BoB 1/48 Hurricane Decal help.

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Well the airbrush has arrived so the build (read bodge) starts. Will post up pics when I have something presentable infront of me. Airbrushing is not as easy as it looks, as I am rapidly finding out!
 
Practice on a scrap model, or piece of card, for as long as it takes to 'get the hang' of the 'brush, before even thinking of using it in a model. Don't use paper, as this will absorb the paint, giving a false impression of the paint mix, regarding thinning and coverage.
 
I have a unearthed a 1/48 B-17 that I attempted to build when I was about 14 for the use of practising the airbrush. I have also ordered the Memphis Belle "Movie" Decals to finish it off.
Not an entire waste of time and kit as I will display next to my USAAF summer flight suit that was used in the making if the film.

Thanks for the advice all. I will post some pics up of some of my practise airbrushing for analysis.

Cheers Chris
 
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Looking forward to the pics Chris.
Regarding the Memphis Belle movie - I was driving past Binbrook, where the movie was filmed, the day one of the B-17s crashed and burned out - and I didn't have a camera with me!!!
It's a shame the real crash wasn't 'cut' into the crash in the opening scenes, but I guess the cameras were all at the wrong place.
 
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Terry that's seriously cool. I think it was filmed in 1991 so I was the grand old age of 8 so I don't even remember it being released. It's the film that really got me hooked onto WW2 aviation and especially the B-17 though. The flight suit that I have has "shrapnel" damage and is covered on one leg with imitation blood. I can't place where in the film it was used but I suspect it may have been when the bomb aimer falls from the nose of a B-17 after a pass by a Luftwaffe fighter.
 
Chris, it was summer 1990 as far as I remember, and the B-17 was one of the French-owned aircraft.
That flight suit sounds like it was used by the radio op on the 'Memphis Belle' itself (actor's name escapes me - need to look at the DVD case!). If you remember he movie, he was the so-called 'poet', and 'stole' the famous lines from 'An Irish airman foresee his death'. He got hit in the upper thigh (?) and passed out. The crew suggested pushing him out of the 'Belle' when over France , having opened his parachute, but then kept him on board and they all 'happily returned safely'.
As a movie, it was nothing like the story of the real 'Belle', and the former Bomber Command aircrew I knew at the time were amused by the way the whole aircraft shook and rattled when a flak burst came near (!), but overall the filming, sets, and of course the aircraft were well done, and I'll admit they went to a lot of trouble for overall accuracy. Watched it many times!
 
That would be Eric Stoltz playing Danny (Daily??) For accuracy you can't beat the original war time filmed documentary but I think there is a place for the holywoodised war movies. It sure helps to captivate a younger audience. I will have to have look at the film again and find out where it was used.

Cheers Chris
 
That's the guy. Interesting that William Wyler's daughter was a co-producer of the 1990 movie. Wyler was the chap who filmed the wartime 'Belle documentary, and there are a number of scenes in the movie inspired by, and similar to, the original.
 
Having seen the work of her father I guess she was inspired to carry that work on. I didn't know that though.
 
How accurate do I need to be with the actual camouflage pattern? Did the patterns vary wildly across each aircraft or was there pre determined patterns that must have been replicated onto the plane itself?

Cheers Chris
 
Yes, there were two standard patterns, 'A Scheme' and 'B Scheme', one being a mirror image of the other.
Which scheme was applied depended on the Serial number of the airframe. The 'A Scheme' was usually applied to aircraft with the Serial Number ending in an odd number, and the 'B Scheme' to those ending in an even number. Although there were exceptions, at the time of the BoB the rule was generally followed.
The kit instructions or the decal instructions should show the pattern, and this was normally very closely adhered to. There might be very minor deviations, but at that time, a stencil pattern was used when painting the aircraft, even at repair depots, so the pattern as shown on the instructions should be followed.
 
Nice one Terry. That's saved me a headache when I eventually realised it was wrong. Got to say though, I'm very happy with the airbrushed finish that I'm achieving after this short time. I've got the underside looking quite realistic and have realised that slow and steady wins the race with airbrushes. So my serial number is L2122 so this would have been B Scheme the airfix kit that that i am using is P3395 so will need to find a three way view as the box art is irrelevant in my case.

Also I guess a similar system applies to all RAF aircraft?

Cheers Chris
 
Last question answered first. No!
A similar system was originally applied to Spitfires, but the other way around! In other words, on Spits, the 'A Scheme' was applied to aircraft with an even number!
However, by late 1941, this practice was abandoned, and only the 'A Scheme' was applied, to both Spit and Hurricane, regardless of Serial Number, although there where still exceptions, and both schemes could still be seen, although rarely, even later in the war. Only photo evidence of a particular subject can determine the actual pattern.
This only applied to single engine fighters, with all other types using the standard AM pattern.
Below is a drawing showing the Hurricane patterns.
 

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