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Revell's new-tooled 32nd scale Hurricane hits in December...
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
From Revell
Product number: 04968
1/32nd scale
Number of parts:118
Length:305 mm / Wingspan:380 mm
The Hurricane Mk.II was a development of the basic design intended to take the two-stage supercharged Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine delivering 1,280hp (with 100-octane fuel) for take-off. On June 11, 1940, the first prototype (P3269, a converted Mk.I airframe) flew for the first time and with a top speed of 560km/h was the fastest Hurricane ever flown.
Hurricane II.b RCAF 402Sqn AEX P3021 n AES at RAF Digby Lincolnshire
The first production variant was the Hurricane Mk.IIA Series 1, an interim type which retained wings and armament (eight 7.7mm Browning Mk.II guns) of the Mk.I. But a new wing was already under development for the Hurricane. This was able to accommodate an armament of either twelve 7.7mm guns or four 20mm cannon and could carry also external stores (two 200l auxiliary tanks or two bombs of 113 or 227kg). This new wing, together with a strengthened and slightly longer (0.18m) fuselage produced the Hurricane Mk.IIA Series 2. Due to a shortage of Browning guns most of these aircraft carried only eight guns.
Below we see Hurricane Mk.IIB BE485. This aircraft was lost on its first sortie with No.175 Squadron, Ramrod No.2 of 16 April 1942. The aircraft suffered a glycol leak, and its pilot Fl/ Sgt. Bricker W. Forman was forced to ditch in the channel. Sadly, he died of his wounds before he could be rescued.
The twelve-gun wing finally became standard with the Mk.IIB variant, which reached operational RAF units in 1941. At this time the Hurricane had largely been relegated to fighter-bomber and night fighter tasks over Western Europe, but on other theaters of operation (especially the Mediterranean) it still was the most numerous daylight fighter.
Hurricane Mark IIB of No. 81 Squadron RAF at Murmansk-Vaenga airfield, Russia
Trials with 12 .303 in (7.7 mm) Brownings (four per wing in the original gun-bays and two more in new gun-bays outboard of the landing lights) were done in June and July 1940, production began at Hawker and Austin in February 1941. These aircraft also featured a new longer propeller spinner. The tailwheel recess on the ventral keel was changed in shape, and the tailwheel leg became a levered-suspension unit with a small torque link.
Mk IIB showing six machine guns on right wing
The new-tooled kit from Revell:
Revell's new-tooled model kit consists of 118 parts and will include a pair of bombs or eight rockets - your choice.
The detailed landing gear bay also looks very nice in the test shot kit.
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The flaps are extendable as the real things are (this is a CAD image)
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The cockpit looks up to a good standard from this angle, but it is hard to see details just yet...
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The Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIB (part number 04968) will be available in stores and in the Revell online store in early December.
