Quickboost

1/72 Hawker Hurricane Accessories

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

1/72 Hurricane Mk. I/II Undercarriage Covers

Stock Number: QB 72-203

MSRP: $6.50

1/72 Hurricane External Fuel Tanks

Stock Number: QB 72-210

MSRP: $6.95

1/72 Hurricane De Havilland Propeller with Tool

Stock Number: QB 72-211

MSRP: $8.95

1/72 Hurricane Mk. 1 Rotol Propeller with Tool

Stock Number: QB 72-215

MSRP: $6.95

Website: www.quickboost.net This is a series of aftermarket parts for the Hasegawa Hurricane kit, although they would probably also work on the Revell-Germany kit, the Heller kit, or any other Hurricane kit in 1/72 scale. However, before I go into the details of the parts, the curious development of Hurricane propellers needs to be discussed, as Mk. 1 Hurricanes could have had at least three different types of props, and including the Mk. II’s and later models, no less than four different spinner types. The Mk. II usually had the standard Rotol prop and long spinner, but some sources indicate that some Mk. II’s and Mk. IV’s had DeHavilland props. By the way, only Sword produces a 1/72 scale kit of the fabric wing Mk. 1 Hurricane with the Watts prop, although there were a few conversion kits produced in resin a few years back, and the prop from the 1/48 scale Hawk Curtiss R3C-1 Racer would work with some trimming. If you’re really serious about doing this variant, the Sword kit is the one to get. Initial production Hurricane Mk. I’s, which had fabric covered wings, were equipped with the two bladed fixed-pitch Watts propeller. When the De Havilland propeller became available, actually a British built Hamilton Standard prop, the Watts units were replaced as time was available for the conversion. By 1939, most fabric wing Hurricanes had De Havilland propellers, and by 1939, the metal wing Hurricane Mk. I was being produced and was going into service. Some of these were powered by the newer Merlin III engine, which used the British Rotol propeller, which was slightly more efficient than the narrow chord DH unit. In addition, some sources state that a few Hurricanes used Rotol propellers coupled with Spitfire spinners due to a shortage of the Hawker units, and these appear to be slightly larger and more bulbous-looking than the standard Rotol-type spinners. So when modeling the Hurricane, it is important to make sure of the correct wing-propeller combination. In general, only fabric wing Hurricanes had the Watts propeller, although a few metal-wing aircraft may have had them due to retrofits. Mk. 1’s could have either the DH or Rotol prop, and just about all Mk. II’s, which had slightly longer noses, had the Rotol unit, which appears to be outwardly identical to the prop used on the Mk. 1, except that the spinner on the Mk. II is longer and more pointed. To add to the confusion, some Mk. II’s and Mk. IV’s had De Havilland props. The only way to be sure is to check the photographs for spinner type and blade outline. The Hasegawa Kits The Hasegawa Hurricanes, and there are a number of versions available, are basically very good kits in most respects. However, the props are the weakest area, and these need work if not replacement. In the Mk. I kit, there is no De Havilland prop included, but the Rotol prop and spinner, while close, need some work, especially in the prop blade area. The Mk. II kit includes a Rotol unit, and some issues have both, coupled with different exhaust stacks. The spinner for the Mk. II kit is not accurate, and needs replacement, hence the QB product. Check photos to make sure that you have the right ones. The Conversion Kits Quickboost has produced a number of detail conversion kits to replace inaccurate or poorly done details in what are otherwise excellent kits. Several years ago, I reviewed QB 72-132 which was a replacement Rotol prop for a Hurricane Mk. II. This was an excellent unit, and is highly recommended. Now, they have come up with two prop replacements for the Hasegawa Mk. 1 kit, the thin bladed De Havilland propeller (QB 72-211) and the paddle bladed Rotol propeller (QB 72-215). These are resin units, and include three blades, a spinner, and a tool or block used to line up the prop at the proper pitch angle. They also include a hole template on the block to drill into the spinner so that the prop fits securely on the nose of the model and is properly centered. The landing gear doors are for any of the Hasegawa offerings, while the long range tanks will work on any MK. II or later model. Note that the old Airfix Mk.I kit has a very accurate Rotol prop with the short Mk.I type spinner. DeHavilland Propeller (QB 72-211) The DeHavilland propeller is accurate, with the small spinner nicely done. The blades are narrow, as were the real ones, and the overall effect is excellent. With the proper sized hole drilled in the center of the spinner, the unit fits onto the crankshaft of the Hasegawa kit very nicely, and this conversion kit is worth getting. The product is not identified as to mark number, but it is for the Mk. 1 kit. Rotol Propeller (QB 72-215) The Rotol propeller, however, is a different story. It is identified as being a Rotol Prop for the Mk. 1. This was confusing to me until I realized that the parts in the envelope were not the correct parts. The drawings in the instructions did not agree with the parts included. The spinner was identical to that of the Mk. II (72-132) while the blades were much like the De Havilland units, slightly wider, although not from the same casting. The blades were definitely NOT the shape of the Rotol blades, but more like paddles bladed versions of the De Havilland prop. Since QB has already produced a Rotol prop, the only answer I can provide is that they included the wrong pieces in the envelope. The end result is a Mk. II Rotol spinner with incorrect blades. Assuming that this was a mistake, I’d like to see the actual Mk. I Rotol prop, as it is presumably very good. This just wasn’t included in my review sample. I used my example on a Mk. IIC kit. Undercarriage Covers (QB 72-203) The Undercarriage covers (Mk. I/II) were almost identical to those of both kits, only the resin units were a little more delicate. One strut broke off when I separated it from the sprue, but this was easily glued back together. Once on the model, however, they look very good, although it is difficult to tell which one is the kit part and which is the QB part. Myself, I’m perfectly satisfied with the kit part. For other kits, such as Heller, Matchbox, or Airfix, the doors might be better, although for the Airfix kit, you will need to include a new landing gear strut, as it has the doors and gear legs cast in one piece. External Fuel Tanks (QB 72-210) The external fuel tanks are accurate and perfectly molded, with a small knob or shaft which is, I suppose, to be glued to the bottom of the wing. There may be a hole or position in the wing panel of the Hasegawa kit that will line up with the tank position, but I didn’t find one in the two examples I built. The effect is good, and the fit is perfect. The only problem is the fact that there are no instructions given with the conversion kit as to the exact position of the tanks under the wings. As far as I can tell from my references, the 42 gallon fuel tanks were carried by Mk. II and Mk. IV aircraft. I haven’t seen a photo or drawing of a Mk. 1 fitted with these tanks, but that doesn’t mean that they were not also fitted to Mk. I’s. The instructions in the conversion kit only state that they are for a Hurricane, but no Mark is given. The Heller Hurricane Mk. II has the tanks included in the kit, and the QB units are very similar. These QB units are worth getting if you want to do the long range version from the Hasegawa or Revell-Germany kit. Recommendations These are high quality products and are finely molded with little flash. Trimming is easy, and attachment is no problem. The little propeller tools work very well, and may prove useful in aligning and assembling other similar propellers. The landing gear doors and fuel tanks are highly recommended. The DH prop is good, as is the earlier Mk. II Rotol prop. If the Mk. I Rotol prop is packed correctly, then it will probably be good, although I couldn’t tell from the review sample I had. Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review samples.