The monthly newsletterof IPMS, New Zealand.Auckland Branch

JUNE

201

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EDITOR Craig Sargent (09)418 3934craig.sargent@xtra.co.nz

ADDRESS• Postal-C/-Kevin Benson 87PointEnglandRoad,PointEngland, auckland1072

• EMaIl-ipmsauckland@gmail.com • WEB-ipmsauckland.hobbyvista.com

• YaHoo- groups.yahoo.com/group/ipmsauckland

• Members John Watkins Brett Sharman Henry Ludlam Peter Foxley Mike Rather

CoMMIttEE

• Chairman

Peter Harrison

• treasurer

Kevin Benson

IntHIsIssuE

•Chairman’sBit 1

•BulletinBoard 2

•Legato&AZModel1/72Hawker 4

Hurricane Mk.IIc & Mk.IV

by Mark Davies

•Onthetable 11

nExtMEEtIngMoDEllIngREalIstICsEaBasEs

ComealongandgetsomepointersonhowtomakesomerealisticscaleocenandwaveswithRobin

tuesday19thJune-7.30pmleysInstitute(upstairs)20saintMarysRoad,Ponsonby

WEBMastER Rob Willisjaxbw@orcon.net.nz

FRoMtHEEDItoR

Hellofrommeagain.Halfwaythrough the year and another successfulModelXisnowbehindus.

The IPMS Nationals in Alexandra are fast approaching - hopefully therewillbesometravellingmembers for the Auckland club to helptheclubdowntheremaketheevent a success.

TheAucklandcommitteeisnowplanning for the Nationals to be heldherein2013.Everyones’helpis needed to organise the event and make it a success. Please let thecommitteeknowhowyoucanhelp to organise this and make it a success.

I have been told that from this meetingonwards,memberswillbelimited to 30 seconds per model for the round the table at the club night,andthattherewillbeastopwatchtohelplimittheamountoftime taken up by the presentation of models. Please provide any

feedbacktothecommitteeonhoweffective you feel this is.

With the onset of Winter and the wetter,colderweather,itwillbegoodto see an increase in amount of models on the table.

Smallnewsletterthismonthaswedo not have many articles. With theverywelldonepresentationbyPeterFoxleylastmonthonhowto easily take good quality photos ofyourmodels,itwouldbegoodto see more of you submitting picturesandabriefwriteuponthecompletedmodelsweareseeing on the table. All it takes is a couple of photos and a paragraph ortwoonthekititself;raisedorrecessed panel lines? rescribed? fit problems? shake and bake kit? paints used? changes made? brief subjecthistory?Thatway,wecanstart getting some more content in thenewsletter.Don’tleaveittothesame people every month.

SeeyouonTuesday,

Craig

BullEtInBoaRD

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notICEssubsAnnualsubsarenowdueandcanbe deposited via internet banking or at your bank into the club account below.Makesuretoincludeyourfullnameinthetransactiondetailssoweknowwhohaspaidtheirfees.

accesstoclubroomsonmeetingnightsAA have requested members not to use the AA meeting room and kitchen as access to the IPMS meeting area at the Leys Institute. If you arrive and the club rooms are notopen,pleasewaitforoneofthecommitteewithanaccesskeytoopen up.

IPMsnationals2012Nationalsarebeingheld22-23SeptemberinAlexandraandwillcoincidewiththeannualblossomfestival.Formoreinformation,gotohttp://www.rexedra.gen.nz/coms/IPMS_2012.html

IPMsBanKaCCountnuMBER

030162001296000

Pleaseaddyourdetailssoweknowwhohaspaid.

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July:Buy,Sell,Swap,

august:“AirfixforAugust”:Followon from Feb Frog. Bring along any Airfixkitbuiltand/orfinishedin2012formembers’vote

september: Demonstration: Making scale nav lights and vents

october: Build The Same... Night: RNZAF 75th Anniversary. Also includesNZPAF,allRNZAFsquadronsandNZdesignatedSquadronswithinthe RAF.

november: Demonstration: Aerialwiresandrigging.

