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BUILD...
AIRFIX 1:24
HAWKER
TYPHOON Mk.Ib
Brett Green
INCLUDES
p 01 Cover TyphoonBG.indd 1
02/07/2014 09:06
n Chris Wauchop
Chris Wauchop was born in Deniliquin in regional Australia in
1954. Chriss career began in the photo studio of a major Sydney
advertising agency. From here, Chris moved on to professional
model making at Lego. After nearly five years, he decided to go
solo, opening a hobby shop called Absolute Hobbies in suburban
Sydney. This became a Mecca for local modellers. The end of
the property lease after seven years prompted another career
change, this time painting props and vehicles for the science fiction
movie, Red Planet. Chris has built many models for commercial
advertising, displays at trade shows, articles for magazines
and websites including Tamiya Model Magazine, Model Military
International, Military Illustrated Modeller, HyperScale and MissingLynx, and has been a contributor to many modelling books. Chris
now lives in semi-retirement on Sydneys northern beaches with
his wife Deirdhre.
n Marcus Nicholls
Marcus was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1966 and still lives
in this area with his wife Emma and two sons, Joseph and William.
Marcus has been making models since about the age of eight, and
has worked on Tamiya Model Magazine since 1991. He has been
its Editor for about the last fourteen years, and is also Editor of the
Military Edition of Military Illustrated Modeller magazine. Marcus is
also Group Editor of ADH Publishings scale modelling magazines
which include Model Airplane International and Model Military
International.
He is a qualified photographer and places special emphasis on
photographic quality in Tamiya Model Magazine. Marcus is an
enthusiastic modeller of all subjects and feels equally at home
building armour, science-fiction, cars and bikes as well as aircraft.
n Brett Green
Brett Green was born in Sydney, Australia in 1960. Brett displayed
a passion for aviation and aircraft modelling from an early age.
This developed into a particular interest in camouflage and
markings. Brett established the popular scale modelling website
HyperScale (www.hyperscale.com) in 1998. He is also Editor of
the ADH Publishing magazines Model Military International and the
Aircraft Edition of Military Illustrated Modeller; the armour modelling
website Missing-Lynx (www.missing-lynx.com), and author of
more than 15 books. Brett concluded his 25-year career in the
Australian telecommunications industry in 2003, when he decided
to pursue his interests in online publishing and writing as a full-time
occupation. He still lives in Sydney today with his wife and two
children, Charlotte and Sebastian.
02/07/2014 09:07
CONTENTS
Page
Foreword
Page
Background
Page
Chapter 1
Hawker Typhoon Close Up
Page
12
Chapter 2
Typhoon in Other Scales
Page
18
Chapter 3
Typhoon In The Box
Page
26
Chapter 4
Typhoon Step by Step
Page
50
Chapter 5
Cockpit and Engine Detail by Marcus Nicholls
Page
62
Chapter 6
Painting and Finishing by Chris Wauchop
Page
74
Appendix 1
After-Market Accessories and Decals
Page
74
Appendix 2
Selected Hawker Typhoon References
02/07/2014 09:07
BACKGROUND
Rearming the
Hispano cannon of
a car door Typhoon.
Note the colours
of the shells, and
the half-shrouded
Hispano cannon
barrels.
MR HAWKERS
GROUND POUNDER
Hawker Typhoon EK288 photographed in April 1943. The black and white underwing stripes were added
as an identification feature, as a number of Typhoons had been shot down by friendly Flak and fighters,
having been mistaken for Focke-Wulf Fw 190s.
A nice in-flight shot of six Typhoons. The narrow chordwise stripes on the upper wings were another
identification measure.
4 Background
02/07/2014 09:09
Acknowledgement:
Thanks to Dan Jackett for permission
to use these historical photographs.
Excellent detail
view of the car
door canopy of
Typhoon Mk.IB
EK288 Fiji VI.
A factory fresh
Hawker Typhoon
Mk.IB bubbletop.
The misaligned
camouflage on the
nose panels is of
interest.
Pilots clowning
around with a
500 lb bomb. The
Typhoon could
carry one of these
under each wing.
A Hawker Typhoon
Mk.IB with four
bladed propeller
and equipped with
rockets. Note that
the wing leading
edge landing light
has been deleted on
this example.
Detail view of the
top of the engine
of US-D, Serial
No. R8220.
02/07/2014 09:09
HAWKER TYPHOON
CLOSE UP
02/07/2014 09:10
Overlapping
fuselage panels
and the oil
canning effect
may be seen here.
The rectangular
plates, often called
fish plates, were
reinforcements for
the tail section.
Several exhaust
configurations
were fitted to the
Typhoon. This
is one of the
shrouded types.
Note the rough
alignment and
poor fit of some
of the panels and
exhaust shrouds.
Starboard side
of the nose.
The upside-down
T shaped pitot
tube may be seen
under the wing.
02/07/2014 09:10
being transported to 27 MU at
Shawbury to be refurbished to
display standard, with low standard
replacements being made for the
spinner, upper engine cowlings,
radiator, oil cooler, port aileron and
parts of the undercarriage.
Although officially handed to
the RAF Museum on November
Interior view of
the radiator flap.
The back of the
radiator may be
glimpsed from this
unique angle.
02/07/2014 09:10
The anti-shimmy
tail wheel. The
rear starboard
navigation light
may be seen at
the rear root of the
horizontal stabilizer
too.
Not the greatest
shot due to low light
and shadow, but
here we can see the
wide groove around
the solid tyres
circumference.
The pilots
retractable step.
A 3 rocket with
60 lb head. Eight
of these could
be carried by the
Typhoon.
02/07/2014 09:10
Starboard wheel
well - looking
forward and
inward.
Starboard wheel
well - looking
forward and
outward.
