In Box Review of Revell 1/32nd Scale British Hawker Hurricane Mk. I
Kit no. H-217
By Ray Mehlberger
My kit has a copyright date of 1970 and is out of production. However, I found one for sale on the net in Europe for 29.99 Euro.
By Ray Mehlberger
My kit has a copyright date of 1970 and is out of production. However, I found one for sale on the net in Europe for 29.99 Euro.
HISTORY:
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–1940s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Although overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire, the aircraft became renowned during the Battle of Britain, accounting for 60 percent of the RAF air victories in the battle. It served in all the major theatres of the Second World War.
The Hurricane originated from discussions during the early 1930s between RAF officials and British aircraft designer Sir Sydney Camm on the topic of a proposed monoplane derivative of the Hawker Fury biplane.
Despite an institutional preference at the time for biplanes and repeated lack of interest by the Air Ministry, Hawker chose to continue refining their monoplane proposal, which resulted in the incorporation of several innovations that would become critical to wartime fighter aircraft, including retractable undercarriage and a more powerful engine in the form of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
In late 1934, the Air Ministry placed an order for Hawker's "Interceptor Monoplane". On 6 November 1935, the prototype Hurricane, K5083, performed its maiden flight.
In June 1936, the Hurricane was ordered into production by the Air Ministry; it entered squadron service on 25 December 1937. The manufacture and maintenance of the aircraft was eased by its use of conventional construction methods, which enabled squadrons to perform many major repairs themselves without external support.
The Hurricane was rapidly procured prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, when the RAF had 18 Hurricane-equipped squadrons in service. The aircraft was relied upon to defend against the numerous and varied German aircraft operated by the Luftwaffe, including dogfighting with the capable Messerschmitt Bf 109, across multiple theatres of action.
The Hurricane evolved through several versions and adaptations, as bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers and ground support aircraft in addition to fighters. Further navalised versions, which were popularly known as the Sea Hurricane, had modifications enabling their operation from ships. Some were converted to be used as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By the end of production in July 1944, 14,487 Hurricanes had been completed in Britain and Canada.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Hawker Aircraft
Designer: Sydney Camm
First flight: 6 November 1935
Introduction to service: 25 December 1937[1]
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced: 1937–1944
Number built: 14,583
Variants: Hawker Hurricane variants
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–1940s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Although overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire, the aircraft became renowned during the Battle of Britain, accounting for 60 percent of the RAF air victories in the battle. It served in all the major theatres of the Second World War.
The Hurricane originated from discussions during the early 1930s between RAF officials and British aircraft designer Sir Sydney Camm on the topic of a proposed monoplane derivative of the Hawker Fury biplane.
Despite an institutional preference at the time for biplanes and repeated lack of interest by the Air Ministry, Hawker chose to continue refining their monoplane proposal, which resulted in the incorporation of several innovations that would become critical to wartime fighter aircraft, including retractable undercarriage and a more powerful engine in the form of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
In late 1934, the Air Ministry placed an order for Hawker's "Interceptor Monoplane". On 6 November 1935, the prototype Hurricane, K5083, performed its maiden flight.
In June 1936, the Hurricane was ordered into production by the Air Ministry; it entered squadron service on 25 December 1937. The manufacture and maintenance of the aircraft was eased by its use of conventional construction methods, which enabled squadrons to perform many major repairs themselves without external support.
The Hurricane was rapidly procured prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, when the RAF had 18 Hurricane-equipped squadrons in service. The aircraft was relied upon to defend against the numerous and varied German aircraft operated by the Luftwaffe, including dogfighting with the capable Messerschmitt Bf 109, across multiple theatres of action.
The Hurricane evolved through several versions and adaptations, as bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers and ground support aircraft in addition to fighters. Further navalised versions, which were popularly known as the Sea Hurricane, had modifications enabling their operation from ships. Some were converted to be used as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By the end of production in July 1944, 14,487 Hurricanes had been completed in Britain and Canada.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Hawker Aircraft
Designer: Sydney Camm
First flight: 6 November 1935
Introduction to service: 25 December 1937[1]
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced: 1937–1944
Number built: 14,583
Variants: Hawker Hurricane variants
THE KIT:
Revell is an old prolific model company based in Venice, CA. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. In recent years they have become associated with Monogram.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 2 Hurricanes dogfighting with 2 Junkers Ju-87 Stukas. The nearest Hurricane is in a wave pattern of dark-green (FS 34096) and dark-earth (FS 30118) over a sky
undercarraige, with the underside of the port wing in black (FS 37038). It has a red and white spinner, tri-color flash on the rudder. a white fuselage band a medium-gray fuselage code of DT roundel A and a black serial no. V6S64 under the elevators.
