Hurricane Mk.1 (Paul Richey)

My second Hurricane in as many months is, Paul Richey’s ‘Phoney War’ Hurricane Mk1. This is a very nice and simple build, after the efforts on Pegasus Bridge, of an excellently produced 1:72 Airfix kit. It's the same kit I used as part of my Douglas Bader tribute. While that one was slightly ruined by me using AMMO of MIG Jimenez's version of RAF paints, where the green was far too bright, for Richey's Hurricane I invested in a set of Hataka's paints which look so much better!

1:72 Airfix Hurricane Mk.1

Flying Officer Paul HM Richey, is also the author of ‘Fighter Pilot’, a must read classic book of what it was like to be a fighter pilot in the war. Before he was wounded on 19 May 1940, Paul Richey had claimed ten victories, and later returned to operations in 1941, ending the war as a Wing Commander.

Note in the pictures the small roundels both on wings and fuselage. Originally these would have had a yellow outer ring which were painted out. The yellow returned to the fuselage roundel for the Battle of Britain while on the wings the red and blue were extended to fill the gap left by the yellow ring which was not replaced.

The two bladed propeller on the first Hurricanes was a throwback to the biplanes which it replaced and was made of wood. These had a tendency, as Richey discovered, to self destruct in the air when pushed to limits never dreamed of when first designed for the early biplanes. They were soon replaced with metal three bladed propellers. 

Also taken from the early RAF biplanes is the full red white and blue stripes covering the tail rudder. these too were soon replaced with the more familiar boxed version positioned in front of the rudder.

Can you notice the contrasting wear added around the gun access panels?

For this build, I went slightly against the Airfix plans and left the squadron markings and serial numbers off the aircraft, so as to show Richey's aeroplane as it appeared in mid 1940. I also attempted a different weathering approach on this kit. I kept it light but wonder if you notice the contrasting wear I've added around the gun access panels?

One may just make out the black under paint on the tail 

No.1 squadron were innovative in looking at markings and camouflage on their aircraft, also being instrumental in the overpainting of their earlier black and white underside, a look I also decided to go with and one which was later adopted by all British aircraft by the time of the Battle of Britain. 

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The kit ...

Brand: Airfix
Title: Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
Number: A01010A
Scale: 1:72
Released: 2020 | Rebox (Changed decals)