1:72 Hawker S 34B (modified Hunter Mk.50), Swedish Air Force, mid/late Sixties

[Dizzyfugu]

An early placeholder for a modified Hunter that I have been thinking about for a while. Sweden was IIRC the Hunter's first export customer, but they only operated them as fighters (IIRC again these were Mk. 50s, comparable with the RAF's F.4 standard) as J 34 sans suffix. I have been thinking about a home-brew recce version, a late conversion program to bridge the gap between the S 32 C and the supersonic S 35 E with some agile low-level aircraft. Enter the fictional S 34 B (and, subsequently, the J 34 A as the ancestor).

Not certain whether it will be based on the simple Matchbox Hunter (which is an F.6, sort of...) or the more detailed Revell FGA.9 - I favor the latter, though. A new camera nose is a must, and I have found a nice real-world livery option that would fall well into the aircraft's time frame, too.

[PR19_Kit]

I'm looking forward to this.

I guess it'll be done and dusted about 48s hrs after the GB starts, yes? 

[Pellson]

I guess it'll be done and dusted about 48s hrs after the GB starts, yes? 

Being Swedish, I couldn't be more pleased with your choice of object. 

The Matchbox Hunter is, at least in its single seat variant, IMHO, an even uglier contraption than the venerable Airfix FGA.9. And the tailpipe with its parachute storage is outright awful.
Lacking a Revell FGA.9, I would use an Airfix of the same mark, replacing the rearmost part with a sawed-off droptank or something. There are conversions available to fix the wings (i.e removing the dogtooth and chord extension) but the Airfix plastic is so soft and nice so you can easily do it yourself with plasticard.
Recce nose - again, there are recce noses available for the real world FR.10, but again, some PSR and judicious shaping will do the trick as long as you're fine with gloss black painted camera ports.

...but you've already planned for all this, haven't you..? 

[Dizzyfugu]

There are ...ideas.  I might use the FGA.9 and get rid if the dogteeth and mod the tail a bit - but nothing too dramatic. Maybe the toothless wings were replaced with new ones during the conversion/overhaul phase. Sweden also worked on an indigenous afterburner for the J 34s, but this did not make it beyond prototype stage.

Work won't be fast, I think, because the nose will be changed quite a bit. I have a donor nose at hand that goes far beyond the FR.10's small tip with windows (got one somewhere, Quickboost, I think), and also found the camera "cheeks" from a Heller Tunnan that could be integrated instead of the guns, too...  .

[PR19_Kit]

Work won't be fast, I think.......

Ok then, THREE days............ 

[Dizzyfugu]

Sounds more realistic at the moment. 

[The Wooksta!]

Keep the dogteeth. The F6 onwards needed them for aerodynamic reasons, I just can't remember what.

The Matchbox kit is barely passable as a T7 and for many years was the only option. The majority of T7s were conversions of F4s and kept the small bore Avon but did get the parachute. That's why that bit on the Matchbox kit is cack. All the export 2 seaters got the bigger bore Avon.

The Airfix FGA9 is old but decent enough, although it does need a bit of work. I have a soft spot for that kit.

[Dizzyfugu]

I once had an Airfix FGA.9 on the table and found it horrible... 

[The Wooksta!]

Horses for courses. I have the Revell Shackleton and loathed building it so much it never got finished, yet many love that kit.

[Pellson]

Re: Shack: The new mold, or the Frogspawn?

Hunter aerodynamics: the wing chord was increased which decreased the wings relative thickness ratio, thereby allowing for a higher critical MACH number.
Also, the dogteeth created a vortex over the ailerons, increasing the efficiency of said 'rons.

[The Wooksta!]

New tool AEW2. I bought the MR3 just for the wings for a different project, but they didn't fit, so it's up for disposal.

[Pellson]

New tool AEW2. I bought the MR3 just for the wings for a different project, but they didn't fit, so it's up for disposal.

Interesting. I have that Revell MR.3 but chose the Airfix AEW.2 rather than it's Revell sister. Haven't gotten far enough to really have any opinion though.

[The Wooksta!]

I just found the fit of the Airfix one better.

[Pellson]

I just found the fit of the Airfix one better.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the Valiant bomber twice, I'm not surprised. 

But, Thomas, Why isn't that sodding Hunter already primed, painted and put on display? What is this? The elders home? 

[PR19_Kit]

The GB doesn't even start for ages yet............