It has a British flag under the cockpit with yellow BURMA below it.
The other Hurricane is in the same color scheme with a medium-gray fuselage code DT roundel C.
The model is said to make up have a 11 3/4" length and 15" wingspan.
One side panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by a 1 paragraph history of the Hurricane and color illustrations of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, that has a removable top panel, fully detailed instrument panel and cockpit with sliding canopy and pilot figure in flight suit, movable wheels and propeller and official Battle of Britain markings.
Revell is an old prolific model company based in Venice, CA. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. In recent years they have become associated with Monogram.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 2 Hurricanes dogfighting with 2 Junkers Ju-87 Stukas. The nearest Hurricane is in a wave pattern of dark-green (FS 34096) and dark-earth (FS 30118) over a sky
undercarraige, with the underside of the port wing in black (FS 37038). It has a red and white spinner, tri-color flash on the rudder. a white fuselage band a medium-gray fuselage code of DT roundel A and a black serial no. V6S64 under the elevators.
It has a British flag under the cockpit with yellow BURMA below it.
The other Hurricane is in the same color scheme with a medium-gray fuselage code DT roundel C.
The model is said to make up have a 11 3/4" length and 15" wingspan.
One side panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by a 1 paragraph history of the Hurricane and color illustrations of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, that has a removable top panel, fully detailed instrument panel and cockpit with sliding canopy and pilot figure in flight suit, movable wheels and propeller and official Battle of Britain markings.
The copyright of the kit is shown as being 1970. Revell is in Venice, CA and the kit was made and printed in the USA.
The other side panel has 4 color box arts of other Revell aircraft kits: this Hurrican kit, a Supermarine Spitfire, a Junkers Ju-87B Stuka and a Messerschmitt Bf-109G "Gustav".
Kit numbers for these 4 is not given and I assume they all might be to 1/32nd scale.
The other side panel has 4 color box arts of other Revell aircraft kits: this Hurrican kit, a Supermarine Spitfire, a Junkers Ju-87B Stuka and a Messerschmitt Bf-109G "Gustav".
Kit numbers for these 4 is not given and I assume they all might be to 1/32nd scale.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 dark-green trees, a clear tree, decal sheet, instructions and a quickie Stickies order form.
Trees are not alphabetized.
The 1st dark-green tree holds: the propeller, wing upper halves, main wheels, air scoop, bulkhead with headrest, cockpit side walls etc. (13 parts)
This kit contains 4 dark-green trees, a clear tree, decal sheet, instructions and a quickie Stickies order form.
Trees are not alphabetized.
The 1st dark-green tree holds: the propeller, wing upper halves, main wheels, air scoop, bulkhead with headrest, cockpit side walls etc. (13 parts)
The 2nd dark-green tree holds: a fuselage half, exhaust pipes, landing gear doors, dashboard, elevator halves, cockpit floor, bulkhead, nose upper panel (10 parts)
The 3rd dark-green tree holds: the other fuselage half, engine, landing -gear legs, other elevator halves (10 parts)
The 4th dark-green tree holds: the lower wings, tail wheel, joy stick, pitot tube etc. (13 parts)
The clear tree holds the canopy windows (4 parts)
Parts fit the box tight in all 4 directions. The trees are not cello bagged. They are not illustrated in the instructions. Only the smaller parts have number tabs next to them on the trees.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the copyright date of 1971 and mention of Revell being in Venice, CA over the history of the Hurricane.
Page 2 begins with BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions and illustrations of tools to use, over a 2-view of the box art scheme, decal application instructions and the address to order FS colors book from Washington, D.C.
Page 3 through 6 gives a total of 7 assembly steps.
Instructions are folded once again to fit the box.
The decal sheet and Quickie Stickies order blank complete the kit's contents.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the copyright date of 1971 and mention of Revell being in Venice, CA over the history of the Hurricane.
Page 2 begins with BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions and illustrations of tools to use, over a 2-view of the box art scheme, decal application instructions and the address to order FS colors book from Washington, D.C.
Page 3 through 6 gives a total of 7 assembly steps.
Instructions are folded once again to fit the box.
The decal sheet and Quickie Stickies order blank complete the kit's contents.
Kit has nice raised detail. Flaps are all molded solid.
Highly recommended.