I’ve finished this kit. Or, to speak in the vernacular of the peasantry, “Poor little kid, the Typhoon has made landfall.” (Guess the media reference on that one….)
This is a really good kit. Aside from Hasegawa’s maddening use of inserts to facilitate multiple versions from the same mold, this kit has no vices. It all fits very nicely, is well detailed, and it looks the part.
The most intriguing part of this build was the research that went into it. A commission model build client asked for specific markings. He wanted the aircraft of Squadron Leader Patrick Glynn Thornton-Brown of 609 Squdron. The basic info I had was that on 21st December 1943, S/L Thornton-Brown was flying Hawker Typhoon R8845, and was mistakenly shot down by USAAF P-47s. Reports state that he was shot at and killed by German ground troops.
We knew that the aircraft was most likely one of the first bubble top Typhoons, but we didn’t know the actual aircraft codes for it. A plea for assistance at www.britmodeller.com forums turned up some photos, and likely candidates for the aircraft codes, but still did not nail down for certain. However, it was narrowed down to two most likely candidates.
A few days later, the client had a bit of breakthrough info- a remembrance taken out in a newspaper by the airctaft ground crew- and it identified the aircraft code as PR-Z.
So it was quite a fun and collaborative process to research this aircraft, and ultimately, assist the customer in putting together a nice memorial to the pilot.
I think this is an example of why I love building models. It’s really not just a hobby, but a way of honoring and remembering those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.
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