Hawker Typhoon
instrument panel
(this photo by
Andy Mortimer).
02/07/2014 09:10
A nice view of
the footrests,
control column,
rudder pedals and
forward starboard
side console.
Note that many
of the features
are painted with
aluminium lacquer
in this cockpit.
Port side console
and sidewall.
02/07/2014 09:10
The undercarriage
bay is moulded
integrally with the
ducting and the
cockpit floor.
Detail is even
provided on the
insides of the
undercarriage
doors a far cry
from old 1:72 scale
Airfix kits.
02/07/2014 09:12
es
rendition of the upper radiator ducting I have seen in this scale.
The seat is quite nicely done with
quilted leather back-padding and
separate armour, although the seat
pan looks a little short; perhaps due
to the thickness of the plastic edge.
There is no seat harness, but this is
can be added easily enough.
The instrument panel is smooth
and uses a crude decal for instruments; where all of the dial outlines
on the panel are white on black.
Rudder pedals, a control column
and gun-sight complete this subassembly. Two tubes that are not
included braced the mount, but
these can easily be scratch-built
from rod or stretched sprue. There
is no clear gun-sight reflector, which
is correct, as Typhoons with bubble
canopies projected the reticule
image onto the windscreen
Cockpit detail colours are given,
but I am not convinced that a
totally grey-green cockpit interior
as advised is correct. I understand
that Gloster, which built most
Typhoons, finished their cockpits in
matt black above waist level, with
aluminium tubular framing, seat
and lower panels. The preserved
cockpit in the Imperial War Museum
and illustrations in the Pilots Notes
support this. Hawker-built airframes
may have had a grey-green finish
where Gloster used black, but I
cannot be sure.
The radiator and oil-cooler matrix
comes as one part, with a separate
carburettor. The matrix is very finely
represented.
The wheel-well/cockpit floor
assembly mentioned earlier also
provides the ducting roof for the
rear of the radiator. A nice touch is
the separate radiator vent, allowing
it to be positioned open if desired.
Interestingly, and I think a first for
Typhoon kits, Airfix have included a
tropical air filter that mounts behind
the radiator between the main
wheel wells. This filter was fitted to
late production Typhoons, but its
location makes it very hard to see in
period photos (and I have yet to see
published plans featuring it either).
It is not the same as fitted to earlier
Typhoons used for tropical testing,
nor is it the same as the albeit
similar arrangement applied to the
Tempest Mk.VI, which has appeared
in published plans. Presumably,
Optional Hispano
cannon are
included.
Finely moulded
rocket rails are
included.
02/07/2014 09:13
Conclusion
This is a good effort from Airfix.
The moulding is not quite up to the
standard of the better brands from
the Far East, but it is a real advance
on the first new tool releases by
Airfix under Hornbys ownership.
Its main competitor for this
subject is Brenguns Typhoon kit.
The Airfix kits surface and cockpit
detail almost as refined as the
Brengun kit; but its big advantage
is that it avoids the Czech kits very
undesirable need for major tail
surgery that results from the same
fuselage moulds being used for
three and four-blade options. The
Airfix kit is much easier to build in
this regard; and in fact, I would
expect it to build better all-round.
I suspect that many will regard its
scale finesse is close enough to
Brenguns anyway. Approaching
half the Czech kits price, the more
readily available Airfix kit is sure to
be a winner.
Price considerations aside, I am
tempted rate the two brands equal
best for a four-blade Typhoon in
1:72 scale. Choosing one over
the other comes down largely to a
preference between detail refinement versus ease of construction.
Brenguns kit remains the best
choice for a three-blade Typhoon
however, as Airfix does not cover
this option.
This is a very nice kit from Airfix.
I am sure it will be well received
by many. If they would just refine
their panel lines a bit more, Airfixs
new products could be up there
with some of the best. Despite this,
I still think that Airfix is the best
four-blade Typhoon choice for the
majority of modellers in the One
True Scale.
I recommended this kit highly.
The canopy is
moulded in two
parts nice touch.
Sidewall detail
is moulded onto
the inside of the
fuselage halves.
Markings are
supplied for two
aircraft.
02/07/2014 09:12
S
Note the long
insert in the upper
fuselage. This
accommodates
either the early car
door canopy, or the
later bubble top, by
the use of different
inserts.
Cockpit detail is
quite basic, but
there are a number
of after market
options to enhance
this area.
Hasegawas 1:48 scale Car Door
Typhoon, built by Brett Green
A number of key
panel lines were lost
during the filling and
sanding stage. These
were reinstated
using a scriber and
a length of selfadhesive Dymo tape
as a guide.
02/07/2014 09:12
inserts with the contours of the fuselage sides. It would be much easier
to deal with a gap along the top of
the fuselage than to fill, recontour
and sand the fuselage sides.
As it turned out, I was able to
line up the inserts and the fuselage
sides pretty well, although there
would be a few stray join seams to
clean up later.
However, test fitting the fuselage
halves exposes the real problem.
There was a prominent gap of
between 1 and 2 mm on the top
fuselage centreline between the
inserts. This gap needed some serious attention further down the track.
CONCLUSION
Hasegawas 1:48 scale Hawker
Typhoon Mk.IB might have been
released more than 14 years ago,
but it still holds up well by todays
standards. The relatively small
parts count makes it appropriate for
even a beginner modeller, with only
the poorly fitting fuselage inserts
complicating the build.
If you like more of a challenge,
there are plenty of aftermarket
accessories and markings out
there. I can highly recommend the
Barracuda Studios cockpit, wheels,
exhausts and intakes. They lift this
model to a different level.
The bubbletop
version suffers
from the same fit
problems as the car
door kit.
