Big Tony

Thanks Wayne,..... I must just be a wizard then mate,..... although I`d say that it is just years of experience as I`ve never used an air brush. If a coat is not up to scratch I`m not afraid of sanding it smooth,..... maybe that is the answer? I do vary the paint content per coat and will often dry brush my final coat, which also helps to smooth down any rough paint.

Thanks Iain,..... glad you like it mate, cheers.

Thank you,...that is very kind of you, glad you like it, I really enjoyed building both of my kits,.... it is a simple build apart from a bit of `fettling' at the wing root.

Cheers Dennis, glad you like it mate,.... the kit is lovely, you`ll just have to cut down the section of wing root above the leading edge with a bit of fettling,..... apart from that it builds like a dream, a really simple kit.

Thanks Jack,.... that is very kind of you.

Thank you so much,.... again,..... yes it is a very good kit, I have another to build and intend to buy more. They appear to have a Mk.I, Mk.IIc and a Sea Hurricane Mk.Ib lined up too judging by the parts left over on the sprues.

Wow,...thank you very much, glad you like it.

Following action during the withdrawal from Burma and across into India, 135 sqn and the other Hurricane units on this front helped to hold the line against the Japanese who intended upon invading British India. When the RAF changed over to the C1 Type fuselage roundel and C Type fin flash these were gradually applied over the top of the older roundels on 135 Sqn Hurri`s but like other units in the Far East, they often retained the older A Type under wing roundels, probably because they were easier to see?. When newer aircraft arrived wearing the new markings though, the wearing of the older underside roundels gradually died out and then the gradual conversion of these roundels into what became known as SEAC Roundels began, by first of all removing the red areas, then reducing the resulting white discs, then painting these light blue and later reducing their size on fighter sized types. The model,.... is the new Revell kit and I was very impressed with it. True, the exhausts are quite simplified and the slot at the front of the fuselage wing root needs to be trimmed before it will fit the wings, but this aside.... it is a 1/32nd Hurricane Mk.IIb,..... the most widely used variant which served in every theatre of WW2, so what is there not to love eh? Parts are included for a Sea Hurricane with a seperate lower fuselage fitted with a hook, plus the pilots head rest and catapult spools used only on the Sea Hurri Mk. Ia & Ib,..... so it looks like Revell may have a Hurricane Mk.I on the cards, plus cannon barrels for a Mk.IIc are included on the sprues too,...... so it looks like the start of a family of kits! Mine was brush painted and the decals came from the spares box, with the WK codes cobbled together and cut to a suitable style and then they were carefully overpainted using Medium Sea Grey. A pilots harness was made from Tamiya tape. Cheers, Tony

1/32nd Revell Sea Hurricane Mk.IIb, 800 NAS, Fleet Air Arm, HMS Biter, Op. Torch November 1942, flown by ace Lt. Cdr. J.M. `Bill' Bruen, RN. This model was `converted' from the 1/32nd Revell Hurricane Mk.IIb kit using parts on the sprue which must be intended for future boxings of the kit and with markings from the spares box plus some brush painting,.. the model was also brush painted too! It is meant to reprsent JS355 a Sea Hurricane Mk.IIb of 800 NAS aboard HMS Biter during Op. Torch flown by the CO Lt. Cdr. `Bill' Bruen DSC,DSO, RN. On the first day of Op. Torch on 8th November 1942 800 NAS led by `Bill' Bruen provided close escort to the first strike of the morning flown by RN Albacore`s against the Vichy French airfield at Oran. In the early morning darkness bfore dawn they found their charges but other Sea Hurricane`s from HMS Dasher who were to provide top cover could not locate them. This left the way open for a large number of Vichy Dewotine D.520s to dive down and attack the Albacores and 800 NAS as they approached the target. A swirling dogfight ensued and four D.520`s were shot down for no loss to 800 NAS, one of which was claimed by Lt. Cdr. Bruen, which would be his last kill, ending his account at 4 shot down, 4 shared, 2 destroyed and 2 shared. Sadly,.... the Sea Hurricane`s from 804 & 891 NAS`s aboard HMS Dasher which in their defence were only partially worked up, became lost after failing to link up with the strike against Oran and many had to force land on the invasion beaches! Below is a short history of Bruen`s distinguished career; Irishman Bill Bruen was born in Dublin on the 29th December 1910 a the son of an MP and he joined the Royal Navy in September 1924, serving on a number of Battleships and Cruisers as he rose up through the ranks. He gained his private flying certificate in October 1931 and in June 1936 he became a fighter pilot with 802 NAS aboard HMS Glorious in the Mediterranean until June 1938. Moving back to the UK, he joined 801 NAS in October 1938, serving aboard HMS Couragious until to April 1939. In June 1940 Bruen was appointed as CO of 803 NAS flying the new monoplane Skua fighter/dive bomber assigned to the carrier HMS Ark Royal and he later took the unit to fly from HMS Formidable when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the Battle of Cape Matapan. Shortly afterwards in July 1941 Bruen was sent for a rest tour with 778 NAS at RNAS Arbroath. Following a short spell at RNAS Lee on Solent `Bill' Bruen became CO of 800 NAS equipped with Sea Hurricane MK.Ib`s during April 1942 and he led them with distinction aboard the fleet carrier HMS Indomitable during the Op. Pedestal Malta convoy, for which he was awarded a DSO. Re equipping with Sea Hurricane MK.IIb`s & IIc`s the unit was re assigned to the escort carrier HMS Biter for the Operation Torch landings in Vichy French North Africa in November 1942 for which he was awarded a Mention in Despatches. Following Op. Torch Bruen was posted to 759 NAS at RNAS Yeovilton as the Chief Flying Instructor of the RN Fighter School and between 1943 and the end of the war he was promoted to became station commander of RNAS Maydown in N. Ireland which housed the vital anti submarine Swordfish biplanes assigned to MAC Ships escorting Atlantic convoys. Post War he went on to command RNAS Henstridge and RNAS Gosport until 1953 when he filled various staff appointments until he retired in 1955. Sadly he died in Birmingham in 1967. Here is the real aircraft; And here is the model; Cheers Folks, All the best, Tony

