Airfix How To Build - Hawker Typhoon MK - LB

HOW TO
BUILD...
AIRFIX 1:24
HAWKER
TYPHOON Mk.Ib
Brett Green
FEATURING THE WORK OF

Brett Green, Marcus Nicholls
and Chris Wauchop
INCLUDES
COMPREHENSIVE BUILDS PLUS:
Typhoon Walk Around

Wartime Reference Photos
Step by Step tips and techniques
for building the ultimate Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon in 1:72, 1:48 & 1:32
Aftermarket decal and accessory summary
From the publishers of Tamiya Model Magazine International,
Model Military International, Model Airplane International
and Military Illustrated Modeller
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FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

How to build... AIRFIX 1:24 HAWKER TYPHOON Mk.Ib
n my very early teens, I asked for the Airfix 1:24 scale

Spitfire Mk.I for Christmas.
This was without a question the wonder kit of its
day. It was released in 1970, followed by a 1:24 scale
Messerschmitt Bf 109 E, a Ju 87 B Stuka and a Hawker
Hurricane. A 1:24 scale Hawker Harrier joined this largescale lineup too.
These kits boasted accurate outlines and admirably
restrained recessed surface detail. Instructions were
comprehensive and the boxes were adorned with
evocative artwork by the legendary Roy Cross. And of
course, they were big!
Yet in other ways, these kits were a product of their age.
They were burdened with workable features, including
retractable undercarriage and removable cowlings, which
impinged somewhat on detail accuracy and scale. Detail
was pretty basic too, especially in the Spitfires engine
bay and wheel wells.
Even so, these kits loom large in the memories of those
who built them in the 1970s or any of the subsequent
decades in which they have been regularly re-released.
During 2009, Airfix breathed new life into their 1:24
scale series with a very nice Mosquito long rumoured
and well received. This was a major improvement over
the original releases, but still looked like a scaled-up
model in some areas.
The brand new 1:24 scale Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib stands
apart from all those that have gone before it. This model
radiates quality. Surface texture is positively daring with
its rippled oilcan effect and the combination of raised
and recessed rivets. Detail is dense, just as it was on the
original aircraft. In fact, this kit conveys the rugged core
of this aircraft so completely that there is very little to add.
If the modeller wishes to display the engine or the wing
cannon bays, Airfix offers a number of options that do not
compromise scale or detail. Even more remarkable is that all
of this detail is delivered in injection-moulded plastic alone.
Airfix has undoubtedly delivered a true scale classic for
our time.
The main purpose of this book is to deliver a step-bystep illustrated guide to building the big Airfix Typhoon,
clarifying construction and suggesting sequences for
sub-assemblies and painting.
Any modelling book is an ensemble effort and this
title is no exception. I would like to extend my sincere
appreciation to Marcus Nicholls and Chris Wauchop,
whose wonderful work appears on these pages. Thanks
to both of you for your efforts.
Thanks also to Alex Hall, who has once again
transformed raw text and images into the attractive
illustrated journey you see before you.
We are very grateful to Airfix for providing the kits built
in this book.
I would also like to thank David Hannant from
Hannants, airscale, R.B Productions and Testor for the
aftermarket parts used on our big Typhoons.
The photos of the Typhoon at Hendon in the Close-Up
section were kindly provided by Bryan Ribbans; while Dan
Jackett sourced the wartime reference photos.
Thanks to all!
n Chris Wauchop
Chris Wauchop was born in Deniliquin in regional Australia in
1954. Chriss career began in the photo studio of a major Sydney
advertising agency. From here, Chris moved on to professional
model making at Lego. After nearly five years, he decided to go
solo, opening a hobby shop called Absolute Hobbies in suburban
Sydney. This became a Mecca for local modellers. The end of
the property lease after seven years prompted another career
change, this time painting props and vehicles for the science fiction
movie, Red Planet. Chris has built many models for commercial
advertising, displays at trade shows, articles for magazines
and websites including Tamiya Model Magazine, Model Military
International, Military Illustrated Modeller, HyperScale and MissingLynx, and has been a contributor to many modelling books. Chris
now lives in semi-retirement on Sydneys northern beaches with
his wife Deirdhre.
n Marcus Nicholls
Marcus was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1966 and still lives
in this area with his wife Emma and two sons, Joseph and William.
Marcus has been making models since about the age of eight, and
has worked on Tamiya Model Magazine since 1991. He has been
its Editor for about the last fourteen years, and is also Editor of the
Military Edition of Military Illustrated Modeller magazine. Marcus is
also Group Editor of ADH Publishings scale modelling magazines
which include Model Airplane International and Model Military
International.
He is a qualified photographer and places special emphasis on
photographic quality in Tamiya Model Magazine. Marcus is an
enthusiastic modeller of all subjects and feels equally at home
building armour, science-fiction, cars and bikes as well as aircraft.
n Brett Green
Brett Green was born in Sydney, Australia in 1960. Brett displayed
a passion for aviation and aircraft modelling from an early age.
This developed into a particular interest in camouflage and
markings. Brett established the popular scale modelling website
HyperScale (www.hyperscale.com) in 1998. He is also Editor of
the ADH Publishing magazines Model Military International and the
Aircraft Edition of Military Illustrated Modeller; the armour modelling
website Missing-Lynx (www.missing-lynx.com), and author of
more than 15 books. Brett concluded his 25-year career in the
Australian telecommunications industry in 2003, when he decided
to pursue his interests in online publishing and writing as a full-time
occupation. He still lives in Sydney today with his wife and two
children, Charlotte and Sebastian.
Brett Green, June 2014

2 How to Build... - Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib
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CONTENTS
Page
Foreword
Page
Background
Page
Chapter 1
Hawker Typhoon Close Up
Page
12
Chapter 2
Typhoon in Other Scales
Page
18
Chapter 3
Typhoon In The Box
Page
26
Chapter 4
Typhoon Step by Step
Page
Copyright 2014 ADH Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or

whole of any text or photographs without
written permission from the publisher is strictly
prohibited. While due care has been taken to
ensure the contents of this book are accurate,
the publisher cannot accept liability for errors.
First Published in the United Kingdom by:
ADH Publishing Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,

Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX
Telephone: 44 (0) 1525 222573
Fax: 44 (0) 1525 222574
Email: enquiries@adhpublishing.com
Website: www.adhpublishing.com
Designed by Alex Hall
50
Chapter 5
Cockpit and Engine Detail by Marcus Nicholls
Page
62
Chapter 6
Painting and Finishing by Chris Wauchop
Page
74
Appendix 1
After-Market Accessories and Decals
Page
74
Appendix 2
Selected Hawker Typhoon References
How to Build... Tamiyas 1:32 F4U-1 Corsair 3
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BACKGROUND
awker Aircraft was formed

in 1920 and delivered a
number of classic fighter
and bomber designs for
the RAF in the inter-war period.
These included the Nimrod, the
Fury, Audax and Demon all
biplanes with fixed-pitch wooden
propellers and non-retractable
undercarriage.
In 1935, Hawker Aircraft designed
the first low-wing monoplane fighter
to see service with the RAF the
Hawker Hurricane. Although the
Hurricane was undoubtedly a great
leap forward compared to Hawkers
previous biplane fighters, it retained
many of that earlier generations
characteristics including box girder
fuselage structure and fabriccovered formers and stringers. The
earliest Hurricanes were even still
fitted with two-bladed fixed pitch
propellers and fabric covered wings.
Hawker were considering a
more modern replacement for the
Hurricane as early as 1937. Planned
as a medium-altitude interceptor,
the Hawker Typhoon was powered
by the 24 cylinder H-block NapierSabre engine and featured a thick
inverted gull wing. The Typhoon was
expected to achieve a top speed of
460 mph, but the drag induced by
its thick wing limited this to just over
400 mph. Climb rate and general
performance above 20,000 feet
failed to meet expectations too.
As if these shortcomings were
not bad enough, the big NapierSabre engine was prone to catch
fire as it started; and a number
of early Typhoons suffered from
catastrophic airframe failure when
the entire tail unit separated from
the fuselage in flight. The former
problem was addressed by having
ground crew with a fire extinguisher
Serial No. R8384,

HF-L, a car door
Typhoon Mk.IB.
Rearming the
Hispano cannon of
a car door Typhoon.
Note the colours
of the shells, and
the half-shrouded
Hispano cannon
barrels.
MR HAWKERS
GROUND POUNDER
Hawker Typhoon EK288 photographed in April 1943. The black and white underwing stripes were added
as an identification feature, as a number of Typhoons had been shot down by friendly Flak and fighters,
having been mistaken for Focke-Wulf Fw 190s.
A nice in-flight shot of six Typhoons. The narrow chordwise stripes on the upper wings were another
identification measure.
4 Background
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standing by when the Typhoon

was running up; and the tail was
reinforced with a series of fish-scale
plates on the rear fuselage.
These problems were not
ironed out until 1942, at which
time the Typhoon was switched
from interceptor to ground attack
duties. It was in this role that the
Typhoon excelled.
The good low altitude
performance and heavy load
capacity of the Typhoon meant that
it could carry two 1,000 lb bombs
to targets on the continent. From
September 1943, the Typhoon
would be equipped with eight 60 lb
RP-3 rockets, which were used to
devastating effect against ground
targets until the end of the war.
The Hawker Typhoon was
constantly improved over its
period of wartime service. The
initial car door canopy offered
only limited rearward vision so this
was eventually replaced with a
clear-vision sliding bubble canopy.
The original three-bladed propeller
was upgraded to a four-bladed
unit to make the most of the
powerful Napier-Sabre engine. Later
Typhoons were also retrofitted with
the larger horizontal tailplanes of
the Hawker Tempest.
By pilot accounts, the Typhoon
was a solid gun platform, fast at low
altitudes and impressively powerful,
although controls were heavy at
high speed.
Although it proved unsuitable
as a pure fighter, the Typhoon
lives on in legend thanks to its
remarkable ground attack record
against Axis airfields, shipping,
vehicles and trains.
60 lb rockets being loaded onto presentation

aircraft China British.
Acknowledgement:
Thanks to Dan Jackett for permission
to use these historical photographs.
Excellent detail
view of the car
door canopy of
Typhoon Mk.IB
EK288 Fiji VI.
A factory fresh
Hawker Typhoon
Mk.IB bubbletop.
The misaligned
camouflage on the
nose panels is of
interest.
Pilots clowning
around with a
500 lb bomb. The
Typhoon could
carry one of these
under each wing.
By pilot accounts, the Typhoon

was a solid gun platform, fast at
low altitudes and impressively
powerful, although controls were
heavy at high speed...
A nice profile view
of Pulveriser IV.
This aircraft
features the
larger Tempest
tail planes, and its
Sky fuselage band
has been roughly
overpainted.
A Hawker Typhoon
Mk.IB with four
bladed propeller
and equipped with
rockets. Note that
the wing leading
edge landing light
has been deleted on
this example.
Detail view of the
top of the engine
of US-D, Serial
No. R8220.
How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib 5
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CHAPTER 1 Hawker Typhoon Close Up
HAWKER TYPHOON
CLOSE UP
This is the last intact

Hawker Typhoon
left in the world. It
was photographed
by Bryan Ribbans
at the RAF Museum
Hendon during 2002.
Bryan Ribbans presents a series

of detailed walk around photos of
the worlds only complete surviving
Hawker Typhoon, serial MN235, taken
at the RAF Museum Hendon.
awker Typhoon Mk.IB

MN235 is the only surviving complete example of
the type.
The aircraft was completed
under contract ACFT/943/C.23(a)
by Gloster Aircraft at Hucclecote
as part of the largest order for
Typhoons - 800 aircraft - and first
flew on 8 February 1944. After
delivery to 51 MU at Lichfield on 16
February, MN235 was selected for
evaluation and comparison testing
in the United States, and taken to
51 MU, Sealand, which was the
specialist packing unit on March 12
to be prepared for shipping. The
aircraft embarked aboard the SS
American Manufacturer on March
24, arriving in New York on April 16,
and reached Wright Field in Ohio
on May 6.
Under the terms of an order
issued by USAAF HQ in April 1944,
Material Command at Wright Field
were instructed to give the Typhoon
'complete flight test and extensive
comparative tests with our standard
fighters'. In addition, it's long range
capabilities and fighter bomber
characteristics were to be studied.
There is no evidence that the
allocated serial of EF-401 was ever
applied to MN235.
According to further correspondence, the tests were not merely
comparative, but were aimed at
extending the Typhoon's range and
fighter-bomber potential. However
by mid July the futility of the tests
had become apparent, as Typhoons
were already carrying 1,000lb of
bombs or rockets, as well as long
range tanks, and had little prospect
of carrying more internal fuel. As the
Typhoon was also being replaced
in service by the Tempest, the trials
were cancelled and MN235 was
placed in storage after a mere 9
hours flying time.
As a result of the American 'save
one of everything policy", MN235
found its way to prolonged storage
at the Smithsonian Institution's
National Air and Space Museum
until 1967, when an exchange was
arranged to mark the forthcoming
50th anniversary of the RAF, with
MN235 crossing the Atlantic in
exchange for a Hawker Hurricane
Mk II in January 1968.
The Typhoon was taken to 71
MU at Birchester for survey, before
6 Chapter 1 - Hawker Typhoon Close Up
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Overlapping
fuselage panels
and the oil
canning effect
may be seen here.
The rectangular
plates, often called
fish plates, were
reinforcements for
the tail section.
The nose of the

Typhoon.
Note the quite
distinct forward
and aft sections
of the cannon
fairings.
Several exhaust
configurations
were fitted to the
Typhoon. This
is one of the
shrouded types.
Note the rough
alignment and
poor fit of some
of the panels and
exhaust shrouds.
Starboard side
of the nose.
The upside-down
T shaped pitot
tube may be seen
under the wing.
02/07/2014 09:10
being transported to 27 MU at
Shawbury to be refurbished to
display standard, with low standard
replacements being made for the
spinner, upper engine cowlings,
radiator, oil cooler, port aileron and
parts of the undercarriage.
Although officially handed to
the RAF Museum on November
19 1969, it remained at Shawbury

until transferred to the Museum
at Hendon in 1972. Before going
on display, MN235 received a
new paint scheme to reproduce
the camouflage originally worn by
Typhoons.*
MN235 was sent to the RAF
Museum Cosford in November
2013 for preparation prior to shipping to the Canada Aviation and

