Hasegawa Hawker Hurricane 2B (captured IJAAF)

The next in the parade of year-end completions is part of another long-standing series project. I do have a number of these on the boil at any given time, since they are especially useful in restoring modelling mojo. They provide you with a familiar kit, thereby minimizing the construction disasters that occasionally come up, and give your display case a nice capsulated history of markings.

This is a Hasegawa Hurricane 2B. I had two of the Hasegawa kits in the stash and decided that now was the time to get them built. Both of these (along with two Hobbyboss kits also in the queue) were 2s. That didn't bother me much as the new Airfix Hurricane will likely be producing a set of metal wings to go along with the already-released ragwing variant. So my mark 1 needs will be amply taken care of. That's actually a good thing, because the Hasegawa early marks have gotten a bit expensive and elusive.

Since I have done most of the variations of RAF and RAAF Hurricanes, I've been working my way through the foreign air force examples. And since I had run across a decal sheet with a captured Japanese Hurricane, that was the decision. I had to think a bit about whether I wanted to paint on the thin white fuselage stripe, but came to the conclusion that I would try the decal and if it didn't work I could always do a quick mask and paint job. Luckily the decal was very opaque and adhered well to the paint.

This is completed model #433 (#14 for the year), completed in November of 2013.