Love it and the Irish scheme looks fantastic too, Cheers Tony

Keep plodding along mate,...... we are loving your build and watching it intently! What you are doing with the wings is amazing, Cheers Tony

These look great and I`m very interesting in buying them if you ship to the UK. Cheers, Tony

Thank you everybody for your kind remarks,..... glad you like it, Cheers Tony

Thanks again for all of your very kind comments,....... I do enjoy my hairy sticks!! Cheers Tony

Thank you all for your very kind comments,...... it was nice to get a larger scale model done for a change,...... they have all been little ones recently! All the best, Tony

Hiya Folks, I`ve been building this one on and off for a year or so now but I`m finally calling it finished I`ve always had a soft spot for the South African`s in the East African campaign, especially as I served in the area myself in the 80`s,...... and the FLY kit is very good, if a little fiddly in parts,....... but I can definitely recommend it. As usual the model was brush painted. I modified an Xtradecal MSG code letter as the kit ones were not accurate and neither were the unit insignia on the nose, only one of which is supplied....... which were replaced by a pair of decals included with a marking masking set. Here is the subject aircraft, flown by South African ace Major Jack Frost DFC & bar; Here is Frost climbing into a Hurricane, note the 3 Sqn SAAF wasp insignia on the nose with the motto which reads ""Semper Pugnans" or "Always Fighting",; And to provide some mood for the campaign location,......3 Sqn SAAF Hurricane Mk.I`s hiding under what we referred to as `sweetheart bushes' when I served there,......the thorns are huge and very, very painful,......hence the name!!; And here is the model; Cheers, Tony

Hiya Iain, I have just heard from my friend Franta at DK Decals that he has managed to squeeze another option onto his forthcoming sheet for the Liberator and it is the RCAF Sharkmouth,.... as it looked before the face was added.

Re the bomb bay rockets,...... they were a development of having the rockets fitted to the side of the nose. Instead a folding array was built up which meant that the rockets could be carried inside the bomb bay instead, thus causing less drag and they could be swiftly folded out from the bomb bay to fire when needed,......have a look at this thread; https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235034228-raf-cc-liberator-rocket-installations/ And Eduard do a set in 1/72nd scale for the Lib, this shows in its deployed state,... I think that the rockets could be re loaded in flight too; https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10521225 Also re the RCAF Lib with the large face on the nose,...... by the time this was painted on it was used in the Met. Recce role and the Leigh Light had been removed. The antennae on the side of the nose was different too. Cheers Tony

Cheers Iain, Glad you found it of interest mate. I was going to build my 1/32nd Lib as an RAF SEAC aircraft but due to the turret problems I`m thinking of doing a 100 Group RAF one instead, then I can just paint over the turret! Anyway I`ll stop hogging your excellent thread, All the best, Tony

Hello Iain, I don`t know if this is of any us to you from Britmodeller,...... I built the RCAF Liberator in 1/72nd scale and included some photos of the real thing in my post and the attached WIP; https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235036170-172nd-academy-liberator-grvi-eastern-air-command-met-flt-rcaf-nova-scotia-1945/&tab=comments#comment-2996984 I`ve got the 1/32nd Lib and had a go at polishing up the nose turret glazing today,..... it went better than expected and the glazing is clearer,...... but still not brilliant, plus those awful seam lines and locator pins don`t help either! DK Decals have a Commonwealth sheet planned for this kit too with 4 x options. Good luck mate, Tony

I bought mine yesterday and was disappointed with the turrets,...... especially the frosted over nose turret and the joint lines and seam pins of the rear turret! However some good news,...... especially for modellers of RAF & RAAF subjects is the fact that my friend Franta at DK Decals is releasing a decal sheet for the big kit; Should be; 1x RAAF 1x RAF 100 Group, Bomber Command 1 x RAF SEAC 1X RAF Coastal Command (311 Czech Sqn) Cheers Tony

What a cracking model of the Ulster Battle Bus,...... well done indeed, Cheers Tony

Lovely job and nice to see a Royal Navy Hurricane represented too! Cheers Tony

Thanks again everybody for your very kind words and glad you like my hairy brushing,....some of us are still stuck in the dark ages,......although as I have to model on a tea tray on the couch I don`t think my lovely missus would take kindly to an air brush, even she isn`t that patient!! Cheers Tony

Wow thanks, both for your kind comment and also for the heads up on the PCM Spit`s. I will certainly chase them up and hopefully the postage and import tax into the UK will not be too much. All the best Tony