Space Museum, where it went on
display to commemorate the 70th
Anniversary of the D-Day landings.
* Historical summary courtesy of Wikia
http://warbirds.wikia.com/wiki/Hawker_
Typhoon_1B_MN235#
The big radiator

intake. Sometimes,
moveable covers
called cuckoo
doors were fitted
inside.
The fine honeycomb
of the radiator face
may be appreciated
in this photo.
A head on view of
the spinner and
radiator intake.
The radiator flap

is open.
A side on view of
the radiator flap.
Interior view of
the radiator flap.
The back of the
radiator may be
glimpsed from this
unique angle.
02/07/2014 09:10
The anti-shimmy
tail wheel. The
rear starboard
navigation light
may be seen at
the rear root of the
horizontal stabilizer
too.
Not the greatest
shot due to low light
and shadow, but
here we can see the
wide groove around
the solid tyres
circumference.
One of the main

wheels. Note the
smooth tread.
The outer view
of the port
undercarriage.
The pilots
retractable step.
A 3 rocket with
60 lb head. Eight
of these could
be carried by the
Typhoon.
02/07/2014 09:10

Port wheel well
- looking forward
and inward.
Port wheel well
- looking forward
and outward.
Starboard wheel
well - looking
forward and
inward.
Starboard wheel
well - looking
forward and
outward.
Hawker Typhoon
instrument panel
(this photo by
Andy Mortimer).
02/07/2014 09:10
This cockpit section

is preserved at
Imperial War
Museum Duxford.
Looking down into
the pilots foot
well and port side
console.
A nice view of
the footrests,
control column,
rudder pedals and
forward starboard
side console.
Note that many
of the features
are painted with
aluminium lacquer
in this cockpit.
Port side console
and sidewall.
The gun sight

and leather
lined crash pad.
Looking down to
the right of the
pilot.
The rear of the

starboard side
console.
Quilted backrest
and shoulder
harness straps.
02/07/2014 09:10
CHAPTER 2 Hawker Typhoon in Other Scales
HAWKER TYPHOON IN OTHER SCALES
Hawker Typhoon in 1:72 Scale

Mark Davies examines the Airfix 1:72
scale Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB.
lthough there is not a very

wide range of models
available, the quality of
Hawker Typhoon models
in 1:72 scale is good. The two main
choices are from Brengun and Airfix.
The pick of these 1:72 Typhoon
kits is the recent Airfix release.
Airfix Kit No. A02041 1:72

scale Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB
Airfix released their all-new 1:72
Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB during 2013.
The kit is moulded with reasonably fine recessed panel lines, and
some acceptable raised detail on
the wings. Unfortunately, the panel
lines are almost the same width
as the hinge lines for the control
surfaces, the gap being about right
for the latter. The panel lines on the
wings and cowl seem finer than
those on the rear fuselage. The finer
lines approach the standard set by
some better brands. Some of the
sprue gates are extremely chunky

and limited-run in nature, leaving
some large lumps to be cleaned
up from parts like the wing leading
edges. There are some quite fine
parts; although again, these are not
quite up with the best.
The clear canopy parts are thin
with good clarity, although the
windscreen is not as polished as
the sliding hood.
This kits cockpit detail betters all
previous long-run injection moulded
kits, but is not as good as the
Brengun or Pavla short-run kits. The
cockpit features tubular framework
and other detail moulded integrally
with the fuselage halves. It has an
open floor with heel-boards in true
Hawker-fashion.
Rather unusual is the way the
floor is moulded with the wheel
wells and part of the radiator ducting to form a single assembly. This
tooling approach gives the best
Fishtail plates are

moulded to the
fuselage.
The undercarriage
bay is moulded
integrally with the
ducting and the
cockpit floor.
Detail is even
provided on the
insides of the
undercarriage
doors a far cry
from old 1:72 scale
Airfix kits.
12 Chapter 2 - Hawker Typhoon in Other Scales
02/07/2014 09:12
es
rendition of the upper radiator ducting I have seen in this scale.
The seat is quite nicely done with
quilted leather back-padding and
separate armour, although the seat
pan looks a little short; perhaps due
to the thickness of the plastic edge.
There is no seat harness, but this is
can be added easily enough.
The instrument panel is smooth
and uses a crude decal for instruments; where all of the dial outlines
on the panel are white on black.
Rudder pedals, a control column
and gun-sight complete this subassembly. Two tubes that are not
included braced the mount, but
these can easily be scratch-built
from rod or stretched sprue. There
is no clear gun-sight reflector, which
is correct, as Typhoons with bubble
canopies projected the reticule
image onto the windscreen
Cockpit detail colours are given,
but I am not convinced that a
totally grey-green cockpit interior
as advised is correct. I understand
that Gloster, which built most
Typhoons, finished their cockpits in
matt black above waist level, with
aluminium tubular framing, seat
and lower panels. The preserved
cockpit in the Imperial War Museum
and illustrations in the Pilots Notes
support this. Hawker-built airframes
may have had a grey-green finish
where Gloster used black, but I
cannot be sure.
The radiator and oil-cooler matrix
comes as one part, with a separate
carburettor. The matrix is very finely
represented.
The wheel-well/cockpit floor
assembly mentioned earlier also
provides the ducting roof for the
rear of the radiator. A nice touch is
the separate radiator vent, allowing
it to be positioned open if desired.
Interestingly, and I think a first for
Typhoon kits, Airfix have included a
tropical air filter that mounts behind
the radiator between the main
wheel wells. This filter was fitted to
late production Typhoons, but its
location makes it very hard to see in
period photos (and I have yet to see
published plans featuring it either).
It is not the same as fitted to earlier
Typhoons used for tropical testing,
nor is it the same as the albeit
similar arrangement applied to the
Tempest Mk.VI, which has appeared
in published plans. Presumably,
there was some arrangement to

close off the annular intake in the
radiator when the engine breathed
through the ventral filter on the
ground, but I have no idea how this
looked. If readers are aware of how
the intake air was rerouted please
e-mail me with the details.
The fuselage halves enclose
the cockpit, radiator matrix and
tail-wheel, leaving the wheel wells
protruding either side of the assembled fuselage. These in turn serve
to help locate the wings. The wings
include the option of cutting open
the gun access panels to display
the cannon and their ammunition
boxes. Some nicely moulded open
doors are provided to replace the
sections cut out.
However, the gun breech and
ammo-feed detail is basic, and I feel
this is a bit of gimmick; but it may
appeal to some, including younger
modellers. However, no harm is
down as the wings come with the
access hatches moulded shut.
The wings lack landing lights;
however, early in 1944 the starboard
light was deleted, and some
Typhoons had their lights plated
over when carrying rockets, so
check references for your selected
colour scheme.
Continuing with the fuselage,
the curvature of the fin does not
quite look right to me, as it finishes
almost horizontally, rather than on
a slight downward curve where the
top meets the rudder; but this is
a very slight issue. The fuselage
is also around a 2-mm or so
shorter than the Brengun, CMR
and Academy Typhoons, and A.L
Bentleys plans as well. The difference appears to be in the length of
the fuselage forward of the cockpit,
but I think that this variation of a
scale 6-inches matters little. The
fishplates are moulded as raised
detail, and so are somewhat exaggerated, although a little better than
Academy in this regard.
I think some light sanding will
improve their appearance. Airfix provides only un-shrouded exhausts.
These, and the shrouded type, were
the most common styles of exhaust
used, although there were other
variations; so check your references.
The four-blade propeller looks
good. I also like the way the prop,
mounts to a separate collar that can
The big four-bladed

propeller.
Optional Hispano
cannon are
included.
The main wheels

are weighted and
keyed for correct
alignment with the
undercarriage legs.
The optional open

doors for the wing
cannon bays.
The kit features

recessed surface
detail throughout.
Finely moulded
rocket rails are
included.
The tail planes and

optional closed
undercarriage doors.
02/07/2014 09:13
CHAPTER 2 Hawker Typhoon in Other Scales

inserted to the fuselage after painting is complete, as this enables a
rotating propeller to be modelled
without it being in the way during
assembly and painting.
Airfix has made a nice job of the
undercarriage. The commendably
deep and detailed main wheel
wells mount to the wing underside,
ensuring that there is an undercut
rather than walls that conform to the
outline wheel well opening as on
some other kits. The oxygen bottles
located in the wheel wells are provided, along with the main leg and
ancillary door retraction jacks. The
undercarriage doors are nicely done,
with faceted internal panels like the
original. The axles have the correct
camber to the axles, rather than
being perpendicular to the undercarriage leg. The colour call-out for the
inside of the main undercarriage
doors is medium sea grey. A friend
of mine who spent a long time
researching his 1:48 scale Typhoon
project advised me that aluminium is
the more likely colour here.
The main wheels consist of two
halves, with a complete hub on one
half, which can serve to aid painting
a little. The tyres have flats moulded
in place to simulate weight- bearing, and location keys that ensure
these are at the correct angle to the
undercarriage legs. The tail wheel is
simple and nicely done, and is the
anti-shimmy kind generally found on
later Typhoons, although the deep
groove in the centre tread area is
missing due to moulding limitations;
so this needs to be added for
the tyre to look correct. There are
separate single-piece doors to cater
for a retracted undercarriage, which
is a nice touch.
Rocket launch rails or bomb
pylons mounting holes are indicated by partial holes on the inside
face of the lower wing and the
instructions identify which should
be drilled through for rockets or
bombs. The rocket rails are okay,
but possibly a little too chunky. They
and are the steel Mk.I pattern that
taper towards the tip, the aluminium
Mk.III type was a little longer and
un-tapered, but Airfix have not provided these as an option; although
it would be nice to have for late
production example. The rockets
are reasonable given the limitations
of injection moulding. Airfix includes
two 1,000-lb bombs, and these are

also reasonably well done.
Not a lot remains to describe.
The bubble canopy and windscreen
are separate so it can be modelled
open. That just leaves an underwing
pitot, and the retractable boarding
step. This last item will benefit from
some refinement, as it is perhaps a
little chunky in appearance.
I think that this kit should be very
straightforward to build, certainly
far more so than its closest rival by
Brengun.
Conclusion
This is a good effort from Airfix.
The moulding is not quite up to the
standard of the better brands from
the Far East, but it is a real advance
on the first new tool releases by
Airfix under Hornbys ownership.
Its main competitor for this
subject is Brenguns Typhoon kit.
The Airfix kits surface and cockpit
detail almost as refined as the
Brengun kit; but its big advantage
is that it avoids the Czech kits very
undesirable need for major tail
surgery that results from the same
fuselage moulds being used for
three and four-blade options. The
Airfix kit is much easier to build in
this regard; and in fact, I would
expect it to build better all-round.
I suspect that many will regard its
scale finesse is close enough to
Brenguns anyway. Approaching
half the Czech kits price, the more
readily available Airfix kit is sure to
be a winner.
Price considerations aside, I am
tempted rate the two brands equal
best for a four-blade Typhoon in
1:72 scale. Choosing one over
the other comes down largely to a
preference between detail refinement versus ease of construction.
Brenguns kit remains the best
choice for a three-blade Typhoon
however, as Airfix does not cover
this option.
This is a very nice kit from Airfix.
I am sure it will be well received
by many. If they would just refine
their panel lines a bit more, Airfixs
new products could be up there
with some of the best. Despite this,
I still think that Airfix is the best
four-blade Typhoon choice for the
majority of modellers in the One
True Scale.
I recommended this kit highly.
Shell ejection ports

are moulded into
the bottom of the
wings.
Rockets are nicely

moulded too.
The canopy is
moulded in two
parts nice touch.
Sidewall detail
is moulded onto
the inside of the
fuselage halves.
The subtle quilting

can be seen here on
the pilots seat.
The intake matrix.
Markings are
supplied for two
aircraft.
14 Chapter 2 - Hawker Typhoon in Other Scales
02/07/2014 09:12
S
Note the long
insert in the upper
fuselage. This
accommodates
either the early car
door canopy, or the
later bubble top, by
the use of different
inserts.
Cockpit detail is
quite basic, but
there are a number
of after market
options to enhance
this area.
Hasegawas 1:48 scale Car Door
Typhoon, built by Brett Green
HAWKER TYPHOON IN 1:48 SCALE
Hasegawa produces the best 1:48 scale

Hawker Typhoon kits available today.
Brett Green examines these kits.
asegawa released several

1:48 scale versions of the
Hawker Typhoon, starting
with the Car Door Early
Version in early 1999.
This kit comprises 82 parts in
medium grey coloured plastic,
12 parts in clear and markings for
two aircraft.
The model is very accurate in
terms of outline and detail.
Surface detail stands up well
even by todays highest standards
with fine, crisp and consistent
recessed panel lines plus selected
rivet lines and fasteners. Two
configurations of the car door
canopy are supplied - one single
closed piece, and another with
separate side door and top hatch,
which may both be posed open.
Two 500 lb bombs and three
styles of Hispano 20mm cannon
barrels (two uncovered and one
covered) are included. Both
shrouded and unshrouded
exhausts are supplied too.
Cockpit detail is adequate
straight from the box, with the
typical bottomless floor well represented. The wheel wells feature
raised structural detail and some
plumbing moulded in place.
Hasegawas bubbletop Typhoon,
released later in 1999, is substantially the same kit but with different
inserts for the upper cockpit area, a

clear vision sliding canopy and fourbladed propeller assembly. Eight
rockets and rails are included too.
THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT

Hasegawa started making the most
of their mouldings during the 1990s
by tooling parts with separate
inserts to permit multiple versions of
a particular aircraft.
While I am sure that this
approach will be applauded by
accountants everywhere, it does
have its disadvantages.
The first problem is
that join seams do not
always coincide with
natural panel lines, meaning
that some filling, sanding and
rescribing may be necessary.
The second issue is that fit is
sometimes awful.
This edition of Hasegawas 1:48
scale Hawker Typhoon features
inserts in each upper mid fuselage
area to accommodate the car door
configuration. In later releases, a
different set of fuselage inserts for
the bubble top was included.
Forearmed with the knowledge
of potential fit problems, I started
construction by gluing the inserts
into each fuselage side. I worked on
each side separately as this allowed
me to align the curved edges of the
The best way to

tackle the fuselage
insert is to fit
each part to each
fuselage side before
the fuselage halves
are joined. There is
still plenty of filling
and sanding needed
though, as the insert
does not fall on
natural panel lines.
The biggest problem

now is a very large
gap between the
fuselage halves
where the inserts
meet.
For this project, the
gaps were shimmed
with plastic and
steps were filled
with Milliput twopart epoxy putty.
The fuselage with

filling and sanding
complete.
A number of key
panel lines were lost
during the filling and
sanding stage. These
were reinstated
using a scriber and
a length of selfadhesive Dymo tape
as a guide.
02/07/2014 09:12
CHAPTER 2 HAWKER TYPHOON IN OTHER SCALES