December: Sci-Fi group build competition,and“2012build”ClosedClub competition. Theme build for December2012announcedatJanuaryclubnight:Sci-Fi.Sci-fiwasclarifiedas anything relating to Science Fiction,eg;TVseriesormovies,oryourownimagination,butdoesn’tincludeLuftwaffe46,whatif’s(regularplanesin‘other’markings!).SoStarTrek,StarWars,Babylon5,Firefly,virtuallyanyGerryAndersonseries,DrWho,LostinSpace,BattlestarGalacticaetc,allqualify..asdoesGundamandotherweirdJapanese Sci-fi and mecha…or some assembly of bits from your spares box… you get the idea.

As a summary of the above - if you are interested in participating in any of the build activities for theyear,youshouldnowhavestarted,orbethinkingabout,whatyouplantobuildforthefollowingsubjects:

August - any Airfix kitOctober-RNZAF75thAnniversaryDecember - SciFi

Note that any entries for these builds musthavebeenstarted,orfinishedin2012.

EVENTS

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Legato & AZ Model 1/72 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc & Mk.IVby Mark Davies

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REVIEW

BackgroundTheHawkerHurricaneneedsnointroduction because most aviation enthusiastsandmodellerswillatleastknowitsoutlinehistory.Iwilltherefore make only brief mention of some features applicable to the Hurricanes that are the subjects of thisfirstlookreview.The Hurricane Mk.IIc is instantly recognizable for its four aggressively protruding20-mmcannon,butitwasnotthefirstoperational Hurricane to usethisweaponsfit,theSeaHurricaneMk.Icwas.TheMk.IIcwashowevermorepowerfulandhadfar better performance using the same heavy armament. Production commencedinMay1941,anditwastobecomethemost produced version of the Hurricane.

The Mk.IIc packed a more powerfulpunchthanmostofitscontemporaries,butitwasalsoslowerthanmanyofthem.ItservedwellthroughoutWW2,althoughbylate1944itsfrontlineservicewasmainlyintheFarEast.Itfulfilled

diverserolesincludingnight-fighter,intruder,photoreconnaissance,anddayfighter(whenoutsideofWesternEurope);butitwasgroundattack that increasingly became its forte. Some also had arrestor hook conversions to become Sea Hurricane Mk.IIc’s,buttheseretainedRAFradios and other equipment and werenotasnavalisedasprevious

“true”SeaHurricanes.Thereweresome fully navalised late production SeaHurricaneMk.IIc’s,butfewsawshipboard service.

Logically enough the next Hurricane versionwastheMk.IId,whichwasthe first production type armed

withtwo40mmVickersTypeScannonandtwo.303”machinegunsfor sighting purposes. This version initially had the same armour as otherMKII’s,butadded348-lbsofadditional protection later in the productionrun.Meanwhileworkproceeded on a dedicated ground attackvariantusingauniversalwingthat could accept several armament

options. These included four20-mmcannon,two40-mmcannonandtwo.303”machineguns,andthe ability to carry various sizedbombs,drop-tanksorrocket projectiles under the wing.TheresultwastheMk.IIe,butitwasrenamedthe Mk.IV before its service introduction. It had a more powerful1,620-hpMerlin27engine,anarmouredradiator,additionalenginearmour,andtheuniversalwing.Productioncommenced in April 1943 anditwasstillinfrontline

serviceintheBalkansandFarEastatthewar’send.Itwasthelastproductionversion,butnotthelastHurricaneproduced,asthishonourwenttoaMk.IIcinthesummerof1944.Previous1/72HurricaneMk.IIc&Mk.IV Kits

Numerous1/72HurricaneMk.IIckits have kept modellers busy over the years. I have named the originalmouldmanufacturersfirst,followedbytheirre-boxbrandsinbracketsifapplicable:Kelkraft,Lotnia(Farmtex),Ikko(AHM&Arri),Frog(Bienengraber,Hema,Humbrol,MilionPlamo,Minix,Minicraft,Novo,Plasty,RolyToys,Tashigrushkam,Remus),Matchbox(AMT),Heller(SMER),Academy,Hasegawa,Revelland Airfix.NoshortagethenofMk.IIc’s,butmost1/72-scalemodellerswouldprobablyselectfromHasegawa,Revell,AcademyorAirfixifbuyinganewkitthesedays. None of thesebrands’Mk.IIc Kits is so good that theydenyroomforanewkit to have a chance in the market,soplease,trytostifle any groans about not needing another Hurricane Mk.IIc in the one true scale - Thank you.

