1/48 Academy Hawker Hunter Mk3

converted from Mk 6 kit

by Colin Whitehouse

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This was the original Hunter prototype modified to beat the world air speed record in 1952. This really was the best looking Hunter, without the cartridge collectors (who was Sabrina anyway?) or air brake which marred the later ones. The plane was not scrapped and still survives at Tangmere, the south coast airfield from which the record breaking flight was made.

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It amazes me that you can get almost every detail of the Hunter as a kit or after market but not this most famous one! Construction was based on the Academy F6 kit. I started by cutting the wing leading edges away back to the original shape. The gaps were blocked with some sprue on the inside and then shaped from Milliput. The kit tail pipe was modified to the afterburning nozzle and the original side airbrakes were scribed on with stiffeners added from plastic strip. The tail plane was moved back 2mm with the bullet fairing reshaped. The most noticeable difference is the pointed nose which was the easiest to make from a blob of Milliput, whereas the hardest was reshaping the canopy which is almost unnoticeable. Seat and cockpit came from Aries which is a superb set. Larger diameter wheels and shorter undercarriage legs came from Aeroclub.

As was common in the 1950's the panel lines were sealed and painted over so the plane looked very smooth and devoid of panel lines other than around the engine. Paint is Mr Colour red. Decals from the spares box.

Thanks to Damien Burke for Thunder and Lightning's excellent reference web site as I haven't managed to get to Tangmere yet and get my own pictures but I do remember it at Cosford in the old days.

I finished this in February and was saving it for September which is the 54th anniversary but with his recent death it seems more relevant today.

Colin

Photos and text © by Colin Whitehouse