Some of these early
Typhoons featured
a high contrast,
hard-edged finish. I
wanted to duplicate
this for my project.
The car door

version provides
under wing bombs.
All this work delivers
the desired result
no steps or gaps.
inserts with the contours of the fuselage sides. It would be much easier
to deal with a gap along the top of
the fuselage than to fill, recontour
and sand the fuselage sides.
As it turned out, I was able to
line up the inserts and the fuselage
sides pretty well, although there
would be a few stray join seams to
clean up later.
However, test fitting the fuselage
halves exposes the real problem.
There was a prominent gap of
between 1 and 2 mm on the top
fuselage centreline between the
inserts. This gap needed some serious attention further down the track.
CONCLUSION
Hasegawas 1:48 scale Hawker
Typhoon Mk.IB might have been
released more than 14 years ago,
but it still holds up well by todays
standards. The relatively small
parts count makes it appropriate for
even a beginner modeller, with only
the poorly fitting fuselage inserts
complicating the build.
If you like more of a challenge,
there are plenty of aftermarket
accessories and markings out
there. I can highly recommend the
Barracuda Studios cockpit, wheels,
exhausts and intakes. They lift this
model to a different level.
Chris Wauchop built

the Hasegawa 1:48
scale bubbletop
Typhoon Mk.IB. This
kit is supplied with
eight rockets and
rails.
The bubbletop
version suffers
from the same fit
problems as the car
door kit.
Markings are from

Aeromaster Decals
item No. 48-436
Storms in the Sky
Pt. X.
16 Chapter 2 - Hawker
02/07/2014 09:12
HAWKER TYPHOON IN 1:32 SCALE

Choices in 1:32 scale are limited,
but MDCs resin kit is a beauty.
t seems remarkable that we do

not yet have a high quality 1:32
scale injection moulded plastic
kit of an aircraft as important as
the Hawker Typhoon.
Until the middle of the last decade, our only choice was the very
old and very basic Revell 1:32 scale
Typhoon, with its raised surface
details and clunky moving parts.
Model Design Construction
offered some respite with their
limited run multimedia Hawker
Typhoon Mk.IB, released in 2006.
MDC's 1:32 Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB
comprises 83 parts in grey coloured
resin, 7 parts in clear resin; photoetched fret; 2 parts in cast brass;
clear vacform canopy (plus one
spare); and markings for six aircraft.
The kit is carefully packed in a
stout box, with parts for each subassembly inside a separate plastic
bag. The large, hollow fuselage
halves and vacform canopies are
also protected by a packing tube
inside the main box.
The kit features superb surface
detail - crisply engraved panel lines
combined with raised structural
details including fasteners and reinforcement tabs where appropriate.
The fuselage halves are especially
noteworthy in this respect.
Each wing is supplied as a single
part. They are amazing pieces of
resin in their own right, each with a
deep and wonderfully detailed wheel
well cast in place. How the heck
would they get this out of the mould?
The trailing edges are ready for
the separate ailerons and flaps with
recessed locating positions making
it easy to position these control surfaces. The flaps are especially nice,
with all rib detail cast into the parts
Smaller details are no less
impressive. The cockpit includes
full internal framing and a delicately
detailed seat with a convincingly
quilted backrest. This front office is
accurately "bottomless", with footrails
forming the minimal pilot's floor. The
instrument panel features flat disks
for dials, ready for the nicely detailed
MDC RAF instrument decals.
Harness straps are supplied in the

photo-etched fret.
The tube framing does have a bit
of feather-like flash to clean up, but
the effort will be well worthwhile.
The kit provides clear resin
navigation lights. These look
cloudy on the casting block, but
will probably polish up nicely and
should respond to a quick bath in
Future Floor Polish.
This model is supported by cast
brass undercarriage legs - probably
just as well considering the hefty
weight of the finished airframe.
MDC rounds out the package
with a choice of three-bladed or
four-bladed propeller assemblies.
The kit does not supply ordnance
(rockets may be purchased
separately) or the early, smaller
horizontal tailplanes often seen on
Typhoons before they were fitted
with the large Tempest tailplanes.
Five marking options are supplied
on two high-quality decal sheets
printed by Fantasy Printshop.
Unlike some limited run kits,
MDC's Typhoon has been designed
with a number of clever assembly
aids, including ridges and locating
points mating surfaces of the
fuselage halves, locating tabs on
the tailplanes, and stout holes in the
wing roots to accurately position
those heavy wings.
There will be some cleanup, but it
is mostly lightweight. There are no
heavy casting blocks on any of the
resin parts.
The MDC
multimedia 1:32
scale Typhoon.
The full-length fuselage

halves feature large
Tempest-style tailplanes.
Each wing is
a single large
casting, including
wheel well detail.
CONCLUSION
MDCs 1:32 scale Typhoon is a gorgeous chunk of resin that is impressively detailed, cleverly designed,
perfectly cast and accurate.
Considering the amount of effort
that must go into casting each of
these masterpieces, the purchase
price is pretty reasonable too. I did
not hesitate in forking out my cash.
You will definitely need experience
with resin kits if you want to
tackle this project, but MDC's
thoughtful engineering should make
workbench time a real pleasure.
Luxurious cast
brass main
undercarriage legs.
Eight marking
options are offered.
Two more decal
sheets are included.
02/07/2014 09:12
CHAPTER 3 Airfix 1:24 Typhoon In the Box
AIRFIX 1:24 TYPHOON IN THE BOX
he Airfix 1:24 scale Hawker

Typhoon Mk.IB comprises
430 parts on 13 sprues in
pale grey coloured plastic
and 19 parts in clear plastic.
The model may be built as any
of the common Typhoon bubbletop
sub-variants, with options including three or four bladed propeller
assemblies; three styles of spinner;
shrouded or unshrouded exhausts;
alternative radiator intakes, cuckoo
doors and tropical filter; leading
edge or lower wing mounted landing lights; and early small tail planes
or later large (Tempest) tail planes.
An excellent selection of
ordnance is offered including
eight rockets, two styles of rocket
rails, streamlined wing fuel tanks,
two 250lb bombs and two 500lb
bombs. The undercarriage may be
built lowered or retracted, and the
wing cannon may be displayed with
the access covers open or closed.
Parts for the early car door version are not included but the fuselage breakdown suggests that it
might be a possible future release.
Surface Texture
The first thing that struck me when I
examined the contents was the surface texture. Airfix has moulded this
kit with a rippled oilcan texture
on all the exterior metal surfaces.
1.
2.
1. The two main
fuselage halves on
the sprues.
2. Note the rippled
oilcan effect on
the main surfaces.
3.
3. The surfaces
are also covered
with lines of holes
representing rivets.
Note the raised
fish plates,
which were
reinforcements for
the tail.
4.
4. The lower wing

centre section.
5.
5. One of the
overlapping upper
wing panels.
6.
6. The opening in
the upper wing will
allow the cannon
bay to be displayed.
7.
8.
7. Youll need to
decide early on
whether you are
fitting rockets,
bombs or tanks,
as the appropriate
locating holes need
to be drilled out
before the wings
are assembled.
8. The early
horizontal tail
planes have a
smaller surface
area, although it is
hard to pick with
the naked eye.
18 Chapter 3 Airfix 1:24 Typhoon In the Box
02/07/2014 09:15
This creates the effect of a slight

bulge between rows of rivets. It is
quite a daring move on Airfixs part,
but the result is both striking and
convincing.
The fuselage and wings are covered with rows of recessed holes
representing rivets. Although rivets
may have been better represented
by recessed circles rather than
the holes, the effect is more than
acceptable, especially when viewed
more than a few inches from the
surface of the plastic.
The fuselage and wings also
boast a number of raised surface
features panels, fairings and bulges that contribute to the overall
impression of a robust design that
favoured functionality over elegance.
Of particular note is the inclusion
of raised fish plates external
reinforcements for the tail after a
number of early structural failures.
The elevators and ailerons are
moulded with raised domed rivets.
I think these look great, and
they are certainly appropriate for
these metal surfaces. The rudder
presents the believable impression
of fabric stretched over framework,
capped by a metal fairing at the
bottom. The rudder, ailerons and
elevators are all designed to be
workable. The landing flaps may be
posed open or closed.
9.
10.
9. These are the

larger Tempest-style
tail planes, also
provided by Airfix
as an option.
11.
11. Fabric texture

on the kit rudder.
12. The ailerons
also feature raised
rivets moulded onto
the top and bottom
surfaces.
13.
14.
15.
13. Although the fin

is the same size on
the early and late
tails, the mounting
position for the
horizontal tail
planes are different.
This is the early
small version.
14. The fin section
for the late
Tempest-style tail
planes. Note that
the root for the
horizontal stabiliser
comes further
forward than the
early version.
16.
15. Two styles of

exhaust shrouds
are included,
although neither
are called out in the
instructions.
Kit Engineering
The fuselage is moulded with a
number of inserts. The upper and
lower cowls are separate parts,
as are upper cockpit panels. The
bottom of the fuselage is also a
separate part, as is the vertical
stabiliser (fin) and a section of
fuselage at its base.
The fuselage cowling inserts
allow four different configurations
for the engine:
1. All the cowling panels may
be glued in place, completely
enclosing the engine.
2. The upper and lower panels may
be left off, displaying the top of
the engine and the radiator with
its associated plumbing and
mounting hardware.
3. The bottom panels may be glued
in place and the top panel left off
to display the top of the engine, or
4. The centre side engine cowling
sections may be cut off the front
of the fuselage to display the
10. The elevators,

with their prominent
dome-headed
raised rivets.
12.
16. This style is

more fully covered.
17.
19.
17. The stirrup-style

retractable pilots
step.
18.
20.
18. The upper

cockpit sidewall
sections are
separate inserts,
suggesting that
we might see
alternative pieces
for a car door
Typhoon in the
future. Note the
tropical filter on
this sprue too. This
filter was fitted
to late production
Typhoons.
19. Close up detail
of the rivet and
inspection hatch
detail.
20. Two full set of
doors is provided
for the wing cannon
bay. These are
designed to be
displayed open.
02/07/2014 09:15

engine in its entirety.
It would appear that the model is
not designed to make the cowlings
removable (i.e. taking the cowlings
on and off the completed engine),
although the top cowl might be
partially removable with a little
extra work.
The separate upper cockpit
fuselage panels appear to be an
indication that we might see the
car door early version Typhoon in
the future.
The lower fuselage insert is
probably an engineering feature to
permit the moulding of the sophisticated surface detail without suffering from moulding imperfections.
The upper tail insert allows either
the early small tail surfaces or the
late Tempest tail to be used.
The pilots hand holds and
footholds on the fuselage side are
separate parts that may be posed
open or closed. The retracting
stirrup-style step is also supplied as
a separate part.
Detail is very complete in almost
every area.
Cockpit
The cockpit looks fantastic,
being built up in layers of tubular
framework and detail parts just like
the real thing. Construction takes
place in steps, adding consoles,
the quadrant, control column and
actuators, wheels, knobs, handles
and the rest. Electrical cabling and
hydraulic wires are also present in
the cockpit. The seat is made up
from four pieces and features gorgeous subtle quilted texture for the
pilots backrest. The harness straps
are supplied as injection moulded
plastic parts. A separate seat cushion is provided too, if desired.
A seated pilot figure is also
offered as an option. Moulding
quality is very good, and the pose
is quite natural right hand on the
control yoke and left hand on the
throttle. We dont get to see much
of the face, as he is wearing his
flying helmet and oxygen mask,
but what we can see looks excellent good eye detail and even
creases on the skin of his forehead.
Interestingly, in the instructions, the
pilot appears to be wearing modern
glasses. I am wondering if this is
21.
23.
25.
22.
24.
26.
21. Note the lovely
hinges on the
joining surfaces
of these folding
hatches.
27.
22. The full-sized,

closed hatch option.
These are designed
to be glued shut
over mostly empty
cannon bays. They
will not fit over the
ammo drums and
other detail parts.
28.
23. The wheel bay

ceilings.
24. These
perforated strips
will be glued onto
the wheel bay
ceilings, adding
authentic detail to
the area.
29.
25. The
undercarriage
may be posed
in the retracted
position. This part
is fitted to the
inside of the wing
to represent closed
undercarriage
doors.
26. The
undercarriage
door parts for the
lowered gear.
30.
31.
27. Detail parts for

the wheel wells.
28. More wheel
well detail.
29. The lower
fuselage insert.
30. Upper engine
cowling panels.
31. The lower cowl
parts. These cover
the radiator.
02/07/2014 09:16
some sort of Airfix in joke.

The instrument panel is a
sandwich of clear and grey plastic
parts with decals designed to
represent dials on the back of the
clear section.
32.
33.
Engine and Internal

Wing Structure
The engine is a marvel of modern
plastic engineering. Once again, it
is built up in many layers and detail
is very complete.
Airfix offers an electric motor
available separately as an option
if you want your propeller to spin.
The internal wing structure is
fully represented including spars,
frames, fuel tanks, wheel wells and
a full cannon bay on each side.
The four Hispano cannon are quite
simple in parts breakdown but they
look effective when complete. The
bottom of the gun bays have a few
ejector pin circles that should be
cleaned up before assembly one
of the few places where moulding
imperfections will be visible after the
model is built. Cannon bay covers
are supplied. These may be posed
in open or closed configuration.
The wheel wells are each made
up from a large plastic part for the
ceiling supplemented by seven
perforated strips to add authentic
structure to this space. The wheel
well is boxed in on all sides by the
spars and other panels. A jumble of
injection-moulded wiring completes
the wheel wells.
34.
36.
38.
Instructions
Instructions are called out over a
whopping 229 steps. Each step is
well illustrated, with a clear indication of part numbers where applicable. There are no construction notes
to accompany the illustrations.
Paint callouts are solely numbers
of Humbrol enamel paints.
37.
39.
32. More cowling
pieces.
33. Radiator body
and plumbing.
34. Some of the
plumbing for the
lower engine bay.
40.
41.
35. Optional filters

for the radiator
intake.
36. Cuckoo doors
are offered as an
option. These were
fitted to counter
the dust and dirt of
unmade airfields.
Finishing Touches
The undercarriage legs are simple
but accurate.
Airfix supplies five-spoke main
wheels and a solid anti-shimmy tail
wheel. The main wheels are flattened and bulged.
The canopy may be posed open
or closed, but is not designed to
actually slide.
35.
37. The cockpit is

built up inside a
tubular framework.
38. Cockpit and
fuselage interior
parts.
42.
39. The firewall,

foot rails. Rudder
pedals and more.
40. The pilots seat
features separate
parts for the sides.
41. The seat
backrest is moulded
with lovely quilted
texture.
42. The front of
the kits instrument
panel simple yet
effective.
02/07/2014 09:16

Markings
A large decal sheet with markings
for four aircraft is included:
1. Hawker Typhoon 1B, Wing
Commander Charles Green, No121
Wing, RAF.
2. Hawker Typhoon 1B, No. 247
Sqn, 2nd Tactical Air Force.
3. Hawker Typhoon 1B, No. 245
Sqn, 2nd Tactical Air Force. With
shark mouth.
4. Hawker Typhoon 1B, No 440
Sqn, RCAF 2nd Tactical Air Force.
43.
44.
45.
Extensive stencil markings and

a variety of national markings are
also included.
Conclusion
Airfix has delivered a truly stunning
kit with this 1:24 scale Typhoon
Mk.IB. In my opinion, it is easily the
best kit that Airfix has produced.
As nice as the 1:24 scale Mosquito
was, this one is quite clearly better.
Whereas in places the Mosquito
felt a bit like a scaled-up project,
the Typhoon does not. The detail
stands close scrutiny quite a feat
for such a large model.
The whole package is very
complete and beautifully delivered.
You really wont need to add
much detail to any area of the kit.
Engineering is clever too, although
tight tolerances will mean challenges in constructions here and
there. Options are abundant and fit
is generally excellent.
Furthermore, the fact that Airfix
has delivered a model to this
exemplary standard using only
plastic parts is a real tribute to the
designers ambition and flair. They
really have managed to squeeze
the maximum from the medium.
It wont be a fast build, and it
might not be easy either, but it will
be a memorable journey delivering
a spectacular result!
47.
46.
43. Port side

console.
44. The starboard
side console.
48.
45. The cockpit is

mounted on top
of the stout wing
spars.
46. A seated pilot
figure is included.
47. Facial features
are excellent. He
should look great
after a careful paint
job.
48. A separate seat
cushion is offered
as an option.
02/07/2014 09:16
49.
50.
51.
53.
52.
54.
49. Harness straps

are supplied as
plastic parts.
50. The sides of
the big 24 cylinder
engine block.
55.
56.
51. Supercharger
components.
52. Top and bottom
of the engine block.
53. The ignition
harness and other
engine details.
57.
58.
54. The engine

detail is truly
remarkable,
especially
considering it is
100% plastic.
55. The twin
exhaust stacks.
56. Wing interior
structural detail.
These double to box
in the wheel wells
and cannon bays.
57. Cannon bay
detail parts.
58. Those long
Hispano cannon!
02/07/2014 09:16

61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
61. Eight rockets

are supplied.
62. Two styles of
rocket rails are
supplied. This is
one half of the twopart option.
68.
69.
70.
63. The other

section of the twopart rails.
64. Long slim onepart rails are also
included.
65. Forward
sections of the
500lb bombs.
66. Rear sections
of the big 500lb
bombs.
71.
72.
67. Two body

halves from one of
the 250lb bombs.
68. Detail parts for
the bombs.
69. The wing bomb
racks.
70. The sway
braces for the 250lb
and 500lb bombs.
71. The streamlined
wing tanks are
moulded with their
mounts.
72. One of the
spinner cap options.
02/07/2014 09:16
73.
75.
74.
76.
77.
78.
79.
73. Two more

spinner caps.
80.
81.
74. Propeller blades

are common to all
spinner options.
75. These fuel tanks
that will be hidden
inside the wings.
76. The five spoke
main wheels.
77. No vinyl
tyres here, thank
goodness!
78. The kit
windscreen
beautifully thin and
free from distortion.
79. Additional clear
parts.
82.
83.
80. The kit decal

sheet supplies
markings for four
options.
81. The colours look
good and printing
is crisp.
82. Plenty of small
and colourful detail
decals are included.
83. Instrument dials
are supplied as
individual decals
too.
02/07/2014 09:16
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
STEP BY STEP
BUILDING THE AIRFIX 1:24 SCALE

HAWKER TYPHOON MK.IB
An illustrated guide to construction,
straight from the box.
26 Chapter 4 - Step by Step
02/07/2014 09:26
he new Airfix 1:24 scale

Typhoon Mk.IB is made
up from 430 grey plastic
parts and another 19 in
clear plastic.
It is interesting to compare the
number of parts and the approach
of this new Airfix release with two
recent models that have set a new
standard for large scale models
Tamiyas 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.IX
family and P-51D/K kits.
With roughly around the same
number of parts as Tamiyas 1:32
scale P-51D/K and Spitfires, you
might expect a similar build.
The character of the kits,

however, is quite different.
In common with Airfix, Tamiya
provides a high level of detail in the
cockpit and engine compartment
(and wing gun bays in the case of
the Mustang).
However, Airfix and Tamiya have
taken very different routes. Tamiya
makes use of photo-etched and
other metal parts to deliver fine
detail and crucial functionality for
its P-51D/K and Spitfires. Airfix
has chosen to tread the entirely
traditional path, achieving superb
detail with plastic parts alone. This
results in quite a distinctly different

building experience.
Although I did not tally up the
exact number of hours spent on
construction, my impression was
that the Airfix Typhoon took more
time to build than the Tamiya kits
not surprising considering its larger
size and relatively complex painting
sequence for the cockpit, engine
compartment and cannon bays.
Checking back, I found that basic
construction of the Tamiya Spitfire
was completed over 17 days, while
the Mustang took 15 days and the
Airfix Typhoon was 19 days.
02/07/2014 09:26
CHAPTER 4
In common with Tamiyas
Spitfires and Mustangs, you
do need to stay focused and
pay close attention to the Airfix
instructions during assembly. In
this case, the instructions are
supplied across 229 construction
steps in a 36 page booklet.
Before you start the model,
I strongly recommend that you
spend plenty of time getting familiar
with the contents of the
instructions. Walk through
the construction mentally
before you break out the
sprue cutter. Make notes on
the instruction booklet as you read
through it, or highlight elements that
you think might be important as your
model takes shape. The instruction
booklet can be a useful tool, so
make the most of it.
BEFORE WE START
Airfixs plastic is perhaps slightly
softer than average, so take care
not to scar the surface of the parts
when cleaning them up.
There was some fine flash on
parts in my sample, but this may
have been due to the fact that I
had been issued an early test shot.
There are also a number of deep
sink marks and sink lines, as well
as visible ejector pin circles. It is
worth spending as much time as
needed with a hobby knife, putty
and sanding stick to make sure
that parts are properly cleaned up
before they are assembled.
Fit is generally excellent, but
tolerances are very tight in places
so it is imperative that the parts are
completely free from flash and any
remnants of sprue attachments.
STEP BY STEP
The inner spar panels were
clamped in place while the
glue set to ensure there
were no gaps.
The cockpit framework

starts to take shape.
The completed cockpit

framework has been
slotted on to the two
main wing spars.
This structure
creates a sturdy
core for the model.
Precise alignment
is very important at
this stage.
This is a view
from the bottom
front of the cockpit
framework,
underneath the
engine mounts.
Note how the V
shaped supports fit
into the framework
and the firewall.
The same supports
viewed from the top.
02/07/2014 09:26
The structure of the cockpit framework underneath the pilots footrests.
The footrests in place. On my test shot, it would appear that the area marked with black texta
was not fully complete. There is supposed to be a raised mount for the control column here.
The oval-shaped fuselage frame behind the cockpit is held in place with a series of V
shaped supports.
Note how the supports interlock with the outer rim of the fuselage frame. It is very
important that these interlocking points are flush with the outer rim.
Cockpit components
assembled and ready
for installation.
The trim wheel and lower rear cockpit panel in place.
The pilots seat,

assembled. Note
the nice quilted
effect of the
backrest.
Coarse and fine sanding sticks have been used to get rid of ejector
pin circles from the pilots armour.
The five main pieces for the pilots seat. A few ejector
pin circles need to be removed from the seat pan.
02/07/2014 09:27
CHAPTER 4
Rudder pedals in
place.
A view of the
cockpit cage from
the firewall, looking
back. This is ready
for paint.
STEP BY STEP
The instructions are very good

with nice clear diagrams, but I
found some of the perspectives a
bit confusing. I have tried to provide
as many photos as possible
showing the actual location of parts
from different angles to minimize
the likelihood of misplacement.
Airfixs layered approach means
that painting of the cockpit, engine
and wing cannon bays really must
take place during construction.
Careful planning and forethought
about painting sub-assemblies will
be helpful.
Airfix has chosen to provide colour
callouts only in the form of Humbrol
enamel paint numbers. This is fine

if you are planning to use Humbrol
paints, but I was not. I wrote up a list
of the Humbrol numbers alongside
their real-life colour name, and kept
it on my modelling desk for the
course of the project.
GETTING UNDERWAY
Construction commences with
the framework for the cockpit and
the wing spars. Just like the real
aeroplane, this framework forms a
solid core for the entire aeroplane
so it is absolutely crucial that the
parts are accurately assembled.
Take plenty of time test-fitting before
you commit to glue here.

The forward inner spar sections
(parts A16 and A17) are separate
parts to maximize detail, so make
sure that these are completely flush
with the main wing spar. I used
clamps to guarantee that there were
no gaps.
The wing spars slot into the
bottom of the cockpit frame. Once
again, make sure that the slots in the
spars are pushed all the way home.
At this point, I started to think
about when I should paint the
cockpit and wing spar subassemblies.
The pilots cockpit armour, viewed

from below. Note the relationship
between the upper and lower panels,
and the V shaped support.
The same sub-assembly

viewed from the front
three-quarter.
The port and starboard

side console elements.
Detail on the
starboard side
console. Most of this
is moulded in place.
Cockpit sub-assemblies ready for paint.
The reverse (outer)

side of the starboard
side console. The
cabling will need to
be fed through the
framework of the
cockpit cage once
painting is complete.
02/07/2014 09:27
The firewall and

upper cockpit
frames have
been painted
black by brush.
PAINTING THE COCKPIT

Steps 4 to 27 cover the addition
of structural and detail parts to the
cockpit.
Rather than glue all of these
parts in place per the instructions,
instead I prepared a number of
sub-assemblies. These were:
The basic cockpit frame with
footrests and rudder pedal
assembly
The pilots seat (without the
harness straps)
Pilots armour plate and mounts
Port side console
Starboard side console
Throttle quadrant
Oxygen bottle and mount
Oil tank (parts A01 and A02)
I also cleaned up a number of
other cockpit parts but did not
attach them at this stage. These
included the control column, the
grey plastic front section of the
instrument panel, some electrical
boxes and braces.
These sub-assemblies and parts
were separated into three groups
according to their ultimate colour.
These colours would be Cockpit
Green, Black and Silver.
I used Tamiya acrylic XF-71
Cockpit Green (IJN) as the base
colour for my cockpit. The main
cockpit frame and the wing spars
were painted this colour.
A thin mix of water, Future floor
polish and Tamiya X-18 Semi-Gloss
Black paint was brushed over the
Cockpit Green surfaces, leaving
a dark residue in natural shadow
areas. This was followed by subtle
dry-brushing with a lightened
version of Cockpit Green, applied
with a clean square-tipped brush.
The backrest for the pilots seat is
moulded with a quilted texture. This
is really impressive. The texture also
The front of
the firewall is
black too.
Tamiya XF-71
Cockpit Green was
used as the base
colour. Note that
black brush painting
of some of the
upper framework
has already
commenced.
Detail parts
were temporarily
attached to a small
box via Blu Tack
to make handling
easier during
painting.
The instrument panel, pilots armour,

consoles, throttle quadrant and small
boxes were sprayed scale black a
50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black
and XF-64 Red Brown.
The trim wheel

and rudder pedal
adjuster have been
painted a shade of
red brown.
02/07/2014 09:26
CHAPTER 4
includes
stitching at
the top and rivets
along the bottom. Careful
painting will render a very
convincing result. I brush painted
the quilted rectangle dark brown,
then dry-brushed three shades of
progressively paler browns over the
top. The mix of Future and Tamiya
X-18 Semi-Gloss Black was then
flowed over the entire backrest,
settling in the low-lying areas.
The stitching at the top was then
painted Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan
with a fine brush.
The kits plastic harness straps
were now painted. The lap belts
were glued in place, but the
shoulder straps were let off until
the seat had been attached to the
armour plate.
I mixed a 50:50 blend of Tamiya
XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red
Brown to obtain a shade of scale
black. The consoles, the pilots
head armour, throttle quadrant,
electrical boxes and the instrument
panel were sprayed with this colour.
The same scale black mix was
used to brush paint some of the
upper cockpit frames, the front
cockpit firewall and the footrests.
The black areas were drybrushed progressively paler shades
of grey.
Details were now picked out with
Vallejo acrylic paints and a fine
paintbrush.
The instrument panel was next
on the painting menu. The panel
is made up from a front section in
grey plastic and a rear section in
clear. The instrument lenses are
raised on the clear section, so they
poke through the holes in the front
section. The production kit has
decals for the dials, but I did not
have these for my build. I therefore
used Airscales Generic WWII RAF
Instrument Dial Decals, Item No.
AS24RAF.
Please note that since finishing
my model, Airscale has released
a 1:24 scale dial and placard set
specifically for the Airfix Typhoon.
First, the back of the clear rear
section was sprayed black, then the
entire clear section was dipped in
STEP BY STEP
I took some time
to weather the
paintwork on the
wing spars, but this
was a bit of a waste.
The time spent on the quilted

backrest was well worthwhile
though! Here, the backrest has
been painted and dry brushed,
and a dark wash of thinned
Winsor & Newton has been
brushed over the seat.
The join seam was very prominent

on the oil tank. The seam was
filled with a mix of super glue and
talcum powder
then sanded back and polished before respraying.
My test shot
was not supplied
with instrument
decals so I used
airscales 1:24
scale generic WW2
RAF Instrument Dial
Decals, Item No.
AS24RAF.
The three sections of the instrument panel,

painted and ready for assembly. The top is
front panel, in the middle is the clear insert
with the decals in place, and at the bottom is
the master compass and its mounting rail.
The assembled
instrument panel
(minus the master
compass).
02/07/2014 09:27
The smoothed
and repainted oil
tank, along with
the rear cockpit
oxygen cylinder.
The consoles and quadrant after decals, detail

painting, a flat coat and selected chipping.
Future floor polish. The dial decals

were then simply applied to the top
of the raised circles. The three spare
bulbs for the gun sight were painted
Tamiya X-24 Clear Yellow.
Details were then picked out on
the front of the instrument panel;
and the master compass and its
mounting rail were painted and set
aside for later assembly.
A few stencil generic Airscale
placard decals were applied over a
glossy coat of Future floor polish.
All the Cockpit Green and scale
black sub-assemblies were now
flattened down with several thin
coats of Alclad II Klear Kote Matte.
Final weathering for the cockpit
Chipping was done with the sharp tip of a Prismacolour silver pencil.
parts included chipping of the

