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

Dizzyfugu · June 03, 2022, 07:51:29 AM

Mentally, the Hunter has already been built...

zenrat · June 04, 2022, 06:47:26 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on June 03, 2022, 07:51:29 AM
Mentally, the Hunter has already been built...

How was the fit?

Dizzyfugu · June 05, 2022, 02:41:29 AM

Matter is irrelevant in the universe of light and thought!

Dizzyfugu · June 27, 2022, 01:22:25 AM

Since there is ample prep time before the 1st of July, I did some procurements for this build. First thing is an additional Revell Hunter that I snatched via amazon - I was a bit torn between the Matchbox F.6 and the Revell FGA.9 in The Stash, since both had weak spots (concerning detail or what I "need" for my S 34). Trying to combine the best of two worlds, I got a Revell Hunter F.6, which was the first boxing/variant of the model. For the non-dog-tooth wings I also hunted down a Wolfpack F.1/2/4 conversion set as a secondary measure, out of convenience.
What the new nose will look like? We'll see when I get there, I have plans and parts, but I want to wait until I get a better overall picture so that the conversion won't kill the Hunter's neat lines. The fact that the gun ports are a separate piece on the Hunter kit might prove helpful.

The Wooksta! · June 27, 2022, 03:35:45 PM

I've found with the Revell Hunters (many built, few finished), the wings are the worst fitting parts. The cockpit tub is beautiful, until you try and fit it into the fuselage. It rarely stays where it needs to and affects the fit. A bit of persuasion with brush shank and the fuselage should click shut.

If what you're doing is essentially an early Hunter F6 with the F1-5 wings, you could probably sand the dogtooth back, rather than use the conversion pieces as the plastic is relatively thick and forgiving. Keep the smaller F4 jetpipe for a possible GA11 conversion (F4 with F6 wings and guns removed for naval use).

There were plans for navalised version, but I don't recall the project number.

I would avoid the Matchbox kit entirely. It does have some useful bits, but is barely passable as a two seater. As for the single seater, just avoid. It really is that bad.

DogfighterZen · June 27, 2022, 05:50:10 PM

Good tips, Lee. Thanks!

I'm also going to build a Revell Hunter for the GB, although without mods, but it's good to be aware of the kit's issues.

The Wooksta! · June 27, 2022, 06:24:37 PM

Try dry fitting the cockpit tub a few times before paint/assembly to see what I mean. It's a sod to get in place and can fall out, but get it right and it'll snap into place with a nice click.

DogfighterZen · June 28, 2022, 04:08:31 AM

Quote from: The Wooksta! on June 27, 2022, 06:24:37 PM
Try dry fitting the cockpit tub a few times before paint/assembly to see what I mean. It's a sod to get in place and can fall out, but get it right and it'll snap into place with a nice click.

zenrat · June 28, 2022, 04:23:26 AM

I also plan on a paint and payload whiff Revell Hunter so thanks for the tips Lee.

Dizzyfugu · July 01, 2022, 06:17:35 AM

No hardware touched yet, but I started to write up the background story for inspiration and motivation.

Dizzyfugu · July 02, 2022, 02:35:36 AM

Things started slowly: cockpit completed, fuselage halves and wings "closed", with some lead beads. I will probably have to mate these before I can start with the rhinoplasty. I have two donors: the camera tub from a Heller Saab 29, which will certainly replace the original gun bays and add some nice cheeks to the Hunter, and a camera nose from a Heller Saab 37 - it's quite pointed, but I think that it creates a nice, different nose section profile on the Hunter? Both donors come wih clear windows, so that surgery won't be easy, and the original front wheel well has to be integrated, too, since I do not want to devaite too much from the Hunter's basis.

No big issues yet. Found the visible ejection pin markings inside of the air intakes an embarassment for such a modern kit, and I've found a suitable benchmark for the planned tri-color camouflage pattern. A real issue that solves itself thorugh the conversion from F.6 to F.4/F.50 standard: the (new/sealed) kit was missing one of the OOB dogtooth slats. But these will be replaced with resin alternatives w/o the extensions, anyway.

1:72 Hawker S 34B 'Hunter'; 'Röda Två (Red Two)' of the Swedish Air Force Södermanland (F11) Wing, 1st Squadron; Nyköping (Sweden), 1968 (Whif/modified Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Pellson · July 02, 2022, 04:47:39 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 02, 2022, 02:35:36 AM
Things started slowly: cockpit completed, fuselage halves and wings "closed". I will probably have to mate these before I can start with the rhinoplasty. I have two donors: the camera tub from a Heller Saab 29, which will certainly replace the original gun bays and add some nice cheeks to the Hunter, and a camera nose from a Heller Saab 37 - it's quite pointed, but I think that it creates a nice, different nose section profile on the Hunter? Both donors come wih clear windows, so that surgery won't be easy, and the original front wheel well has to be integrated, too, since I do not want to devaite too much from the Hunter's basis.

No big issues yet. Found the visible ejection pin markings inside of the air intakes an embarassment for such a modern kit, and I've found a suitable benchmark for the planned tri-color camouflage pattern. A real issue that solves itself thorugh the conversion from F.6 to F.4/F.50 standard: the (new/sealed) kit was missing one of the OOB dogtooth slats. But these will be replaced with resin alternatives w/o the extensions, anyway.

I used the entire Viggen recce nose to my reconnaissance Super Hunter. Sleek and pointy. It would be really interesting to see if you can get a Tunnan recce tub to fit a Hunter - they seem so different in diameter.

Dizzyfugu · July 03, 2022, 01:42:13 AM

Well, using the complete Tunnan recce tub was out of question, due to the different frant wheel well, but it would probably fit quite well concerning width. However, I just used the outer sections, with the camera windows and parts of the certical side walls, as if the Hunter's gun bays had been occupied by some cameras now, just like the Tunnan's arrangement. Lots of PSR underway, though. The Viggen camera came into play, too, even though in reduced length to fit in front of the Hunter's original landing wheel well and to match the rest of the tapered fuselage. Looks really odd now with the pointed nose!

1:72 Hawker S 34B 'Hunter'; 'Röda Två (Red Two)' of the Swedish Air Force Södermanland (F11) Wing, 1st Squadron; Nyköping (Sweden), 1968 (Whif/modified Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Pellson · July 03, 2022, 09:39:42 AM

Really looking forward to see where this goes.

Dizzyfugu · July 03, 2022, 11:45:17 PM

Still deep into PSR, and quite handicapped by lumbago since yesterday... $:-\$ However, the camera bay takes shape. With these cheeks under the cockpit and the pointed/stepped nose, the Hunter looks ..."wrong", and has a certain Soviet touch (for me). Also looks very shark-like! PSR was so severe that I had to cover the clear windows, focus is on the basic shape of everything now, black decal material will be used to simulate camera orifices later.

WiP pics were taken, but I also have pics from a finished project (plus two more pending...) queued, but I will add them later to show the progress.

Here's a look at the Wolfpack resin wing parts for an earlier mark of the Hunter; fit is quite good.

1:72 Hawker S 34B 'Hunter'; 'Röda Två (Red Two)' of the Swedish Air Force Södermanland (F11) Wing, 1st Squadron; Nyköping (Sweden), 1968 (Whif/modified Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

And PSR around the nose just took another turn...

1:72 Hawker S 34B 'Hunter'; 'Röda Två (Red Two)' of the Swedish Air Force Södermanland (F11) Wing, 1st Squadron; Nyköping (Sweden), 1968 (Whif/modified Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr