RAAF DeHavilland Hornet COMPLETED

AeroplaneDriver · June 20, 2021, 11:35:27 PM

After a lovely rainy day of horror movies with SWMBO I decided this evening to give the hobby bench and room a good clean after finishing two builds this week. Well then you can't have a nice clean and tidy workbench can you? You have to do something to make it messy again, right?

So out came this one that's been on my list for a long time. Trumpeter 1/48 DH Hornet F.3. I have to say I'm surprised at how quickly it is going together. Very basic and common sense breakdown with really nice fit and detail. If the OWGB had another 24 hours I just might have a second entry thanks to this thing.

Still not sure about how it will be finished...after back to back Whifs I may end up doing a RW build. The kit has markings for both camo and silver schemes and I THINK somewhere in the decal stash there is a set for a Hornet in the Malaysia emergency. But also I think it would look pretty spiffy as a war worn USMC machine supporting the invasion of Japan after Little Boy fizzled...

Time will tell...

Tophe · June 21, 2021, 10:26:42 AM

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on June 20, 2021, 11:35:27 PM
Still not sure about how it will be finished...after back to back Whifs I may end up doing a RW build.

Do as you want, whif is not obligatory, even if I prefer this as far as I am concerned.

perttime · June 21, 2021, 09:42:32 PM

The Hornet was fast. If your collection seems to be missing a civilian aircraft, a Hornet should work as an air racer.

AeroplaneDriver · June 21, 2021, 10:51:40 PM

Quote from: perttime on June 21, 2021, 09:42:32 PM
The Hornet was fast. If your collection seems to be missing a civilian aircraft, a Hornet should work as an air racer.

This is a good idea and I actually thought about it, but I've worked around civilian aircraft since I was 17...Maybe that just makes them to familiar, so I prefer building military aircraft. Not saying a racer is 100% ruled out yet, but as of tonight (main assembly done and primed) I'm now leaning toward a RAAF machine in the dark green their Beaufighters wore.

perttime · June 21, 2021, 11:53:13 PM

You mentioned a silver scheme, and that made me think of Spitfire XIV, Race #80:

NARSES2 · June 22, 2021, 06:15:22 AM

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on June 21, 2021, 10:51:40 PM
I'm now leaning toward a RAAF machine in the dark green their Beaufighters wore.

That would work IMHO. It's an interesting green colour. I've got an old Lifecolor set that includes it and it looks a bit like a "Bronze" green to me, it's certainly a "deep" one. But then we all see colour differently

zenrat · June 23, 2021, 05:39:19 AM

It's a shade I don't have an "official" bottle of. I think I use an RLM colour which is close to my eyes.

kitnut617 · June 23, 2021, 05:55:35 AM

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on June 21, 2021, 10:51:40 PM
Quote from: perttime on June 21, 2021, 09:42:32 PM
The Hornet was fast. If your collection seems to be missing a civilian aircraft, a Hornet should work as an air racer.

This is a good idea and I actually thought about it, but I've worked around civilian aircraft since I was 17...Maybe that just makes them to familiar, so I prefer building military aircraft. Not saying a racer is 100% ruled out yet, but as of tonight (main assembly done and primed) I'm now leaning toward a RAAF machine in the dark green their Beaufighters wore.

Spartan Air Service used a Sea Hornet for Photo Surveying after the war.

As an aside, the wing for this aircraft was found just recently in a farmer's yard about 30 km from my place.

AeroplaneDriver · June 27, 2021, 12:28:45 AM

If you saw my post on the "Paint" page you know that finding RAAF Foliage Green is quite the challenge. But I'm not one of thos people who is going to get too stressed about an exact color match for a What If build so here is my RAAF Hornet in overall "Foliage" Green as it would have appeared during the invasion of Japan in Spring 1946. Still early with invasion stripes to go. The actual color I used is Vallejo Gunship Green. It looked 'just right' on a small test area, but on the whole airframe it looks a tad light. I plan on some fairly heavy weathering so I'm going to leave it as is and move on and have faith that weathering will darken it up to just the right tone for my eye.

The Trumpeter Hornet kit really is a nice model that goes together beautifully. I'm sure it has the inevitable accuracy issues, but I rarely lose sleep over that for a What If build.

Day off with few plans tomorrow so hope to get some decaying and weathering done.

PR19_Kit · June 27, 2021, 02:51:08 AM

I rarely use the word 'cool', but that colour on a Hornet deserves it I reckon.

zenrat · June 27, 2021, 03:55:20 AM

Paint the tail white and it'd be just about perfect.

I think you are right about Gunship Green being a touch light - at least on my toplap screen - but as we have discovered it varied IRL and would also fade.
Next time I use it as Foliage Green I might add a touch of RLM70.

Dizzyfugu · June 27, 2021, 04:13:59 AM

Elegant, the simple all-green suits the Hornet well.

AeroplaneDriver · June 27, 2021, 08:14:27 AM

Quote from: zenrat on June 27, 2021, 03:55:20 AM

Paint the tail white and it'd be just about perfect.

I think you are right about Gunship Green being a touch light - at least on my toplap screen - but as we have discovered it varied IRL and would also fade.
Next time I use it as Foliage Green I might add a touch of RLM70.

I thought about the white tail but that scheme ended in late 44 and this is meant to be a '46 Operation Downfall aircraft. I agree it looks a little too light. I may darken the base green and give it a quick overspray, but mostly going to rely on some heavy weathering to darken the look.

AeroplaneDriver · June 27, 2021, 06:17:33 PM

Did a little post shading to darken it up just a tad today, and then a little chipping to make it look a little war-weary. Decals next then I'll decide if I'm gonna put on some Op Downfall invasion markings. If so likely just white stripes.

KiwiZac · June 27, 2021, 06:30:40 PM

What an inspired idea, I love it!