black armour plate with the tip of
a sharpened Prismacolour silver
pencil, and scuffing of the black
footrests with Tamiya Weathering
Master pastels.
The oil tank was assembled
and sprayed with Tamiyas AS-12
Bare Metal Silver straight from the
spray can. The join seam was very
prominent after the metallic coat,
so I filled the seams with a mix of
super glue and talcum powder, then
sanded the joins down on the front,
rear and top. The newly smooth
tank was then resprayed.
You may decide that this effort
is not worthwhile though, as you
wont see any of this tank on the

completed model!
With all the cockpit subassemblies painted, all the parts
were glued together.
The footrests
were scuffed
with Tamiyas
Weathering Master
pigments, applied
with the sponge
applicator in the set.
Instrument panel
and master
compass glued in
place.
The seat was glued
into the cockpit
before the shoulder
harness straps were
added.
The seat and pilots

armour.
Detail of the
completed cockpit
is impressive.
02/07/2014 09:27
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
Assembly of the engine block

is quite straightforward.
Clamps were used to make sure the parts

stayed firmly together as the glue set.
The propeller will

rotate if you are
careful to avoid
getting any glue on
the propeller shaft
or its mount.
Here is what
the propeller
shaft mount
should look like
from the rear
after assembly.
Clamping the sides of the

engine block. Cant hurt!
ASSEMBLING THE ENGINE BAY

Steps 39 to 87 cover the assembly
of the engine and all the associated
mounts and equipment.
Airfix offers a number of options
through these steps, including an
electric motor to spin the propeller.
It is also worth noting that if you are
planning to build your model with all
the engine cowlings buttoned up,
you can get away with fitting just
the basic engine and radiator parts.
Most of the detail parts can be left
off in that configuration.
However, I decided that it would
be a terrible waste to hide all that
detail so I was going to build the
entire engine and display the model
without the cowlings.
Once again, I tackled this area as
a series of sub-assemblies.
The engine block and
supercharger were quite fast and
easy to assemble. Once this was
done, the block was painted Tamiya
XF-18 Semi Gloss Black, and some
The supercharger
was taped to the
rear of the engine
block to ensure a
perfect fit.
The assembled engine block was sprayed

Tamiya acrylic X-18 Semi Gloss Black and given
a wash of MIG Productions Neutral Wash,
which settled naturally into recesses. Bolt
heads were picked out in silver.
Detail parts
from Steps 51
to 59 painted
and awaiting
installation.
More detail parts, this

time fitted underneath
the engine.
02/07/2014 09:28
of the bolt heads were spotted with

silver paint.
The engine block fits onto two
pegs at the front of the engine
mounts, and into a cross-shaped
insert in the front of the firewall. The
fit is good pretty much a tight
press fit but I found that some
force was required to push the
block fully onto the pegs and the
cross-slot.
At this stage I clipped off and
cleaned up all the detail parts for
the top and sides of the engine,
covered by the instructions from
Steps 51 to 67. These were
divided by ultimate colour again.
The groups were black, green
and silver. Once the base colours
were sprayed, the parts were
detail-painted with a fine brush and
attached after careful reference to
the instructions. There are some
complex sequences in these steps,
so pay close attention, test fit and
double check.
I repeated this painting and
installation process for the detail on
the underside of the engine Steps
68 to 76.
The oil tank tube,

Part C21, must be
threaded through
the firewall and
glued into the
bottom of the tank
before the engine is
glued in place.
A bit of time was

spent painting and
weathering the
prominent ignition
harness.
The engine block was now pressed

onto the locating tabs on the front of
the mount and into the cross-shaped
recess in the firewall.
02/07/2014 09:27
CHAPTER 4
Step by Step
Some pressure was
required to seat
the engine on its
mounts, but the fit
was perfect.
Port side view
from underneath.
Note that the silver
oil tank line has
been glued into
the bottom of the
engine.
The first of the

detail parts from
Step 53 have been
fitted here.
The first layer
of interwoven
plumbing.
The next layer

has been added
here. I had to test
fit Parts C09 and
C10 several times
before I worked out
how they fitted.
The ignition harness
and more detail
parts added to the
engine block.
A view from the

port side of the
engine.
02/07/2014 09:28
RADIATOR AND DUCTING

Next up came the radiator, the
ducting and associated pipes and
details.
The radiator body was
assembled (Parts D05, D12, D13
and D14) before being sprayed
AS-12 Silver. The radiator faces
were washed with a thin mix of
Winsor & Newton Lamp Black and
Raw Umber oil paint, highlighting
the subtle raised mesh texture.
The sides of the radiator assembly
(Parts D07 and D08) received the
same treatment.
Fitting the two side radiator pipes
(D22 and D23) is tricky. The back
of the pipes fit into slots in the front
of the wing roots after the pipes are
fed through holes in the shield (Part
D15). At first, I could not figure out
how these would fit. The pipes are
a very tight fit in the holes, and the
angle is not entirely obvious. My
best advise is to check the photos
in this Chapter, and have faith
that the parts will fit perfectly once
youve figured out the angles.
Also note the orientation of the
front radiator extension (Part D17)
if you are fitting it. The correct
orientation is shown in Step 86.
Once I had finished the cockpit
and engine bay, things moved on
pretty quickly.
A second batch of
engine detail parts
painted silver and
ready for assembly,
this time from Steps
60 to 76.
Black painted
parts from the
same batch of
detail parts.
The assembled
radiator unit viewed
from the front
and from the rear.

The lovely subdued
mesh effect has
been highlighted
with a dark oil wash.
Note the location of the three pipes at the bottom of the engine terminating on the firewall. These are Parts
D24 and D26. This is another tricky sequence that may require a few dry runs before committing to glue.
02/07/2014 09:29
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
It is very important that the grey shield (Part D15) is located in precisely the right place.
This is followed by two curved pipes (Parts D22 and D23) that have to be fed through the
tight holes in the shield and glued into locating slots in the wing spars. This is how it should
look after the parts are glued in place.
Intake ducting comes next.
The big radiator housing was fixed in place and taped until the glue had completely set.
Once they are together, the fuselage framing,

wing spars and engine really convey the
density and strength of the Typhoons core.
The completed engine unit is a very impressive piece of plastic engineering.
02/07/2014 09:29
So much to look at, and entirely constructed of plastic!
An upper view of the detail on top of the engine.
WINGS AND THINGS

As we start to work on the wings,
we have to make a few decisions.
These are:
Undercarriage position up or
down?
Ordnance bombs, rockets or
fuel tanks?
Wing cannon bays open or
closed?
Airfix provides two sets of main
undercarriage mounts one set for
retracted and one set for lowered.
These are not interchangeable
once installed, so make sure you
choose the right option for your
choice. I built my model with the
undercarriage lowered, so I used
Part Nos. F42 and F43.
Step 90 clearly lays out which
holes need to be opened up for
ordnance. This is best done before
the mid-lower wing is attached
Moving onto the wings, the holes for the rockets were drilled out
with a pin vise.
The stout undercarriage mounts were

glued to the wing spars. I should have
taken care of that big sink mark!
The large drill bit left plastic residue on the outer surface of the
wing. This was cleaned up with the tip of a hobby knife.
Silver parts sprayed

prior to wing assembly.
Taking no chances,
the wing spars were
comprehensively
clamped to the bottom
centre wing section to
guarantee perfect fit in
this critical area.
02/07/2014 09:29
CHAPTER 4
to the wing spars. If you are

building your model with retracted
undercarriage, the gear bay doors
(H01 and H02) should be fitted
from the inside before attaching the
lower wing to the spar too.
The bottom of the spar attach to
the wing via nice positive locating
tabs and pins.
Once the lower centre wing
section is attached and the glue has
thoroughly set, we can start adding
the interior wing structure. Take care
here, as the configuration of the
internal wing structure is different for
raised or lowered undercarriage. If
you are building your model with the
undercarriage down, ignore steps
95 and 96, and skip straight to
Steps 97, 98 and 99.
Some of the wing bulkheads
need to be finessed into position,
but the instructions do a good job
showing the angles and sequence
or assembly.
Construction of the wing cannon
bays and the remaining internal wing
structures is covered in Steps 107
through to 127, including the leading
edge and main wing fuel tanks. I
painted the bays and the tanks, but
you dont really need to as they are
completely sealed inside the wings
when the model is finished.
If you plan to seal the cannon
bays, do not install the ammunition
feeds or drums (Steps 111 to 114
and Steps 117 to 124). These will
interfere with the fit of the closed
bay doors.
If you do plan to display the
cannon bays, you might want to
paint the various parts in subassemblies prior to bringing the
components together.
The roof each undercarriage
ceiling is a separate part, with
thin perforated ribs adding extra
detail. Make sure the ribs are
properly pressed into place or they
may interfere with the fit of the
undercarriage ceilings.
STEP BY STEP
At my first attempt
I assembled the
wrong internal wing
structure this
is for the raised
undercarriage
option.
This is the correct

configuration for the
lowered undercarriage
internal wing structure.
Once again, clamps were

used to ensure a tight fit.
Elements from the

wing cannon bays
were painted and
weathered before
they were fitted.
The mounts for the

Hispano cannon
and internal wing
structure may be
seen fitted to the
wings here.
02/07/2014 09:29
Once again, the detail is built up

in layers in the cannon bays.
The simple parts breakdown of the

long Hispano cannon and drums.
The ends of the barrels are solid,

so they were hollowed out with the
tip of a sharp hobby knife blade.
Note the unattractive seam line too.
My paint number
translation list!
The ammo feeds awaiting assembly.

The leading edge
and main wing fuel
tanks, assembled
prior to painting.
In fact, you could
really skip painting
these as they will
be hidden inside the
wings.
The Hispano cannon and associated

sub-assemblies painted and weathered.
The empty bays just yearn for all

that busy cannon detail!
Those long barrels are

exposed and vulnerable
during the remaining
assembly.
The barrels must be bent

and threaded through the
holes in the wing spars.
Luckily, the soft plastic
bent and did not break.
02/07/2014 09:30
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
I found that the undercarriage
ceilings needed clamps to ensure
that they sat down perfectly on
the undercarriage bay sidewalls.
If the fit is not perfect, the upper
wings will not fit flush over the
undercarriage bays.
The next choice you have is
in Steps 134 and 135 the wing
leading edge landing lights.
Generally, this light was not fitted
to rocket equipped Typhoons, but
The wing tanks have been fitted here too.
there were exceptions. Check your

references.
My wings fitted perfectly. First the
lower outer wing panels were glued
in place, followed by the upper
wing halves.
Soon you will need to decide
whether you fit the early smaller
tail planes (Step 143) or the large
Tempest tail (Step 144). Once
again, check your references.
Time to work on the undercarriage bays. These narrow

perforated strips will be glued to the ceilings of the bays.
Dont spare the clamps!
The undercarriage ceiling must be
completely flush with the rest of the
internal wing structure to allow the
top wing halves to sit down properly.
Here are the perforated

strips glued to one of the
landing gear pay ceilings.
The upper wing halves and the outer lower

wing sections ready for installation.
The glue has dried. Here is our last look at all

the internal wing detail before it disappears!
02/07/2014 09:29
The lower outer

wing panels are
glued in place first.
Fit is excellent.
Fit of the upper wing

halves was excellent too.
The outer wing

supports and spars
work exactly as
advertised.
Sanding sticks were used to

spread the pressure of the
clamps evenly, even over the
open cannon bays.
Detail in the
port side open
cannon bay.
but Airfix has taken

care of that with additional
detail parts for the
undercarriage bays.
We still have a
glimpse of the
leading edge fuel
tank through the
forward wing spar.
The cupboard
is a bit bare
Test fit, test

fit, and test fit
again. Patience
is a virtue
when dealing
with the wheel
well detail!
02/07/2014 09:30
CHAPTER 4
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
The configuration of the nose is
decided in Step 147. My model was
built to display the entire engine,
so I simply cut off the nose off
each half of the fuselage forward of
the firewall. If you have chosen to
display only the top of the engine,
or to seal up the cowls, dont cut
this off!
The instructions suggest that
you glue the port fuselage side
to the cockpit framework and the
port wing, then add the starboard
fuselage half from the other side.
I took a different approach.
I glued the two fuselage halves
together before adding them to the
wing. Once the glue had completely
set, this shell was then clipped over
the top of the cockpit framing. The
result was an almost perfect fit at
the wing roots, and no gaps at the
top and bottom fuselage centreline.
The lower rear fuselage is a
separate insert. I test fitted this and
found the fit to be perfect. Under
normal circumstances I would have
simply brushed a fine line of Tamiya
STEP BY STEP
The insides of the
fuselage halves
were sprayed with
Tamiya AS-12 Bare
Metal Silver straight
from the can. The
mating surfaces on
the top and bottom
joins have been
masked off so the
lacquer paint does
not reduce the
effectiveness of the
glue.
As my model would
display the entire
engine, I cut the
nose off in front
of the firewall. A
recessed line mas
been moulded to
the inside of the
fuselage to make
this task easier.
The big Temptest
tail inserts, separate
(top) and glued in
place (bottom).
The simple tail
wheel bay has been
fitted and painted
here too.
The rear fuselage
area was masked
off and the cockpit
sidewalls painted
black.
At last, the exposed
Hispano cannon barrels
receive some protection
from the long fairings.
Contrary to the instructions, I glued the

fuselage halves together before attaching
them to the cockpit frame and the wings.
Note that this might not work if you have
not cut off the nose!
The fuselage shell was flexed slightly and

clipped over the cockpit framework. Tape
and clamps were once again used to hold
the assemblies in place while the glue dried.
02/07/2014 09:30
The results were impressive.
The lower rear fuselage insert slots into the back of the wing, then can be pressed down
and glued in place.
Construction
commences with the
framework for the
cockpit and the wing
spars. Just like the
real aeroplane, this
framework forms a
solid core for the entire
aeroplane so it is
absolutely crucial that
the parts are accurately
assembled...
Now its starting to

look like a Typhoon!
Pretty good fit at the port side wing root.
Excellent fit at the starboard side wing root no filler or

sanding here yet.
The slight gap only appeared on my second attempt to glue

down the lower fuselage insert. The first attempt while dry
fitting suggested a perfect fit.
02/07/2014 09:31
CHAPTER 4
Extra Thin Liquid Cement around
the joins and it would be done,
but I had not taken a photograph
of the area. I therefore popped
the lower fuselage part off, took
the photograph, and reattached
it. Infuriatingly, now it would not sit
down without narrow a gap at the
front. Not a huge deal though, as a
smear of putty filled the gap.
The airframe is now together
the model looks like a Typhoon!
However, there are still many little
jobs required to complete the
model. Some of these involve
options which cowl covers to
fit, what ordnance to install and
so forth while others require the
fitting of control surfaces, cannon
bay doors, propeller assemblies,
canopy, undercarriage bay details,
landing legs and wheels.
One of the final jobs is fitting the
upper cockpit sidewalls. These
feature some internal structure
and a few details. The interior was
painted using the same sequence
of techniques that I employed
earlier for the rest of the cockpit.
The port side upper cockpit panel
(Part 204) was glued in place first.
Next, the gunsight was attached
simultaneously to the top of the
instrument panel and to the newly
attached upper sidewall. Finally,
the gunsight was wedged in place
when the starboard upper sidewall
was glued in place.
STEP BY STEP
The elevators
feature
plastic hinges
and moveable
trim tabs.
Stabilizer and
elevator parts were
marked with their
part numbers to
ensure that I did not
lose track after they
were clipped from
the sprues.
One of the completed horizontal

stabilizer assemblies.
I broke one of the aileron hinges, so I drilled and

pinned the part.
Check out the fit at the stabilizer root wow!
I lost one of the rudder hinges too, so I improvised!

