MDC + Revell car door Hawker Typhoon kit bash

[mozart]

Following on from Wouter's SH Tempest/Revell car-door kit bash I decided to try combining the Revell Typhoon which has been gathering dust for years with the recently acquired MDC Typhoon, the latter being a bubble-top and the former a car-door type.

 

 

 

Out with the razor saw:

 

 

The cockpit structure in the Revell Tiffy is, from memory, a Barracuda one since the kit one is pretty 'orrible,

 

 

but would it fit well into the MDC shell:

 

 

Excellent result, that'll save a lot of time and hassle!  The other major area to change is the aft end, my projected build having the smaller horizontal stabilisers.  I have done a very quick measurement at the transport joint where the fish plates are positioned, and the diameters look remarkably similar so at this point I'm thinking a whole tail-end swap could be on the cards but we'll see later.

 

My current thoughts* about a subject is a 175 Squadron bombphoon such as Dirty Dora, but I need to do some research about this:

 

 

The squadron was based at Warmwell at times, and as a child I lived close to Colerne so 175 Squadron is a good contender!

 

This build isn't going too far in the near future because I'm shortly off to NZ for a month but it'll still be circulating in the old noggin whilst I'm away, like it does! 
 

* Change of mind following research, it’s going to be:

 

 

flown by:

 

 

Squadron Leader “Jacko” Holmes, CO of 197 Squadron, sadly lost in January 1944:

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by mozart

[monthebiff]

This will be interesting Max, I was thinking of this idea towards the end of last year and had everything priced up after searching through Ebay but my gut feeling is Kotare will release one of these very soon so decided against.  

 

Regards. Andy 

[mozart]

3 minutes ago, monthebiff said:

This will be interesting Max, I was thinking of this idea towards the end of last year and had everything priced up after searching through Ebay but my gut feeling is Kotare will release one of these very soon so decided against.  

 

Regards. Andy 

But it’ll be fun Andy, who needs a shake n’bake kit! 

[monthebiff]

3 minutes ago, mozart said:

But it’ll be fun Andy, who needs a shake n’bake kit! 

This is true Max it will be a great build indeed. Another reason I shelved my plans was the poor quality of some of the parts in my MDC kit which caused me to shelve that particular build but your copies don't seem to have suffered with those issue's 

.

 

Regards. Andy

[dennismcc]

Why do it the easy way, I like your thinking Max and as a Typhoon fan the more the merrier.

Have a great time in NZ.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[mozart]

On 1/9/2025 at 6:40 PM, monthebiff said:

This is true Max it will be a great build indeed. Another reason I shelved my plans was the poor quality of some of the parts in my MDC kit which caused me to shelve that particular build but your copies don't seem to have suffered with those issue's 

.

 

Regards. Andy

The resin mouldings are very good indeed Andy, the previous ones were good but these are even better!  Very lucky compared to yours I reckon.

 

On 1/9/2025 at 7:23 PM, dennismcc said:

Why do it the easy way, I like your thinking Max and as a Typhoon fan the more the merrier.

Have a great time in NZ.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

I like a challenge Dennis as you probably have guessed by now! 

Edited February 22 by mozart

[Wouter]

2 hours ago, monthebiff said:

This will be interesting Max, I was thinking of this idea towards the end of last year and had everything priced up after searching through Ebay but my gut feeling is Kotare will release one of these very soon so decided against.  

 

Regards. Andy 

 

I fully expect SH or Kotare to announce/release a Tiffy just as I finish my build 😉

 

@ Max; following with interest, lets see how your 'reverse' engineering turns out!

[mozart]

It's been a while, and a journey to the other side of the world in between, but now back on the Typhoon theme.  I'd hate you to get the impression that I'm obsessed, but these three books arrived on the same morning this week:

 

 

I have read this one in a Kindle edition, but it's such a useful reference book so I decided to get "hard copy" for ease of access.

 

I have a couple of books about 609 Squadron, of which Jean de Selys was a member so I had to get this recently published book.

 

David Ince's account of the role of the Typhoon in 1944/45 and the men who flew and serviced them is as good as any in my collection, narrated with modesty but drama.

 

Then this arrived this morning:

 

 

It says Tempest but it's a Sabre engine which I hope to fit in my Typhoon, but what I didn't expect was this:

 

 

96 parts to assemble!  It'll be fun.....

 

 

and hopefully will end up looking something like this:

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by mozart

[dennismcc]

A nice haul there Max, that Sabre looks a bit of a handfull, though I have every confidence that it will turn out nice in your very capable hands.

Nothing wrong with having a thing for Typhoons and Tempests, there are lots of worse things out there.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[LSP_Kevin]

Good luck, Max!

 

Kev

[mozart]

13 hours ago, dennismcc said:

A nice haul there Max, that Sabre looks a bit of a handfull, though I have every confidence that it will turn out nice in your very capable hands.

Nothing wrong with having a thing for Typhoons and Tempests, there are lots of worse things out there.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

I know you’re a brother in arms regarding Tiffies Dennis, and the Sabre engine is going to be a kit within a kit which I’m really looking forward to tackling.  My wife and I are in the early stages of planning our cycling trip to Brittany and Normandy for 2026, so I’m hoping to visit some of the war cemeteries where so many pilots lay at rest.

 

10 hours ago, LSP_Kevin said:

Good luck, Max!

 

Kev

It’s going to be a “slow but steady” task Kev! 
 

I was intrigued by the markings on the inside of the wheel covers on JP504, Jacko Holmes usual mount:

 

 

so I asked the question on BM where I know Chris Thomas is a member. His answer:

 

I can’t think of another Tiffy picture that has these but they’ll make an interesting little difference to my model.

[Archimedes]

Hi Max, that Sabre looks like a model all on its own… 

 

Good luck! 

[mozart]

25 minutes ago, Archimedes said:

Hi Max, that Sabre looks like a model all on its own… 

 

Good luck! 

Thanks Paul, I had a busy day in the garden yesterday (the sun was shining!) so haven’t had a chance to fully explore the engine yet, but hope to later today. 

[MikeMaben]

Looks like fun Max ,  a long road to hoe, see you when you get back 

 

 

 

[mozart]

The resin’s out of the bag!

 

 

All the castings are extremely clean and well cast, my first major task is to cut the items clear of the casting block and get rid of any of the “flow lines” (I’m sure there’s a technical term for them but I don’t know what it is). So lots of careful razor saw and knife work. Holding the parts firmly but with care not to damage all those lovely details is important. 

Edited February 23 by mozart