XE601 Hawker Hunter A&AEE 1988

[Stevepd]

As per my Sea Fury just posted this was finished only a couple of weeks ago.

 

This is the 1/32 scale FGA.9 kit made up to be 601 in the proper colours in my view. This is how I remember it when working at BD and I never felt it wore the ripple paint scheme very well. So it was my intention to build it up as a TWCU aircraft with some nice shiney SNEBs, however soon as I started those voices said otherwise. The kit is as has been mentioned with the usual pit falls but mainly it a very underestimated kit and super value. The cockpit had the extra couple of instruments added and all along I intended to add a pilot (courtesy of PJ) and in this stance. I wanted to imagine that the engine is running just prior to leaving the line. The Porton tanks were made using extensive references and I used my 3D printer for the flat noses. First time I’ve used it in anger and they were mated to the kit tanks. Then the very visual weld lines and the filling cap above the nose was added. The spray dispensing tube from round rod and drilled out. I then added 10 thou plasticard wrapped around the body of the tank. I left a small join line on the sides and used decals to replicate the tightening braces on the sides. They were both then sprayed Gloss appliance white. The fuel tanks sprayed red and a little wear on the noses added by using the dabbing of a sponge method. Aircraft was then painted and some sun bleaching added to some panels of the red spine. The badge on the fin is of A squadron which they added on some of the fleet occasionally. The square non standard item under the cockpit in leu of the gun compartment is a TACAN system added some time ago, but over the years it had various colours added to it. Oh the worn white outline on the fin flash is on purpose!.

 

Airbrushed with my badger 200 and I used Xtracrylix and Revell paints and Matt varnished with Windsor & Newton.

Edited September 17, 2022 by Stevepd

[Kagemusha]

That's wonderful, love the colours.

[Out2gtcha]

Lovely!  As Andy said the colors are really great, not a scheme you often see.

[MikeC]

Well done Steve,  thats wonderful,  and not an aircraft you often see modelled.

[Violator1991]

Ahh, what a beautiful plane with so graceful lines. Pity that tehy do not design such aircraft anymore.

Great model, pleasure to watch!

[MikeMaben]

[Zola25]

So beautiful - love that scheme

[RicardoD]

Lovely Hunter. I hope some company makes a new tool of this beautiful plane in 1/32.

[Tony T]

Yes, a lovely Hunter. Don't know what Porton spray tanks are, but it certainly rings the "completely different" bell.

 

I agree that the Revell is a nice and underestimated kit in its mid and late incarnations (F.6 and second edition FGA.9 with correct chord ailerons and extra cockpit bulkhead detail, like the F.6). I just wished Revell had gone ahead with the rumoured T.7 trainer (i.e. styrene) and that there was a full conversion set with decals for a FAA GA.11. 

 

Very inspiring build,

 

Tony 

[Stevepd]

On 9/26/2022 at 11:42 AM, Tony T said:

Yes, a lovely Hunter. Don't know what Porton spray tanks are

These are the white tanks which were converted fuel tanks to hold a different liquid. They were filled via the nozzle on top of the tank just aft of the nose. Simply triggered by the pilot and dispensed via the outlet at the rear. I’m told the tanks were filled by Porton Down staff (even though there was no chemicals) and flown by any of the resident fast jet Test Pilot aircrew. They would “attack” the Army on exercises around the UK during the NBC phase.

 

A colleague in my old work said he’d been attacked on exercise in his barmy Army days and it did change the colour of the detection paper, and made it easier for DS staff to see who’d been contaminated.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Stevepd