The starboard
rudder half prior
to assembly.
A wedge of plastic
must be removed to
allow the flaps to be
glued shut.
Landing flaps. I decided to pose these closed.
The upper cockpit sidewalls

and the gunsight.
Painting makes all

the difference!
02/07/2014 09:31
The port side upper cockpit sidewall was glued in place first.
It is a shame that a lot of this detail will be hidden inside the small cockpit opening.
The exhaust stacks received

a basic paint job. These
were destined for further
weathering later on.
The exhaust stacks

glued in place.
02/07/2014 09:31
CHAPTER 4
STEP BY STEP
Airfix has chosen

to tread the entirely
traditional path, achieving
superb detail with plastic
parts alone...
The model with control

surfaces all glued in place.
The open folded

cannon bay covers
were assembled
at this stage.
02/07/2014 09:31
The gap at the bottom of the fuselage insert was filled with Milliput.
Were ready for masking and painting!
02/07/2014 09:30
CHAPTER 5
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
BUILDING AND PAINTING

INTERNAL STRUCTURES
A SECOND OPINION
Marcus Nicholls offers his unique insights and describes the
techniques he used to paint and weather the internal framework,
engine and cockpit components of Airfix's 1:24 Hawker Typhoon.
ne of the most interesting aspects of the

Hawker Typhoon is its
structural design. Unlike
the Spitfire's monocoque airframe,
Hawker chose a tubular aluminium
framework for the core internal
structure and Airfix has depicted
this extensively. The detail is very
impressive but the complex parts
require their moulding seams scraping off, which takes quite a while. I
used a Swann-Morton No.11 blade
several in fact until the noticeable lines had been removed.
Here we can
see the partially
assembled main
internal structures
laid out, ready to
be painted.
The wing spars are also very

well detailed parts are require
some assembly before they can
be painted. It is tempting to build
up as much of the internal framing
as possible before painting but
as the engine firewall needs to
be painted black (and sits in the
middle of it all), this would be very
tricky. I therefore chose to spray
each of the main elements prior to
slotting them together and I then
covered up the cement-marks are
effectively as possible afterwards. I
didn't bother to prime the plastic. I
simply airbrushed Tamiya XF-16 Flat

Aluminium directly onto the frame
parts plus all the small, individually
moulded struts that are positioned
after the main unit has been
formed. The Tamiya acrylic paint
creates an excellent, aluminiumcoloured finish but it does require
several days to harden to the point
where the kit parts can be handled
safely without the risk of the colour
rubbing off. To further secure the
finish, I sprayed on a layer of
transparent 'Future' acrylic floor
polish, which also offered a harder
Tamiya's XF-16 Flat

Aluminium was used
for all the framework;
it airbrushes very well
when thinned with
the company's X20A
Acrylic Thinner but
does require a couple
of days drying time.
Here, the two

cockpit side-frames
can be seen,
painted aluminium
and with their
acrylic colour-wash
applied.
Close-up on a corner of one of the frames showing the colour-wash
50 Chapter 5 - Internal Structures
02/07/2014 09:32
surface for the following weathering

processes.
Once the paint and varnish had
hardened, I began to apply some
colour-washes using a slightly
unconventional method. Instead of
the usual oil paint and white spirit
colour-washes, I created a similar
looking 'glaze' made from black and
brown acrylic paint (Vallejo) diluted
with Future acrylic polish. The main
reason for this was speed of application; there are a lot of joints within
the framework and the acrylic could
be painted on quite quickly, leaving
it to settle itself down into the detail
without the need to 'adjust' it once
in place, as you must sometimes
do with spirit-based colour-washes.
This created a subtle but quite
effective deepening of the surface
detail and was enough to allow me
to continue with assembly.
The large firewall moulding was
sprayed with Vallejo Surface Primer
Black, which forms a tough, satin
black finish. This paint can be airbrushed directly from the bottle but
some users prefer to thin is slightly
for better flow through the airbrush.
This is the
Typhoon's 'core'
structure, slotted
together and ready
to be cemented
together. Note the
black firewall.
Liquid cement was applied with

a fine paintbrush in order to
reach all bonding surfaces.
SCRAPE BEFORE YOU GLUE

When preparing to cement the various structural elements together, it
is vital that the paint and varnish is
scraped off the areas where mating
parts will be cemented together or
the bond will be very weak, not to
mention messy, as the liquidised
paint can ooze from the joint. Even
the smallest joints' contact areas
must be scraped or the parts will
not bond properly, in fact it's all the
more important that they are as
these are the ones that need all the
bonding strength they can get. I
slotted the wing spars and cockpitwall frames together then ran Mr
Hobby Cement S into the joints
using a paintbrush; the cement
found its place and bonded the
interlocking elements together well,
forming a strong sub-frame.
The engine bearers then became
subject to additional weathering;
they do support that massive
Napier Sabre after all! I figured
there would be a fair amount of
oil and fluid spills and drips from
servicing plus a little heat discolouration, although to be honest I'm
not sure if aluminium is affected
in this way. I took a little Humbrol
Here we can
witness the result
of the 'spattering'
treatment on the
engine bearers,
created with
thinned enamel
and oil paints.
Quite a lot of the

oil spattering
landed on the
firewall and
this was later
toned down
with a localised
airbrushing of
matt black.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
Internal Structures
When preparing to cement the

various structural elements together,
it is vital that the paint and varnish
is scraped off the areas where mating
parts will be cemented together...
Enamel 85 Coal Black, 46 Matt

Orange plus some brown and black
oil paints and diluted them heavily
using cigarette lighter fluid. This is
a very light spirit than evaporates
almost immediately, leaving the colour just where you put it and does
not attack the painted finish at all,
making it a very useful material for
localised colour-washes. I flicked
the brown and yellowish liquid onto
the engine bearers with a cut-down
paint brush to create a very messy
finish which would be 'adjusted'
later on using dry-brushing, as we
will see.
Once this effect had cured, I
dry-brushed the treated areas
to restore a little order, as the
splattering did look very messy
indeed. To achieve this, I used a
new product (new to me at least),
namely Games Workshop's 'Citadel
Necron Compound', which is very
finely grained aluminium paint with
an almost paste-like consistency,
rather like printers ink, but using
an acrylic base. It dry-brushes
brilliantly and it was used to lift
the raised details on the engine
bearers from my mucky, splattery
Games Workshop's
'Citadel Necron
Compound' is a
paste-like material
with very fine
metallic-effect
grain.
To prepare for dry-brushing, a blob of the Compound

was deposited on piece of card and a clean, dry
brush dipped in.
The brush was then rubbed onto the card to

remove much of the paint before it was applied
to the model.
Here we can see

the almost dry
brush being flicked
over the engine
bearers and almost
immediately, the
spattered effect
starts to tone
down. Particular
attention was paid
to the junctions of
tubular sections
and the moulded
rivets in these
areas. The Citadel
material has an
impressively long
linger time, not
drying too quickly
and allowing one
to work over larger
areas with one
brush-load.
02/07/2014 09:33
One element of the framework is moulded into the cockpit-side of the firewall and the author Thinned Tamiya XF-16 was then airbrushed on to create the correct effect, taking care to
forgot to paint it aluminium! So, it was masked off with Tamiya masking tape in-situ.
keep overspray to a minimum.
Berol discontinued their superb 'Karismacolor' colouring pencils some years ago and this is all that's left of the author's silver pencil! It was used to create metallic highlights on the upper
edges of the framing.
weathering effect.
For many years, I have used a
silver 'Karismacolor' colouring pencil
to add the brightest highlights to
kit parts and it was only recently
(when trying to buy a couple of
new ones) that I discovered that
Berol discontinued them several
years ago! So, I am stuck with the
stub of a pencil that has had its
tip glued back in several times...
I employed this useful veteran of
many models to add some bright,
metallic highlights to the framework
and other parts and no doubt it will
be used again on other areas of the
Typhoon as the project progresses.
And this is about as far as I got with
the internal structures, so let's take
a look at the pilot's seat now.
The pilot's foot

rests also received
metallic highlights
along their
edges using the
Karismacolor silver
pencil.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
Here we see the
pilot's seat during
construction with
just one side panel
left to go on. Detail
is exemplary.
PILOT'S SEAT
Airfix provides an excellent replica
of the seat for this kit and it builds
up from just four main parts; seat
back, bucket and two side panels.
The quilted back-padding is moulded (and very well done it is too) into
the seat back; the squab, if you do
not intend to fit the pilot figure, is a
separate component. The four main
mouldings fitted together well and
just needed a light application of
liquefied filler (Holts Cataloy Knifing
Putty, diluted with liquid cement) to
seal the joints between them.
The seat was given two good
layers of Vallejo Surface Primer
Black. Some sources say the seat
should be in grey or interior green,
but I think black is also a suitable
colour. The seat pads were painted
with a base colour of Vallejo 'Panzer
Aces' Canvas (314), highlighted
with Vallejo 'Panzer Aces' Highlight
Japan Tkcr (332). Colour washes
of darkened shades of the base
colour were applied to enhance the
surface detail.
The assembled seat showing where a little thinned filler was applied to seal some joints.
The excellent padding detail can be appreciated here.
Once a layer of black

acrylic had been
applied, the seat pad
was hand-painted
using Vallejo Acrylics
'Canvas', highlighted
and shaded to bring
out the detail.
I figured that the cockpit of a

fighter aircraft in the field (rough
airstrips in Normandy etc.) would
accumulate quite a bit of dust from
the pilot's uniform and boots as
he clambered in and out of the
cockpit and the seat is always the
first place he would plant his foot
as he boarded his machine prior,
to a sortie. I therefore added a bit
Using a coffee stirrer

as a handle (the seat is
attached with Blu-Tack),
the dust effect was
applied to the raised
detail using Humbrol
Enamel 234.
of a dust build-up in the corners

of the seat and on its outer edges,
along the tops of the structural
lips where the dust might settle.
This was accomplished painting
Humbrol Enamel 234 Dark Flesh
which is actually a rather good
dust colour into the interstices of
the seat. The effect was 'trimmed'
with more lighter fluid to feather the
The Humbrol paint

was also applied
to the inner edges
of the seat bucket,
its edges feathered
out using cigarette
lighter fluid as a
solvent.
'Citadel Necron
Compound was drybrushed around the edges
of the metallic parts to
create worn highlights.
02/07/2014 09:33
edges of the paint. Citadel Necron

Compound was again dry-brushed
along the edges of the seat to suggest areas of extreme wear, where
the black paint had worn right down
to the aluminium, but this effect
must be kept subtle or it can look a
little ridiculous.
RB Productions recently released
a 1:24 Sutton harness (QS/QL/QP
types) using die-cut paper for the
webbing and photo-etched nickelsteel for the buckles. It will require
some extremely careful assembly
but offers the best possible solution
to the creation of a realistic harness
for this kit.
INSTRUMENT PANEL
The instrument panel is always a
focal point of any model. I have to
admit it's one of the very first parts I
seek when inspecting the contents
of a new aircraft kit box as it can
be an accurate indicator of the
model's overall quality; if the panel
looks well detailed and accurate,
chances are the rest of the kit will
be of a equivalent standard. That's
my theory at least. Airfix provides a
two-part panel for the Typhoon and
it looks excellent, with very scalelike raised bezels, knobs and other
details moulded into the fascias
front surface. The clear rear insert
appears to be a good idea at first,
as one might reasonably assume
the dial decals could be applied
(facing forward) to its rear face to
create the effect of clear dial lenses,
but in practice the clear plastic
part is much too thick and uneven
for this to happen and I ended up
applying the decals to the front
of each dial face, sealing them in
RB Productions new
1:24 Sutton harness
(QS/QL/QP types)
with pre-cut card
for the webbing and
photo-etched metal
for the buckles and
hardware
Airfix provides a
two-part instrument
panel, with the facia
in grey plastic and
the dial-face panel
in clear, fitting in
from behind. Detail
here is superb and
appears to be very
accurate.
Test fitting the two parts together paid

off as the fit was quite tight. This was
remedied by carefully opening out the dial
apertures in the front panel from the rear
face until the clear part dropped in easily.
The large size of the

instrument panel
can be appreciated
here; this is a 1:24
kit after all!
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
with Future polish once dry. This
was a slight disappointment and
in hindsight I would have cut out
some thin acetate plates to replace
the clear moulding. The final effect
is perfectly adequate however and
the panel looks fantastic once
complete.
The kit comes with all of the side
consoles too. These were painted
in the same way as the main panel.
The trim wheel was finished with
varying shades of brown to closely
replicate the Bakelite material of
the original component. Airscale
also produces a sheet of WW2 RAF
cockpit placards and some were
used (some trimmed to fit) on the
main and side panels.
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
Once a base coat

of Vallejo Surface
Primer Black had
been sprayed on,
the dials that would
have coloured
bezels were
undercoated with
matt white.
The kit's decal sheet provides decals for the dials but for an
added touch of refinement, Airscale's WW2 RAF dial decals
were used instead.
An orange colour was

mixed up and carefully
applied over the white
bezel edges.
Thanks to the thickness of the clear plastic, plus its uneven Here we see the completed facia panel which also
surface, the dial decals had to be applied to the front of
received a little of the same dust treatment that was used
each dial face instead of the rear as originally planned.
on the seat.
The side consoles, throttle

and 'Bakelite' trim wheel
await installation.
The finished instrument panel with
clear rear insert fitted. The Airscale
decals look superb.
02/07/2014 09:33
NAPIER SABRE ENGINE

