Sharkmouth to Sabotage - a Hunter's Tale

[Madmax]

It all started innocently enough, for a Cold War airframe. Built in Blackpool in the winter of 1955, when the beaches were empty, but the Hawker Aircraft Blackpool (Ltd) factory was full. She was delivered to the RAF on 10 Jan 1956 as XF 309. Based on the only photographs I can find of her as a pristine F Mk.4, she went to 112 Squadron. You don't have to be an aviation anorak to work this bit out.

 

A typical scene at a Hawker Aircraft factory: churning out Hunters in the mid 1950's

 

 

112 Squadron RAF was famous for being the first allied unit to feature a 'sharks mouth'. Even Chennault's 'Flying Tigers' copied them. This is a famous photo of 112 Sqn Tomahawks published in October 1941.

 

 

No prizes for guessing which squadron XF 309 belongs to...

 

 

This beautiful airframe was already withdrawn from service by December 1962, and used for ground instruction at St Athan as 7771 M. But don't worry, that's not nearly the end of this tale. While detailing and building the classic Revell kit, we will discover an amazing history in the life of a Hunter, that sees her dressing-up in Yorkshire and being blown-up in Zimbabwe. Let's get down to some plastic first.

 

The kit needs no introduction, so I won't. What is interesting however, is how many of the Hunter builds on the internet stall for some reason or other - it clearly has some issues around the intake and the undercarriage. We'll tackle those when we get there.

 

Not possessing (an increasingly rare) True Details aftermarket cockpit, there is going to be some extra work to get the rather basic cockpit looking a bit more like the real thing. I know its a typical Cold War dark pit, but some extra stuff is always nice. The only cockpit aftermarket I could find was the Kits World 3-D decals for the instrument panel and side consoles. I was most excited to try these, as it is a first for me, and they seem to have revolutionised cockpit detailing. Unfortunately, they didn't enjoy the trip to South Africa.

 

 

I figured they would look good in the bin, but then thought I'd at least save one or two instrument faces. Some advice - if this happens to you - don't cut, don't throw it away, just treat them like normal decals. I eventually popped them in water and used a bit of white glue to stick them onto thin styrene. Maybe I can still use them?

 

 

I have copied some ideas from Rockie Yarwood's 'Out of Africa' build, so thanks for pioneering the sidewalls Rockie! Here you can see the rather rudimentary way of using the kit part as a template for cutting ribs.

 

 

And here the ribs are in situ. It is actually very easy to position them, as the kit is finely marked where the different cockpit components go.

 

 

Modified the side consoles a bit, however much of the kit detail is useable as is.

 

 

The stick and rudders really do need some help, as well as the mounting system for the rudder pedals - which would otherwise be pretty much flat on the floor. The gyro gunsight, it would seem, got the most attention! 

 

 

 

Looking a bit more like the jumbled office a Hunter's cockpit should resemble.

 

 

Let's see if this one makes it to completion.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

[Derek B]

Lovely start Sean.

 

Derek

[BLACK MAMBA]

Very much looking forward to your work on her, Madmax. RhAF/ZAF Hunters are some of my favourites. I follow along keenly for her story too.

[Cheetah11]

Hi Sean

Great subject. Looking forward to this build.

Cheers

Nick

[Madmax]

 

On 11/28/2023 at 8:09 PM, Derek B said:

Lovely start Sean.

 

Derek

 

Thanks Derek, particularly pleased that you looked in because I already have a question for you! On the right hand side of the ejection seat (FGA.9, maybe F Mk.6), there appears to be a pulley assembly. Any idea what it's for? 

 

 

 

On 11/28/2023 at 10:14 PM, BLACK MAMBA said:

Very much looking forward to your work on her, Madmax. RhAF/ZAF Hunters are some of my favourites. I follow along keenly for her story too.

 

Hey Mr Mamba, good to see you looking in on the build! Hope you enjoy the story -  I have certainly enjoyed the research, and who knows, there might be more info to come as knowledgeable readers fill in the gaps...

 

21 hours ago, Cheetah11 said:

Hi Sean

Great subject. Looking forward to this build.

Cheers

Nick

 

Thanks Nick, hope the Silhouette cutter is still in working order! 

[Derek B]

3 hours ago, Madmax said:

Thanks Derek, particularly pleased that you looked in because I already have a question for you! On the right hand side of the ejection seat (FGA.9, maybe F Mk.6), there appears to be a pulley assembly. Any idea what it's for? 

 

 

 

 

Interesting Sean - I haven't noticed that feature before! I do not know what it is (yet!), but I shall do a little investigating to see if I can figure it out for you and get back to you when I do!

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[Derek B]

Hi Sean,

 

I cannot find any specific technical information for this piece of equipment online. However, there are some clues. My instinct, based upon your single image, is that the colour means something; normally, anything painted red indicated take care or do not touch. The second thing is that it does not appear to be part of the ejection seat itself or part of its normal operating system. Also, it appears to be present in one form or another on most Hunter aircraft types irrespective of whether a Mk.2 or 3 type ejection seat was installed.

 

Therefore, it is my belief that this is most likely part of the canopy jettison system initiation assembly, which feature a cable which is connected to a cartridge sear attached to the rear of the ejection seat frame. I think that Hunter aircraft had a seperate canopy jettison handle on the left forward instrument consul and initiation of ejection using either the face screen blind or seat pan handle would also jettison the canopy, so they were both probably mechanically interconnected.

 

 

HTH

 

Derek

Edited December 2, 2023 by Derek B

[Biggles87]

One of the most beautiful airframes ever built ( IMHO ). I will be watching closely in the hope of picking up some tips for mine.

 

John

[Grunticus]

Great start on a model of a great aircraft! I will be following, I like your scratch work a lot.

[Madmax]

On 12/1/2023 at 1:06 AM, Derek B said:

Hi Sean,

 

I cannot find any specific technical information for this piece of equipment online. However, there are some clues. My instinct, based upon your single image, is that the colour means something; normally, anything painted red indicated take care or do not touch. The second thing is that it does not appear to be part of the ejection seat itself or part of its normal operating system. Also, it appears to be present in one form or another on most Hunter aircraft types irrespective of whether a Mk.2 or 3 type ejection seat was installed.

 

Therefore, it is my belief that this is most likely part of the canopy jettison system initiation assembly, which feature a cable which is connected to a cartridge sear attached to the rear of the ejection seat frame. I think that Hunter aircraft had a seperate canopy jettison handle on the left forward instrument consul and initiation of ejection using either the face screen blind or seat pan handle would also jettison the canopy, so they were both probably interconnected.

 

 

HTH

 

Derek

 

Hi Derek,

 

Some great insights from you regarding the pulley, thank you!

 

I gave it some thought after reading what you said - and agree with your conclusion. The fact that the pulley is arranged in the way it is, it facilitates a downward pull of the cable. Having at first thought its purpose was linked to the ejection seat firing, that didn't make sense. Now I can visualise the cable running from the jettison handle (next to the pilot's left knee), under the cockpit floor, and eventually up the red tube and over the pulley to where it triggers the jettison cartridge with a pull. Looks a bit like an engineering afterthought, but it clearly worked!

 

17 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

One of the most beautiful airframes ever built ( IMHO ). I will be watching closely in the hope of picking up some tips for mine.

 

John

 

It is a beautiful aircraft John. The other day, a mate of mine curiously looked at the bits and pieces arranged on my desk and, on realising what I was busy with, declared: 'Aha, the Spitfire of jets!'

 

14 hours ago, Grunticus said:

Great start on a model of a great aircraft! I will be following, I like your scratch work a lot.

 

Thanks Grunticus, hope to bring you some more scratch-built entertainment soon... 

[Madmax]

In the meantime, I have moved my attention toward the back of the cockpit. The kit part for the bulkhead behind the pilots head is, like so much of this kit, not too bad - but could be better. The first thing I noticed was that the cover on top of the rail support immediately behind the seat is too 'square', and the round thing on the left (an inverter or a vacuum pump maybe?) is actually on a horizontal support to the side of the assembly, not mounted on the bulkhead. Some wiring was added to taste just to spice things up...

 

 

This is how it should look:

 

 

And this is my slightly simplified version.

 

 

Then a big job, the ejection seat. Here the True Details set would really come in handy!  Actually, despite the staggeringly good seat in that set, it is possibly wrong for my purposes. They modelled a Martin Baker Mk 2H, and it would seem the FGA. (and later) Hunters generally had Mk 3H seats. The obvious difference is the seat pan, which on the 3H doesn't have the large, and frankly odd, side supports that make the Mk 2's instantly recognisable. This is a Mk 3 (maybe an H).

 

 

 

This is what one gets in the kit.

 

 

Same as the bulkhead; not too bad, but could be better. I have sanded off the kit details, established the basic shapes, and will now get on with adding the detail I think will make it look good. The interesting thing is trying to simulate large fabric (canvas) bits like the parachute back pad. Lets see how that goes...