16 Chapter 2 - Hawker
02/07/2014 09:12
The MDC
multimedia 1:32
scale Typhoon.
Each wing is
a single large
casting, including
wheel well detail.
CONCLUSION
MDCs 1:32 scale Typhoon is a gorgeous chunk of resin that is impressively detailed, cleverly designed,
perfectly cast and accurate.
Considering the amount of effort
that must go into casting each of
these masterpieces, the purchase
price is pretty reasonable too. I did
not hesitate in forking out my cash.
You will definitely need experience
with resin kits if you want to
tackle this project, but MDC's
thoughtful engineering should make
workbench time a real pleasure.
Luxurious cast
brass main
undercarriage legs.
Eight marking
options are offered.
Two more decal
sheets are included.
02/07/2014 09:12
Surface Texture
The first thing that struck me when I
examined the contents was the surface texture. Airfix has moulded this
kit with a rippled oilcan texture
on all the exterior metal surfaces.
1.
2.
1. The two main
fuselage halves on
the sprues.
2. Note the rippled
oilcan effect on
the main surfaces.
3.
3. The surfaces
are also covered
with lines of holes
representing rivets.
Note the raised
fish plates,
which were
reinforcements for
the tail.
4.
5. One of the
overlapping upper
wing panels.
6.
6. The opening in
the upper wing will
allow the cannon
bay to be displayed.
7.
8.
7. Youll need to
decide early on
whether you are
fitting rockets,
bombs or tanks,
as the appropriate
locating holes need
to be drilled out
before the wings
are assembled.
8. The early
horizontal tail
planes have a
smaller surface
area, although it is
hard to pick with
the naked eye.
02/07/2014 09:15
9.
10.
11.
14.
15.
16.
Kit Engineering
The fuselage is moulded with a
number of inserts. The upper and
lower cowls are separate parts,
as are upper cockpit panels. The
bottom of the fuselage is also a
separate part, as is the vertical
stabiliser (fin) and a section of
fuselage at its base.
The fuselage cowling inserts
allow four different configurations
for the engine:
1. All the cowling panels may
be glued in place, completely
enclosing the engine.
2. The upper and lower panels may
be left off, displaying the top of
the engine and the radiator with
its associated plumbing and
mounting hardware.
3. The bottom panels may be glued
in place and the top panel left off
to display the top of the engine, or
4. The centre side engine cowling
sections may be cut off the front
of the fuselage to display the
12.
17.
19.
18.
20.
02/07/2014 09:15
Cockpit
The cockpit looks fantastic,
being built up in layers of tubular
framework and detail parts just like
the real thing. Construction takes
place in steps, adding consoles,
the quadrant, control column and
actuators, wheels, knobs, handles
and the rest. Electrical cabling and
hydraulic wires are also present in
the cockpit. The seat is made up
from four pieces and features gorgeous subtle quilted texture for the
pilots backrest. The harness straps
are supplied as injection moulded
plastic parts. A separate seat cushion is provided too, if desired.
A seated pilot figure is also
offered as an option. Moulding
quality is very good, and the pose
is quite natural right hand on the
control yoke and left hand on the
throttle. We dont get to see much
of the face, as he is wearing his
flying helmet and oxygen mask,
but what we can see looks excellent good eye detail and even
creases on the skin of his forehead.
Interestingly, in the instructions, the
pilot appears to be wearing modern
glasses. I am wondering if this is
21.
23.
25.
22.
24.
26.
21. Note the lovely
hinges on the
joining surfaces
of these folding
hatches.
27.
28.
29.
25. The
undercarriage
may be posed
in the retracted
position. This part
is fitted to the
inside of the wing
to represent closed
undercarriage
doors.
26. The
undercarriage
door parts for the
lowered gear.
30.
31.
02/07/2014 09:16
32.
33.
34.
36.
38.
Instructions
Instructions are called out over a
whopping 229 steps. Each step is
well illustrated, with a clear indication of part numbers where applicable. There are no construction notes
to accompany the illustrations.
Paint callouts are solely numbers
of Humbrol enamel paints.
37.
39.
32. More cowling
pieces.
33. Radiator body
and plumbing.
34. Some of the
plumbing for the
lower engine bay.
40.
41.
Finishing Touches
The undercarriage legs are simple
but accurate.
Airfix supplies five-spoke main
wheels and a solid anti-shimmy tail
wheel. The main wheels are flattened and bulged.
The canopy may be posed open
or closed, but is not designed to
actually slide.
35.
02/07/2014 09:16
43.
44.
45.
Conclusion
Airfix has delivered a truly stunning
kit with this 1:24 scale Typhoon
Mk.IB. In my opinion, it is easily the
best kit that Airfix has produced.
As nice as the 1:24 scale Mosquito
was, this one is quite clearly better.
Whereas in places the Mosquito
felt a bit like a scaled-up project,
the Typhoon does not. The detail
stands close scrutiny quite a feat
for such a large model.
The whole package is very
complete and beautifully delivered.
You really wont need to add
much detail to any area of the kit.
Engineering is clever too, although
tight tolerances will mean challenges in constructions here and
there. Options are abundant and fit
is generally excellent.
Furthermore, the fact that Airfix
has delivered a model to this
exemplary standard using only
plastic parts is a real tribute to the
designers ambition and flair. They
really have managed to squeeze
the maximum from the medium.
It wont be a fast build, and it
might not be easy either, but it will
be a memorable journey delivering
a spectacular result!
47.
46.
02/07/2014 09:16
49.
50.
51.
53.
52.
54.
55.
56.
51. Supercharger
components.
52. Top and bottom
of the engine block.
53. The ignition
harness and other
engine details.
57.
58.
02/07/2014 09:16
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
02/07/2014 09:16
73.
75.
