SANWA-TOKYO PLAMO HURRICANE MK. IIC

This kit, numbered 558, was issued in an “Aces Series”. Date and origins are unknown.

HASEGAWA HURRICANE MK. I AND II.

In keeping with their tradition, Hasegawa issued a series of Hurricane kits, probably dating back to the late eighties, differing primarily in decals and some kit parts.  They were basically accurate, although some aftermarket details have become available to improve these models, such as the Quick Boost Hurricane II prop, which is much better than the one provided in the kit.  These are broken down as follows:

AP?        Hurricane Mk. I                 “Douglas Bader”

AP152   Hurricane Mk. I                 Night Fighter

AP138   Hurricane Mk. IB              Battle of Britain

AP140   Hurricane Mk. I                 Finnish Air Force

00274    Hurricane Mk. I                 No. 274 Sqdn, RAF

AP38      Hurricane Mk. IIC             RAF

AP147   Hurricane Mk. IIC             Yugoslavia

AP132   Hurricane Mk. IID             RAF. Europe and North Africa

AP150   Hurricane Mk. II                Eagle Sqdn.

733         Hurricane Mk. IIC             North Africa

There may be more than those listed above. These are basically very good kits, although they are a little on the expensive side.  Detail and outline are exceptional on these kits, and they are certainly worth getting to round out your Hurricane collection.

SWORD

This firm from the Czech Republic had the foresight and originality to produce a version of the Hurricane that everyone else, to this point, had neglected.  This was kit No. 7212, the fabric wing Mk. I with the Merlin II engine and Watts two bladed propeller.  It is an excellent kit, and although not Hasegawa quality, it is close, and it  goes together quite easily, and the result is certainly worth the effort. It is accurate, with good interior detail, and fills a gap formerly not possible without an awful lot of effort in modifying the wing. Don’t miss out on this one.

REVELL GERMANY HURRICANE MK. II (NEW MOLDS)

In the nineties, Revell-Germany issued some new kits in 1/72 scale.  Some were reissues of older American Revell kits, and a few were from Matchbox and Monogram, but one of the better issues was the Hurricane Mk. II, which was issued in at least three versions:

04138    Hurricane Mk. IIB

04183    Hurricane Mk. IIB  Possibly a misprint on the boxtop, but I’ve seen both numbers.

14184    Sea Hurricane Mk. IIC with tailhook.

This kit is state of the art, and surface, interior, and wheel well detail are excellent.  It  is well worth getting.

ACADEMY HURRICANE MK. IIC

Academy, a Korean firm, first began producing kits in the 1980’s, and their first Hurricanes in 1/72 scale were available by 1997.  The issues, 1673, 2129, and 4438, all depict Hurricane Mk. IIC’s, and they have excellent detail, including side panels in the cockpit interior. The only problem is that the windshield is too narrow, resulting in a strange looking canopy.  These are good kits, comparable to the best.

OMEGA MODELS HURRICANES

Omega Models, located in the Czech Republic,  have, from 2003, produced a number of resin kits of various types not available in injection molded kits. I’ve never seen one of their Hurricanes, but I do have one of their biplane kits,  the LWF V, and it is an excellent kit in all respects, one of the better resin kits I’ve seen. The Hurricanes they list are mostly conversions or projects, some of which may or may not have been actually built, sort of an RAF-46 concept. They appear to be complete kits, not just conversion sets.  These would be very involved conversions from existing kits, and the resin kits solve that problem.  They are pricey, as most resin kits are, but if they are up to the quality standard of the biplane I have, they are probably worth getting.  Check their listings at www.omega-models.com

Their listings are as follows:

72-172                   Hurricane Mk. II on Floats

72-195                   Hurricane Mk. II “Grifon” (Probably a test bed with Griffon engine)

72-167                   Hurricane Mk. II “Hercules” (Test bed with Bristol Hercules).

72-179                   Hurricane Mk. IIB “Training”  Russian two seat trainer.

72-201                   Hurricane Mk. II “USSR Armament”  Soviet 20 mm cannon & rockets.

72-233                   Hurricane Mk. II Trainer.  Iranian Two Seat Trainer Conversion. (Postwar)

72-166                   Hurricane Mk. XII  Skis, Canadian.  CCF produced version with skis & new prop.

72-231                   Hurricane  PR Mk. IIB  Reconnaissance version with F.24 cameras.

72-230                   Hurricane PR Mk. IIC  Reconnaissance version with F.24 Cameras.

These are all priced between 29 and 34 euros.  Check their website for details.

THE HOBBY BOSS HURRICANE MK. IIC

  This is a quick-build kit, No. 80215, with minimum parts and fairly decent detail for the type of kit that it is. It is essentially accurate in outline, although the radiator scoop is a bit too narrow.  The wing and fuselage are one piece, and all parts snap into place.  You can paint one and get it together in an evening.  There isn’t a lot of cockpit detail, but wheel wells are well done.  The kit appears to be strongly influenced by the Academy kit, even to the decals. However, the canopy is correct. This is a good one to start the kids on.

 RECOMMENDATIONS

 There are a lot of 1/72 scale Hurricane kits on the market, and nearly every major and minor production model can be built without a lot of conversion and kit bashing.  Some of the later kits, such as Revell-Germany, Hasegawa, and Academy, are of the highest quality.  The Sword kit is the only one available of that particular model.   Even the old Airfix Mk. I has its uses, do hand on to the old ones—you’ll get a lot of modeling enjoyment as you build a model of every Hurricane ever produced.  Enjoy.