**** DONE: 1/48 Hurricane MkI "Willie McKnight" - Defense of Britain/Atlantic.

[Wurger]

Andy, if you have a close up look at the first image you will notice cannon barrels at the wing leading edge. I think the shot was taken much later than these two below. Spinners there are black for sure.

 

[Crimea_River]

Damn, good catch!

 

[Airframes]

Yep, they're later Hurricane MkIIs (note spinner shape also), probably in early 1941.
The colour changes took place on November 27th, 1940, with the re-introduction of the black port wing, and the application of the 'Sky' tail band and 'Sky' spinner.
By early spring 1941, undersides reverted to overall 'Sky'.

 

[Crimea_River]

So the Sky spinner would make sense then Terry? That's what I was leaning toward.

A heads up to Karl. I made a quick start on this kit while waiting for a work window on my 262. Thre are two choices on how to complete the instrument panel on this kit. The one I chose involves placing the instrument decals on the plastic panel and putting a PE panel with pre-cut bezels over them. If you do that, this is what you'll get:

I've therefore scrapped that idea and have decided to use the other instrument panel decal (the one that would be used without the PE part) to cut out the individual instruments and place them in the bezels of the PE part. More on that later after we see how that ends up.

 

[rochie]

Hmm, that don't look good at all !

Thanks Andy, will have to see what I can do with it when I get started.

 

[Airframes]

Yep, 'Sky' spinner Andy.
That's a bit of a 'Boo-boo' on the part of the designer !

 

[Airframes]

Andy, I've just read, in the 'Osprey - Hurricane Aces', that the black on the underside of the port wing was in 'washable' paint, so you may want to allow for this when you get to that stage.
It also stated that it's uncertain if any of McKnight's victories were achieved whilst flying this aircraft, as the Sqn ORB doesn't record the info, and the aircraft is described as having an 'unremarkable career' since arriving on the Sqn in May 1940.

 

[Wurger]

It is quite difficult to say if the port wings were of the black colour. I would say these weren't in the pic below. However please notice the different in diameter roundels at undersides applied at different locations.

But the images shows the black on port undersides clearly ... France , June 1940.

 

[Airframes]

The first pic shows overall 'Sky' undersides - note lack of yellow outline to the underwing roundels. Also note the different styles of the roundels, and the fin flashes. This pic was probably taken in late summer 1940.
The second pic might have been taken in May 1940, although unlikely, as it shows the port wing only with the black finish. The earlier finish, up to June 6th, 1940, consisted of half 'Silver' (later, half white), half black, demarcation along the center-line of the aircraft . Also, the aircraft shown has the later, Rotol prop, and the later aerial mast. In addition, the hangar style in the background suggest an airfield in the UK, so i think this might have been taken in Spring 1941 - note 'shirt-sleeved' personnel in foreground.

 

[parsifal]

man you guys are good.

Andy, the IP looks great because its neat. I know you will find fault with your own work, but if that IP was mine, I would be dancing naked in the corn....

 

[Crimea_River]

Not me. The misalignment of the decal with the photoetched cover was for too great to be acceptable. Below shows the completed alternative, wherein I individually cut the instrument faces from the second kit-supplied decal and placed them within the bezels of the PE part. A much better outcome.

Terry, thanks for the observation about the colour version in which McKnight may have scored the most victories. It's clear though, that he served through the period during which the black recognition scheme was enforced and I'll continue to replicate that scheme in my model. The other pics provided may or may not be McKnight's aircraft and clearly represent different periods of 242's service. MckNight's aircraft almost certainly would have had the full Sky underside during his tenure with 242 and Karl has chosen to depict that version but I'll go the other route.

According to the "always correct" Wiki, Mkcknight's victories were recorded as follows:

19 May 1940: one Bf 109
28 May 1940: one Bf 109
29 May 1940: two Bf 109s (one unconfirmed) and one Do 17
31 May 1940: two Bf 110's and a Bf 109
1 June 1940: shot down two Stukas (two more unconfirmed)
30 August 1940: two Bf 110s and a He 111
9 September 1940: two Bf 110s
18 September 1940: one Do 17 and a half Ju 88
5 November 1940: shot down one Bf 109

If one takes these figures as fact and acknowledges that the black port wing was re-introduced on November 27, 1940 then it stands to reason that McKnight would have achieved all of his 17 victories before the switch back to the black port wing and would have perished in his aircraft whilst it was painted in this scheme.

 

[fubar57]

I.P. looks much nicer.




Geo

 

[Crimea_River]

That was the plan. Tx.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wayne Little]

Good fix Andy!

 

[T Bolt]

Yes. Very nice fix on the panel

 

[rochie]

Good stuff Andy, looks miles better !

 

[Vic Balshaw]

That IP has come out very nicely Andy, well worth the effort.

 

[A4K]

Nice work on the dash Andy! Shame the scheme/markings situation isn't clearer though... interested to see what the final verdict is.

 

[Gnomey]

Second outcome looks much better Andy, nicely done!