74.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
02/07/2014 09:16
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
STEP BY STEP
02/07/2014 09:26
02/07/2014 09:26
CHAPTER 4
In common with Tamiyas
Spitfires and Mustangs, you
do need to stay focused and
pay close attention to the Airfix
instructions during assembly. In
this case, the instructions are
supplied across 229 construction
steps in a 36 page booklet.
Before you start the model,
I strongly recommend that you
spend plenty of time getting familiar
with the contents of the
instructions. Walk through
the construction mentally
before you break out the
sprue cutter. Make notes on
the instruction booklet as you read
through it, or highlight elements that
you think might be important as your
model takes shape. The instruction
booklet can be a useful tool, so
make the most of it.
BEFORE WE START
Airfixs plastic is perhaps slightly
softer than average, so take care
not to scar the surface of the parts
when cleaning them up.
There was some fine flash on
parts in my sample, but this may
have been due to the fact that I
had been issued an early test shot.
There are also a number of deep
sink marks and sink lines, as well
as visible ejector pin circles. It is
worth spending as much time as
needed with a hobby knife, putty
and sanding stick to make sure
that parts are properly cleaned up
before they are assembled.
Fit is generally excellent, but
tolerances are very tight in places
so it is imperative that the parts are
completely free from flash and any
remnants of sprue attachments.
STEP BY STEP
The inner spar panels were
clamped in place while the
glue set to ensure there
were no gaps.
This structure
creates a sturdy
core for the model.
Precise alignment
is very important at
this stage.
This is a view
from the bottom
front of the cockpit
framework,
underneath the
engine mounts.
Note how the V
shaped supports fit
into the framework
and the firewall.
The same supports
viewed from the top.
02/07/2014 09:26
The footrests in place. On my test shot, it would appear that the area marked with black texta
was not fully complete. There is supposed to be a raised mount for the control column here.
The oval-shaped fuselage frame behind the cockpit is held in place with a series of V
shaped supports.
Note how the supports interlock with the outer rim of the fuselage frame. It is very
important that these interlocking points are flush with the outer rim.
Cockpit components
assembled and ready
for installation.
Coarse and fine sanding sticks have been used to get rid of ejector
pin circles from the pilots armour.
The five main pieces for the pilots seat. A few ejector
pin circles need to be removed from the seat pan.
How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib 29
02/07/2014 09:27
CHAPTER 4
Rudder pedals in
place.
A view of the
cockpit cage from
the firewall, looking
back. This is ready
for paint.
STEP BY STEP
GETTING UNDERWAY
Construction commences with
the framework for the cockpit and
the wing spars. Just like the real
aeroplane, this framework forms a
solid core for the entire aeroplane
so it is absolutely crucial that the
parts are accurately assembled.
Take plenty of time test-fitting before
Detail on the
starboard side
console. Most of this
is moulded in place.
02/07/2014 09:27
The front of
the firewall is
black too.
Tamiya XF-71
Cockpit Green was
used as the base
colour. Note that
black brush painting
of some of the
upper framework
has already
commenced.
Detail parts
were temporarily
attached to a small
box via Blu Tack
to make handling
easier during
painting.
02/07/2014 09:26
CHAPTER 4
includes
stitching at
the top and rivets
along the bottom. Careful
painting will render a very
convincing result. I brush painted
the quilted rectangle dark brown,
then dry-brushed three shades of
progressively paler browns over the
top. The mix of Future and Tamiya
X-18 Semi-Gloss Black was then
flowed over the entire backrest,
settling in the low-lying areas.
The stitching at the top was then
painted Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan
with a fine brush.
The kits plastic harness straps
were now painted. The lap belts
were glued in place, but the
shoulder straps were let off until
the seat had been attached to the
armour plate.
I mixed a 50:50 blend of Tamiya
XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red
Brown to obtain a shade of scale
black. The consoles, the pilots
head armour, throttle quadrant,
electrical boxes and the instrument
panel were sprayed with this colour.
The same scale black mix was
used to brush paint some of the
upper cockpit frames, the front
cockpit firewall and the footrests.
The black areas were drybrushed progressively paler shades
of grey.
Details were now picked out with
Vallejo acrylic paints and a fine
paintbrush.
The instrument panel was next
on the painting menu. The panel
is made up from a front section in
grey plastic and a rear section in
clear. The instrument lenses are
raised on the clear section, so they
poke through the holes in the front
section. The production kit has
decals for the dials, but I did not
have these for my build. I therefore
used Airscales Generic WWII RAF
Instrument Dial Decals, Item No.
AS24RAF.
Please note that since finishing
my model, Airscale has released
a 1:24 scale dial and placard set
specifically for the Airfix Typhoon.
First, the back of the clear rear
section was sprayed black, then the
entire clear section was dipped in
STEP BY STEP
I took some time
to weather the
paintwork on the
wing spars, but this
was a bit of a waste.
My test shot
was not supplied
with instrument
decals so I used
airscales 1:24
scale generic WW2
RAF Instrument Dial
Decals, Item No.
AS24RAF.
The assembled
instrument panel
(minus the master
compass).
02/07/2014 09:27
The smoothed
and repainted oil
tank, along with
the rear cockpit
oxygen cylinder.
Chipping was done with the sharp tip of a Prismacolour silver pencil.
The footrests
were scuffed
with Tamiyas
Weathering Master
pigments, applied
with the sponge
applicator in the set.
Instrument panel
and master
compass glued in
place.
The seat was glued
into the cockpit
before the shoulder
harness straps were
added.
02/07/2014 09:27
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
Here is what
the propeller
shaft mount
should look like
from the rear
after assembly.
The supercharger
was taped to the
rear of the engine
block to ensure a
perfect fit.