There have been relatively few1/72HurricaneMk.IVkits.Airfix’spurportedlyenabled you to build a Mk.Ia,IIaandIVfromthesamekit,butlackedtheMk.IV’sarmouredradiatorand had the same engine cowlforallversions!(AirfixCorp,AirfixCraftmasterand Plasty all re-boxed this best forgotten release). HasegawareleasedaMK.IVbasedontheirMk.IIcwithasuitableradiator,Vokesfilterandweaponsparts.I have no doubt that this isprobablyagoodkit,butsadly,Ithinkitisalsoveryrare. The slightly more readilyavailableSMERMk.IVisare-boxofHeller’sMk.IIcwithadditionalparts.Itisthereforequiteapparentthatweare overdue for a modern and readily available Mk.IV kit.The Legato Mk.IIc & AZ Model Mk.IV Kits

overviewAZModelsemergedafewyearsagoasabrandfromLegato,whohad until then produced resin kits (although their resin kit production

appears to have ceased around the sametime).TheAZbrandstablenowincludesAZModel,AZ-ModelBasic,SilverAZEdition,AZAirport,Admiral,andnowa“resurrected”Legatore-applied to injection-moulded kits. AZAirportaside,IhaveneverbeenabletofathomAZModel’sbrandinglogic,ifindeedthereisany.Thetypeand quality of kits across the brand namesisgenerallyverysimilar,thesubjects covered by all brands are quitevaried,anditisclearthatsometoolsharingwithintherangesalsooccurs. So it comes as no surprise thatthenewLegatoHurricaneMk.IIc

kits share many parts in common withtheAZModelHurricaneMK.IV(whichsharesitssprueswiththeirHurricane Mk.IId and Mk.V kits).ThekitsreviewedherearetypicalofAZModelfamily,beinglimited-runinjectedstyrenekitswithclearstyrene canopies. The quality of moulding,spruegatesizeandsoonisgenerallysimilartoSpecialHobby’sfor the sake of comparison to a possiblybetter-knownbrand.The

Mk.IVhassomeresincomponents,whichissometimesafeatureofotherAZModel,AdmiralandAZSilverkitsaswell.

A typically Czech end-opening box containsasurprisewithin;thisbeingwhatisineffectthebottom-halfof a top-opening box. It serves asahandydrawerforthekitcomponents,andleavestheouterbox free to look at the painting and markings guide on its reverse side. It also lends some extra rigidity to the closed box and so reduces the chances of crushing. A re-

sealable cellophane bag contains the kit parts and instructions.

theContentsThe folded A-4 sized instructions contain a parts map and diagrammatic assembly stagesasyouwouldexpect.However,goingbytoday’sstandardsIwoulddescribethemasmediocre in appearance. They are adequate for theirpurpose,whichwitha1/72-scaleHurricanekitissimpleenough,butsimply look cheap. I do not suppose it matters agreatdeal,buttheyareoutofstepwiththestandards set by the remainder of the package. Paint call-outs use generic names and Humbrol paint numbers. Written instructionsareinEnglishandCzech,andusedsparingly.The kit parts come moulded in a matt-finish plastic on one clear and twogreysprueswith

reasonably fine gates. There is flash on most parts. All of the Mk.IIc kits reviewedshareexactlythesamesprues,whereastheMkIVhasadifferent sprue layout despite sharing somepartsincommonwiththeMk.IIc kits. The parts are typically limited run in that they lack locating lugs,andthemouldingofsomesmalldetails looks a bit soft in places.

