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Hawker Hunter model plane - more construction details and pictures
Modifications to the nose of the model Hawker Hunter and other details.
The primed hunter resting on R/C plane wing.
The nose is almost done. A little more sanding was done after this photo of the aircraft was taken.
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Once dried out the wings were then fixed to the fuselage. The fit is good here and very little filler is needed. With the tail surfaces fixed into position and everything set, it was time to take a closer look at the nose on this model. It's very difficult to isolate an inaccuracy other than it just looking wrong. I looked at pictures of Hunters, comparing them to the model in a spot the difference style fasion. The side profile is not far out I reckon, but the nose needs more meat on the sides. Where the canopy fixes is too flat also I think.
Time for some plastic filler. The nose was built up with filler paticularly around the upper sides in front of the cockpit. While this was drying an angle was sanded on the canopy bottom.
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The dried filler was shaped with wet and dry to what I consider a closer ressemblance of the FGA9 Hunter. To get the rear of the modified canopy to seat properly, some plastic was removed from the rear cockpit. The nose was then given a coat of grey enamel primer to even things up for inspection.
The results I think are good, it looks like a Hunter to me now anyhow. You lose the panel lines from the nose doing this modification but there aren't many there. The lines can always be re-marked at a later date if desired.
As luck would have it, one of my aircraft books contains a side view of a Hunter which is almost the same size as a 1/72 scale model. This allowed me to make a template for the side view of the nose to check for accuracy. Turns out pretty good.
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At this stage I decided to finish the model wheels up. The undercarriage seemed a bit weak and prone to damage to me, also a wheels up Hawker Hunter on a stand is going to look well cool.
The undercarriage doors fit quite well in the closed position. What you have to avoid is losing them through the hole when glueing into position, (yep I managed this two or three times).
The underwing stores were assembled onto the pylons but left off the model for the time being. I also left the wing probe and antenna until later to save them getting knocked off.
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Hawker Hunter model page 1 construction
Hawker Hunter model page 2 construction
Hawker Hunter model finished aircraft
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