PCM Hurricane (late) 56 Squadron….finished!

[mozart]

Thanks Ernest, I did a little more on the erk yesterday, I think he’s nearly there so I’ll put the pilot figure together today and clean him up ready to start painting mid-week…..off to Cornwall tomorrow for a short break! 

[mozart]

So I've spent a little time having a closer look at the Black Dog resin figure of the fighter pilot, overall verdict is "not impressed"!  These are the parts, some of which I've already cleaned up:

 

 

But when I look in more detail and compare them with alternatives in my spares collection:

 

 

The head, look how "soft" and lacking in definition the facial features are, the knock on effect will be greater difficulty in a convincing paint job:

 

 

so I'll be using the superb centre one plus oxygen mask hanging from his helmet.  The Blackdog hands are very poorly formed with missing fingers and thumbs:

 

 

whereas the Hornet hands are available in a variety of positions and are full of character already:

 

 

and even the parachute pack is rather simplistic by comparison:

 

 

Some may think I'm labouring a point about the pilot figure, but in the final build he is going to be a central focus in the action of the dio, and as such needs to be right.

 

[mozart]

A little work with a drill, knife and some CA has improved things

 

 

 

 

The arms are temporarily held in place with Micro Liquitape but will come off later so that I can improve the joins, but the hands actually come out of his sleeves now! 

Edited February 18, 2023 by mozart

[Greif8]

The head and hands are a huge improvement Max.  I have found that Black Dog figures are a bit like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get when you open the box.  The Black Dog head and hands were pretty bad, you were right to replace them.

 

Ernest

[scvrobeson]

Great replacement parts. The head and hands are a big step up from the Black Dog ones.

 

 

 

Matt 

[mozart]

14 minutes ago, Greif8 said:

The head and hands are a huge improvement Max.  I have found that Black Dog figures are a bit like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get when you open the box.  The Black Dog head and hands were pretty bad, you were right to replace them.

 

Ernest

I feel like writing to complain about the figure really Ernest but I doubt that it will achieve anything positive, so perhaps flagging it up on the forum is the best means of voicing disapproval and disappointment. 
 

4 minutes ago, scvrobeson said:

Great replacement parts. The head and hands are a big step up from the Black Dog ones.

Matt 

Cheers Matt, it’s a good job that I have a reasonable collection of figures plus the Hornet bits and pieces available. 

[Greif8]

I agree that contacting Black Dog would be a waste of time Max.  I have done so twice in the past after buying terribly cast products and got - crickets.  As I siad above, I try to steer clear of them when it comes to figures now.

 

Ernest

[MikeMaben]

Pilot looking much better Max. Regarding your oxygen mask, early on the hose was simple  and rather small.

The hose you have came later.

 

 

 

I like pilot figures, yours is looking quite cool  

[mozart]

Thanks for that extra info Mike, I didn’t know that! I remember as a child walking around the house wearing my father’s pilot’s helmet and oxygen mask (of the later type) and thinking how uncomfortable it was even then! 

[scvrobeson]

Where did the replacement head come from? It's a beautiful mold and cast.

 

 

Matt 

[mozart]

30 minutes ago, scvrobeson said:

Where did the replacement head come from? It's a beautiful mold and cast.

 

 

Matt 

That’s a very good question Matt…..but I can’t remember! I suspect it was one of the “Wings Cockpit” range but I believe David is no longer trading. I agree it’s a superb piece of sculpting, Nino Pinchetti (sp.) I imagine?

[mozart]

Cold and snow here this morning, so I felt self-indulgent and looked in more detail at the Hurricane. The cockpit elements and construction is pretty simple, a mixture of IM plastic, resin and photo-etch. These are the main bits:

 

 

I expect to get most of this assembled and primed this afternoon…..

[mozart]

The instructions tell you to glue these two resin bits on either side of the cockpit to the top of the framework, but after a little trial fittings to make sure of their final position I decided to fix them instead to the cockpit walls.  On checking I was pleased to see that Tolga had done the same so fingers crossed I won't have problems downstream:

 

 

This is how I hope it will all go:

 

 

Framework made up, sundry bits fitted, all primed in black then painted:

 

 

I've remembered to fit the "box" structures at the front end ready for the exhausts.  IP and seatbelts next and I think then we're looking at closing up the fuselage before too long!! 

[monthebiff]

Very nice Max, I do like those PCM Hurricanes!

 

Regards. Andy 

[mozart]

13 minutes ago, monthebiff said:

Very nice Max, I do like those PCM Hurricanes!

 

Regards. Andy 

It’s the first PCM kit that I’ve attempted Andy but as soon as I started it I was reminded of the old 1/48 Classic Airframes kits I used to make, and I loved those!