Arma Hobby 70021 - 1:72 Hurricane Mk I Trop - Model Kit

Plastic model kit of the Hawker Hurricane Mk I Trop fighter in 1:72 scale

The Vokes filter under the engine cowling is the signature of Hurricanes sent where dust killed engines faster than the enemy did. Arma Hobby 70021 depicts the tropical version of the Hawker Hurricane Mk I in 1:72, based on the 2018 tooling.

This Model Kit release comprises two plastic sprues plus a separate clear parts sprue. The modest parts count and clear breakdown make it a friendly kit for modellers just starting out with aircraft models.

The three marking options run from the Malta ferry flights off HMS Argus, through the Australian camouflage of a No. 1 Aircraft Depot RAAF machine, to a Hurricane at RAAF Station Point Cook in the standard RAAF fighter finish of 1945.

What's in the box:

• Two plastic sprues
• Clear parts sprue
• Techmod decals for three marking options
• Assembly instructions with a template for cutting your own masks

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Product code: 70021
• Manufacturer: Arma Hobby
• Assembled length: approx. 137 mm
• Wingspan: approx. 169 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model requires assembly.

Building the model:

The build follows a simple, logical order, and the cockpit is best painted and completed before the fuselage halves are joined. The Vokes filter housing needs careful fitting to the lower cowling – it is a part that draws the eye on the finished model. Canopy masks can be cut from masking tape using the template in the instructions.

For the Malta and desert machines we suggest Dark Earth and Mid Stone with Azure Blue undersides, while the Australian aircraft call for RAAF colours with dark green and grey. Desert schemes look good with slight panel-centre lightening and traces of dust. We recommend applying the decals over a gloss coat and sealing the model with satin varnish.

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes or an airbrush
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish under the decals and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting and softening solutions
• Wash to emphasise the panel lines

About the aircraft – Hawker Hurricane Mk I Trop:

When Hurricanes reached the Middle East and Africa it quickly became clear that fine desert dust destroyed Merlin engines within a few dozen flying hours. The answer was the Vokes dust filter in a housing built under the engine cowling. The solution cost some speed and altitude performance, but it dramatically extended engine life.

Tropical Hurricane Mk Is defended Malta, fought over the Western Desert and in East Africa, and served with units in the Far East and Australia. Some reached Malta in spectacular fashion – flying off the deck of the carrier HMS Argus, a risky undertaking for an aircraft with no carrier equipment.

The airframe remained the same as on European machines: a tubular fuselage with fabric covering at the rear, a Rolls-Royce Merlin II or III engine and eight 7.7 mm Browning machine guns in the wings. In field conditions, far from well-equipped workshops, the Hurricane's ease of repair was an asset hard to overstate.

Original aircraft specifications (Hurricane Mk I in tropical configuration):

• Crew: 1 pilot
• Wingspan: 12.19 m
• Length: 9.84 m (with the Rotol / de Havilland propeller)
• Empty weight: approx. 2260 kg
• Loaded weight: approx. 3000 kg
• Powerplant: Rolls-Royce Merlin II or III inline engine of approx. 1030 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 520 km/h
• Range: approx. 740 km
• Service ceiling: approx. 10,000 m
• Armament: eight 7.7 mm Browning machine guns in the wings
• Production: the Hurricane family totalled more than 14,000 aircraft of all versions

About the manufacturer – Arma Hobby:

Arma Hobby is a plastic model manufacturer from Warsaw, present on the market since 2016. The brand continues the work of Attack Squadron, a company specialising in resin accessories, and inherited its taste for fine detail. Designs are prepared on computer, often starting from scans of surviving aircraft, and the moulds are both designed and produced in Poland. The kits are recognisable by their delicate surface texture with riveting, thin wing trailing edges and clear, well-shaped canopies. The manufacturer also takes care over the quality of its decal sheets. The catalogue covers 1:72 and 1:48, with Polish aviation – the PZL P.7a, PZL P.11c and TS-11 Iskra – holding a special place alongside Allied designs of the Second World War. The company's kits have won industry awards many times, including the Model of the Year title at the Nuremberg fair. Arma Hobby also develops the idea of supplementing kits with 3D-printed parts and with files made available to modellers for home printing.