Pyro 1/48 Hawker Fury

[RangerNeil]

Thought I'd try something new this time - and go back in time. Had this in the stash for a while and ot caught my eye tonight. I've no idea how old the kit is, no date on the box or, as far I can see so far on the moulded parts. Whats odd is the kit is produced in the USA -but the box art and instructions are printed in the UK....

So - photos first:


Instructions






Sprues


Decals

[RangerNeil]

First steps of the build - this is, more or less, the first block of instructions:


And the results are:




Thus far the kit is remarkably free from flash and release pin marks. It is, however, cursed with very pronounced seam lines like this:

[digger303]

1968 and re-released in 2015 according to scalemates and you can even get a cockpit set for it.
Lovely looking subject and apparently even the kit doesn't look half bad.
Clamps at the ready

[Stokesy44]

Love the old school instructions! Plastic looks pretty good for the age of the kit.

Nice to see the Hawker genealogy too. You can see the beginnings of the Hurricane in that fuselage.

[RangerNeil]

1968 and re-released in 2015 according to scalemates and you can even get a cockpit set for it.
Lovely looking subject and apparently even the kit doesn't look half bad.
Clamps at the ready

Funny you should mention clamps Digger.....


Before the fuselage halves were joined the start of the rigging had to be added at the rear (on both sides):


Oddly they provided holes in the fuselage for rigging but they had to be drilled in the wings!!!


Dinner stopped play at this point...

EDIT
End of the day this is the status:
Upper wings joined to centre section, lower wings dry fit.


Annoyingly there were two small sink marks in the fuselage and ejector pin marks on the wing surfaces. The pin marks are the most annoying as the wing suefaces have a VERY fine pattern moulded in to represent the fabric surfaces & it will be impossible to recreate...




Incidentally- I checked on Scalemates and the box art says its the 1970 release - so for a 50 odd year old kit it's excellent!!!

[Stokesy44]

Good progress and yes, for a 50 year old kit, its not too shabby

[digger303]

1968 and re-released in 2015 according to scalemates and you can even get a cockpit set for it.
Lovely looking subject and apparently even the kit doesn't look half bad.
Clamps at the ready

Funny you should mention clamps Digger.....

[digger303]

I feel for you having those pin marks I'd be gutted other than that it looks quite good.

[RangerNeil]

Bit more done today. Underside of the top wing had the joining tabs sanded - then filled and re-sanded followed by a coat of Silver. Fuselage and lower wings also got the Silver treatment.






And the rigging was started on the tail section.


Which raises the question - what colour should the rigging wires be?? I've used black thread simply because its easier to see but I doubt thats how it should look finished.....

[digger303]

I suspect the rigging wires would be metal cable and then would it be galvanised or greasy black steel cable.
I think your right to question the colouring of the cable. Black thread on it's own is a bit stark.
Finding authentic examples maybe a bit tricky.

[RangerNeil]

I suspect the rigging wires would be metal cable and then would it be galvanised or greasy black steel cable.
I think your right to question the colouring of the cable. Black thread on it's own is a bit stark.
Finding authentic examples maybe a bit tricky.

A quick look on-line this morning once fully awake turned this up:


On close inspection it can be seen the wires are a flat silver - possibly galvanised?.

[digger303]

I suspect the rigging wires would be metal cable and then would it be galvanised or greasy black steel cable.
I think your right to question the colouring of the cable. Black thread on it's own is a bit stark.
Finding authentic examples maybe a bit tricky.

A quick look on-line this morning once fully awake turned this up:


On close inspection it can be seen the wires are a flat silver - possibly galvanised?.

That aircraft could have had that rigging replaced especially if it is flight capable.

They could also have used stainless steel as it was between wars mostly especially the sea furies being at sea with the hazards of corrosion.

[RangerNeil]

Top wing is on - surprisingly easily considering. I used a sanding block to raise the upper wing to a level that made them horizontal with the lowers.




For some reason the undercarriage legs don't want to stay stuck at the front - I've tried Contacta and CA and they keep popping off.


I'm going to try again later with slow acting CA Gel to see if that will hold. They do align nicely when they stay put.

In the meantime - I found the Bristol Bulldog and Gloster Gladiator from the same range which means I'm only missing the Fairey Flycatcher for the set. I'll do seperate build threads for these in due course.

[digger303]

Nice work getting the top wing aligned

[Stokesy44]

Excellent work.

[RangerNeil]

Excellent work.

Many thanks

A bit more progress - rigging is complete, excess trimmed of and,where necessary the holes are filled and sanded. Just need to apply decals and then gloss coat. Once we reach that
stage its finished 100%






https://i.postimg.cc/gkXZPXNd/20250212-184225.jpg

[digger303]

Can't wait to see the decals transforming her.

[Stokesy44]

Great work on the rigging. Its what scares me away from biplanes.

[RangerNeil]

Went to put the decals on today - a moment I've been dreading given the age of the kit. Sadly my fears proved all too true!! For some reason the red, white & blues disintegrated almost as soon as they hit water. The black and white - and yellow - fared better althought the black letters/numbers did start breaking up as they were positioned. Unfortunately at this point I was panicking and one of the underwing decals went on the wrong way around. Sadly nothing I could do about it as trying to turn it would have shattered it.






