner and rear-fuselage band. The decals went on fine with a little Solvaset.
According to the dimensions and photos in The Hawker Hurricane by Francis K. Mason, the model delivers an accurate rendition of this important fighter. I spent about 15 hours on my Hurricane, and if you have experience dealing with small parts, you should enjoy the project.
- Ross Whitaker