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theairframeSurface detail is generally good withdelicaterecessedpanellines,raisedinboardwingstrengtheningstrips and restrained fabric covered areas. Fabric effect is an area several Hurricanekitsareletdownby,andthe AZ/Legato fuselage fabric is far from perfect. It is scalloped rather than looking like a series of almost flatstripswithwelldefinededges(seeaccompanyingimage),butitdoes appear less exaggerated than onseveralotherkits.Despitethis,theyhaveexaggeratedtwoveryslightly more defined stringers on therealHurricane,andthesewillneed sanding back to appear far less prominent. This should also address some slight mould damage affecting one these raised lines. There is a curved line incorrectly engraved

on the fin. This should be a slightly raisedlinecausedbythefin’sleadingedge structure under the fabric. I suggest laying some stretched sprue in the engraved line and sanding it downcarefully.The clear one-piece canopy is adequate for the job given that littleofthecockpitdetailwillbevisibleanyway.However,itisnotasclearassomeotherbrands,the framing is a bit thick and I could see signs of very slight mould damage. It is useable as is,butIwouldbetemptedtoreplacewithaFalconvacformorsandtheframingoff,polishit,andusepainteddecalstripsfor the framing. The Mk.IIC alsohastwoclearlandinglightcovers,somethingtheMk.IVlacksunfortunately.

There is a major difference in the wheelwellstructurebetweentheMk.IIc&IVkits,althoughIbelievethisisnotthecasewithrealHurricanes,asIthinkthatthewellremained essentially unchanged across all versions. The Mk.IV kit sharesitssprueswiththeMk.IIdandMk.Vboxingsthatwerefirstreleased in various boxings about a year ago. These all have a fully enclosedwheelwellswithwallsthatincorrectlyfollowthecurvedoutlineofthewell’scutoutinthewing’sundersurface(theHasegawa,Academy and Revell kits are similar in this respect). The Mk.IIc kits howeverhaveafar more authentic wheel-wellinterior formed by a box whosewallsaresomedistancefromthecutoutedges(asisthenewAirfixMk.IIc’s).

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ResincatersfortheMk.IV’sarmouredradiatorhousing,asitdoesfortheseat,whichisstrange,asthisitemisotherwiseidenticaltotheMk.IIc’splasticseat,althoughtheresinseatreveals the harness detail better. The otherresinpartsincludedwiththeMk.IV are a carburetor intake and eightrocketprojectiles(RP’s)withtheir launch rails.Cockpit detail is generally quite good forasubjectwithaclosedcanopy.Thereissidewalldetailmouldedinsidethefuselagehalves,arearbulkheadandfloorwithheal-boards.The Hurricane lacked a solid floor but this compromise is acceptable I feel.TheMk.IIc’sinstrumentpanellooksquitegoodcompletewithitscompassrepeater,yettheMk.IV’slacks this feature. There are rudder pedalsthatwillbehardtosee,anda reasonable representation of the controlcolumnthatwillbenefitfromagoodcleanup.Theseatwithitsintegrally moulded harness and a nicely detailed gun-sight complete theMk.IIc’scockpit,butasightisnotincludedwiththeMk.IV!

Airframe construction for both marks is conventional and essentially the same. The trailing

edgesofwingsarereasonablyfine and conform to the general limits of short-run injection moulding,sosomewillwishtorefine these further. There is a Vokesfilterwithbothkits,whichis applicable to some kit colour schemes.Asmentionedalready,the radiator housings differ in shape;theMk.IV’sisresinwhilsttheMk.IIc’sisstyrene.Bothusestyrenematrixfaces,althoughofdifferentshapes,andincludethecircular oil cooler in the centre.Nicelydetailedwheelwellsareafeatureofbothkits,buttheMk.IIchas the more accurate example as mentioned earlier because its wallsdonotfollowandjointhefulloutline of the opening. The Mk.IIc instructions advise to shorten the undercarriagelegsby2-mmbecauseof the difference in depth of its wheelwellinserts.TheMk.IV’slessaccuratewheelwellreflectsasimilar approach adopted by several other brands of Hurricane kit. The undercarriage doors look okay and themainwheelshaveweightedtyres.ThewheelrimsontheMk.IVspruelookedabitrough,Ithinkpossibly due to mould damage.

