MDC + Revell car door Hawker Typhoon kit bash

[Stevepd]

I must admit I've never really considered the Typhoon, but having recently seen a few clips of footage on some WW2 programmes on National Geographic lately and your build. I'm warming to it.

[mozart]

8 minutes ago, Stevepd said:

I must admit I've never really considered the Typhoon, but having recently seen a few clips of footage on some WW2 programmes on National Geographic lately and your build. I'm warming to it.

It’s addictive Steve, the more you start looking into the Typhoon and its history, the more you realise what an incredibly important plane it was, and its ultimate role that was decisive in the Allied advance from Normandy to 8 May 45. 

[mozart]

An hour or two today sorting the starboard half of the fuselage nose. I had a clearer idea of what was needed so started taking out a “trench” on the inside to lessen the resin thickness ready for gradual cutting through from the outside:

 

 

And before too long:

 

 

I’m currently trying to get a good fit with the firewall and cockpit framing, all’s looking very promising! Pics tomorrow I hope. 

[LSP_K2]

Two things that seem to get consistently missed with car door Typhoon models are the hold-open bar at bottom of door and the nav lights in the stabilizer fairings. 

[mozart]

They’ll be there.

 

 

[mozart]

One of the jobs that I intended doing before fixing the starboard wing to the fuselage half, was to cut out the door aperture. But when I started looking at it this morning I’m pleased that I didn’t do it then.

 

 

The position of the door of course relates directly to the canopy and it would have been risky to “gestimate” that with only half the fuselage. Taped up, the task became more straightforward in terms of position:

 

 

I’m slightly concerned that the Revell door is a little too “shallow’, according to the Bentley drawings it should extend to the panel below it:

 

 

….but I think I’m going to have to fudge that in some way, not quite sure how yet though, maybe add a strip of plastic below it.  The door is going to be open so it’s not that critical.

 

As mentioned previously, the firewall is fitting well:

 

 

And it’s all nicely snug with the cockpit framework salvaged from the Revell kit, though it’s a Barracuda item throughout. I can’t yet make up my mind about the best sequence for gluing all of these bits together, also factoring in the engine has four small securing points with the firewall and I’m wondering if these will be robust enough? I’m contemplating opening the mating faces up so that the four framework ends pass through the firewall where I’ll add a couple of cross members. We’ll see. And of course there’s work to be done on the front end of the fuselage by the windshield and sliders and some panel lines to be filled! 

Edited May 13 by mozart

[monthebiff]

That's some excellent progress Max and all coming along very nicely indeed. 

 

Regards. Andy

 

 

[mozart]

Cheers Andy. I couldn’t wish for better reference than this pic:

 

 

 

[monthebiff]

That is an excellent shot for you to detail the door isn't it.

 

Regards. Andy

[dennismcc]

Here some photos I found a while ago.

 

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[LSP_Kevin]

Terrific work, Max!

 

Kev

[mozart]

Thanks for your comments Andy and Kev, and for the useful pictures Dennis, I must remember to cut out the hand-hold before I glue the fuselage halves together (in fact, I'll go and do it now!).  In the meantime, this photo:

 

 

...suggest that the filter on the radiator was removed during servicing, as does this one:

 

 

and this one:

 

 

so with the help of my new best friend I was rapidly able to drill and grind out the opening:

 

 

 

The cockpit framework appears to be a perfect fit to mate with the engine firewall, so hopefully before I go off to Wales for a few days cycling holiday on Sunday, this will all come together.  

 

Right, that hand-hold! 

Edited May 15 by mozart
s

[mozart]

And done…..carpe diem….

 

 

….and whilst I was about it, I cut out the door opening and thinned the fuselage walls.

[mozart]

I’ve been trying to “square” this useful image the Dennis posted of Beamont in his cockpit:

 

 

with my existing cockpit structure, which I now recall is an MDC one, not Barracuda.

 

And the penny has just dropped, this is designed for the bubble-top canopy not the car-door type, the latter having a much more substantial structure and roll bar behind the seat. Fortunately on my recent visit to Jet Age museum I took some clear pictures of this set up:

 

 

 

I’m also making the assumption (and who’s to know) that by October 1943 Sqdn Ldr Holmes Typhoon had the “sprung” seat designed to alleviate the severe vibration from the Sabre engine rather than the original Hawker bucket seat:

 

Ah well! I think I may disassemble my cockpit and use some parts with the kit one in an attempt to make the car-door type.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16 by mozart

[dennismcc]

Well spotted Max, before you got too far into the build to correct it.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis