Hawker Typhoon Mk.1b

I’m kicking off my D-Day 80th Anniversary builds with two of Airfix’s 1:72 scale Hawker Typhoons. One from the 2024 Airfix Club D-Day Duo set A73016 and the other from the 75th Anniversary D-Day Air Assault Set A50157A. Both use Airfix’s 2013 tooling and it’s a kit I’ve previously enjoyed building so am keen to see how my finishing skills may have improved with age! 

These come with decals for 245 Squadron’s ZY-Y MP126 and 247 Squadron’s MR-B MN265, the latter having actually joined the squadron to replace another lost on D+1, so may not have actually been present on the day itself but we won’t hold that against it.

What strikes me first on opening the boxes is the different colour plastic now used by Airfix. The feel and level of flash across both kits is however the same. The instructions are similar pictorially but the recommended painting instructions differ, probably due to the larger D-Day kit having to keep to the colours supplied in the little starter pots. 

Having built this before, I’ll not be wasting time painting the interior as I did back then as with a pilot installed none of it can be seen. Then again, may be I should this time build these without using the pilots?

I’m starting to remember there’s a lot of great detail included in this little kit.

Well I wasn’t going to but I have … I couldn’t resist in the end giving the cockpit a coat of interior green. I know it’s painted even if you can’t see it and the same for the instrument panel decal which, and I’ve said it before, it would be more useful if Airfix provided harness decals instead 🤷‍♂️

I found joining the two fuselage halves together required the arms of an octopus but they still went together beautifully even with just the two hands I had available 

These Typhoons are starting to look a bit more like aircraft as this afternoon I got to fit wings and ailerons. It's at this stage that one has to decide on payload and whether to have the cannon ammunition ports open or closed. Decisions decisions ...

For one of the kits, I've gone for all ports open and rockets as the payload. This required the careful use of a blade to cut out a section of the upper wing and the drilling of 4 holes in the lower wing to mount the rockets. For the other, having repeatedly broken off the tail wheel (note - this is very fragile) I'm now going for a wheels up Typhoon and will have it airborne flying above the D-Day Air Assault diorama, so naturally all ports will be closed, and I'm going to have to remember to install a pilot! I've also drilled just the 2 holes in the lower wing, as this Typhoon will be heading off on a bombing mission.

After a morning at the Yeovil Scale Model Show, pictures to follow, I’ve had just enough time this afternoon to run a little filler along the wing to fuselage join, nothing serious, just a bit of cosmetic touching up. 

I’ve also constructed the bombs for one and fitted the bomb and missile racks under the wings. Then, using the cutaway pieces from the gun bays and unused wheels covers to mask the painted areas, I’ve given both a covering of grey primer. 

All being well, and I see no need for more filler or sanding, I can move onto the fun bit of starting on the canopy masking and camouflage.

Typhoon MN625 MR-B of No.245 (Northern Rhodesian) Squadron, 83 Group, 121 Wing, 2nd TAF. RAF Holmsley South, Hampshire, 1944.

 

MN625 joined the squadron as a replacement for MN377, an earlier “B” lost south of Caen on D+1; it was flown by Fg.Off. W Smith who, a few days later, was the first Allied pilot to land at one of the Advance Landing Ground airfields in Normandy, in this case B5/Camilly which became the squadron’s operating base for the next two months before the Allied advance continued. 

Train Busters - Hawker Tempest

This is the 2022 tooled Aifix kit A02109 - Hawker Tempest Mk.V which I’ve finished in the colours of JN751/R-B, the aircraft flown by Wing Commander Roland Prosper ‘Bee’ Beamont, when in command of No.150 Wing, Newchurch, Kent in June 1944 and the 1982 tooled and re-released in 2021 Revell 1:87 scale Schnellzuglokomotive, heavy express locomotive, BR 01 & Tender 2'2' T32.

The inspiration for this “dogfight double” was the picture “Train Busters - Hawker Tempest” painted by Roger H. Middlebrook which I came across while researching the idea of another train v fighter project I still have in plan! Having both the Revell and Airfix kit in my stash, it was just great fun being able to bring the two together. 

A bit of history:

Wing Commander Roland Beamont seems to have been a true British hero. He passed out as a pilot officer on 21st October 1939, flew Hurricanes of No.87 Sqn in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force and earned status of ‘ace’ during the Battle of Britain. He become part of Britain’s fledgling nightfighter force and at the end of his tour of duty took up a position as a production test pilot with the Hawker company. In July 1942, he returned to operational flying with No.56 Sqn and then given command of No.609 Squadron, both units operating the Typhoon. In 1943 he was charged with forming the RAF’s first Tempest Wing (No.150 Wing), used extensively in a home defence role and particularly in combating the V-1 ‘Doodlebug’ threat.

By 12 October 1944 Beamont’s second tour was completed and his replacement had already arrived. Unfortunately, 'Bee' was determined to complete one last sortie. At 1455 hrs he took off from the Wing’s post D-Day base at Volkel in Holland at the head of eight No. 3 Sqn Tempests, and in the Rheine area a stationary train was spotted. With little, if any, flak apparent, ‘Bee’ led them in one and then a second attack, and, totally out of character, and out of ammunition himself, he went on to lead the Tempests back in for a third time. His Tempest EJ710/JF-L (Beamont's own 'RB' aircraft - as I have depicted in my little vignette - was under repair) was hit in the radiator, and 'Bee' was forced to put down well inside enemy territory. Soon captured, he spent the rest of the war as a PoW. 

“Train Busters - Hawker Tempest” painted by Roger H. Middlebrook

Post War, “Bee” retuned to the role of Test Pilot with first flights of the Canberra, lightening, TSR2 and Tornado MRCA to his credit.

The Kits:

Hawker Demon

Just completed my build of the Airfix Hawker Demon which is an interesting small kit from their Classic range

I was interested to learn that the Hawker Demon was a two-seat fighter derivative of the Hawker Hart day bomber which was brought into service in 1933 after it was found, to the concern of the RAF, that their single seat fighters of the day, such as the Bristol Buldog, were unable to match the speed nor intercept the Hart!

This Airfix Hawker Demon is built as K4500 of No.604 Squadron in the pre-Munich overall aluminium dope finish and the Squadron’s red and yellow triangular markings. Post Munich they received a camouflage finish which I may have to have a go at some time.

This is also my first ever rigging of a biplane using stretched sprue. 

I hope you think it was worth the effort

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The Kit

Brand: Airfix

Title: Hawker Demon Vintage Classics

Number: A01052V

Scale: 1:72 

Type: Full kit 

Released: 2019 | Rebox (Changed decals)