Many consider the Hawker Hurricane the airplane that won the Battle of Britain. Archaic looking as far as World War II aircraft are concerned, it was well-loved and was manufactured until 1944. Several model manufacturers have produced plastic model kits of this famous aircraft, and the HobbyBoss 1/48 scale Hawker Hurricane Mk.I joins the list as an easy build.
Inside the box are four sprues of gray plastic with recessed details; two sprues of clear parts; a photo-etched metal (PE) fret; two seamless, black vinyl tires, decals with markings for four Hurricanes; and a sheet of die-cut canopy masks.
Construction starts with a detailed cockpit, including a separate seat, sidewalls, a control column, rudder pedals, and a clear instrument panel. Not sure why the instrument panel is clear — you’ll paint it and detail the gauges with a decal. Placing the decal behind the panel will provide an exaggerated look.
The PE seat belts look fantastic and add so much life to the cockpit. However, the solid-molded gunsight disappointed me. I painted mine gloss black to simulate a “clear” look. The completed cockpit fits tightly between the fuselage halves.
Separate actuators detail the landing gear bay, and the seamless vinyl tires are a nice touch — just place them on the main wheel hubs, and you’re done.
The kit comes with wings of typical design, with what appear to be options to be provided in later releases, like separately molded gun-bay doors with no open position. The door fits are a bit fiddly, but the separate gun muzzle openings attach without any problems. The wings fit to the fuselage without needing any filler.
All control surfaces are molded in, so there aren’t any options for a more dynamic pose. You can choose to model the plane with the canopy open or closed. The die-cut masks fit perfectly, making painting a breeze.
A separate color guide helps you paint and decal your Hurricane in one of four schemes. However, the sheet doesn’t identify the pilot or squadron, so be prepared to do a bit of research to figure out which one you’d like to model. I chose the aircraft on the box art — Willie McKnight’s Hurricane.
You’ll find callouts for Mr. Color, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya, and Humbrol paints for the camouflage. But there aren’t any indicators for the landing gear and other odds and ends. The decals look good and settle well with Microscale Micro Set and Sol.
The HobbyBoss 1/48 scale Hawker Hurricane Mk.I is a solid kit. It fits together well, doesn’t require a lot of thinking to build, and can be tackled by just about anyone. What’s more, is that simple doesn’t mean incorrect — the finished model looks like a Hurricane. Surely, other versions are just over the horizon.