Hawker Furore - for a Merlinless Britain

Bungle · September 21, 2015, 01:16:30 PM

Ok got to join in the madness.

The premise : Rolls Royce expected delivery of the new wonder engine, the Merlin, seriously delayed after the Currant Bun riots of 1937. Britains aerospace industries seriously disrupted when the Chamberlain government upheld the 1937 Dried Fruit import taxation policy that saw a huge increase in the cost of importing exotic fruits into the UK. A pack of 10oz raisins inflated in price from 3d to £1 6s 8d, nearly a whole Gerbil ! (I don't know I'm making it up). East End dockers soon walked out as ships from the west were turning up with holds empty. From Africa the dates were out of date, before no-one gave a fig about the figs but now it figures they hadn't figured that no-one had a fig to give.

Now the bakeries across the land became silent. In the north Eccles went without their cakes. Dundee had to be content with it's nut cake and the great British worker had nothing to soak up his mid morning cuppa char. The King abdicated in November 1936 and in 1937 it was leaked to the News of the World that his abdication speech had been doctored. The actual broadcast should have carried these actual words...

"Ever since I was Prince of Wales, and later on when I occupied the throne, I have been treated with the greatest fruit cakes by all classes of the people wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the empire. For that I am very grateful.

I now quit altogether public affairs and I lay down my burden. It may be some time before I return to my native land, but I shall always follow the mince pies of the British race and empire with profound interest, and if at any time in the future I can be found of service to his majesty in a private station, I shall not fail to bring him a garibaldi or two."

The shame caused Stanley Baldwin to step down from Government and replaced by Neville Chamberlain who tried to seek approval from the British people by waving a piece of paper with the recipe for his mothers frosted fruit tea loaf on it. It fooled no-one. The people hadn't forgotten Mr Kipling's death also in 1936 - they could take no more. The first grumblings came from Rhyll where Welsh Cakes were banned due to the sultana shortage. Police were called to disperse a large crowd forming outside Jones the Baker. The crowd quickly turned nasty and PC Jones (Jones the Plod) was felled by a loose crumb Rock cake thrown by Jones the Pit, his life saved by the lack currants in the weapon.

The police withdrew being replaced by the army sent in by Chamberlain. The pits went on strike and the coal stopped. In the midlands a troubled workforce looked to its own paltry offerings. Management were offering incentives to the staff , a scone a week if productivity remained high but at Rolls Royce a meeting of the Board was interrupted on rumours that they had Chelsea buns for elevenses only to find to their shame a quantity of imported Belgium buns. A strike was called.

Britain was Merlinless - the Fuher on the other hand was bathing in mixed fruit and planning.....

The idea....

No Merlin = No Spitfire or Hurricane. Hawker had parts stored for the Hurricane including plenty of wing and tail sections. It also had a lot of Fury II fuselages..... the Hawker Furor.

The work...

Wings are from a IIC but I'll cut off the gun bumps and seal the cannon holes.

These are the bits I'm going to cut out..

Captain Canada · September 21, 2015, 02:23:17 PM

Now that was a good read...thanks !

Love the idea. I'm building that same kit, the Fury, but mine will be a lot less Furor

Looking forward to seeing more.

Dizzyfugu · September 21, 2015, 11:23:59 PM

Very cool!

PR19_Kit · September 22, 2015, 01:07:50 AM

I was going to say I can't imagine what this is going to end up like, but actually I can.

A Kestrel engined, Hurricane winged Fury 2 will look quite close to my Hawker PV.5 Cyclone.

zenrat · September 22, 2015, 02:22:37 AM

I may be mistaken but i'm sure I remember being taught by Mr Middlewick during 3rd year history that the trigger for the Sultanites becominge violent was Chamberlin forcibly substituting dried Brussels Sprouts for currants in the Peake Freene Teatime Assortment.

I like the look of this. Obviously IRL it'd be a straight bolt on conversion given that they are both Hawker products...

Bungle · September 22, 2015, 03:17:25 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on September 22, 2015, 01:07:50 AM
I was going to say I can't imagine what this is going to end up like, but actually I can.

A Kestrel engined, Hurricane winged Fury 2 will look quite close to my Hawker PV.5 Cyclone.

AAAAAAaaaaaahhhh ! I knew there was a Gladiator monoplane on here somewhere but honestly didn't twig your Cyclone. Strangely my first thought for a name was the Cyclone as well but I thought the larger Hurricane parts may not distinguish it enough as being a Fury.

Mine shall differ from your Cyclone in being a closed cockpit, retractable landing gear and by not being as good.

I believe someone said "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.", I say "I'll have a currant bun with mine"

Bungle · September 22, 2015, 03:22:46 AM

Quote from: zenrat on September 22, 2015, 02:22:37 AM
I may be mistaken but i'm sure I remember being taught by Mr Middlewick during 3rd year history that the trigger for the Sultanites becominge violent was Chamberlin forcibly substituting dried Brussels Sprouts for currants in the Peake Freene Teatime Assortment.

I believe the dried Brussels Sprouts in fact went into the Belgium Buns.

Captain Canada · September 22, 2015, 04:56:50 AM

Thanks for bringing that one out again Kit ! Love the Cyclone....was looking for ideas/ inspiration and that defo takes the cake.

Assuming there is any cake.

Bungle · September 22, 2015, 05:34:49 AM

Quote from: Captain Canada on September 22, 2015, 04:56:50 AM
Assuming there is any cake.

There's always cake...

rickshaw · September 22, 2015, 06:08:37 AM

But without fruit, is it worth the effort of eating it? Surely the Empire can respond? Fruit for the Old Dart?

Old Wombat · September 22, 2015, 08:24:49 AM

The UK's universities & public service are full of fruits, so that ... shouldn't ... be ... a problem!?

Hat! Coat! Nearest AFV! Gone!

Bungle · September 22, 2015, 01:11:48 PM

Surgery time ...

Interestingly the width of the leading edge of the under fuselage of the Hurricane matches the width of the Fury. The wing roots, however, leave a big gap that will need to be filed. First attempt had the wings to far back so I've moved the wings forward. Difficult to see at the moment but all will become clear.

Glued the Hurricane tail to the Fury fuselage ... it's larger so I'm going to fettle it in with plastic card and putty.

I'm going to have to do the cockpit built on the wings but the first stab has shown the seat to be to far forward. So it's going to out with the knives again and try another seat (the hurricanes ?).

Also nice to see some interest in the 1937 Cake Riots. Came across this photograph ....

Captain Canada · September 22, 2015, 01:25:51 PM

Nice ! And we believe it's going to fit ! lol

Thanks for pic too....I had no idea.

KiwiZac · September 22, 2015, 09:09:00 PM

This is hilarious and brilliant! I eagerly await the next update!

Bungle · September 24, 2015, 02:37:34 PM

Latest update..

Cockpit seat (from the Hurricane with the bullet proofing removed) glued painted etc.

Not doing anything with the cockpit sides as you cannot see much anyway.

I've added plastic card to the sides and shaved it slightly to fatten up the rear fuselage and match up the hurricane tail.

I'll sand the plastic card down some more before putting a fine putty skin on it and hopefully sand to a reasonable shape. I'll lose the ribbing but I've got more cake to eat so who cares.

Final thing tonight ... Another photo from the Rolls Royce canteen .... still no cake