Detail parts
from Steps 51
to 59 painted
and awaiting
installation.
02/07/2014 09:28
02/07/2014 09:27
CHAPTER 4
Step by Step
Some pressure was
required to seat
the engine on its
mounts, but the fit
was perfect.
Port side view
from underneath.
Note that the silver
oil tank line has
been glued into
the bottom of the
engine.
02/07/2014 09:28
A second batch of
engine detail parts
painted silver and
ready for assembly,
this time from Steps
60 to 76.
Black painted
parts from the
same batch of
detail parts.
The assembled
radiator unit viewed
from the front
Note the location of the three pipes at the bottom of the engine terminating on the firewall. These are Parts
D24 and D26. This is another tricky sequence that may require a few dry runs before committing to glue.
02/07/2014 09:29
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
It is very important that the grey shield (Part D15) is located in precisely the right place.
This is followed by two curved pipes (Parts D22 and D23) that have to be fed through the
tight holes in the shield and glued into locating slots in the wing spars. This is how it should
look after the parts are glued in place.
The big radiator housing was fixed in place and taped until the glue had completely set.
02/07/2014 09:29
Moving onto the wings, the holes for the rockets were drilled out
with a pin vise.
The large drill bit left plastic residue on the outer surface of the
wing. This was cleaned up with the tip of a hobby knife.
Taking no chances,
the wing spars were
comprehensively
clamped to the bottom
centre wing section to
guarantee perfect fit in
this critical area.
02/07/2014 09:29
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
At my first attempt
I assembled the
wrong internal wing
structure this
is for the raised
undercarriage
option.
02/07/2014 09:29
My paint number
translation list!
02/07/2014 09:30
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
I found that the undercarriage
ceilings needed clamps to ensure
that they sat down perfectly on
the undercarriage bay sidewalls.
If the fit is not perfect, the upper
wings will not fit flush over the
undercarriage bays.
The next choice you have is
in Steps 134 and 135 the wing
leading edge landing lights.
Generally, this light was not fitted
to rocket equipped Typhoons, but
02/07/2014 09:29
Detail in the
port side open
cannon bay.
We still have a
glimpse of the
leading edge fuel
tank through the
forward wing spar.
The cupboard
is a bit bare
02/07/2014 09:30
CHAPTER 4
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
The configuration of the nose is
decided in Step 147. My model was
built to display the entire engine,
so I simply cut off the nose off
each half of the fuselage forward of
the firewall. If you have chosen to
display only the top of the engine,
or to seal up the cowls, dont cut
this off!
The instructions suggest that
you glue the port fuselage side
to the cockpit framework and the
port wing, then add the starboard
fuselage half from the other side.
I took a different approach.
I glued the two fuselage halves
together before adding them to the
wing. Once the glue had completely
set, this shell was then clipped over
the top of the cockpit framing. The
result was an almost perfect fit at
the wing roots, and no gaps at the
top and bottom fuselage centreline.
The lower rear fuselage is a
separate insert. I test fitted this and
found the fit to be perfect. Under
normal circumstances I would have
simply brushed a fine line of Tamiya
STEP BY STEP
The insides of the
fuselage halves
were sprayed with
Tamiya AS-12 Bare
Metal Silver straight
from the can. The
mating surfaces on
the top and bottom
joins have been
masked off so the
lacquer paint does
not reduce the
effectiveness of the
glue.
As my model would
display the entire
engine, I cut the
nose off in front
of the firewall. A
recessed line mas
been moulded to
the inside of the
fuselage to make
this task easier.
The big Temptest
tail inserts, separate
(top) and glued in
place (bottom).
The simple tail
wheel bay has been
fitted and painted
here too.
The rear fuselage
area was masked
off and the cockpit
sidewalls painted
black.
At last, the exposed
Hispano cannon barrels
receive some protection
from the long fairings.
02/07/2014 09:30
The lower rear fuselage insert slots into the back of the wing, then can be pressed down
and glued in place.
Construction
commences with the
framework for the
cockpit and the wing
spars. Just like the
real aeroplane, this
framework forms a
solid core for the entire
aeroplane so it is
absolutely crucial that
the parts are accurately
assembled...
02/07/2014 09:31
CHAPTER 4
Extra Thin Liquid Cement around
the joins and it would be done,
but I had not taken a photograph
of the area. I therefore popped
the lower fuselage part off, took
the photograph, and reattached
it. Infuriatingly, now it would not sit
down without narrow a gap at the
front. Not a huge deal though, as a
smear of putty filled the gap.
The airframe is now together
the model looks like a Typhoon!
However, there are still many little
jobs required to complete the
model. Some of these involve
options which cowl covers to
fit, what ordnance to install and
so forth while others require the
fitting of control surfaces, cannon
bay doors, propeller assemblies,
canopy, undercarriage bay details,
landing legs and wheels.
One of the final jobs is fitting the
upper cockpit sidewalls. These
feature some internal structure
and a few details. The interior was
painted using the same sequence
of techniques that I employed
earlier for the rest of the cockpit.
The port side upper cockpit panel
(Part 204) was glued in place first.
Next, the gunsight was attached
simultaneously to the top of the
instrument panel and to the newly
attached upper sidewall. Finally,
the gunsight was wedged in place
when the starboard upper sidewall
was glued in place.
STEP BY STEP
The elevators
feature
plastic hinges
and moveable
trim tabs.
Stabilizer and
elevator parts were
marked with their
part numbers to
ensure that I did not
lose track after they
were clipped from
the sprues.
A wedge of plastic
must be removed to
allow the flaps to be
glued shut.
02/07/2014 09:31
The port side upper cockpit sidewall was glued in place first.
It is a shame that a lot of this detail will be hidden inside the small cockpit opening.
