Hawker Typhoon IB "Nicky" 439 Squadron RCAF 1/48

Well Andy,

The drama ain't over. I messed up the decal placement of the 5V-X on the port side of the aircraft placing it too far down the fuselage so it crowded out the RB281 Serial number. I thought I had initially placed it correctly and applied some sol and let it settle. Then I went to put the Serial number on and didn't realize its a lot bigger than I thought it was. So, I proceeded but in the end it looked inaccurate and just plain crappy. The starboard side is okay. I removed the 5V-x and Roundel but destroyed it in process. Thankfully I didn't wreck the paint job. I have the decals to replace the roundel and the V and X but not the 5. I have a set of RAF codes from xtradecals but the 5 in the set is a slanted 5 and I need a straight 5.

I have been looking around for another set of the same decals but can't find them but will keep looking. The closest I can come to matching the 5 or 5V-X is a set from Carpena, set 4880 or 4881. Of course if anyone out there has a set like this I am willing to purchase them.

Hey Dave, sorry to hear about your decal issues. I have a new set of Hasegawa 1/48 decals for their shark mouth Tiffie release and it contains and option for 5V-V. You're welcome to the codes but I don't have a matching X. The risk is that the numbers might look different from your X but it's the best I can offer. Send me a PM with your address if you're interested.

Hi Andy,

Thanks very much for the generous offer. These might work. I have an X that looks like it would work. I will check out the decals on line and let you know. Are they sky coloured?

Thanks,
Dave.

Yes, as much as decals can simulate "sky". Here's a pic:

Hi Andy,

The decals from your kit look exactly like those in some profiles of Nicky but the aeromaster decals are a bit different. Your 5 has sharply angled edges whereas the aeromaster decals have softer more rounded edges. Thus unfortunately they dont match. I would have to remove the 5V on the other side of the model and use yours on both sides. I have a couple of X's from a RAF letter and code decal set so could use these. After searching high and low I managed to find another aeromaster set and have ordered them so hopefully these will work. If for some reason they don't show up or something goes wrong with them I will definitely take you up on your offer. Thanks again for the offer. It does give me an option I didn't have previously.

Cheers,
Dave.

No problem. Just shout if you need them.

Thanks a bunch Andy.






Ayrton Senna

While waiting for the second set of 5V-X decals to arrive I thought I would add some more detail to the build by purchasing these stencils.

I also saw this 500 pound detailed bomb set with the fuzes installed from Eduard and just had to have it. I got two of them of course. No Need for the bomb racks unless I want to do a spitfire with rack and no bomb.

Been busy this weekend.

I have been working on my Ki-61 and also the Typhoon. I got the replacement decals and were able to get these applied to the left side. I did the panel lines as well and applied the stencils.

Man, that's looking nice. Excellent work Dave!

Nice !
Check the prop blades - there seems to be some slight bending on a couple of them, towards the tips.

Hey Thanks to all of you for checking back in on the build. It's been a while since I posted any work as I had to get the left side fixed with a replacement set of decals. Thank goodness I was able to find a set they are as scarce as hens teeth.
Terry, the prop is just dry fitted and so is not sitting perpendicular to the ground its just sitting on the nose and droops down to the front. The props on the bottom look like they bend back toward the airplane while the top ones look okay. I checked the individual resin blades before mounting them and they didn't look like they were warped. I will check them again and compare them with the kit propeller. If they look a bit warped at the tips I will give them a bend to straighten them out.

No problem - it's mainly the upper, port side blade. It seems to have a definite bend near the tip.

looks great!

Thanks Wayne. Much appreciate.

Terry, Sharp eye there guy. I removed the prop and compared it to the kit part which has three blades. The kit part is much thicker than the resin part and definitely like a hunk of plastic molded into the shape of prop. Kind of ugly actually when compared to the more refined resin part. One thing the kit has going for it is the blades are straight and true. In looking at both there was a slight bend on one of the resin prop blades near the tip. I guess this can be a downside to a properly scaled resin blade like this. There are thinner but more prone to warpage.

I am going to put a clamp on the end of the tip and hang it so that the clamp drags the tip down then leave for a while to correct the bend.

Guys,

I am about to embark on making the 500lb bombs for this aircraft. I was originally going to use a kit set that Terry was so kind to send me but after thinking about it I came to the conclusion that the bombs should be one of the main parts of the model that create visual interest. Having a detailed set could accomplish this I felt. Hence I purchased a set of bombs from Eduard's Brassin set for the spitfire. What's nice about these bombs is they kind of go together like the real thing. The fuses are separate and the tail assembly is separate as well. Also, they each come with the associated red and green bands and marking decals as well. Below is a picture posted earlier in this thread showing the loading of a 500lb bomb.

Some questions I have.

1. The securing tab ( not sure of the correct term here) on the bomb in the picture that I believe clips on to a hook on the bomb carrier is on the bottom which looks odd. From the pictures I have seen this securing tab is always on the top of the bomb as I imagine it has to clip on to the hook on the bomb carrier. Could this picture be a staged one? The instructions in the eduard set have the tab on top and hooked to the bomb rack.

2. In the picture there appears to be what I would call (again not sure of the correct term here) a lanyard or arming wire hanging loosely from the front fuze. My question is where was this secured to? the pylon? I say pylon because I was watching a a documentary on the war in Italy in Colour and they have a great sequence of one of the P-47 armourers adding the front fuze to a 500lb bomb. First he removes the protective cap that inserts the long fuze into the bomb which has two metal fuze tips that spin independently. Each has a hole for securing a wire. He then spins one of the little propellers around until the holes line up then he inserts the wire through both, ties them off then runs the wire back to the pylon. Is this a similar set up with the Brit/Commonwealth bombs? I am assuming in both cases that when the pilot releases the bomb the wire snaps causing the front propellers to start spinning which starts the arming sequence? If this is the case I could look at adding this little wire to the front fuzes and attaching it to the pylon?

Simple answer re the bomb suspension lugs - there was a set on top and on the bottom. One set was for attaching to the British release system on the bomb carrier, and the other for attaching to American aircraft systems. These wee single and double suspension lug rings, with different spacing to fit the respective carriers.
The 'lanyard' on the nose fuse of the bomb is actually a narrow 'flag', similar to today's 'RBF' tags, and is attached to the safety pin, which passes through the collar of what appears to be a contact fuse, or timed nose fuse, behind the actual striker cap, preventing the cap from moving to the rear, thereby initiating the fuse. The flag was probably red or orange, and is obviously there to indicate the safety pin is still in place, visible in the picture against the fuse nose cap.
The pin(s) would not be removed until the aircraft was ready to taxi, at which time the bomb(s) were then armed.
A tail-fused bomb had an impeller, fitted between the bomb fins, in the tail of the bomb casing, with the pin attached by a Bowden cable to a strong-point on the pylon or wing underside. When the bomb was released, the cable taughtened, pulling the pin free, allowing the impeller to rotate in the air flow as the bomb descended, thus arming the fuse. The latter could be instantaneous, or delayed, with an average delay being 11 seconds, allowing the dropping aircraft, and the one behind, to clear the target before the bomb(s) detonated, thereby preventing destruction or damage to the aircraft.
A longer delay fuse could be set, anything from 30 seconds to hours or days, although this type of fuse pistol was not normally used on fighter-bomber ordnance, being more common on heavy bomber weapons.

Terry,

for the flag is this it? Also this drawing shows only one lug. In Looking at various bombs I have seen the lugs on the top and bottom but only on the 1000 pounders. The 500 pound ones I can only see 1.
Would the wire in the picture be removed with the flag?