Like the instrument panel, the
Typhoon's mighty Napier Sabre
engine is a key focal point of the
model and Airfix have done a
splendid job of it in this kit. It's not
perfect of course; the engine block
and cylinder heads could use some
additional bolt heads and fine
details and there's plenty of cabling
and plumbing that needs adding
but overall, it's an impressive effort
that would be a crime to cover
up with cowlings. Like the cockpit
framing, cleaning up the ignition
harnesses took ages there's just
such a long mould seam but
it's an essential task if you intend
to show off your engine, because
there is nothing uglier than a
missed moulding seam on a detail
part. You'll probably find one now,
on my model.
The kit's instructions indicate
the optional use of a small
electric motor to spin the prop, if
so desired, although none was
provided in the pre-production
kits that were used for this book.
The slim unit fits inside the engine
block and would be connected to
a battery, hidden somewhere within
the model. I rather like this feature,
so perhaps I'll buy myself a production kit and build another with a
spinning propeller! As it was, I fitted
the prop shaft so it would rotate; it
would be painted in a suitable steel
colour later on.
The fit of parts for the engine was
generally excellent and just a few
fillets of thinned putty were applied
in strategic positions to seal some
hairline gaps. The massive supercharger is very well detailed and
mounts positively to the rear of the
powerplant. The junctions where
The basic engine

parts, laid out prior
to assembly. A
simple structure
for an immensely
complicated engine
in reality!
Close-up view of a cylinder head showing the excellent detail, although some aftermarket resin bolt-heads
wouldn't go amiss here.
The Typhoons mighty

Napier Sabre engine is a key
focal point of the model and
Airfix have done a splendid
job of it in this kit...
The kit's
instructions show
the installation of a
small electric motor
to spin the prop, if
so desired.
02/07/2014 09:33
CHAPTER 5
its four compressed-air pipes (?) fit
to the corresponding ducts on the
engine were wrapped with narrow
strips of plastic card to emulate the
unions of the real thing; these are
much more complex in reality but it
was better than nothing.
Once again, I used Vallejo black
primer to undercoat the engine
block as the real thing was painted
in a rather dull overall black. As
I progress with this model (the
finished thing will appear within
one of ADH Publishings model
magazines) I will add further metallic finishes to the engine's ancillary
parts and this will create a more
complex, visually engaging appearance without straying too far from
the bounds of accuracy.
The ignition harnesses were
sprayed with Alclad II Aluminum
and once dry, given an acrylic
colour-wash using a yellow-brown
shade (diluted with Future) to
replicate the real thing's finish as
closely as possible. The short
ignition cables were braided steel
in reality so they were touched in
with a mixture of Humbrol Metalcote
Aluminium and matt white to create
a semi-metallic finish.
With the internal framing, engine,
instrument panel, seat and other
interior components now prepared,
I was well into the build of this
magnificent new production from
Airfix, and I have enjoyed every
minute of it so far. As mentioned
previously, this model will appear
in its completed form in one of
ADH Publishing's scale modelling
magazines so please keep an eye
out for it at www.adhpublishing.com
INTERNAL STRUCTURES
Here we see the massive supercharger

and its peripheral components. Perfect
alignment to the engine block is
assured thanks to solidly moulded,
cruciform lug that runs through the
centre of the various elements.
The supercharge is
sturdily engineered
and sports some
fine surface detail.
The fit of parts

here is good and a
little thinned putty
was painted over
some joint lines for
a perfectly sealed
surface.
Vallejo Surface Primer Black was applied over the

whole engine block. In reality, the finish would have
had more of a sheen to it, but the satin finish of the
model paint seemed more in-scale.
02/07/2014 09:34
At this stage, the

engine was testfitted to its bearers
to make sure that
paint build-up
wouldn't cause
problems later on.
A light application of a 'dust-wash' using Humbrol Enamel 234 (thinned with

lighter fluid) added a mild touch of weathering.
The ignition harnesses were sprayed

with Alclad II Aluminum and then
given an acrylic colour-wash to add a
little colour and to deepen the detail.
Here we see the

engine block with some
ancillary parts fitted,
ready for the next stage
of construction.
02/07/2014 09:34
CHAPTER 6 DETAILING, PAINTING AND WEATHERING
DETAILING, PAINTING
AND WEATHERING
Chris Wauchop adds some
extra detail before painting and
weathering the big Airfix 1:24
scale Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib.
60 Chapter 6 - Detailing, Painting and Weathering
02/07/2014 09:58
fter I had finished basic

construction of the Airfix
Typhoon, I handed it
over to master modeller
Chris Wauchop for painting and
weathering. I had never seen Chris
so eager to start a paint job not
surprising as the Typhoon is one
of Chriss favourite aircraft and that
the big Airfix kit provides an expansive canvas for his talent.
The model was passed on to
Chris as it was seen at the end
of Chapter 4. The airframe was
assembled, but the propeller and
undercarriage assemblies had not
yet been added. Ordnance was still
on the sprues too.
Chris now takes up the story:
02/07/2014 09:58
CHAPTER 6 Detailing, Painting and Weathering
ADDING DETAIL
Before painting the model I added

some details.
The first detail added

was a more realistic
representation of
the rocket guide rail
attachments or saddle
plates. After searching
online, Chris found
this shot of a couple of
damaged but basically
intact brackets. This
photo would be the main
reference in trying to
reproduce these rather
complex items.
Rockets
The first enhancement was a more
realistic representation of the rocket
guide rail attachments or saddle
plates.
After searching the net I found a
photograph of a couple of damaged
but basically intact brackets. This
photo would be my main reference
in trying to reproduce these rather
complex items.
Following a few abortive
attempts, a very acceptable result
was achieved by carefully bending
.010 x .040 Evergreen plastic strip
to the desired shape. I can't really
give precise measurements here,
as I made the first bracket by eye
and used it as a template to make
the next thirty!
After removal of the solid kit
saddle plates, the scratch-built
items were glued in place. Two
lengths of the plastic strip were
now glued between the top of the
bracket halves and to the top of the
rocket tube. This is not an entirely
accurate representation of this key
feature but it is a lot better than the
kit offering.
The rear of each rocket featured
a Weak Link Lead. Better known
as the 'pig tail', this feature seems
to have been entirely overlooked
by Airfix but is relatively simple to
replicate. I did this by cutting short
lengths of the appropriate diameter plastic rods and gluing them
together to represent the plugs.
Once dry a locating hole was drilled
in the narrow end of each plug and
a length of fine (.355mm) solder
wire was superglued in place.
A hole was then drilled in the
rear end of each rocket and, being
careful to keep them all the same
length, the 'pig tails' were glued
in place. According to reference
photos, the length of these leads
did vary a bit so it's just a matter of
finding one you're happy with and
using it as your guide.
The rocket launch rails were the
next items that needed work. Once
the two halves were glued together,
it was obvious that the uneven tops
of the rails were going to need a bit
of attention. This unevenness was
A. Following a few
abortive attempts
a very acceptable
result was achieved
by carefully
bending .010 x .040
Evergreen plastic
strip to the desired
shape.
A.
B.
B. After removing
the solid kit saddle
plates, the scratchbuilt items were
glued in place.
Two lengths of
the plastic strip
were now glued
between the top of
the bracket halves
and to the top of the
rocket tube.
C. The pig tails
were made by
cutting short lengths
of the appropriate
diameter plastic
rods and gluing
them together
to represent the
plugs. Once dry,
a locating hole
was drilled in the
narrow end of each
plug and a length
of fine (.355mm)
solder wire was
superglued in place.
D. A hole was
drilled in the rear
end of each rocket
and, being careful
to keep them all
the same length,
the pig tails were
glued in place.
According to
reference photos,
the length of these
leads did vary a bit
so its just a matter
of finding one
youre happy with
and using it as your
guide.
C.
D.
When the two halves of the rocket rails

were glued together it was obvious that
the uneven tops of the rails were going to
need a bit of attention. This unevenness
was flattened out by gluing a strip of
.020 plastic strip over the join and when
really dry, was sanded flat. On careful
examination of my reference Chris
noticed that the front end of the Mk 1b rail
was finished with a tapered cap. This was
added by gluing half round .035 plastic
rod to the front of each rail and cutting
the ends at 45 degrees.
This shot shows

the complete rocket
dry-fitted to the
finished launch rail.
02/07/2014 09:58
G
flattened out by gluing a strip of
.020 plastic strip over the join and
when really dry, was sanded flat.
On careful examination of my reference, I noticed that the front end
of the Mk 1b rail was finished with
a tapered cap. This was added by
gluing half round .035 plastic rod to
the front of each rail and cutting the
ends at 45 degrees.
All eight rockets complete were
painted with a 50/50 mix of Gunze
Sangyo H 52 Olive Drab and H 330
Dark Green with the saddle plates a
slightly darker shade of the same.
All the scratches and dirty scuff
marks were applied with a very
sharp 6B graphite pencil and a
Derwent Brown Ochre colouring
pencil (also very sharp). The yellow
I.D. rings on the nose tips were
roughly hand-painted as they
seemed to be in reality.
UNDERCARRIAGE DETAILS
The kits moulded-on brake lines
were removed and replaced with
scratch-built items made from plastic rod bent to shape and fine wire.
The inner and outer gear doors
were painted and weathered prior
to installation. The inner door's
pushrod broke away from its
hydraulic cylinder when this and its
opposite part were being removed
from the sprue. The plastic pushrods were replaced with nickel-plated
brass wire of the same length
and diameter, which gave a much
stronger and more satisfying result.
The main undercarriage wheel
hubs were painted with Alclad
ALC 101 Aluminum. A thin wash of
Tamiya X-18 Semi-gloss Black was
then carefully painted in and around
the raised and recessed detail. A
mix of 80% Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black
and 20% XF-64 Red Brown was
then brush painted around the hub
rim just wide enough to allow me to
airbrush, using the same colour, the
rest of the tyre and not getting too
much overspray.
The white tyre slip markers were
applied using a very fine brush. In
reality these markers were usually
hand painted so a few rough edges
can only add to the authenticity!
An extremely thin mix of the red/
brown was then loaded in the
airbrush and some careful shading
was sprayed around the hub detail.
Finally, the tyres received a fairly
All eight rockets

complete and
waiting to be
attached to their
launch rails. They
have been painted
with a 50/50 mix of
Gunze Sangyo H 52
Olive Drab and H
330 Dark Green with
the saddle plates
a slightly darker
shade of the same.
All the scratches
and dirty scuff
marks were applied
with a very sharp
6B graphite pencil
and a Derwent
Brown Ochre
colouring pencil
(also very sharp).
The yellow I.D.
rings on the nose
tips were roughly
hand-painted as
they seemed to be
in reality.
The kits mouldedon brake lines

were removed
and replaced with
scratch-built items
made with plastic
rod bent to shape
and fine wire.
end and its intake end was filed to

a tapered point.
A brass wire pin was then
cemented into the top of its vertical
arm and when this pin was glued
into the corresponding hole that
I had drilled into the lower wing
locating point, it gave the lateral
strength needed for this otherwise
very shallow glue join. The footstep
then received a new cover plate
and handle made with .010 plastic
strip and fine brass wire.
heavy dusting around the edges

with Tamiya XF-59 Desert Yellow.
FINISHING TOUCHES
After the addition of a couple of
small details, i.e. a pivot nut and a
bleed valve, the tail wheel received
basically the same paint job as the
main wheels.
The next items to become the
focus of my attention were the pitot
tube and the boarding footstep. The
pitot tube had a hole drilled in either
The inner and

outer gear doors
painted, weathered
and ready for
installation. The
plastic pushrods
were replaced with
nickel-plated brass
wire of the same
length and diameter,
which gave a much
stronger and more
satisfying result.
After the addition

of a couple of small
details, i.e. a pivot
nut and a bleed
valve, the tail
wheel received
basically the
same paint job
as the main
The main wheel hubs were painted with Alclad ALC

101 Aluminum. A thin wash of Tamiya X-18 Semigloss Black was then carefully painted in and around
the raised and recessed detail. A mix of 80% Tamiya
XF-1 Flat Black and 20% XF-64 Red Brown was then
brush painted around the hub rim just wide enough
to allow me to airbrush, using the same colour, the
rest of the tyre and not getting too much overspray.
The white tyre slip markers were then applied using
a very fine brush. An extremely thin mix of the red/
brown was then loaded in the airbrush and some
careful shading was sprayed around the hub detail.
Although not seen in this shot the tyres did receive
a fairly heavy dusting around the edges with Tamiya
XF-59 Desert Yellow.
The pitot tube had a hole
drilled in either end and its
intake end was filed to a
tapered point. A brass wire
pin was then cemented
into the top of its vertical
arm and when this pin
was glued into the
corresponding hole that I
had drilled into the lower
wing locating point. The
footstep then received a
new cover plate and handle
made with .010 plastic strip
and fine brass wire.
02/07/2014 09:59
PAINTING AND
WEATHERING
With the details complete, painting
of the main airframe could begin.
PAINTING
Paints were a combination of
Tamiya and Gunze-Sangyo acrylics,
all applied with my trusty Aztek
A470 airbrush fitted with the fine
tan-coloured tip.
The paints I used for the Day
Fighter Scheme were Tamiya XF-19
Sky Grey for the undersurfaces and
Gunze Sangyo H75 Dark Seagray
and H330 Dark Green for the upper
surfaces.
Gunze actually describe H330
Dark Green as BS381C/641 for use
on modern RAF aircraft but in my
humble opinion this slightly richer
green is a much better match for
the WWII colour than their recommended H73.
The hard demarcation line
between the upper and lowersurface colours was masked using
Tamiya masking tape while the
dark green was carefully sprayed
freehand following faint guidelines
I had drawn with a graphite pencil.
From the photographic evidence
that I have seen of these aircraft
the green pattern was sprayed
over the Dark Sea grey with a tight,
slightly soft edge and although
there were designated guidelines
for the demarcation of these two
colours the interpretation of these
guidelines did vary quite a bit from
aircraft to aircraft.
The invasion stripes, tail band and
the area behind cockpit headrest
were now masked and sprayed. The
actual width of the D-Day stripes
was supposed to be 18 inches (45.7
cm) but I think that in the haste of
their application this did vary a bit.
Anyway by my calculation, reducing
them to 1:24 scale would make
them about 3/4" (19mm) wide. And
that goes for tail band as well!
Wary of any decal transparency
I decided to give the location of
the fuselage roundels a more
even background by masking and
spaying a white disc over the black
invasion stripe. This was probably
not necessary, but better to be safe
than sorry.
The three main camouflage colours plus

the black/grey wing-walks have been
applied in this shot. The tape on the
starboard wing is the start of the masking
for the invasion stripes. The black/
grey wing walk strips seen in this shot
were later widened by another couple
of millimetres as per some clearer
reference photos found after the fact.
The invasion stripes, tail band and

the area behind cockpit headrest
were now masked and sprayed.
Chris decided to
give the location
for the fuselage
roundels a more
even background
by masking and
spaying a white
disc over the black
invasion stripe. Also
in this shot can be
seen the beginning
of the weathering
process - scratches
done with a silver
pencil and airbrush
shading of panel
lines and exhaust
stains using a very
mix of Tamiya XF-1
Flat Black and
XF-64 Red Brown.
02/07/2014 09:59
The weathering process also

continued at this stage with lots of
scratches done with a silver pencil
and airbrush shading of panel lines
and exhaust stains using a very
mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and
XF-64 Red Brown.
The camouflage
paints are Tamiya
XF-19 Sky Grey for
the undersurfaces
and Gunze Sangyo
H75 Dark Seagray
and H330 Dark
Green for the upper
surfaces.
DECALS AND COMPLETION