 

 

Till later,

 

Sean

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Madmax

[alain11]

Hi

I think that AM manufactures will go bankrupt .....Allll handmade ... I like !!! I remember your Mi III E/ R , modeling in one’s own sense ....an interesting thread to follow 

Alain

[SwissFighters]

2 hours ago, alain11 said:

Hi

I think that AM manufactures will go bankrupt .....Allll handmade ... I like !!! I remember your Mi III E/ R , modeling in one’s own sense ....an interesting thread to follow 

Alain

Ah, yes, now I recall! I still have that Mirage build thread open and refer to it often...would love to try and emulate some of those details myself one day. Very much looking forward to seeing how this Hunter turns out - I have one to build myself - Swiss, of course. I really appreciate you sharing your skills, Sean! Tony

Edited December 2, 2023 by SwissFighters

[Madmax]

On 12/2/2023 at 3:43 PM, alain11 said:

Hi

I think that AM manufactures will go bankrupt .....Allll handmade ... I like !!! I remember your Mi III E/ R , modeling in one’s own sense ....an interesting thread to follow 

Alain

 

Merci Alain!

 

On 12/2/2023 at 6:23 PM, SwissFighters said:

Ah, yes, now I recall! I still have that Mirage build thread open and refer to it often...would love to try and emulate some of those details myself one day. Very much looking forward to seeing how this Hunter turns out - I have one to build myself - Swiss, of course. I really appreciate you sharing your skills, Sean! Tony

 

Hi Tony, yeah - that Mirage got a bit out of control!  I think I spent too much time looking inside Mirage wheel wells in my youth and tried to recapture the moment in miniature. I still have one more Mirage IIIC kit left - lets see what happens there... In the meantime, feel free to comment on, and correct, any aspect of the Hunter build. I can see you have a real interest in the workings of this classic airframe, including the surprisingly complicated intake.

[Madmax]

Before getting straight to the styrene, another little story about our Hunter - XF309. Last heard from as a ground instruction airframe (7771M) at St Atham, she somehow ends up in South Yorkshire, at a once famous (for airshows and royal patronage) RAF base called Finningley, just outside Doncaster. Finningley, controversially, eventually became an airport named after Robin Hood, even though the Sherwood Forest is about 40 miles south of Doncaster. Well, this little habit of stretching a story was going to affect our Hunter too. Not happy with her history as a mere shark-mouthed F. Mk4, she was promptly promoted to being a F. Mk5 and painted in the colours of a dashing 1 Squadron aircraft, WP190, that had taken part in the operations of the Suez Canal Crisis. They were rather striking colours...

 

 

The amusing thing is that at the same time, the real WP190 was languishing outside RAF Stanbridge, as a gate guardian (in rather boring standard camouflage). At least she was adorned with her own serial number!  https://www.airliners.net/photo/UK-Air-Force/Hawker-Hunter-F5/2165771

 

The internet rabbit-hole sometimes produces real gems; here is a newsletter from the 70's that gives us a clue as to what happened to XF309 next.

 

 

 

Let's get back to the model, I sense a yawn coming on.

 

The basic shapes of the ejection seat in the kit are unfortunately just that - rather basic. I literally broke the seat apart and started some surgery on the drogue pack and launcher rails so that the added detail at least sat in the right place. The top of the drogue chute now fits into a smaller opening on top of the structure, and one can see a portion of the telescopic tube inside the back of the launcher rails.

 

 

 

Some of the details had to be carved out of styrene (no 3-d printer in my house - yet), and although this photo is a bit out of focus, I thought I'd show how I leave the piece attached to a larger piece of styrene to make it easier to handle. This is the Time Release Mechanism and Barostatic Unit that is inevitably portrayed by kit manufacturers at half it's actual size.

 

 

Here it is in place, with some of the other details starting to take shape.

 

 

 

On the other side the Drogue Gun takes up most of the space.

 

 

What  is interesting is how many lines feed into the drogue chute pack - looks like an octopus got hold of the seat!

 

 

 

I have found a very handy piece of aftermarket etched brass for the next part of the process. I know people like Derek B have the patience to manufacture buckles, but I don't.

This is Eduard's 1:32 Mirage III seat straps set. Very useful even though not 100% accurate as far as buckle shapes go.

 

 

You may recall the question of what material to fashion the parachute back pad from? Well, I decided to use a lead foil of sorts (it came from lead tape strips one sticks onto golf clubs - not sure if it's R&A approved). It is easy to cut and shapes very well, although it's probably best not to lick it.

 

 

This is the Mk 18 parachute assembly that I'm trying to emulate. The Mk 18 was typical of those fitted to MB Mk 2 or 3 seats, and the actual parachute pack was a shoulder pack that went into the recess behind the pilot's upper back.

 

 

This is still very much an experimental piece, and how paint is going to stick to it is yet to be seen, particularly if it gets bent a bit. Still fun to try simulate the different elements of an ejection seat.

 

 

 

Some cockpit painting next...

 

Cheers,

 

Sean