I thought I'd got away with the rudder cockades - but they started breaking up as they dried in situ..




I've had a quick nose on line and the only Fury Mk1 aftermarket decal set I could find was for the Portugese airforce so I think my only option here is to give it a coat of gloss as it stands to protect the decals I managed to save then mask it up and paint the checkerboard sections. Luckily they are 6mm squares - same as my narrowest masking tape!
Roundels should - he says laughing - be easy to source - upper wings are 20mm dia. Fuselage are 14mm dia and the lower wings either 14mm or 16mm. The rudder cockade will need to be touched in by hand.

Prop is now on permanently. Wheels/axle and windscreen will go on when its finally all done.

[Stokesy44]

Might be worth a look from Hannants:

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KW14 ... oken=GgzeR

[digger303]

Decals aging in my stash is the only thing that worries me about having a stash ....I know I'll build them all one day ( he says furtively )

I think I'll either have to buy replcement sets, get better at using decal repair solution or get a good scanner/printer and do my own.
I seriously feel your pain when seeing those broken up decals.

[RangerNeil]

Might be worth a look from Hannants:

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KW14 ... oken=GgzeR

Tried them. Model Alliance made two different sets - "Wings of Silver" pts 1 and 2 (MA48156 and MA48157) which would have been perfect as they included markings for the Bulldog and Gladiator but both are unavailable anywhere unfortunately.

[RangerNeil]

Given the decals for the Bulldog & Gladiator a couple of coats of Microscale to see if that will save them:


To be honest - I'm not holding my breath as to date I've not had much joy with Microscale - but hey - theres always a first!!

Also got some Type A roundels delivered for the Fury:




Which has now had a coat of gloss varnish to protect the decals that went on when I mask the sides up to paint the checker markings on. Letting that dry overnight then masking begins.

[Kevthemodeller]

Lovey work, the metallic finish is top draw. Shame about the decals, but you've found replacements, looking forward to seeing them on the model.

[RangerNeil]

Masked the Fury up to do the side checkers today - white rectangle first, being left to dry overnight, then tomorrow I get the fun of cutting up 6mm squares to block the white out and then add the black.


Just on the off-chance that Microscale might actually have worked I tried adding the Gladiator decals today. I was right - the Microscale didn't do a thing.


Oddly, as with the Fury, the all black decals (serial number) and the name plate for the stand survived the best, same as with the Fury. I'm not even going to bother with the Bulldog ones!


Just need to sort the decals out for the Gladiator & Bulldog - got some irons in the fire there

[digger303]

Lovely subject a a good result apart from the decal issue.
I found with micro scale I had to apply 2 coats with a drying time of days, but if it was applied thickly in one coat it tended to curl a lot and needed to be anchored down flat. I suppose it is because the varnish shrinks so much. It's not a good product as you say and I've only used it 2-3 times so my experience is limited.

[Kevthemodeller]

Nice rigging shame about the decals but it's an old kit now and they probably weren't that great new.

[Garion77]

Boy ! nice looking kit for the age as everyone said ! Congrats on pushing through with all the decals. With the problems I had with mine on my Camel, and made me remember it's way better to paint it as roundels are easy to recreate.

Great job on the rigging also ! Usually planes of that era and type were rigged with some sorts of metal (steel) wires

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

[RangerNeil]

Well - the Fury is done now.










Just waiting for decals to finish the Bulldog and Gladiator......

[Stokesy44]

Brilliant work mate. Superb salvage job after the 'betrayal' from the decals.

The fuselage checkerboarding is quality

[RangerNeil]

Brilliant work mate. Superb salvage job after the 'betrayal' from the decals.

The fuselage checkerboarding is quality

Thanks for the kind words
I have to say the photos make them look better than reality but valuable lessons have been learnt if - gawd forbid - I ever have to do it again.

[digger303]

Checker boarding is very spiffy and the build over all has come out rather well.

[Stokesy44]

Brilliant work mate. Superb salvage job after the 'betrayal' from the decals.

The fuselage checkerboarding is quality

Thanks for the kind words
I have to say the photos make them look better than reality but valuable lessons have been learnt if - gawd forbid - I ever have to do it again.

The camera never lies

[RangerNeil]

Bulldog is now done. A gentleman over on the Britmodeller forum had a spare set of Smer decals for that release of the Bulldog and let me have them. Sadly, even though treated with Microscale, these suffered the sane as the OE decals.
A folorn look online yeilded surprising results though - Hobbyshop.CZ had a replacement set for the Smer kit so these were rapidly ordered and arrived yesterday.

[digger303]

Very nice, I do like the blue better.
I'm guessing the old decals came off without any fuss ?
Rigging looks nice and tight as well.

[Stokesy44]

Cracking finish and great perseverance. So glad you found a set of decals that worked.

[RangerNeil]

And #3 - the Gladiator is also done from donated decals.








And #4 is under way - Fairey Flycatcher having its rigging sorted.

[digger303]

[Stokesy44]

Its a whole production line!

[RangerNeil]

And the last of the quartet - the Fairey Flycatcher - is finished:

[Stokesy44]

Great finish, I bet they look great lined up together

[digger303]

I look at some of those pic's and think it almost looks like a foil finish has been applied.
Looks great.