02/07/2014 09:31
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
02/07/2014 09:31
The gap at the bottom of the fuselage insert was filled with Milliput.
02/07/2014 09:30
CHAPTER 5
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
Here we can
see the partially
assembled main
internal structures
laid out, ready to
be painted.
02/07/2014 09:32
This is the
Typhoon's 'core'
structure, slotted
together and ready
to be cemented
together. Note the
black firewall.
Here we can
witness the result
of the 'spattering'
treatment on the
engine bearers,
created with
thinned enamel
and oil paints.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
Internal Structures
Games Workshop's
'Citadel Necron
Compound' is a
paste-like material
with very fine
metallic-effect
grain.
02/07/2014 09:33
One element of the framework is moulded into the cockpit-side of the firewall and the author Thinned Tamiya XF-16 was then airbrushed on to create the correct effect, taking care to
forgot to paint it aluminium! So, it was masked off with Tamiya masking tape in-situ.
keep overspray to a minimum.
Berol discontinued their superb 'Karismacolor' colouring pencils some years ago and this is all that's left of the author's silver pencil! It was used to create metallic highlights on the upper
edges of the framing.
weathering effect.
For many years, I have used a
silver 'Karismacolor' colouring pencil
to add the brightest highlights to
kit parts and it was only recently
(when trying to buy a couple of
new ones) that I discovered that
Berol discontinued them several
years ago! So, I am stuck with the
stub of a pencil that has had its
tip glued back in several times...
I employed this useful veteran of
many models to add some bright,
metallic highlights to the framework
and other parts and no doubt it will
be used again on other areas of the
Typhoon as the project progresses.
And this is about as far as I got with
the internal structures, so let's take
a look at the pilot's seat now.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
Here we see the
pilot's seat during
construction with
just one side panel
left to go on. Detail
is exemplary.
PILOT'S SEAT
Airfix provides an excellent replica
of the seat for this kit and it builds
up from just four main parts; seat
back, bucket and two side panels.
The quilted back-padding is moulded (and very well done it is too) into
the seat back; the squab, if you do
not intend to fit the pilot figure, is a
separate component. The four main
mouldings fitted together well and
just needed a light application of
liquefied filler (Holts Cataloy Knifing
Putty, diluted with liquid cement) to
seal the joints between them.
The seat was given two good
layers of Vallejo Surface Primer
Black. Some sources say the seat
should be in grey or interior green,
but I think black is also a suitable
colour. The seat pads were painted
with a base colour of Vallejo 'Panzer
Aces' Canvas (314), highlighted
with Vallejo 'Panzer Aces' Highlight
Japan Tkcr (332). Colour washes
of darkened shades of the base
colour were applied to enhance the
surface detail.
The assembled seat showing where a little thinned filler was applied to seal some joints.
The excellent padding detail can be appreciated here.
'Citadel Necron
Compound was drybrushed around the edges
of the metallic parts to
create worn highlights.
02/07/2014 09:33
INSTRUMENT PANEL
The instrument panel is always a
focal point of any model. I have to
admit it's one of the very first parts I
seek when inspecting the contents
of a new aircraft kit box as it can
be an accurate indicator of the
model's overall quality; if the panel
looks well detailed and accurate,
chances are the rest of the kit will
be of a equivalent standard. That's
my theory at least. Airfix provides a
two-part panel for the Typhoon and
it looks excellent, with very scalelike raised bezels, knobs and other
details moulded into the fascias
front surface. The clear rear insert
appears to be a good idea at first,
as one might reasonably assume
the dial decals could be applied
(facing forward) to its rear face to
create the effect of clear dial lenses,
but in practice the clear plastic
part is much too thick and uneven
for this to happen and I ended up
applying the decals to the front
of each dial face, sealing them in
RB Productions new
1:24 Sutton harness
(QS/QL/QP types)
with pre-cut card
for the webbing and
photo-etched metal
for the buckles and
hardware
Airfix provides a
two-part instrument
panel, with the facia
in grey plastic and
the dial-face panel
in clear, fitting in
from behind. Detail
here is superb and
appears to be very
accurate.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
with Future polish once dry. This
was a slight disappointment and
in hindsight I would have cut out
some thin acetate plates to replace
the clear moulding. The final effect
is perfectly adequate however and
the panel looks fantastic once
complete.
The kit comes with all of the side
consoles too. These were painted
in the same way as the main panel.
The trim wheel was finished with
varying shades of brown to closely
replicate the Bakelite material of
the original component. Airscale
also produces a sheet of WW2 RAF
cockpit placards and some were
used (some trimmed to fit) on the
main and side panels.
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
The kit's decal sheet provides decals for the dials but for an
added touch of refinement, Airscale's WW2 RAF dial decals
were used instead.
Thanks to the thickness of the clear plastic, plus its uneven Here we see the completed facia panel which also
surface, the dial decals had to be applied to the front of
received a little of the same dust treatment that was used
each dial face instead of the rear as originally planned.
on the seat.
02/07/2014 09:33
Close-up view of a cylinder head showing the excellent detail, although some aftermarket resin bolt-heads
wouldn't go amiss here.
The kit's
instructions show
the installation of a
small electric motor
to spin the prop, if
so desired.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
its four compressed-air pipes (?) fit
to the corresponding ducts on the
engine were wrapped with narrow
strips of plastic card to emulate the
unions of the real thing; these are
much more complex in reality but it
was better than nothing.
Once again, I used Vallejo black
primer to undercoat the engine
block as the real thing was painted
in a rather dull overall black. As
I progress with this model (the
finished thing will appear within
one of ADH Publishings model
magazines) I will add further metallic finishes to the engine's ancillary
parts and this will create a more
complex, visually engaging appearance without straying too far from
the bounds of accuracy.
The ignition harnesses were
sprayed with Alclad II Aluminum
and once dry, given an acrylic
colour-wash using a yellow-brown
shade (diluted with Future) to
replicate the real thing's finish as
closely as possible. The short
ignition cables were braided steel
in reality so they were touched in
with a mixture of Humbrol Metalcote
Aluminium and matt white to create
a semi-metallic finish.
With the internal framing, engine,
instrument panel, seat and other
interior components now prepared,
I was well into the build of this
magnificent new production from
Airfix, and I have enjoyed every
minute of it so far. As mentioned
previously, this model will appear
in its completed form in one of
ADH Publishing's scale modelling
magazines so please keep an eye
out for it at www.adhpublishing.com
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
02/07/2014 09:34
02/07/2014 09:34
DETAILING, PAINTING
AND WEATHERING
Chris Wauchop adds some
extra detail before painting and
weathering the big Airfix 1:24
scale Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib.
60 Chapter 6 - Detailing, Painting and Weathering
02/07/2014 09:58
02/07/2014 09:58
ADDING DETAIL
Rockets
The first enhancement was a more
realistic representation of the rocket
guide rail attachments or saddle
plates.
After searching the net I found a
photograph of a couple of damaged
but basically intact brackets. This
photo would be my main reference
in trying to reproduce these rather
complex items.
Following a few abortive
attempts, a very acceptable result
was achieved by carefully bending
.010 x .040 Evergreen plastic strip
to the desired shape. I can't really
give precise measurements here,
as I made the first bracket by eye
and used it as a template to make
the next thirty!
After removal of the solid kit
saddle plates, the scratch-built
items were glued in place. Two
lengths of the plastic strip were
now glued between the top of the
bracket halves and to the top of the
rocket tube. This is not an entirely
accurate representation of this key
feature but it is a lot better than the
kit offering.
The rear of each rocket featured
a Weak Link Lead. Better known
as the 'pig tail', this feature seems
to have been entirely overlooked
by Airfix but is relatively simple to
replicate. I did this by cutting short
lengths of the appropriate diameter plastic rods and gluing them
together to represent the plugs.
Once dry a locating hole was drilled
in the narrow end of each plug and
a length of fine (.355mm) solder
wire was superglued in place.
A hole was then drilled in the
rear end of each rocket and, being
careful to keep them all the same
length, the 'pig tails' were glued
in place. According to reference
photos, the length of these leads
did vary a bit so it's just a matter of
finding one you're happy with and
using it as your guide.
The rocket launch rails were the
next items that needed work. Once
the two halves were glued together,
it was obvious that the uneven tops
of the rails were going to need a bit
of attention. This unevenness was
A. Following a few
abortive attempts
a very acceptable
result was achieved
by carefully
bending .010 x .040
Evergreen plastic
strip to the desired
shape.
A.
B.
B. After removing
the solid kit saddle
plates, the scratchbuilt items were
glued in place.
Two lengths of
the plastic strip
were now glued
between the top of
the bracket halves
and to the top of the
rocket tube.
C. The pig tails
were made by
cutting short lengths
of the appropriate
diameter plastic
rods and gluing
them together
to represent the
plugs. Once dry,
a locating hole
was drilled in the
narrow end of each
plug and a length
of fine (.355mm)
solder wire was
superglued in place.
D. A hole was
drilled in the rear
end of each rocket
and, being careful
to keep them all
the same length,
the pig tails were
glued in place.
According to
reference photos,
the length of these
leads did vary a bit
so its just a matter
of finding one
youre happy with
and using it as your
guide.
C.
D.
02/07/2014 09:58
G
flattened out by gluing a strip of
.020 plastic strip over the join and
when really dry, was sanded flat.
On careful examination of my reference, I noticed that the front end
of the Mk 1b rail was finished with
a tapered cap. This was added by
gluing half round .035 plastic rod to
the front of each rail and cutting the
ends at 45 degrees.
All eight rockets complete were
painted with a 50/50 mix of Gunze
Sangyo H 52 Olive Drab and H 330
Dark Green with the saddle plates a
slightly darker shade of the same.
All the scratches and dirty scuff
marks were applied with a very
sharp 6B graphite pencil and a
Derwent Brown Ochre colouring
pencil (also very sharp). The yellow
I.D. rings on the nose tips were
roughly hand-painted as they
seemed to be in reality.
UNDERCARRIAGE DETAILS
The kits moulded-on brake lines
were removed and replaced with
scratch-built items made from plastic rod bent to shape and fine wire.
The inner and outer gear doors
were painted and weathered prior
to installation. The inner door's
pushrod broke away from its
hydraulic cylinder when this and its
opposite part were being removed
from the sprue. The plastic pushrods were replaced with nickel-plated
brass wire of the same length
and diameter, which gave a much
stronger and more satisfying result.
The main undercarriage wheel
hubs were painted with Alclad
ALC 101 Aluminum. A thin wash of
Tamiya X-18 Semi-gloss Black was
then carefully painted in and around
the raised and recessed detail. A
mix of 80% Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black
and 20% XF-64 Red Brown was
then brush painted around the hub
rim just wide enough to allow me to
airbrush, using the same colour, the
rest of the tyre and not getting too
much overspray.
The white tyre slip markers were
applied using a very fine brush. In
reality these markers were usually
hand painted so a few rough edges
can only add to the authenticity!
An extremely thin mix of the red/
brown was then loaded in the
airbrush and some careful shading
was sprayed around the hub detail.
Finally, the tyres received a fairly
FINISHING TOUCHES
After the addition of a couple of
small details, i.e. a pivot nut and a
bleed valve, the tail wheel received
basically the same paint job as the
main wheels.
