Manufacturer: Revell AG (Germany), distributed by Revell-Monogram, 8601 Waukegan Rd., Morton Grove, IL 60053-2259, 847-966-3500.
Kit: No. 04139
Scale: 1/72
Price: $5.65
Comments: Injection molded, 54 parts, decals.
Pros: Petite recessed surface detail, good fit, long overdue subject.
Cons: Incorrectly shaped windscreen and wheels, Spartan interior, flat wing dihedral, some flash.
Famous for its heroics during the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane was considered for use by the Royal Navy after the threat to British shipping convoys greatly increased in late 1940. Initially, "tired" Hurricane Mk.Ia aircraft were modified to operate from catapults on freighters called Fighter Catapult Ships and Catapult Armed Merchantmen (CAM-ship).
Continued trials and modifications resulted in the Sea Hurricane Mk.IIc with the addition of 4x20mm cannon and a more powerful Merlin XX engine. The biggest naval actions involving Sea Hurricanes were fought during "Operation Pedestal," the campaign to supply Malta in mid-1942, and then in the "Operation Torch" invasion of North Africa in November 1942. After "Torch," the Sea Hurricane was gradually phased out from main carrier aviation groups, but continued serving with training and escort carriers to the end of WWII.
Revell AG's kit is a modification of its Hurricane IIb. The parts have mainly recessed panel lines with some raised detail where appropriate. There was some minor flash that required removal. You can see by the way the parts are laid out that other versions of the Hurricane can be made. The separate bottom aft end of the fuselage makes the addition of the tailhook of the Sea Hurricane possible.
Revell's instructions have notes in English and German, and the assembly drawings have part numbers and color codes (translated in a separate section). Markings for Sea Hurricanes in two different camouflage schemes are provided.
The kit goes together easily following the assembly sequence. The cockpit interior is simple, but adequate for what can be seen. Fit of fuselage and wings is good, and I needed to fill only a couple of minor sinkholes. As given, the wing doesn't have enough dihedral in the outer panels. I solved this by inserting .005" styrene strips on the outside leading edges of the bottom center section of the wing (part No. 12). I didn't install the 20mm cannons in step 4 as they are easy to break off.
The kit two-piece canopy is a problem: The framing of the front panel of the windscreen isn't right - too wide at the base and too narrow at the top. Also, the separate sliding section is too thick to pose on the spine in the open position (so why did Revell form it in two pieces?). I used a Squadron vacuum-form canopy instead, but left it closed.
I chose the white-overpainted Sea Hurricane from HMS Nairana for my model. I used Tamiya acrylic gloss white, AeroMaster Sky, with Humbrol Dark Slate Grey and Extra Dark Sea Grey on the antiglare panel.
The decals are good and the printing is sharp enough that you can read the stencils (well, OK, maybe with trifocals). The white scheme showed dirt quickly in real life, so I weathered my model, then sealed everything with Polly Scale clear flat.
As I added the landing gear, I discovered that the main wheels were inaccurate, so I substituted a pair from my spares box. The gear well detail is adequate for the scale, but the tailhook needed some redefining to get the shape correct. Aligning the cannons required test fitting before gluing in place.
This is a great kit for beginners. Hurricane enthusiasts will want to correct the small accuracy errors, and there are plenty of aftermarket items available out there for superdetailers. I spent only 10 hours on this model. It makes another welcome addition to my growing collection of Fleet Air Arm aircraft.