When painting commenced we still
had not received the kit decals,
but fortunately Xtradecal had just
released their after market decals
for the Airfix Typhoon, Item No.
X24003 Hawker Typhoon Mk 1b.
After joint discussion, we had
already decided that the most
The exposed engine

results in a very
busy appearance.
interesting scheme would be PR-M,

Serial No. MN131, A Typhoon Mk.IB
attached to 609 Sqn, 123 Wing,
2 TAF, on Thorney Island with full
D-Day stripes and a blue spinner.
Most references quote this aircraft as having a three-bladed propeller, and the serial number seems
to support this, but a photograph
on page 136 of Christopher Shores
and Chris Thomas excellent book,
2nd Tactical Air Force Volume 1
Spartan to Normandy June 1943
to June 1944, seems to show the
aircraft with a four-bladed propeller.
Armed with this photo reference,
we decided to go with the kits fourbladed prop.
As fate would have it, an early
issue of the kit decals turned up
just as I was completing the paint
job. This worked out well, as I could
use the kits national markings and
some of the stencil markings. All
the unique aircraft markings were

sourced from the Xtradecal sheet,
except the rough white PRs,
which looked much smaller than
the markings on the real aircraft.
Instead, these were cobbled
together from other white markings
on the Xtradecal sheet.
The final finish was a coat of
Testors Model Master ACRYL Flat
Clear. I was really pleased with this,
as it imparted the hint of sheen,
especially on the high points of the
oil canned surfaces of the airframe.
With the paint job complete, the
undercarriage, wheels, propeller
assembly and rockets were glued
in place. A whip antenna was also
attached to the fuselage spine aft
of the cockpit. This was simply cut
from fine wire.
At last the big model was sitting
on its wheels and finished.
Or was it?
02/07/2014 09:59
CHAPTER 6 Detailing, Painting and Weathering

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
A. Contrary to
most references,
we chose the fourbladed propeller
assembly based
on a photo in
Christopher Shores
and Chris Thomas
excellent book, 2nd
Tactical Air Force
Volume 1 Spartan
to Normandy June
1943 to June 1944
B. Engine detail is
straight from the
box. Reference
photos show many
Typhoons with this
pattern of exhaust
staining on the
stacks with the pale
colour concentrated
at the front.
C. A view from
the top.
G.
I.
D. The few coloured

details lend some
variation to the
black and silver of
the engine bay.
E. The black
walkway decal
was widened by
airbrushing.
H.
F. The combination
of raised rivets and
recessed surface
features may be
appreciated here.
G. The handholds
and footholds may
be posed open or
closed.
H. The stirrup
pilots step, glued
into the lowered
position.
I. The bubble top
canopy is thin and
free from distortion.
02/07/2014 09:59
g
J.
L.
K.
N.
J. Chris carefully
reproduced
the unusual
demarcation of the
forward invasion
stripe, and the
overpainting of the
port side fuselage
roundel.
M.
K. The white PR
was cobbled
together from white
decal pieces.
L. The Ms on the
other side were the
right size.
O.
M. Detail of the
kit tail wheel and
the chunky but
authentic surface
textures on the
lower empennage.
P.
N. Chris painted the

inside of the cannon
bay doors.
O. Careful
weathering has
helped create an
impressive result.
Q.
R.
S.
P. Chris scribed a
line around each of
the cannon fairings
to match reference
photos.
Q. The starboard
navigation light.
R. The kit wheels
are subtly bulged
and flattened.
Note the white tyre
alignment marks.
T.
U.
S. The
undercarriage
doors have been
weathered to match
the undersurface of
the model.
T. Rockets in place
with pig tails
dangling!
U. A view of the
rockets from
underneath the
wings.
02/07/2014 10:00
The model was initially

finished with all the engine
and cannon bay detail
exposed.
02/07/2014 09:59
The whip antenna was cut

from a length of fine wire.
The hard demarcation

line between the upper
and lower-surface colours
was masked using Tamiya
masking tape while the
dark green was carefully
sprayed freehand...
Port side profile of this powerful ground attack aircraft.
02/07/2014 10:00
CLOSING UP
From the first time that Chris saw

the model in the box he said that
hed prefer to see it with the cowlings in place, displaying the rugged
lines of the Typhoon to their best
advantage.
Even when he picked up the
assembled model, he said that he
would find out whether the cowlings
would fit over the engine detail with
some modification.
As it turns out, they dont. The
model is designed to be built with
engine detail displayed, or the
engine cowlings in place; but will
not allow the cowls to be taken on
and off.
Chris was undeterred. We had
earlier agreed that he would keep
this model and house it in his large
display cabinet. After I had photographed the model, Chris told me
he would try to modify the kit and
glue the cowlings in place.
As it turned out, Chris said it was

not a very difficult job. He simply
had to chop away much of the protruding engine detail from the top
and sides of the engine, then the
cowling and wing root panels could
be glued in place. There were a
few gaps that had to be filled with
Milliput White Epoxy Putty, but then
the cowlings were touched up and
weathered to match the rest of the
airframe.
Chris also sealed the port wing
cannon bay using the one-piece
closed door supplied in the kit.
Once again, when the closed
panel was glued in place, the paint
was touched up to match the surrounding area. The section of wing
roundel on the cannon bay door
was cut from Xtradecal solid RAF
Roundel Red (Item No. XTF02) and
RAF Roundel Blue (XF01) decal
using an Olfa circle cutter.
Now you see it, now you

dont! Chris sealed the
engine cowlings and the
port side cannon bay.
Chris reported
that the fit was
pretty good, with
just a little Milliput
required to fill some
gaps around the
wing root fairings.
The wing cannon

bay was also
sealed.
02/07/2014 09:59
Protruding details had to be

chopped off the engine to
allow the cowlings to fit. The
cowlings were then glued
in place.
02/07/2014 09:59

The clean lines of the buttoned-up
Tiffie may be appreciated here.
MODELSPEC
Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB.
Kit No. AX19002
Airfixs 1:24 scale Typhoon

is a truly impressive model...
Tools and Accessories Used:

Lots of Tamiya masking tape
Evergreen 102 plastic strip .010 x
.040 and various size plastic rod
XTRADECAL X24003 Hawker
Typhoon Mk 1b
XTRADECAL Item No. XTF01 - RAF
Roundel Blue
XTRADECAL Item No. XTF02 - RAF
Roundel Red
Airscale Item No. AS24 - RAFGeneric
WWII RAF Instrument Dial Decals
Paints and Finishing Products Used:
Gunze Sangyo Acrylics H75 Dark
Seagray, H330 Dark Green, H74 Sky
(Duck Egg Green)
Tamiya Acrylics XF-19 Sky Grey,
XF-1 Flat Black, XF-2 Flat White, XF-64
Red Brown
Alclad II Lacquer - Aluminum ALC 101
Model Master ACRYL 4636/Flat Clear
02/07/2014 10:00
The section of upper wing

roundel on the port wing
cannon bay was replaced
with solid colour decal cut
using an Olfa circle cutter.
The beast complete. Airfixs 1:24 scale

Typhoon is a truly impressive model.
02/07/2014 10:03
APPENDIX
AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES
DECALS:
Xtradecal Item No. X24003
Hawker Typhoon Mk.1b
Xtradecal Item No. XTF01
RAF Dull Roundel Blue WWII (solid colour decal)
Xtradecal Item No. XTF02
RAF Dull Roundel Red WWII (solid colour decal)
Available from Hannants www.hannants.co.uk

Airscale Item No. AS24 TIFF
Cockpit Instrument Decals Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB
Available from airscales website www.airscale.co.uk

PHOTO-ETCHED UPDATES:
RB Productions Item No. RB-P2006
1/24 Sutton QS / QL / QP Harness
REFERENCES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Hawker Typhoon:
A Complete Guide to the RAFs
Classic Ground Attack Fighter
by Richard A. Franks
Valiant Wings Publications
Airframe and Miniature No.2
ISBN 9780956719812
2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE Vol. 1,

Spartan to Normandy
by Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas

Air War Classics, Ian Allan Publishing
ISBN 1 903223 40 7

Breakout to Bodenplatte

ISBN 1 903223 40 7

From the Rhine to Victory

ISBN 1 903223 60 1

Squadrons, Camouflage and Markings,
Weapons and Tactics 1943-1945

ISBN 1 906537 01 2
HAWKER TYPHOON/TEMPEST
by Yuzawa, Yutaka (ed)

Famous Airplanes of the World No. 63
ISBN 4-89319-060-1
THE HAWKER TYPHOON AND TEMPEST
by Francis K. Mason
Aston Publications 1988
ISBN 0-946627-19-3
THE HAWKER TYPHOON, TEMPEST

AND SEA FURY
by Kev Darling
Motorbooks International
ISBN 1861266200
TYPHOON/TEMPEST IN ACTION
by Jerry Scutts,
Squadron/Signal publication No 102
ISBN 0-897447-232-2
TYPHOON AND TEMPEST ACES OF

WORLD WAR 2
by Chris Thomas,
Osprey Aircraft of the Aces, No 27
ISBN 1-85532-779-1
TYPHOON AND TEMPEST:

The Canadian Story
by Hugh A. Halliday
ISBN: 0-921022-06-9
WEBSITES:
HyperScale http://www.hyperscale.com
74 Appendix
p 74 Appendices TyphoonBG.indd 74
12/08/2014 13:51
The HOW TO BUILD... series
pre-production cover
Visit www.adhbooks.com
p 75 AdvertIBC Typhoon.indd 8
02/07/2014 10:08
Airfix has undoubtedly

delivered a true scale
classic for our time.
Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib

The Hawker Typhoon was constantly improved over its
period of wartime service. The initial car door canopy
offered only limited rearward vision so this was eventually
replaced with a clear-vision sliding bubble canopy.
By pilot accounts, the Typhoon was a solid gun platform,
fast at low altitudes and impressively powerful, although
controls were heavy at high speed.
Despite proving unsuitable as a pure fighter, the Typhoon
lives on in legend thanks to its remarkable ground attack
record against Axis airfields, shipping, vehicles and trains.
Airfixs brand new 1:24 scale Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib
is an outstanding model.
Surface texture is positively daring with its rippled oilcan effect
and the combination of raised and recessed rivets. Detail is
dense, just as it was on the original aircraft. If the modeller
wishes to display the engine or the wing cannon bays, Airfix
offers a number of options that do not compromise scale or
detail. Even more remarkable is that all of this detail is delivered
in injection-moulded plastic alone.
Airfix has undoubtedly delivered a true scale classic for our time.
This new book features an exhaustive step-by-step guide to
building this remarkable model with contributions from Brett
Green, Marcus Nicholls and Chris Wauchop.
Analysis of the 1:72 Airfix Typhoon, 1:48 Hasegawa kits and the
1:32 scale multimedia offering from MDC are also included.
Hundreds of construction photos, reference images, a museum
walk around, and how to get the very best from your big Typhoon
kit a must have before you build your model!
Published by:
ADH Publishing Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX
Telephone: 44 (0) 1525 222573 Fax: 44 (0) 1525 222574
Website: www.adhpublishing.com
p 76 BackCover TyphoonBG.indd 1
02/07/2014 10:12

Airfix How To Build - Hawker Typhoon MK - LB

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HOW TO

FEATURING THE WORK OF

COMPREHENSIVE BUILDS PLUS:

Typhoon Walk Around

FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

n my very early teens, I asked for the Airfix 1:24 scale

Brett Green, June 2014

p 02-03 Contents TyphoonBG.indd 2

Copyright 2014 ADH Publishing Ltd.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or

First Published in the United Kingdom by:

ADH Publishing Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,

How to Build... Tamiyas 1:32 F4U-1 Corsair 3

p 02-03 Contents TyphoonBG.indd 3

awker Aircraft was formed

Serial No. R8384,

p 04-05 Background TyphoonBG.indd 4

standing by when the Typhoon

60 lb rockets being loaded onto presentation

By pilot accounts, the Typhoon

How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib 5

p 04-05 Background TyphoonBG.indd 5

CHAPTER 1 Hawker Typhoon Close Up

This is the last intact

Bryan Ribbans presents a series

awker Typhoon Mk.IB

6 Chapter 1 - Hawker Typhoon Close Up

p 06-11 Chapter 1 TyphoonBG.indd 6

The nose of the

How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib 7

p 06-11 Chapter 1 TyphoonBG.indd 7

CHAPTER 1 Hawker Typhoon Close Up

19 1969, it remained at Shawbury

2013 for preparation prior to shipping to the Canada Aviation and

The big radiator

The radiator flap

8 Chapter 1 - Hawker Typhoon Close Up

p 06-11 Chapter 1 TyphoonBG.indd 8

One of the main

How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib 9

p 06-11 Chapter 1 TyphoonBG.indd 9

CHAPTER 1 Hawker Typhoon Close Up

10 Chapter 1 - Hawker Typhoon Close Up

p 06-11 Chapter 1 TyphoonBG.indd 10

This cockpit section

The gun sight

The rear of the

How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib 11

p 06-11 Chapter 1 TyphoonBG.indd 11

CHAPTER 2 Hawker Typhoon in Other Scales

HAWKER TYPHOON IN OTHER SCALES

Hawker Typhoon in 1:72 Scale

lthough there is not a very

Airfix Kit No. A02041 1:72

sprue gates are extremely chunky

Fishtail plates are

12 Chapter 2 - Hawker Typhoon in Other Scales

p 12-17 Chapter 2 TyphoonBG.indd 12

there was some arrangement to

The big four-bladed

The main wheels

The optional open

The kit features