Remainingitemsincludetwo40-gallondroptanks,exhaustswithseparateblankingplatestofixbehindtheirfuselageopening,andanunder-wingpitot,antennamast,andofcoursethecanopy.These parts are common to both kits.

The Mk.IIc has four very prominent20-mmcannon,and the kit provides examples ofbothstyleofHispanowiththeir different recoil spring locations. This is a nice touch allowingthebuildersomeflexibility to complete a variety of colour schemes. The cannons lookreasonable,butcleaningtheflashfromthespringswillbe a nuisance I suspect. Also applicable to the intruder and night-fighteroptionsaretwoexhaust glare shields to fit to the fuselagesidesaheadandbelowthe cockpit. The thickness of theseiswelloverscaleandtheywillneedthinningorreplacementwithsuitableplasticcardpieces.The instructions are a little vague regarding their exact location.TheMk.IVboxingreviewedherefocuses on RP-armed examples.

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YoucanmounttheRP’sunderbothwings,orasymmetricallywithRP’sunderonewingonlyanda40-gallontank under the other (although the instructions do not mention this). TheRP’sarebettercastthanfirstappearances suggest because easily removedmouldflashbetweentheirstirrups makes them appear chunky. Cleaned up they should look quite good because they are finer than injection moulding could produce. The rails on my sample need some gentlestraighteninginwarmwater,butotherwiselookokay.Therearesomesmallandunwantedlittlelumpsontheblastplatesbetweentherails,buttheseshouldbeeasytoremove.The instructions do not address gunarmament,andthewinghasnoblastholesinthewing’sleadingedge,althoughthespent case and link ejection chutes areonthewing’sunderside.Mk.IV’sweresuppliedfrom the factory withtwo.303machineguns as a standardfitinwhatwouldotherwisebe the outboard 20-mmcannonbay.Possiblythesewereremovedwhenrocketswereused,but I am inclined tothinknot,andrecommend blast holes be drilled in thewing’sleadingedges. The kit has 40-mm cannons intendedforusewithotherboxingsthatcouldreplacetherockets,butcheck references for markings and remember to drill the holes for the .303 machineguns if you do build a tank-buster.

AZModel’sMk.IVprecededLegato’sMk.IIc,soitisgoodtheyhaveimprovedthewheelwells,instrument panel and landing lights on the later kit. It is a pity they did not include the improvements withtheirMk.IId,IV&Vkitsretrospectively,butIcanunderstandtheeconomicsofwhytheydidnot.PerhapswhentheMk.IId/IV/Vmouldwearsouttheywill..

I doubt that assembly of the AZ/LegatokitswillrunquiteassmoothlyaswouldbethecasefortheHasegawa,Academy,Revell,orAirfixkits.Thissaidhowever,Idonotthinkthattherewillbeanyrealdifficultieseither. Modern limited run kits like these demand more cleaning up prep than their mainstream brand equivalents,andpossiblyabitmorefitadjustment,butgenerally,thatisabout it. I can see nothing to suggest thatthiswillnotbethecasewiththekitsreviewedhere.Colours & MarkingsAlloftheLegatoMk.IIckitsreviewedhere are the same other than the twomarkingsoptionsprovidedwitheachboxing.Eachkit’smarkingsconform to a broad theme as is apparent from the box sub-titles suchas“OverAfrica”,“Night

Fighter”,“PostWar”etc.

This approach of offering numerous different decal options by boxing gives the end-userawidechoiceofcolourschemes,butIshouldthinkit may disadvantage stockists whomustsecond-guessthemarketastowhichtostockandinwhatquantities.IntheshorttermthiswillbegoodforAZ/Legato because stockists may end up carrying more product thanotherwisewouldbethecase.However,stockistsmayinthe longer term settle on just carryingthesure-to-sellboxings,and indent any others as they are requested by customers. This in turn may mean that end-users

willwaitlongertogetthelesspopular boxings.

