Hurricane Mk1, 1/32nd Scale.

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Thanks very much chaps.
I'm still kicking myself for making the stupid error, but I'll get there in the end !
Got a bit more done late last night, making a start on removing the internal fittings, and engraving panel lines etc. Not much to show just yet, but I'll post more pics soon.
 
More progress with preparation work, with some panels engraved, and some surgery to remove the internal attachment ribs, and the 'dog kennel'.

Pics 1 and 2. Removing the internal attachment ribs and pins, by first paring the plastic with a scalpel, and then chiseling this off, before rubbing down with a file and wet and dry paper.
Pics 3 to 5. The plywood faring behind the cockpit is known as the 'dog kennel', and whilst just about acceptable, especially with an open canopy, it's not really accurate. As the correction kit includes a resin 'dog kennel', complete with canopy rails, I decided to use this, which meant removing this area from both fuselage halves. This was done by using the scribing tool again, which proved quicker, easier and more accurate that trying to get a razor saw around the angles and through the moulded, over- scale canopy rails. Once both halves were removed, the canopy sills were trimmed back and sanded, and a slot cut into the rear section of the remaining canopy rail groove, to accept the resin rails.
Some of the panel lines which were engraved can also be seen here, yet to be cleaned up - this work will be done in one go, once all the cutting and sanding has been completed.
Pics 6 and 7. The resin 'dog kennel', which has the correct chamfer at the front, often missed on many Hurricane kits, and includes the head armour, with the harness slot at the bottom edge.The extension at the rear, and the piece at the front, are the canopy rails, and the cross-bar is to be removed once the parts are in place. The front rails had snapped off in transit, but no problem, as they can be attached later anyway.
Pic 8. With the fuselage taped together, the resin 'dog kennel' was test-fitted and. although loosely attached here, and therefore slightly out of line, it's a good fit, and will be fine once glued in place. This has to be done once the fuselage is joined, at which time the remaining rails will also be attached. A trial fit with my home-moulded canopy shows that it fits very well, with the canopy lower frame actually fitting in to the rails !

I'll post another up-date once the next stage is under way, which should be attaching and blending the port side nose section, and constructing the wheel bay 'box'.


 
First stage of fitting the port side nose is done, but still a lot of work to do to get it presentable.

A strip of plastic card was first cemented into the port fuselage half, and then reinforced with CA. Once this was set, the fuselage halves were taped together, and the nose section placed in position to check clearance with the card strip.
A locating socket on the fuselage was obstructing the fit (yellow arrow in first pic), so this had to be removed. The moulding plug on the nose section had to be left in place, to avoid damaging the cowling panel, which meant that the card strip had to be trimmed back. Although the support is reasonable, I would have preferred it to be more substantial, but it can be reinforced later, by bridging the strip and nose section, with laminates of plastic card.
The nose section was then aligned with the starboard nose section edges and joint, and cemented onto the card strip inside the port fuselage half, again reinforcing the joint with CA.
This will now be left to set fully, and tomorrow, the fuselage halves will be separated, the bridging strip reinforced, and another piece of card laid into the gap on the outside and cemented in place.
As there is a small degree of 'play' at the lower edge of the port fuselage, due to the piece previously removed from the wing root fillet, the rest of the work won't be carried out until the fuselage halves are joined, and the wing fitted, when the remaining gap will be filled with 'Milliput', moulded to match the contours of the wing root, and then sanded flush.
So far, so good, but care will be needed from now on, to avoid dislodging the nose section.

I'm now at the point where i don't know if I'm working on a Hurrifire, or a Spiticane !!!


 
Thanks Andy.
I'll admit, when I first planned this build, some years back, I didn't think I'd be going to such lengths. But to be honest, had I not made that stupid error with the nose cut, things would have been much simpler, as, so far, it's all been fairly straightforward, if a little time consuming at some points.
 
It shouldn't be too bad Andy, if care is taken. The fit is much better than it looks in the photo - once the part is pushed back, and slightly down, the joint is very good, and any small gap at the rail can easily be filled with either a thin bead of CA, or varnish / talc mix.
The joint between the 'plywood' section of the 'dog kennel', and the scalloped 'fabric', can have the fabric covering strip simulated, hiding any irregularities and, of course, the open canopy will be over this section anyway.
My main concerns are getting that nose section joint as perfect as possible, and installing the intricate cockpit so that it's 'square', as the latter has minimal points of contact with the fuselage halves.
The pic below, originally from the GMF web-site (now sold out) shows the cockpit assembly.


 
The nose joint on the port side has been reinforced on the inside, and a thin strip of plastic card cemented into the gap on the outside, to reduce the depth a little, and provide a relatively even surface for the 'Milliput', which will be applied next.
As the kit exhausts are moulded integral with the top of the engine, and are not particularly good, especially for a Mk.1, they will be ditched, and a set of resin exhausts used instead. A length of plastic card, mounted onto blocks of plastic, has been cemented inside the nacelles, bridging the opening to provide a base onto which the resin exhausts can be attached. These will be fitted after painting the model.
Back sometime over the weekend with a further update .......................


 
Thanks, Wojtek and Hugh.

Got a bit more done, with more panel engraving and holes drilled, a little scratch-building, and the gap in the port side nose filled with Milliput.

Pics 1 and 2. The channels and holes for the rudder actuating cables have been drilled and filed, with slots cut in both sides of the rudder, ready to accept actuator horns, which will be shaped from plastic card. The access panels have been engraved, with the fairly heavy rivet detail removed from the one on the port side, and holes drilled for the lifting points near the tail. These areas have yet to be cleaned and polished to remove sanding marks.
Pic 3. Access panels engraved, hand hold opened (this will have the open cover added later) and the aperture for the retractable step opened. The step will be made from plastic rod and strip, and fitted after the model is painted. Again, these areas await clean-up.
Pic 4. After engraving the panels on the starboard side, I remembered to add the detail for the knock-out escape hatch on the inside, made from thin plastic card and rod. The two oval holes have yet to be filed straight - easier to do with the part cemented in place.
Pic 5. The gap on the port side of the nose has been filled with 'Milliput' and roughly moulded and smoothed. Once fully set, this will be scraped and sanded until smooth and flush with the fuselage - I hope !


 
A runny nose if i ever saw one... all jests aside, nice work.
 
Thanks chaps, and yes, the messy joint does look like runny nose !
Bur not anymore !
Once cured, the 'Milliput' was shaved, scraped and sanded until flush with the joint, and then polished. A coat of primer, mixed from matt white and matt black enamels was then brushed on, to check for lumps, bumps or depressions etc.
All looks to be fine, although there are a couple of tiny 'pin holes;, that will probably disappear once the primer has dried and been sanded. If not, then these will be dealt with fairly easily.
The area at the wing root fillet has been roughly sanded to shape, and will be completed once the wing has been attached, when a little more 'Milliput' will be used to blend-in the shape, and the wing root fillet panel lines engraved.

Pic 1. The joint after shaving and sanding.
Pic 2. What it looks like now, with the primer not quite fully dry.

I was going to tackle the scratch-building of the wheel bays next, but having checked over the contents of the resin cockpit parts, I think I need to assemble this first, test fit it, and see if there will be any interference into the wheel bay area. Once satisfied, the cockpit will be completed, fitted into the fuselage, and the fuselage halves joined, before moving on to the wheel bays.
But first, I want to get back to the Spitfire for the current GB, and complete the painting stage.
I'll be back sometime in the not too distant future ...............


 
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