Whilst on leave over the last couple of weeks I bought the Revell 1/32 Hawker Hunter expecting to do a quick build over a weekend but was surprised by the fit and detail on the kit and instead I decided to redo some parts and go for a proper build.
The first thing I did was dipped the canopy in Klear. I then promptly dropped the canopy on the carpet. Saying some naughty words I rushed to the sink, frantically washed the canopy, dried it and re-dipped it… Then promptly dropped it on the carpet again.
That pretty much set the tone for the way this build progressed. Someone has put a curse on this model. Anyway, here’s the basic cockpit. The instrument panel detail is very nicely done.
The main aircraft is actually built in four stages (Fuselage section, Engine and intakes, cockpit and nose, wings) and it all sort of slots together (very neatly too) at the end. Here’s a pic of the cockpit and engine dry fit.
Revell have just marked out the control surfaces so I cut them out and reset them.
I spent a fair bit of time happily painting the cockpit and dials etc but then found that as Hunter cockpits were black inside and fairly enclosed, once the fuselage is together and the seat in place very little can be seen so it’s probably not worth the bother…
Considering how beautifully and finely detailed the cockpit panels are the Bang Seat was incredibly basic with the straps molded on and no pilot figure. The straps were scraped off with a blade and the seat painted as an ex RAF pilot described it to me.
This however looked a bit naff so I did an internet search then redid most of the seat with Milliput, styrene and tinfoil from a takeaway. I’m a bit happier with this one which is my first ever Bang Seat.
Whilst it was securely masked, something got on the canopy and did this:
After a lot of gentle scraping with a razor blade, very patient sanding, polishing with toothpaste (Herself thinks I’m insane) and some Klear I ended up with this. It has a very, very slight misting but I’m happy with it:
Having faffed around with all the cockpit painting I had to head back home. I secured the almost fully built Hunter to the car parcel shelf with Blue Tack (however it’s spelt) and headed off. Heading down through the Highlands I got a puncture and opened the car door to Midge hell. The place was absolutely INFESTED with the evil little $££^&*!
To anyone that doesn’t know… A Midge is a tiny, tiny little blood sucking fly that arrives in swarms and makes life misery.
Naturally, the spare wheel was under all the cases, toys, clothes, kitchen sinks etc which my beloved and kiddies can’t go on holiday without. Twenty near demented minutes later the wheel was replaced, accompanied by many naughty words, waving of towels around my head and frantic scratching of arms and legs (the Midges were by now in my hair, inside my shirt, in my ears, my mouth, up my nose and getting very, very personal) and the burst was chucked into the boot followed by the cases, clothes, sinks and a few million Midges. The kids were by now bitten stupid and crying in the back. Slamming the boot shut I raced to the front of the car, jumped in and drove off, frantically opening the windows to blow the evil little sods out!
However, whilst the spare wheel was a “space saver”… The Alloy wasn’t. Thus the parcel shelf was now a damn sight higher up and much closer to the rear window. When I slammed the boot shut the Hunter was flattened!
Being now £150 lighter for a new tyre and having slammed the boot on my lovely Hunter and flattened it, I then rebuilt the undercarriage and re-attached half the tail and nose and I finally started on the paint job. That was an even bigger trial than the Midges… Well almost… Nah, not even close.
As I’d originally intended this to be a quick build I’d bought a few Airfix rattle cans - dark gray, dark green, aluminium and satin varnish in acrylic, an enamel gloss varnish for decaling etc - and a can of enamel satin varnish to seal it all off.
First I applied the Aluminium on the undersides. Lovely job!!! The aluminium and dark green went on like a dream and produced a superb flat, very thin surface. So I then masked with Blu tack and tinfoil and applied the gray. After all the waffle it’s time for another pic!
The blue tack stuck to the green paint and left a strange line all around it. As I was now home, I masked the gray with Tamiya tape and re applied the green. The stuff went everywhere! I’d finally had enough of the rattle cans and used my airbrush to paint the thing green.
I sprayed it with the Airfix enamel clear gloss, (yeah, another can, I’m a lazy modeller) which went on very well and I applied the decals (20 large and about 300 tiny ones) and then the weathering. Here’s an example decal pic, it consists of one top and one bottom decal. The register is spot on!
With aching eyes but very satisfied with the results I gave the underside a final spray with the Airfix Acrylic Satin Varnish rattle can and prepared to apply it to the top.
I watched in horror and despair as the lovely, smooth Aluminium took on a crazed marble effect and all the weathering on the panel lines disintegrated into blobs. Chucking the rattle can in the bin I frantically wiped away the mess and applied Klear like my life depended on it. The Klear seems to have worked and the paint and varnish has stabilised.
If you do intend to use these Airfix cans do not apply them to your model till you have tested them on scrap first!
This really is a lovely kit apart from the Ejection seat which to be honest, isn’t really all that bad for a 1/32, £20 kit. It really goes together beautifully and (despite my misfortunes and because I’m mildly insane) one I intend to build again as a “Black Arrow”. The ONLY problem I’ve found with this kit is that it has a weak undercarriage… Half a car slammed on it or not.
Anyway. No more waffle! Here’s my finally finished Revell 1/32 Hawker Hunter.
Comments and (polite) criticisms welcomed.
