1:1 Scale Hurricane

[Max]

I have been following this from when you started it and I just got caught up on the other site. Wow. I am so impressed with how its come along. Good work!!!

[mwavesdave]

Thanks, fingers crossed I get it all done, and ready to hit the road for this year's 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain!

[Max]

Thanks, fingers crossed I get it all done, and ready to hit the road for this year's 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain!

now THAT, I am looking forward to!!

Git-er-done!!!

[mwavesdave]

Once the outer wing panels are delivered to the Museum, I'll be splitting time between there, and my shop. I'll build the radiator, canopy, and fuselage belly pan at home. At the museum, first order of business is mounting the horizontal stab and vertical stab. Once that's done, I'll have to fit the wing center section to the fuse. I'd like the Hurricane to be done to that stage by the Spring Hobby Show, 10 April. After that, have to mate the outer wing panels, build the spar joiners, and finish the leading edges. Fabric is on order, paint we get locally. Covering the tail feathers and fuse with fabric will be done by John, the museum's Chief Mechanic. I'll also have to construct the ailerons and flaps, so busy times to get her all done, hopefully by June. We're working on figuring out a simple but scale looking fixed gear arrangement, as well as prop, spinner, etc.

[mwavesdave]

Left Wing successfully moved to the Shearwater Aviation Museum yesterday. Wow, my shop looks empty with only one wing section left! lol

[Max]

Yay!!!

[mwavesdave]

Tons of work done in the past few weeks. All of the tail feathers are done, and in various stages of prep work, and fabric work. Horizontal stab should be ready for paint later this week. One of the 3 fuselage belly pans is also complete, and ready for fabric. Fuselage is coming along nicely, with the primer color going on all of the structural framework, while the bulkheads and stringers are clear varnished, as per the real deal. We purchased the paint last week, so paintwork on various sections will start.

[mwavesdave]

I'll try to get on and download a pile of pics, and update everyone on the build. Fuselage, complete with fabric, paint and tailwheel, is now set aside, while wing work progresses. Left Wing panel has been fit to the wing center section, spar joiner built, etc, and now removed, to allow for fitting of the right wing panel, which is now underway.

[mwavesdave]

Been a while since I've posted on here, so will try to get things up to date. Last week, we attached the wing outer panels, and did the weight and balance. 1540 pounds she weighs, so well under what everyone was forecasting. While that was going on, I finished the ailerons, so they can get the metal leading edge, and then get covered in fabric. We also finished the canopy framework, got it painted, and then cut all the Lexan, so it's now done. Propeller blades were laminated from 3 layers of 1/8th ply, with the appropriate pitch change from hub to tip, on a jig. We then epoxied 1 in pink Styrofoam to the face of the blades. Lots of sanding to shape them, and then a layer of 4 oz cloth, some sanding, filling, and paint, and voila, blades all done. They were attached to the hub, and then we finished the spinner. It's several layers of 2 inch pink foam, cut in circles, glued, and then attached to a 1/4in ply base. That got chucked onto a bowl turning jig on the shop lathe, and we used wood rasps to get the rough shape, followed by sanding blocks, and then hand-sanding. It got covered with 6 oz cloth, then sanded, filled, lots more sanding, and paint. I'll post more pics, they'll be in reverse order, but you'll get the idea of what's done.

[mwavesdave]

Some shots of the work on the prop, canopy frame, and one of the ailerons.