The next items to become the
focus of my attention were the pitot
tube and the boarding footstep. The
pitot tube had a hole drilled in either
02/07/2014 09:59
PAINTING AND
WEATHERING
With the details complete, painting
of the main airframe could begin.
PAINTING
Paints were a combination of
Tamiya and Gunze-Sangyo acrylics,
all applied with my trusty Aztek
A470 airbrush fitted with the fine
tan-coloured tip.
The paints I used for the Day
Fighter Scheme were Tamiya XF-19
Sky Grey for the undersurfaces and
Gunze Sangyo H75 Dark Seagray
and H330 Dark Green for the upper
surfaces.
Gunze actually describe H330
Dark Green as BS381C/641 for use
on modern RAF aircraft but in my
humble opinion this slightly richer
green is a much better match for
the WWII colour than their recommended H73.
The hard demarcation line
between the upper and lowersurface colours was masked using
Tamiya masking tape while the
dark green was carefully sprayed
freehand following faint guidelines
I had drawn with a graphite pencil.
From the photographic evidence
that I have seen of these aircraft
the green pattern was sprayed
over the Dark Sea grey with a tight,
slightly soft edge and although
there were designated guidelines
for the demarcation of these two
colours the interpretation of these
guidelines did vary quite a bit from
aircraft to aircraft.
The invasion stripes, tail band and
the area behind cockpit headrest
were now masked and sprayed. The
actual width of the D-Day stripes
was supposed to be 18 inches (45.7
cm) but I think that in the haste of
their application this did vary a bit.
Anyway by my calculation, reducing
them to 1:24 scale would make
them about 3/4" (19mm) wide. And
that goes for tail band as well!
Wary of any decal transparency
I decided to give the location of
the fuselage roundels a more
even background by masking and
spaying a white disc over the black
invasion stripe. This was probably
not necessary, but better to be safe
than sorry.
Chris decided to
give the location
for the fuselage
roundels a more
even background
by masking and
spaying a white
disc over the black
invasion stripe. Also
in this shot can be
seen the beginning
of the weathering
process - scratches
done with a silver
pencil and airbrush
shading of panel
lines and exhaust
stains using a very
mix of Tamiya XF-1
Flat Black and
XF-64 Red Brown.
02/07/2014 09:59
The camouflage
paints are Tamiya
XF-19 Sky Grey for
the undersurfaces
and Gunze Sangyo
H75 Dark Seagray
and H330 Dark
Green for the upper
surfaces.
02/07/2014 09:59
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
A. Contrary to
most references,
we chose the fourbladed propeller
assembly based
on a photo in
Christopher Shores
and Chris Thomas
excellent book, 2nd
Tactical Air Force
Volume 1 Spartan
to Normandy June
1943 to June 1944
B. Engine detail is
straight from the
box. Reference
photos show many
Typhoons with this
pattern of exhaust
staining on the
stacks with the pale
colour concentrated
at the front.
C. A view from
the top.
G.
I.
H.
F. The combination
of raised rivets and
recessed surface
features may be
appreciated here.
G. The handholds
and footholds may
be posed open or
closed.
H. The stirrup
pilots step, glued
into the lowered
position.
I. The bubble top
canopy is thin and
free from distortion.
02/07/2014 09:59
g
J.
L.
K.
N.
J. Chris carefully
reproduced
the unusual
demarcation of the
forward invasion
stripe, and the
overpainting of the
port side fuselage
roundel.
M.
K. The white PR
was cobbled
together from white
decal pieces.
L. The Ms on the
other side were the
right size.
O.
M. Detail of the
kit tail wheel and
the chunky but
authentic surface
textures on the
lower empennage.
P.
R.
S.
P. Chris scribed a
line around each of
the cannon fairings
to match reference
photos.
Q. The starboard
navigation light.
R. The kit wheels
are subtly bulged
and flattened.
Note the white tyre
alignment marks.
T.
U.
S. The
undercarriage
doors have been
weathered to match
the undersurface of
the model.
T. Rockets in place
with pig tails
dangling!
U. A view of the
rockets from
underneath the
wings.
02/07/2014 10:00
02/07/2014 09:59
02/07/2014 10:00
CLOSING UP
Chris reported
that the fit was
pretty good, with
just a little Milliput
required to fill some
gaps around the
wing root fairings.
02/07/2014 09:59
02/07/2014 09:59
MODELSPEC
Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB.
Kit No. AX19002
02/07/2014 10:00
02/07/2014 10:03
APPENDIX
AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
DECALS:
Xtradecal Item No. X24003
REFERENCES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Hawker Typhoon:
A Complete Guide to the RAFs
Classic Ground Attack Fighter
by Richard A. Franks
Valiant Wings Publications
Airframe and Miniature No.2
ISBN 9780956719812
HAWKER TYPHOON/TEMPEST
by Francis K. Mason
Aston Publications 1988
ISBN 0-946627-19-3
by Kev Darling
Motorbooks International
ISBN 1861266200
TYPHOON/TEMPEST IN ACTION
by Jerry Scutts,
Squadron/Signal publication No 102
ISBN 0-897447-232-2
by Chris Thomas,
Osprey Aircraft of the Aces, No 27
ISBN 1-85532-779-1
by Hugh A. Halliday
ISBN: 0-921022-06-9
WEBSITES:
HyperScale http://www.hyperscale.com
74 Appendix
p 74 Appendices TyphoonBG.indd 74
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pre-production cover
Visit www.adhbooks.com
p 75 AdvertIBC Typhoon.indd 8
02/07/2014 10:08
Published by:
ADH Publishing Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX
Telephone: 44 (0) 1525 222573 Fax: 44 (0) 1525 222574
Website: www.adhpublishing.com
p 76 BackCover TyphoonBG.indd 1
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