The Hurricane Mk.IIc markings options provided by box number and subtitle are:· AZL7212“OverAfrica”:- BP588/RS-X,No33SqnRAF,Benina,Libya,November-December1942.(DarkEarth&Stone over Azure Blue)..- BE643/AK-U,No213SqnRAF,Edku,Egypt,1942.(DarkEarth&StoneoverAzureBluewithhornetmotifssuperimposedon fuselage roundels).· AZL7213“NightFighter”:- BE581/JX-E,No1SqnRAF,Redhill,May1942.(Early-styleintruderschemeofDarkGreen&OceanGreyoverBlack).- BE500/LK-A,SqnLdrSmallwood,

CONo87SqnRAF,CharmmyDown,1942.(Blackoverall).· AZL7215“RAF”:- MW367/DR-B,No1697Flight,AirDispatchLetterService,Northolt,July1944.(DarkGreen&OceanGreyoverMediumSeaGreywithinvasionstripes).- BN230/FT-A,SqnLdrLeroyDuVivier (first Belgian to command an RAFSqn),No43

SqnRAF,January1942.(DarkGreen&OceanGreyoverMediumSeaGrey).· AZL7216“PostWar”:- LE345/ZA-P,(Aluminumoverallwithlate-warroundels).- KZ883/M,MeteorologicalFlight,RoyalEgyptianAirForce,Almaza,Egypt1946.(UnarmedEx-RAF,fadedDarkEarth&StoneoverAzureBluewithadditionalDarkBrownpatches).

TheMk.IVboxingunderreviewhere is not the first by AZ Model (therearetwoothers:a40-mmgunoptionandSEACboxing,andof course there is the very similar Mk.V).Thekitreviewedherefeatures these three options:· 9539,YugoslavAirForce,1946.(Aluminiumoverall).

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· KX421/G,RAF,SEAC,Burma,1945.(DarkGreen&DarkEarthoverMediumSeaGreywithLightBlue recognition Band and White fin band).· LF468/F,YugoslavAirForce,1945.(DarkGreen&OceanGreyoverMediumSeaGrey).The painting and markings guides are on the reverse face of the kit boxes. They provide colour call-outsusingHumbrol’scolournames and numbers. The decals look to be good quality and registration is sharp.

accuracy&ComparisonsBoth the Mk.IIc & IV kits look good in terms of general accuracy whencomparedtowalk-aroundsand in-service images. I have not madeacomparisontoplans,asI have no assurances regarding theaccuracyofthosetowhichIhaveaccess.Idohoweverthinkitusefultocomparethereviewkitsto those that have gone before and remain their rivals.

Because there are so many Hurricane in this glorious scale of1/72nd,Ishallrestricttheother contenders to those most likely to be alternative purchases. Somemaydisagree,butbasedon modernity and availability I thinktheseareHasegawa,Revell,Academy(midtolate1990’sreleases)andAirfix(from2011).Iwillrestrictmyassessmentsto the basics rather than every littleproorcon,andIwillignoredecals,optionalparts,instructions,packagingetc.Iwillmentionsomedimensionalor shape issues described in kit reviewsIhavereadandrespect,orfaultsthatarebasedonwidelyheldopinionswithin1/72ndaircraftmodelling circles:· Hasegawa:Crispmoulding,finepanellines,goodfit,goodshape,scale2”under-lengthinthefueltankareabetweenthecockpitandengine(Ithinkmostwillacceptthisroughly0.7mmshortfall),dreadfulspinnershape,saggyfabriceffect,basiccockpit,compromisedwheelwellwiththewallsfollowingthecutout.Toningdownthefabriceffectiseasyenough and a replacement spinner

orpropisavailable.Yes,itcarriesapricepremium,butitisstillagoodkitoverall.· Revell:Crispmoulding,finepanellines,goodfit,reasonableshape,scale3”oversizeinwingchord,cockpitopeninghasnoportion of the “doghouse” under thecanopy,uninspiredpropblades,exaggerated fabric effect (less-sothanHasegawa),basiccockpit,compromisedwheelwellwithwallsfollowingcutout.WingtakesmoreworktofixthanHasegawa’sfuselagelengthissue(mostwillprobablyignoreit),goodclearandthincanopywiththeoptionofhavingitopen.Agenerallygoodkitoverallandwellpriced.· Academy:Crispmoulding,finepanellines,reasonablefabriceffect,goodcockpitdetail,goodfit,generallyreasonableshapeexceptforthetoonarrowcowlthatneedsaninserttowiden,andwhichwillrequireaspinnerchange too. The skinny canopy also needs replacement. It has a welldetailedbutcompromisedwheelwellwithwallsfollowingcutout. Well priced (cheapest of thebunch),thefixesarequitesimple,andIaminclinedtothinkthatitisoftenwrittenofftooquicklywithoutpausetothinkhowitsmainfaultcanbeeasilyovercome.· Airfix: Nice fabric effect (but fails to include panels by the rear wing-root),moulddamageonthe starboard fuselage ahead of thecockpit,deeppanellineslookterrible,wrongshapetail-plane,somewhatspuriouspanellinesonthefuselage,basiccockpit,patheticallyundersizedpropeller,windscreenlooksalittletoofarforward,generallyrealisticwheel-well.Wellpriced,butfranklytootoy-like and inaccurate to be worthyofseriousconsiderationinmyview.BuyAcademyorRevellif price is an issue (and for that matterbuyHellerorSMERbeforethis Airfix offering).

SohowdotheAZ/Legatokitsstackup compared to these four? Well forastart,IwillsimplywriteAirfixoff from any comparison. The price savingisjustnotworthit.Itsoonbecame clear to me that the AZ/Legato outlines conform exactly to Hasegawa’s,sufficientformetobet

politelythatHasegawa’sHurricaneMk.IIc had a “major influence” on themasteringofthereviewkits.Giventhatlimitedrunkitmouldsareusually metal-sprayed resin tools made by casting from a positive master,itseemsthatanexistingkitwhoseshapeisgenerallygoodmightmake a tempting start-point.

The AZ Model and Legato kits are,likeHasegawa’s,atadshortbetweenthewindscreenandengine.ThiswillbehardertofixthanwithHasegawabecausetheHasegawakithasaseparateenginecowl,meaningthebreaktoacceptascale2”plasticshimis already there. To fix the AZ/Legatokitswillbeharderasthecut behind the engine needs to alsocurvearoundthewingroot.Ithinkmostbuilderswilllivewiththeroughly0.7mmshortfall.AnypossibleHasegawainfluencedid not extend to the spinner fortunately,asthislooksokay.TheAX/Legatokitsarebetter,tovaryingdegrees,intermsoftheirfabric effect on the fuselage and tail than the comparison brands described earlier. Although not perfect,theLegatoMk.IIccockpitis the more accurate and better detailed than these brands as well.Despitesomegoodpoints,the not so good MK.IV cockpit falls a little short due to a lack of gun-sight and compass. A compromisedwheel-wellaffectsthe Mk IV as it is similar those foundintheHasegawa,RevellandAcademykits.TheMk.IIc’sisessentiallyaccurate,andsuperiortoAirfix’saccuratebutsimplifiedrendition.Flashaside,thebiggestannoyanceofthereviewkitsisprobably the absence of leading-edgelandinglightsintheMkIV’swing.

InmyviewtheLegato/AZhaveanoveralledgeinaccuracy,especiallythe MkII.c because of its good wheelwells,whilstthechoiceofcannon styles is a nice touch. Cockpit detailisalsothebestofthebunch,but the canopy is not very good. Surface detail has the edge over the otherstovaryingdegrees,largelyduetosuperior,albeitstillflawed,representation of the fabric-covered areas.Therefore,thebestoutoftheboxMk.IIcisIthinkLegato’skit.

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When it comes to a Mk.IV then AZ Model is really the only game in townshortofconvertinganotherbrandMk.IIckit(ortrackingdowntherareHasegawaMk.IV.

I had trouble finding current HasegawaHurricanepricing,butthis is likely to be similar or more thanLegato’sfortheMk.IIc,whilstRevell and Academy are about half this cost (Airfix is also about half Legato’sprice,butwouldbeawasteof money regardless). I think many couldlivewithRevell’sHurricaneasis,andtheAcademykitisagoodbetifyoushimtheforwardfuselage,haveaFalconcanopyand a larger diameter spinner to hand.BothwillbeeasiertobuildthanLegato’sMk.IIc.Forsimilarormoney to Legato you can have the sameoutlineshapefromHasegawa,butfixthespinner!Again,thiswillbe an easier build. A conversion to a Mk.IVof any of the comparison brandkitsispossible,butthecostof after-market 40-mm cannons or rockets,andmakinganarmouredradiator,probablymakesAZModel’skitthemostcompetitive,butsomewillhavespareRP’slyingaroundand3D do aftermarket Vickers guns – So maybe not.

ConclusionNone of the readily available and mainstream1/72-scaleHurricaneMk.IIc kits is sufficiently good to suggest there is no room for another oneinthemarketplace,asthefour

main comparison brands used here allhavetheirweaknesses.Inthecase of the Hurricane Mk.IV it could besaidthatwearelongoverdueadecent kit in the one true scale. So on both counts the Legato/AZ Model releasesreviewedherearemostwelcome.Theyarealltypicalofmodern Czech short-run injected kits inthattheyhavefinesurfacedetail,injectedcanopies,goodinteriordetail,andgooddecals.Theirpartswillneedalotofcleaninguppriortoassembly.Withthecleanupfinished,thechancesaretheywillbealittletrickier to build than modern long-run kits.

If generally good accuracy combined withauthenticsurfacedetailandagoodcockpitareyourpriorities,thenLegato’sMk.IIcwillprobablybeawinnerforyou.However,ifyouthrowpriceandbuildabilityintothe mix then you may find yourself looking at Revell or Academy. The wrongspinnershape,over-statedfabriceffect,lesscockpitdetail,thesame outline and no price advantage makeHasegawa’sMk.IIclesscompetitiveagainstLegato’s,butitwillbefareasierandquickertobuild(Asanaside,Ipersonallyfavourit more than my comments might suggest because it is simply a nice kit) .TheMk.IVisinaclassofitsownunlessyouwishtoconvertanexistingMk.IIc,sotheAZModelkithas little competition despite the annoyance of no landing lights in its wingleadingedge.

Asthingsstand,theLegatoandAZModelkitsreviewedherehavea theoretical advantage over the readily available alternatives in my view,butIacceptthataslightlydifferentweightingoffactorscouldeasily see any of my comparison brands,barAirfix,takecentrestage.After all the better cockpit detail cannotreallybeseen,exaggeratedfabric effect of some other brands canbeeasilyfixed,inaccuracyissuescanbeacceptedorremedied,andaboveall,theotherthreecomparisonbrands all build very easily. This last factor is an important one for many modellers.Furthermore,thereisprice,whichisalwaysanimportantarbiter and one that favors three of the four alternatives used.

I am happy to recommend both of these kits as theoretically the best Hurricane Mk.IIc & IV kits in their scale. They are a modest improvementonwhathasgonebefore in terms of accuracy and detail,butthereisalotoftiresomeflash and some mould damage issuestolivewith.IconfessIamnot totally convinced that they are worththehassleorpricegiventhereadily available alternatives (and I have built many limited run kits). The Legato and AZ Hurricanes may just be sidelined by the hassle-free and still reasonably accurate long-run kit alternativesthatare,insomecases,around half the price.

Thanks toAZModelsforthereviewsamples

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